Thomas White (patriot)
Encyclopedia
Thomas White was an American Patriot who took part in the Boston Tea Party
, was a member of the Sons of Liberty
, and served under General Washington in the American Revolution.
. A tailor by trade, he married Elizabeth Jones, a descendant of Sven Gunnarsson
. They removed to Boston shortly thereafter, where White joined a Masonic order, possibly St. Andrews Lodge, and participated in all the anti-Crown protests.
. Thomas White was among the participants.
in the American Revolution.
. He built a farm and raised his children there, who numbered 21. Three of his sons served in the War of 1812
; one of them, Ezekiel White, was captured at the Battle of Lundy's Lane
, and died of dysentery
at a prison camp.
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a direct action by colonists in Boston, a town in the British colony of Massachusetts, against the British government and the monopolistic East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies...
, was a member of the Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were a political group made up of American patriots that originated in the pre-independence North American British colonies. The group was formed to protect the rights of the colonists from the usurpations by the British government after 1766...
, and served under General Washington in the American Revolution.
Early life
White was born in Kilkenny, Ireland in 1739. In 1771, he immigrated to Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. A tailor by trade, he married Elizabeth Jones, a descendant of Sven Gunnarsson
Sven Gunnarsson
Sven Gunnarsson was a founder of the New Sweden colony, owner of land which today is most of present-day Society Hill in Philadelphia, and a progenitor of the Du Pont family in modern-day Delaware.-New Sweden colony:...
. They removed to Boston shortly thereafter, where White joined a Masonic order, possibly St. Andrews Lodge, and participated in all the anti-Crown protests.
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, members of the St. Andrew's Lodge and others boarded British vessels disguised as Indians, and threw shipments of tea into the harbor to protest the Tea ActTea Act
The Tea Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain. Its principal overt objective was to reduce the massive surplus of tea held by the financially troubled British East India Company in its London warehouses. A related objective was to undercut the price of tea smuggled into Britain's...
. Thomas White was among the participants.
American Revolution
White returned to Pennsylvania, serving as soldier in the Continental Army in 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment2nd Pennsylvania Regiment
The 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, also known as The 1st Pennsylvania Battalion, was raised, October 12, 1775, under the command of Colonel John Bull for service with the Continental Army. The regiment saw action during the Battles of Brooklyn, Valcour Island, Trenton, the Brandywine, Germantown,...
in the American Revolution.
Later years
Following the war, his family migrated west, settling in Huntingdon County, PennsylvaniaHuntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 45,913.Huntingdon County was created on September 20, 1787, from part of Bedford County. Its county seat is Huntingdon.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. He built a farm and raised his children there, who numbered 21. Three of his sons served in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
; one of them, Ezekiel White, was captured at the Battle of Lundy's Lane
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
, and died of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
at a prison camp.