Andrew Oliver | |
|---|---|
 Portrait c. 1758 byJohn Singleton Copley | |
| Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay | |
| In office March 14, 1771 – March 3, 1774 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Hutchinson |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Oliver |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 28, 1706 |
| Died | March 3, 1774(1774-03-03) (aged 67) Boston |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Fitch Mary Sanford |
| Profession | Merchant and politician |
Andrew Oliver (March 28, 1706 – March 3, 1774) was an American-born merchant and colonial administrator in theProvince of Massachusetts Bay. Born into a wealthy and politically powerful merchant family, he is best known as the official responsible for implementing the provisions of theStamp Act, for which he was hanged in effigy. He never actually carried out those duties and was later commissioned as the province's lieutenant governor.
Andrew Oliver was born inBoston, capital of the BritishProvince of Massachusetts Bay, on March 28, 1706. His father, Daniel Oliver, was a wealthy and politically active merchant,[1] and his mother, Elizabeth Belcher Oliver, was the sister ofJonathan Belcher, son of another wealthy merchant and governor of the province in the 1730s.[2] Andrew had two brothers: Daniel Oliver (1704–1727) andPeter Oliver (1713–1791). Characterized as "sober and pious", Andrew was sent toHarvard College, where he graduated in 1724.[1]
Oliver then entered the family business, setting up a merchant business with his brother Peter that concentrated on wine and textiles. The business was successful, and the brothers eventually controlled Boston'sLong Wharf.[1] On March 20, 1728, Oliver married Mary Fitch, the daughter ofColonel Thomas Fitch. The couple had three children before Mary died in 1732; only one, a son namedAndrew, survived to adulthood. After Mary's death Oliver traveled to England, returning to Massachusetts in 1734.[3] On December 19, 1734, he married Mary Sanford ofNewport, Rhode Island, the sister-in-law ofThomas Hutchinson. The couple had fourteen children.[3]
In 1737, Oliver entered politics and won election as Boston's town auditor. He held many other local offices, and became a leader of the Hutchinson-Oliver faction, which dominated politics in colonial Massachusetts. He was elected to the provincial assembly in 1742 and in 1755 was appointed provincial secretary by Acting GovernorSpencer Phips.[4]
In 1765, Oliver was commissioned to administer the unpopularStamp Act in Massachusetts. He was privately against the act but told people that he was in favor of it, which led colonists to rise against him. On August 14, he was hanged ineffigy from Boston'sLiberty Tree in a protest organized by theLoyal Nine, a precursor to theSons of Liberty. That night, his house and offices were ransacked by an angry crowd. On August 17, he was compelled to publicly resign his commission. On December 17, the Sons of Liberty again forced him to swear publicly that he would never act as stamp distributor.[5]
He was commissioned lieutenant governor of the colony when his brother-in-lawThomas Hutchinson became governor in 1771. Letters that he and Hutchinson had written in the late 1760s during the protests surrounding theTownshend Acts werepublished in 1773 and ignited a storm of protest against both men. The business took a serious toll on Oliver's health, which suffered further after his wife had died.
Oliver died on March 3, 1774, after he had suffered from an "apoplectick fit."[6] His death was greeted with glee by the Sons of Liberty, and his burial was marred by acts of protest and violence. Because of the charged political climate, few friends and relatives attended.[7]
Most of Oliver's family joined theLoyalists during theAmerican Revolution and its success caused them to resettle to other parts of theBritish Empire.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Secretary of the Province of Massachusetts Bay December 15, 1756 – March 11, 1771 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay March 14, 1771 – March 3, 1774 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
