The Butter Rebellion, which took place atHarvard University in 1766, was the first recorded Harvardstudent protest in what is now theUnited States. In the decade preceding theAmerican Revolution, economic difficulties made the acquisition of fresh food difficult at Harvard.

A satirical account of the Butter Rebellion, written in biblical style, was penned during theAmerican Revolution.^[1] According to this account, one meal with particularly rancid butter led Asa Dunbar (the grandfather ofHenry David Thoreau) to tell a tutor, "Behold, our butter stinketh!—Give us, therefore, butter that stinketh not." In the account, Dunbar was punished for insubordination, and the next morning his fellow students protested by leaving their hall, cheering inHarvard Yard, and dining in town.^[1][2]

The protests were led by seniors Dunbar, Daniel Johnson and Thomas Hodgson. The Harvard Corporation admitted much of the butter served to students was rancid, but was alarmed by a month of "violent, illegal, and insulting proceedings".^[3] Eventually the Corporation enlisted the help of Massachusetts governorSir Francis Bernard, who addressed students in the chapel, and ended the crisis.^[3]

• The Book of Harvard, satirical account of the Butter Rebellion

• Bethell, John T., Richard M. Hunt, & Robert Shenton.Harvard from A to Z. Harvard University Press: Cambridge, Massachusetts. 2004.
• Buettner, Cynthia K.Parties, Police, and Pandemonium: An exploratory study of mixed-issue campus disturbances. Dissertation, Ohio State University, 2004.[1]^{[permanent dead link]} (Accessed: November 18, 2007)
• "Butter."Time, March 23, 1925.[2] (Accessed: November 18, 2007)
• Lepore, Jill. Lecture at Harvard University for her course: "Liberty and Slavery, the History of an American Paradox." October 18, 2005.
• Poitier, Beth. "The alpha and omega of Harvard lore" inThe Harvard Gazette, June, 2004.[3] (Accessed: November 18, 2007)
• Wood, Sandy & Kara Kovalchik. "College protests in America began in the 1960s, right? Not quite. Back up a couple hundred years," inMental Floss, April 6, 2003.[4] (Accessed: November 18, 2007)

• Student protests in Massachusetts
• Butter
• Harvard University
• 1766 in the Thirteen Colonies
• Conflicts in 1766

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