Description
<p>In this British political cartoon, a mob of thuggish looking Virginians force a group of well-dressed members of the gentry to sign the Continental Congress’s non-importation agreement. The crowd is armed, and tar and feathers hang in the background, showing the implied consequences of not signing the terms. The tar and feathers are labeled: “A Cure for the Refractory.” The title, “The Alternative of Williamsburg,” suggests that the cartoon depicts a meeting of one of the Virginia Conventions of late 1774, where the non-importation and non-exportation agreements of the Continental Congress were discussed and signed. The clear implication is that many Virginians were still loyal British subjects but were being forced into acquiescence by the rowdy masses.</p>
