The Alternative of Williams-Burg

This print shows American colonists organizing political resistance to taxes on imported goods—as seen through a satirical British lens. The Virginia legislature had recently passed the Williamsburg Resolution, which urged colonists to sign a pledge of loyalty to the Continental Congress and to withhold tobacco exports until the hated taxes were repealed. Here, rough-looking supporters of "Liberty" hold cudgels to encourage reluctant signers, while containers holding tar and feathers hang ominously behind them. A barrel of tobacco labeled as a gift "For John Wilkes" refers to the lord mayor of London, who supported colonial causes.