Isaac Sears played a crucial role during the buildup to the American Revolutionary War, and the war itself. A merchant and a sailor, Sears began his life as a sailor at sixteen. By the time the Stamp Act of 1765 was passed, he was standing among the men who were in full and open opposition to this new form of taxation by the British.
He joined the Sons of Liberty, an organization that used political threats and small scale violence to try and destabilize British footholds in the American colonies. Nearly every demonstration of mob violence in New York City during this period was either instituted or led by Isaac Sears. He was also crucial in developing the Committee of Correspondence, which was instrumental in keeping communication between the various Sons of Liberty groups alive.
When the Tea Act was passed in 1773, Sears used his influence to encourage his fellow merchants to halt import of tea from the East Indian Company. He and his men even went so far as posting signs that warned anyone against aiding the British in storing or selling tea on American territory. This smallscale uprising directly influenced John Adams, who wrote stirring letters urging other colonists to action.
He was finally arrested in April of 1775, well after the Revolutionary War had already begun. He was imprisoned and rescued shortly thereafter, being hailed as a hero for the work he’d done inciting the colonists into action.
He survived the war and became active in politics until his death in 1786. During his time serving, he helped to pass several laws aimed at restricting the rights and privileges of British loyalists.
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