Editing Bermuda (section)

===The American War of Independence===
Bermuda's ambivalence towards the American rebellion changed in September&nbsp;1774, when the [[Continental Congress]] resolved to ban trade with Great Britain, Ireland, and the West Indies after 10&nbsp;September 1775. Such an embargo would mean the collapse of their inter-colonial commerce, famine and civil unrest. Lacking political channels with Great Britain, [[Henry Tucker (President of the Council of Bermuda)|the Tucker Family]] met in May&nbsp;1775 with eight other parishioners and resolved to send delegates to the Continental Congress in July, aiming for an exemption from the ban. Henry Tucker noted a clause in the ban which allowed the exchange of American goods for military supplies. The clause was confirmed by [[Benjamin Franklin]] when Tucker met with the Pennsylvania [[Committees of safety (American Revolution)|Committee of Safety]]. Independently, others confirmed this business arrangement with [[Peyton Randolph]], the Charlestown Committee of Safety, and [[George Washington]].<ref name=Jarvis>{{cite book |last=Jarvis |date=2010 |first=Michael |title=In the Eye of All Trade |place=Chapel Hill, NC |publisher=University of North Carolina Press |isbn=9780807872840 |pages=385–389}}</ref>

Three American boats, operating from Charlestown, Philadelphia and Newport, sailed to Bermuda, and on 14&nbsp;August 1775, 100&nbsp;barrels of gunpowder were taken from the Bermudian magazine while Governor [[George James Bruere]] slept, and loaded onto these boats. As a consequence, on 2&nbsp;October the Continental Congress exempted Bermuda from their trade ban, and Bermuda acquired a reputation for disloyalty. Later that year, the British Parliament passed the [[Prohibitory Act]] to prohibit trade with the American rebelling colonies and sent HMS ''Scorpion'' to keep watch over the island. The island's forts were stripped of cannons. Yet, wartime trade of contraband continued along well-established family connections. With 120 boats by 1775, Bermuda continued to trade with [[St. Eustatius]] until 1781 and provided salt to North American ports.<ref name=Jarvis/>{{rp|389–415}}

In June&nbsp;1776, HMS ''Nautilus'' secured the island, followed by {{HMS|Galatea|1776|6}} in September. Yet, the two British captains seemed more intent on capturing prize money, causing a severe food shortage on the island until the departure of ''Nautilus'' in October. After France's entry into the war in 1778, [[Henry Clinton (British Army officer, born 1730)|Henry Clinton]] refortified the island under the command of Major [[William Sutherland (British Army officer)|William Sutherland]]. As a result, 91&nbsp;French and American ships were captured in the winter of 1778–1779, bringing the population once again to the brink of starvation. Bermudian trade was severely hampered by the combined efforts of the Royal Navy, the British garrison and [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|loyalist privateers]], such that famine struck the island in 1779.<ref name=Jarvis/>{{rp|416–427}}

Upon the death of George Bruere in 1780, the governorship passed to his son, George&nbsp;Jr., an active loyalist. Under his leadership, smuggling was stopped, and the Bermudian colonial government was populated with like-minded loyalists. Even Henry Tucker abandoned trading with the United States, because of the presence of multiple privateers.<ref name=Jarvis/>{{rp|428–433}}

''[[The Bermuda Gazette]]'', Bermuda's first newspaper, began publishing in 1784.<ref name=Stark>{{cite book |last=Stark |first=James Henry |year=1897 |title=Stark's Illustrated Bermuda Guide |quote=A description of everything on or about these places of which the visitor or resident may desire information, including their history, inhabitants, climate, agriculture, geology, government, and resources |publisher=J.H.&nbsp;Stark |place=Bermuda Island (Bermuda Islands) |page=250 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T11qAAAAMAAJ&q=1784%20bermuda%20stockdale&pg=PA150 |access-date=7 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414015429/https://books.google.com/books?id=T11qAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA150&q=1784%20bermuda%20stockdale |archive-date=14 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="200th">{{cite web |last=Rigby |first=Neil |date=26 January 1984 |title=1984 – 200th&nbsp;anniversary of Bermuda's first newspaper and postal service |website=bermudastamps.co.uk |url=http://www.bermudastamps.co.uk/1984/01/26/200th-anniversary-bermudas-first-newspaper-postal-service/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144144/http://www.bermudastamps.co.uk/1984/01/26/200th-anniversary-bermudas-first-newspaper-postal-service/ |archive-date=12 June 2018}}</ref><ref name=TBG>{{cite web |title=The Bermuda Gazette |publisher=[[United States Library of Congress]] |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/sn89049233/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140020/https://www.loc.gov/item/sn89049233/ |archive-date=12 June 2018}}</ref> The editor, [[Joseph Stockdale]], had been given financial incentive to move to Bermuda with his family and establish the newspaper. He also provided other printing services and operated Bermuda's first local postal service. The ''Bermuda Gazette'' was sold by subscription and delivered to subscribers, with Stockdale's employee also delivering mail for a fee.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stockdale |first=Joseph |date=17 January 1784 |title=Untitled advertisement |newspaper=Bermuda Gazette |place=Stockdale House, Printer's Alley, St.&nbsp;George's Town, St.&nbsp;George's Parish, Bermuda}}</ref>