Congress changed fashion in 1774 — Congress Commemorative Half Dollar Coin

Today, the Congress Commemorative Half Dollar Coin remembers the Continental Congress and their efforts to sever the stranglehold England had on the colonies.

The Continental Association signed on October 20, 1774 contained fourteen points that mainly addressed the import and export of goods between England and the colonies.

Number eight included how men, women and families would change their mourning dress and habits.

In the National Standard of Costume. A lecture on the changes of fashion, delivered before the Portsmouth Lyceum, published in 1837, Charles W. Brewster included a discussion on how the Continental Congress changed fashion:

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On the 20th of October, 1774, Congress unanimously agreed to certain articles of association, which were signed by every member of that illustrious body.

In those articles they pledged themselves, that ‘On the death of any relation or friend, none of us, or any of our families will go into any further mourning dress than a black crape or ribbon on the arm or hat, for gentlemen, and a black ribbon or necklace for ladies—and will discountenance the giving of gloves and scarfs at funerals.’

This was the spirit of those who declared the independence of our country!

They not only desired that the heavy chains of foreign despotism should be thrown off,—but also that the fascinating golden links which bound us insensibly to the trappings of foreign courts, and like the flesh pots of Egypt create an insatiable longing to return—should at once be broken—that the principle of true independence, alike of foreign laws and fashions, might be extended in a land of professed Freedom.

This attempt of the members of the Revolutionary Congress to overturn the despotism of Fashion was not a mere formality—their agreement was carried into practice, and was also followed by many of their successors.

William Whipple, a delegate from New Hampshire and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, whose memory is dear to our State as associated with those who willed a nation free—was an honorable example of the spirit of the times, and exhibits a model which it should be the pride of the sons of New-Hampshire to follow.

When the hand of Providence removed a near and dear relative, instead of the usual formalities of mourning dresses,—for

“ When grief is feign’d how ill such forms appear,

“And oh! how useless, when the grief’s sincere,”

—instead of the usual formalities, he wore no other mourning dress than a small piece of crape on his arm.

As a proof that this was not done from any parsimonious motive, but from a desire to correct the unmeaning fashion of the day, soon after the funeral obsequies, he ascertained what the amount of the mourning dresses for himself and his family would have cost according to the former customs, and distributed that sum to the deserving poor.

Such was the spirit of Franklin—such the spirit which moved the Revolution—and such would be the simplicity of the fashions of our times, did we pay that respect to their worthy examples to which they are entitled.

It has been gratifying to discern that the changes of Fashion within a few years past have tended to dispensing with a portion of the habiliments of grief —and to the use on funereal occasions of such garments as may be worn on any other,—with the slight appendage of a black ribband or a piece of crape.

But how slight a cause, under the present feeble protection, would make a complete revolution in the fashion!

Should the full sable garment again deck the fashionable mourners of France—the dark cloud from the east would ere long again overwhelm our land, sweeping away the pittance the provident husband had laid by for the necessities of his widow and orphans.

Is there no power to withstand this mighty force of fashion?

By simple individual strength it is useless to make resistance.

But cannot a combination maintain their post with honor—defy the insidious enemy—and with regard to themselves say—“Thus far shalt thou come and no farther—here shall thy proud course be stayed!”

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The Continental Congress changed fashion, but their document did much more than that.

It laid the groundwork for the separation of the colonies from England, though it would take the Revolutionary War to make that happen.

The Congress Commemorative Half Dollar Coin shows with an image of the page from the Journals of Congress with the reference to mourning dress.

Congress Commemorative Half Dollar Coin