Thomas Fitch IV was the colonial governor of Connecticut from 1754 to 1766. During his tenure, he faced many of the challenges leaders would face ten years later leading up to the Revolution. His situation was somewhat unique – Connecticut’s charter called for their leaders, from Governor on down, to be elected by the people. Most other colonial officials were appointed by the Crown or the proprietor of the colony. However, if the colony’s activities displeased the King, the Connecticut charter could be revoked. This created an challenging situation leading up to the Revolution as the people of the colony began to rebel against the Crown – the Governor had to please both the King and his constituents in order to keep the colony from having its charter revoked and represent the interest of the people.
Governors in that time were elected (and appointed) largely based on their education, wealth and religious devotion. Issue-based political issues were much less a factor. Government was not supposed to bow to the will of the people; government was supposed to protect the people from themselves.
Thomas Fitch had all the prerequisites of a colonial leader. He was educated at Yale, came from a very wealthy and prominent family, and often preached on Sundays. This background was a key factor in the political rise of Thomas Fitch.
Born around 1700, Fitch came from a prominent family. His family was one of the most prominent in Norwalk, having immigrated from England in 1650. His great grandfather, Thomas Fitch I was a clothier in Bocking, the center of England’s wool making industry. He was among the original settlers of Norwalk and had over 300 acres of farmland where he raised livestock and was described by Roger Ludlow as the wealthiest man in town. In 1654 he was chosen as the recorder of land and clerk of the local militia. In 1658 he was elected selectman. He held other important roles but twice failed in a bid for the Upper House. His grandfather, Thomas Fitch II, had a distinguished career in the colonial militia and was Captain of the Fairfield County militia in 1673.
Fitch’s father, Thomas III, lived until 1731 and was also a prominent figure in Norwalk. This lineage was considered to be desirable in a leader at that time. In short, Thomas Fitch IV came from a wealthy, educated and powerful family with deep roots in Norwalk.
After graduating from Yale, Fitch began a law practice. He earned a good reputation as a lawyer and soon earned political roles as Justice of the Peace, Deputy and Assistant to the Connecticut General Assembly, Deputy Governor, Chief Justice to the Connecticut Superior Court and, finally, Governor of the Colony. It was during his time as Governor that rising colonial politics and more traditional imperial policy would challenge his loyalty to the King and to the people who elected him. Fitch’s ability to exploit popular politics and imperial issues lead him to be the first candidate in the 18th Century to defeat an incumbent Connecticut governor in a contested election. It is arguable that the revolution of 1776 began first in Connecticut and would end with Fitch’s electoral defeat ten years earlier, in 1765.
In 1750, Fitch was elected Deputy Governor. This was something of an upset because he by-passed a number of men who were more senior and experienced. Fitch was successful largely because he was able to cultivate support from many powerful contemporaries and exploit popular electoral politics. One of the issues Fitch leveraged was the controversy around the issuance of paper money. This issue essentially revolved around the reliance on debt as the primary method conducting business. The prospect of issuing paper money would lower the value of personal debt and would help draw business from competitors. Established traders, however, opposed the use of paper money because it would hurt their existing credit relationships. After a number of defeats, the General Assembly incorporated the New London Society began operating as a quasi-bank with an intent to loosen credit, and issue bills of credit without permission. While the issue lingered for decades, Thomas Fitch took the unusual tact of cultivating the support of those who advocated the issuance of paper money. Colonial leaders were not supposed to bend to the will of the people – they were supposed to be chosen based on their wisdom and experience, not their position on the issues. Instead of getting direction from the Crown, Fitch took the popular position on certain issues and cultivated support from those who agreed with him and avoided overtly opposing certain issues his allies supported that were not in his best interest politically. Fitch, therefore, became one of the first Connecticut politicians to embrace issue-based politics.
While Fitch had the financial, educational and religious background deemed desirable among the electorate, he had also deftly exploited political issues of the day to earn the support he needed to rise in colony politics while maintaining the support of the King. He was a “politician” by current definition because he cultivated supporters on certain issues, delayed action on issues he considered too controversial, and refrained from taking sides on certain issues he opposed but his supporters favored.
The final issue that Fitch tried to manage was the rise of the Stamp Act. In 1764, Fitch wrote a pamphlet opposing the Stamp Act on the grounds that it was a violation of the colony’s charter. The law required that all governors take an oath pledging to enforce the tax. He was in an untenable position. Supporting the act was political suicide. Not pledging to enforce the act might result in revocation of the charter. In this situation, unlike others previously, doing nothing, or stalling, was not an option. While other leaders refused to take the oath, Fitch took it. The situation magnified the dilemma Fitch was presented – support the popular position and maintain the support of the people, or risk the ire of the Crown and the potential revocation of the colonial charter.
Thomas Fitch’s rise to political prominence was initially centered on his education, wealth and religious devotion. As he held various positions of power within the colony, local policy-based issues became increasingly important to the electorate. Fitch successfully navigated the turbulent waters, and was able to please the Crown well enough to satisfy the King and maintain the colonial charter, yet he exploited local issues to garner the support of those who elected him. While he opposed the Stamp Act, he, as governor, considered it prudent to enforce the law if it was ratified. It was not ratified, but the damage was done and Fitch lost his bid for re-election in 1766. Future governors were on notice that the populace expected their governor to fight what was considered excessive imperial intrusion. Hence, perhaps the American Revolution really began, at least in Connecticut, in 1766.
Fitch’s legacy as governor was respected by the people and he is buried in Norwalk with a tablet that reads:
THE HONORABLE THOMAS FITCH ESQ.
GOV. OF THE COLONY OF CONNECTICUT
Eminent and distinguished among mortals for great abilities, large acquirements, and a virtuous character. A clear, strong, sedate mind, and an accurate, extensive acquaintance with law and civil government; a happy talent of presiding, close application and strict fidelity, in the discharge of important trusts,
no less than for his employments by the voice of the people in the chief offices of State, and at the head of the colony. Having served his generation by the will of God, fell asleep July 18 in Domini 1774, in the 75th year of his age.
By Alan Douglass Fitch Jr
[Note: This blog is largely based on my research of my 6th Great Grandfather and particularly that of Dr. Martin Babicz whose doctoral thesis was Governor Fitch’s tenure as governor of the Colony of Connecticut.]
