Royal Proclamation Against Patrick Henry

"Royal proclamation issued by Governor John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, against "a certain PATRICK HENRY, of the county of Hanover, and a number of deluded followers…."

This proclamation came just days after Henry and his Hanover County militiamen forced Dunmore to pay for gunpowder taken from the magazine in Williamsburg. Known as the Gunpowder Incident, this dealt an embarrassing blow to Dunmore’s popularity while simultaneously skyrocketing Henry’s. 15 county committees favored Henry’s action and popular support for independence grew.