"Redcoats in the house? Some myths behind the..." Topic

… Third Amendment

"Could British troops evict colonists from their homes, eat their food and use their facilities? That's not exactly true, even though generations of students have heard that story in relation to the Third Amendment…"

More here

link

Armand

Myth? 🤔

Numerous cases where British troops obtained local buildings for their billets.
New York City for the duration of the war.
Trenton and Princeton had soldiers in houses and other buildings when attacked by Washington.
Then Philadelphia and Charleston after their capture. Yorktown, Pensacola and Mobile had garrisons in houses.
Of course the Americans occupied private buildings as well.

Not everything in the Bill of Rights was done as a response to British actions in the years leading up to the AWI.

The key element would be, as established policy, the evicting of a citizen and and his family from their home to commandeer it for goverment use, a fear that the article states was not realized.

"Outhouse" still means just that in Old Country parlance.

Thanks

Armand

The initial reaction to the Quartering Act in America was fear about British troops ignoring its intent and deciding to seek quarters in private homes. But soon, the Colonists realized that they would be paying for much of the costs of "quartering" British troops as a passive tax that was levied without the consent of colonial legislatures.

From the linked article.

British troops would be 3000 miles away from Britain, and up to 2 months away for the news to go back. Add time for a response.
The thing is that the British often overstepped, knowing they would not be held accountable.
It happened often enough that it was felt necessary for a constitutional amendment in the Bill of Rights. Americans were quite touchy about their rights, and quartering was considered a grievous offense, no matter how seldom or often it was used. Stamp it out, NOW!

Surprisingly, there have been a few recent cases where the 3rd Amendment was used against da Gubmint. Successfully!

While the quartering law was not in effect during the Revolution, so it was not violated by the British or the Patriots.

However it was in effect during the American Civil War and violated by the Union troops while they were on campaign in the south.

Thanks also…

Armand

"…violated by the Union troops while they were on campaign in the south." Mary Thompson would have an opposing view to this polemic.:^)