Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Colonel Thomas Cutts (1736-1831)
Thomas Cutts of Saco was a prominent local merchant who supported the Revolution both as a military and political leader. In 1776, he was appointed first as a Major of the Third Regiment of Militia of York County, and then promoted to Colonel in 1778. His responsibilities included overseeing the training and equipping of all the militia units in his district. Cutts also served as Massachusetts General Court Representative in 1777, 1779, and 1780, as well as the town’s treasurer from 1772-1779. And, like many other leading patriots, he was active in the local Committee of Correspondence and Inspection, which enforced boycotts against British goods and helped organize local resistance. Cutts used his status as a wealthy merchant to support the war effort through trade by providing critical resources, including iron and lumber, to the patriot cause, demonstrating that there were many ways to support the patriot cause during the Revolution beyond serving in the military.
