"The Great Rebellion" at Princeton in 1807-- Part 2: Renounce the Petition

That day, March 30th, eight students submitted a petition to Princeton President Smith with 160 signatures of other students demanding that he reconsider his suspensions of the three students.

Smith refused to even read the petition.  How dare these students "demand" he change his mind.  He had trustee Richard Stockton, Jr., deliver a sermon to the protesters and student body at the chapel in an attempt to get them to renounce their petition.  Even before he was finished, the students began scraping their shoes noisily on the floor.

Then, one conspirator "jumped up, gave a signal, and charged out of the room with two-thirds of the college's two hundred students behind him.  Everyone of them was immediately suspended."

And, It Wasn't Over Yet.  --Brock-Perry