Sword

England, 1770-75
Steel, silver, gilt
Gift of Edmund Quincy 

This sword belonged to Josiah Quincy Jr. Quincy was not a soldier and the sword never saw combat. His father, or perhaps his son, had the sword engraved in memory of his spirited defense of American liberties, although, he spent nearly his entire career condemning the use of bloodshed to resolve conflict and frequently invoked the sword in his speeches and writings as a tool to “oppress and enthrall.”