r ants ▁without ▁any ▁limits . ▁ ▁he y ▁author ized ▁custom s ▁officials ▁to ▁go ▁anywhere , ▁at ▁any ▁time . ▁ ▁They ▁required ▁local ▁sh er iffs , ▁and ▁even ▁local ▁citizens , ▁to ▁assist ▁in ▁breaking ▁into ▁colon ists ’ ▁houses ▁or ▁l end ▁whatever ▁assistance ▁custom s ▁officials ▁desired . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 6 1 , ▁Gold th wait ▁and ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁other ▁out rag ed ▁Boston ▁business men ▁engaged ▁lawyer ▁James ▁Ot is , ▁Jr . ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁writ s ▁of ▁assistance ▁in ▁court . ▁Ot is ▁gave ▁the ▁speech ▁of ▁his ▁life , ▁making ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁Mag na ▁Cart a , ▁classical ▁all us ions , ▁natural ▁law , ▁and ▁the ▁colon ists ’ ▁“ right s ▁as ▁English men .” ▁ ▁The ▁court ▁ruled ▁against ▁Gold th wait ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁mer ch ants . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁case ▁lit ▁the ▁fire ▁that ▁became ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁Ot is ’ s ▁arguments ▁were ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁colon ies , ▁and ▁stir red ▁w ides p read ▁support ▁for ▁colonial ▁rights . ▁ ▁A ▁young ▁lawyer , ▁John ▁Adams , ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁pack ed ▁court room , ▁and ▁was ▁moved ▁by ▁Ot is ’ s ▁performance ▁and ▁legal ▁arguments . ▁ ▁Adams ▁later ▁said ▁that ▁“ Then ▁and ▁there ▁the ▁child ▁Independ ence ▁was ▁born .” ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : 1 7 1 0 ▁birth s ▁Category : 1 7 8 2 ▁death s ▁Category : 1