This document type was called a “memorial,” which, when it was written, referred to a petition submitted to the courts or those in authority. Memorials were used to give detailed grievances, requests, and information. In this case, the Massachusetts Bay Province wrote to Queen Anne with its grievances and requested aid due to the ongoing wars. The memorial was written by Thomas Oliver, a representative and the speaker of the Massachusetts General Court. This memorial illustrates the fears of the people of Massachusetts Bay during Queen Anne’s War (1702–13). Anne served as Queen of Great Britain from February 1665 to August 1714. Most of her reign was overshadowed by the conflicts that Europe and Great Britain were embroiled in.