Peace Pipe Chapter, NSDAR Celebrates Flag Day

June 14th, 2011 was a very special celebration for everyone in attendance at the Flag Day celebration and raising of a flag for Peace Pipe Chapter. The flag raised was once flown over our nation's capitol.  This patriotic tradition goes back with the Chapter for 100 years at Genesee, Colorado. Members of the family of one the original participants were there to lend support and honor her.

This video captures many of the wonderful moments of this historic event. Shown is the great love so many of us have for our country.

Below is a link to original photos taken that day. You are invited to view each one and comment. Each picture has a story and speaks to patriotism, preservation and education.

God Bless The United States of America

Please enjoy.

"Travel to an Extrodinary Event Here"

Photography and video by Christine McClintock Hudspeth

Rode Island - A Colony Founded on Tolerance and Reform

Did you know that the colony of Rode Island, means Red Island? It  was founded on the principle of separation of Church and State guaranteeing religious freedom to all who settled there. It became a safe haven for persecuted Jews, Quakers and Presbyterians who had fled the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

William Rogers who is credited with starting the colony of Rode Island, was himself a Puritan who came to America. He had quite an impact on the second generation of Puritans at a time when ideas of change were contagious. Rogers was friends with the Puritan leaders of Colonial Massachusetts until he started voicing his discontent. Rogers told the Puritan leaders that the Puritanism practiced in the colony was not pure enough and the Church of England was beyond reform. He spoke out against the punishment of anyone for religious offences and denounced Puritan leaders for forcing religion on everyone who lived in the community. When asked to take an oath by the local government, Rogers refused stating that any kind of oath or vow was religious and could not be required of the government. For speaking his mind, the colony tried and banished William Rogers (founder) to Rhode Island. It later became it's own colony. After William Rogers was banished from Colonial Massachusetts, he made friends with the Pequot Indians and established Rhode Island from land that he purchased from the Indians. William Rogers believed that the Indians had legal right to the land, which further ostracized him from society. He learned the Pequot language and remained on friendly terms with the Indians. Rogers used his friendship with the Pequot to save the Massachusetts colony from attacks on many occasions yet the people of the colony still ostracized him. Despite the Puritans treatment, William Rogers still helped them.

The example William Rogers set for generations of Puritans was important. Literacy was widespread in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Many could read, and did read the Bible. They were able to think, making interpretations and judgments on their own. Most in the Massachusetts Bay Colony perceived William Rogers as a trusting person who was ostracized because he questioned the authority of "the establishment." Over one hundred years later an article in the Massachusetts Spy, stated, “For however strange it may appear, yet indubitable facts prove that mankind is naturally compassionate toward those who are subjected to pains and hardships for the sake of their religion, and very frequently join with them and espouse their cause and raise sedition and faction and endanger the public peace.”

Here is a little background:
In the Massachusetts Bay colony, those caught practicing the Quaker faith were whipped, tarred and/or hanged. Rogers chastised the Puritan Colony for refusing to allow freedom of religion after they had experienced religious persecution when he wrote his book The Bloudy Tenant of Persecution for Cause of Conscience. “The blood of so many hundred thousand souls of Protestants and Papists, spilt in the wars of present and former ages, for their respective consciences, is not required nor accepted by Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace.”

Rhode Island Colonial Facts

• The Puritans of Colonial Massachusetts exiled to Rhode Island those who did not fit into their society or those who's ideas and beliefs were contrary to theirs.
• Rhode Island original name was Rogues Island
• William Rogers set up a colony that was based on religious toleration
• Anne Hutchinson banished from Massachusetts settled in Rhode Island
• The capital of Rhode Island is Providence
• Rhode Island is the smallest State in the United States
• Rhode Island is a New England State

A Special Colonial Woman - Anne Hutchinson


Anne Hutchinson was another exiled to Rhode Island colony by the Massachusetts colony. Colonial women did not speak in Church or teach in public. Anne Hutchinson knew the Bible well and preached the word of God despite the consequences. She openly denounced the views of a preacher during a sermon at a church service. Labeled a heretic for her brazenness, Hutchinson was banished to the Rhode Island colony. The Puritans believed that the devil was using Anne to undermine the stability of Puritan society, which would eventually lead to the breakdown of moral standards. However, the real reason was that Anne was a woman who dared to speak out in church and teach in public.


Anne’s audacity threatened the man-woman relationship where colonial women submitted to the authority of their husbands. Anne in effect challenged the State and raised issues of responsibility and equality. An accuser told Anne, “You have stepped out of your place; you have rather been a husband than a wife, preacher than a hearer and a magistrate than a subject.” New laws enacted after Anne’s banishment put more restrictions on women and allowed the Puritan leaders to deny entrance to anyone thought to be seditious. People protested the enactment of these oppressive new laws by signing petitions. The Puritan leaders imposed fines on those who signed the petitions and forced them to give up their firearms. Authorities arrested the instigators who stood trial for seditious behavior and consequently denied legal council. Oppression of religious liberty led to oppression of other liberties. Anne Hutchinson was exiled to the Rhode Island colony where she continued to preach her beliefs.


Anne Hutchinson was an early Boston colonist who was expelled from the colony because of her different religious views. She conflicted with ministers who preached that “good works” were a sign of individual holiness. She believed that people instead could only receive grace from God. She was also known to draw women to prayer meetings at her house because she gave women’s souls the same value as men’s souls. As a result, she was banished for heresy in 1638, fleeing to Rhode Island, and eventually staying in the New Netherland colony. In 1643, she and her family died tragically in a conflict between the Dutch colonists and the local Native Americans. This statue was sculpted by Cyrus Dallin in 1922, and given by the Anne Hutchinson Memorial Association and the State Federation of Women’s Clubs.

We Remember Them

With our whole hearts, we remember all who have served our great nation. Colonial Bytes wishes to remember the men and women who set us upon the course we are on today. To these brave people, who gave of their life, liberty and treasure, we say heartfelt thank-you.


You have given us such a rich heritage. It is our honor to carry it forward.


We Remember You this Memorial Day 2011


Thank-you for your sacrifice in the pursuit of liberty.


Colonial Bytes Editor,
Christine McClintock Hudspeth


Read About the Battle of Ft. Henry Here

God bless the men and women who sacrificed their lives on the altar of freedom.

Memorial Day Tribute 2011

May this Memorial Day mean everything it should to each of us Americans. May we never forget those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for us, to support and defend out great country.


General George Washington once said, "We will be remembered by how we treat our Veterans." May we all aspire to keep his words of wisdom in our daily lives.


To all who have served, or our serving in our Armed Forces. I will remember you.

God Bless The United States of America.

Colonial Bytes Announces A Special Honor

I am honored to be awarded a 2011 certificate for outstanding Social Network Media for my blog, Colonial Bytes from The Colorado State Society of The Daughters of the American Revolution. I enjoy colonial history and writing about it. I invite you to check out this fun blog.


Visit Colonial Bytes Here

How to Fold The American Flag - Is There Symbolic Meaning?

For more than 200 years, the American flag has been the symbol of our nation's unity, as well as a source of pride and inspiration for millions of citizens.


Born on June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress determined that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternating between seven red and six white; and that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field representing a new constellation. Between 1777 and 1960, the shape and design of the flag evolved into the flag presented before you today. The 13 horizontal stripes represent the original 13 colonies, while the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well; red symbolizes hardiness and valor; white signifies purity and innocence; and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice.


Traditionally, a symbol of liberty, the American flag has carried the message of freedom, and inspired Americans, both at home and abroad.


In 1814, Francis Scott Key was so moved at seeing the Stars and Stripes waving after the British shelling of Baltimore's Fort McHenry that he wrote the words to The Star Spangled Banner. In 1892 the flag inspired Francis Bellamy to write the "Pledge of Allegiance," our most famous flag salute and patriotic oath.


In July 1969 the American flag was "flown" in space when Neil Armstrong planted it on the surface of the moon.


Today, our flag flies on constellations of Air Force satellites that circle our globe,  the fin flash of our aircraft, each Naval ship at sea in harms way  and in every corner of the world. Indeed, it flies in the heart of every American who serves our great Nation. The sun never sets on our cherished flag. 


Since 1776 no generation of Americans has been spared the responsibility of defending freedom... Today's service men and women remain committed to preserving the freedom that others won for us, for generations to come.


By displaying the flag and giving it a distinctive fold we show respect to the flag, and express our gratitude to those individuals who fought, and continue to fight for freedom, at home and abroad. Since the dawn of the 20th century, our military and citizens have proudly flown the flag in every major conflict on the sea, land and skies around the world. It is their responsibility ... to continue to protect and preserve the rights, privileges and freedoms that we, as Americans, enjoy today.


The United States flag represents who we are. It stands for the freedom we all share and the pride and patriotism we feel for our country. We cherish its legacy, as a beacon of hope to one and all. Long may it wave.

Properly folding the Stars & Stripes may look complicated, but it is not. In recent years after 9/11 many have taken the folding of our nations flag to ascribe to meaning for each fold of the flag. There are several scripts writtern to support a beautiful telling. However there is really no meaning ascribed that is inclusive of all people in our great nation.

Therein lies a problem. We are one United States that is inclusive and does not leave anyone group or religion out. Below is a popular script I found that is beautiful in it's telling, but limited in meaning for the above reasons.

Here is a typical sequence of one of the scripted readings:


(Begin reading as Honor Guard or Flag Detail is coming forward).


The flag folding ceremony represents the same religious principles on which our country was originally founded. The portion of the flag denoting honor is the canton of blue containing the stars representing the states our veterans served in uniform. The canton field of blue dresses from left to right and is inverted when draped as a pall on a casket of a veteran who has served our country in uniform.


In the Armed Forces of the United States, at the ceremony of retreat the flag is lowered, folded in a triangle fold and kept under watch throughout the night as a tribute to our nation's honored dead. The next morning it is brought out and, at the ceremony of reveille, run aloft as a symbol of our belief in the resurrection of the body.


(Wait for the Honor Guard or Flag Detail to unravel and fold the flag into a quarter fold--resume reading when Honor Guard is standing ready.)





What these Marines do is careful, respectful and full of meaning. 


HERE IS BUT ONE SCRIPTED MEANING. It is not the only one.

• The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.
• The second fold is a symbol of our belief in the eternal life.
• The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.
• The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.
• The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."
• The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
• The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
• The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on mother's day.
• The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great have been molded.
• The tenth fold is a tribute to father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
• The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.
• When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, "In God we Trust."

(Wait for the Honor Guard or Flag Detail to inspect the flag--after the inspection, the reading may continue.)


After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington and the sailors and marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today.


U.S. Folding Ceremony


After the flag is folded completely and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat. This reminds us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington and the sailors and Marines who served under Captian John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the armed forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges and freedoms we enjoy today.



May God Bless the United States of America.

Notes:
(1) From a report Secretary of Congress Robert Thompson wrote to define the Seal of our Nation (1777).
(2) Text from President Woodrow Wilson's Flag Day message (1917).
(3) Based upon historical facts.
(4) Concoran, Michael. For Which It Stands: An Anecdotal History of the American Flag
New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. ISBN-0-743-23617-3
(5) Lopez, C. Todd. "New Flag-Folding Script Focuses on History, AF Significance,"
Air Force Print News. 18 Aug 2009
(6) Singleton, David. Honor Our Flag: How to Care For, Fly and Otherwise Respect the Stars and Stripes. Guilford, CT. Globe Pequot Press, 2001 ISBN 0-0762-72368-8

Native Roots-Modern Form

Explore works by renowned American modernist Allan Houser (Warm Sprngs Chiracahua Apache 1914-1994) in this outdoor sculture exhibition at Denver Botanic Gardens. Houser's connection to the and and his pride in American Indian ancestry are enhanced by the Gardens' collection of plants indigenous to the Rocky Mountain and Southwest.
Immerse yourself in the connection betwen cultural and botanical Heritage.


Where: Denver Bontanic Gardens
Address: 10th & York Street, Denver Colorado
(Parking available) May 1 - November 13 2011


Click Here To Visit Their Website Here

Visiting Ft. Ticonderoga

Teaching history through reinactment is a cultural phenomenon that is growing by the day. Students of history find that by participating in the process of a reinactment, their relationship with history grows.

I have seen it time and time again in my own presentations, and that of others I have been so lucky to see. Here in Colorado we have to work a lot harder to set up encampments for Colonial, Revolutionary or Civil War reinactments. We do it anyway. But realize that we do not have the fortune of a huge historical site such as Ft. Ticonderoga to reinact battles, but that never stops us.

That being said, I want to encourage you to visit Ft. Ticonderoga the next time you are in New York State. It is located within the shadow of the Adirondack Mountains and overlooks Vermont's picturesque Green Mountains. Ft. Ticonderoga guards the historical portage between Lake Champlain and Lake George.  They have a wonderful schedule of programing that is so well received. A true tip of the Tricorn to these dedicated historians and reinactors. 

Visit The Ft. Ticonderoga Site Here

Today's Colonial Gift

'I am a good Spellar, Spillar, Speller' says Colonial Whiskers!

In genealogy, beginners often make two common mistakes, when reading handwritten documents. They create spelling errors where none exist because some letters used to be written differently. The word usually read as 'ye' as in Ye Old Shoppe is not a strange, outdated word at all. The letter that appears to be( a y ), is actually a character known as 'a thorn', that stood for the letters 'th.' 'Ye' is actually a very modern 'the' using an outdated symbol. Also, the letter that appears to be an 'f' is actually the accepted way of writing the first s. It was never intended to represent an f. The silent e on the end of almost any word was common and and very excepted. Doubling letters was also popular as in 'shoppe', being a good example of both.

Patrick Henry - May 6th, 1776

On this day, May 6th, 1776 - Patrick Henry, a symbol of the American colonial struggle for liberty served as a delegate to the Virginia Constitution Ratification Convention. He played a promienent role on this day at the convention and later became the first governor of the commonweath of Virginia under it's new constitution. Patrick Henry served five terms as governor of Virginia.


His Early Years
Patrick Henry was born in Hanover County, Virginia in 1736, to John and Sarah Winston Henry.  Patrick Henry was a lawyer, patriot, orator, and willing participant in virtually every aspect of the founding of America. He was twice married, to Sarah Shelton, and to Dorothea Dandridge.


John Henry educated young Patrick at home, including teaching him to read Latin, however Patrick studied law on his own. In 1760, he appeared in Williamsburg to take his attorney's examination before Robert Carter Nicholas, Edmund Pendleton, John and Peyton Randolph, and George Wythe, and from that day forward, Patrick Henry's story is inseparable from the stream of Virginia history.


Many of Patrick Henry's words resonated then, as they still do.


In 1763, arguing the famed Parson's Cause in Hanover County, Patrick Henry proclaimed that a king who would veto a good and necessary law made by a locally elected representative body was not a father to his people but "a tyrant who forfeits the allegiance of his subjects." Henry amplified his idea to the point of treason in defending his resolutions against the Stamp Act in the House of Burgesses May 30, 1765.

Carried away by the fervor of his own argument, the plainly dressed burgess from Louisa County exclaimed that "Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third..." 

At this point, cries of treason rose from all sides, but with hardly a pause, Henry continued with his argument and won the burgesses for his cause. Five of his resolutions approved, the new leader in Virginia politics saddled his lean horse and took the westward road out of Williamsburg. 
Henceforth, Patrick Henry was an ardent leader in every protest against British tyranny and in every movement for colonial rights.


In March 1775, Patrick Henry urged his fellow Virginians to arm in self-defense, closing his appeal (uttered at St. John's Church in Richmond, where the legislature was meeting) with the immortal words: "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death." The British were most happy to try to oblige him.


Take a listen above to this mans impassioned words of conscience. His actions marked the beginning of revolution in Virginia.

Patrick Henry is remembered for his famous speech 

"Give me liberty or give me death..."

Henry's call to arms was carried over the protests of more conservative patriots and was one of the causes of the order for Lord Dunmore, the royal governor, to remove some gunpowder from the Magazine. Henry, "a Quaker in religion but the very devil in politics," mobilized the militia to force restitution of the powder. Since Henry's action followed the British march on Concord by only a few hours, it is said to mark the beginning of the American Revolution in Virginia.

This is where some historians break with which battle indeed was the first of the American Revolution. Some say it was here at Point Pleasant, while others call it only the culminaton of Lord Dunmore's war. The Battle of Point Pleasant, Virginia did infact take place and is one of those points of argument. I do not mind those with the historical viewpoint that the first shots of the Revolution where fired at Lexington and Concord.


Regardless of the dates, the fact remains that Patrick Henry was an inspiration leader in our countries beginning aspirations and fight for independence. So the next time you hear the words, "Give me liberty, or give me death," think of the man who first spoke them.


Patrick Henry,
American Patriot


Some Interesting Facts

• Born May 29, 1736 in Hanover County, Virginia
• Protested British tyranny
• Symbol of American struggle for liberty
• Served in the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress
• Five-term governor of Virginia
• Delivered the famous "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech. 
• Died June 6, 1799 at Red Hill Plantation, Virginia

Notes:

http://www.archive.org
Who Was There - The Battle of Point Plesant at  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Battle of Point Pleasant - Google Books on Line

Colonial Dancing - A Celebration for May Day

These young students are learning colonial dancing. They are absolutely adorable and you can see the hours that went into practice and their clothes. The colonies did keep the tradition of celebrating May Day. This took on may of the British forms of dancing and merriment. Some colonies did not allow such things based for cultural and religious reasons.

• Symbolizes the return of flowers after the long days of Winter. 
• This holiday was celebrated in many cultures.
• On May Day, the many colonists that did celebrate this holiday went “a-maying.” “A-maying” was when colonists woke up early in the morning to go out to collect flowers. 
• To help celebrate this special day, the colonists decorated a pole, the maypole, with flowers and ribbons. Later, they danced and sang around it.

So in honor of May Day 2011, I leave you with these little people dancing the dance of life.

The Royal Wedding of 1736

A portrait of Augusta of Saxony-Gotha from the time of her wedding in 1736

Credit: National Portrait Gallery

Royal weddings have a way of drawing the attention of many dreaming of romance and a prince charming. Depending on the couple, millions of people watch today on televisions from all around the world. We in modern times are spared no detail to small of these affairs, almost every second of the happy couple's day is filmed and photographed. 


Who made the bride's dress? What crown will she wear? Those marrying into the British royal family or 'Firm' as they call it now, have a particular set of pressures to consider. Media attention focuses on the smallest of details and familial relationships are inevitably put under duress, not to mention security concerns.


Yes, for those at the heart of this week's Royal Wedding, that of H.R.H. Prince William of Wales to the lovely Miss Catherine Middleton, there are many different details to be concerned about. While the spotlight will fall on Kate Middleton this Friday, she is not the first royal bride to negotiate a complicated set of rules and customs in the run up to her big day. However, she is probably hoping for a more peaceful married life than some of her predecessors.


Beheadings are out, so she can relax a bit...


But that's where similarities end. Nothing of this weeks celebration can compare with the experiences of Augusta of Saxony-Gotha, daughter in law of George II.


At the end of April 1736, Augusta of Saxony-Gotha arrived in London to marry Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son of George II. Augusta and Frederick did not enjoy the luxury of an 8 year courtship – Augusta had met Frederick’s father on one of George II’s visits to Hanover and this was sufficient to seal the deal.


She had been chosen because the provisions of the Act of Settlement (1701) made it imperative for members of the royal family to marry Protestants to retain their inheritance rights. George II’s relations with some of the major protestant powers, like Prussia, were strained and therefore brides had to be sought from lesser German princely families.


Her first meeting with her future husband was a few days before the wedding. Augusta found herself in a foreign country, knowing virtually nobody and with little idea of what to expect.

"Her parents had told her that there would be no need to learn English as they assumed that after twenty years of rule by German princes, everyone in Britain would now be speaking German."


(Boy, was she in for a surprise.)

The wedding itself took place in the Chapel Royal in St James’s palace and featured a new work composed for the occasion by the royal family’s favourite composer, George Frederick Handel. Prints of the ceremony were produced and circulated widely – commemorative memorabilia is nothing new. Augusta, however, had little say in the decoration of the venue. Just as this year, Easter was very late in 1736 so there was little time between Easter services on 25 April and the wedding on 27 April to do much to the Chapel Royal.


Some two hundred seventy-five years after Augusta’s marriage, Catherine Middleton faces similar difficulties in her new role. She, at least, has had the chance to get to know her future husband in advance. Augusta’s marriage as many colonial weddings was not for love but for politics.

Her major task was to help perpetuate the royal line by providing an heir. It just so happens that this heir, the future King George III, born in 1738, would find himself in the most bitter fight with patriots wanting nothing more to do with royalty of any kind.


King George III died blind, deaf and mad at Windsor Castle on January 29, 1820. 


I invite you to read more about King George III, for there is a great story behind this man so few of us in America had regard for, but was dearly loved by his people of Great Britian. 






To learn more about his parent's wedding please take the link below as,


You are Invited to a Royal Wedding!

Thomas Jefferson by Ken Burns - Part 1

This is a beautiful telling of Thomas Jefferson by Ken Burns. To know the essense of a great man is a priviledge. There are several parts to this telling. I present the first for you here today.


"On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock."
— Thomas Jefferson

Today's Colonial Gift

Today's Colonial Gift from Whiskers is about finding female ancestors! Whiskers imparts the following advice for all of you who are working so hard to find your female ancestors. 


Many of you face this problem when working on your lines. Rub your whiskers, and dig in to this morsel here. The issue is that women usually change their names when they marry. However finding a maiden name is essential to the full development of a family line. The best place to locate a maiden name is on a marriage record. If that is not available, other vital records may have the information. In various times in history, the legal and social status of women has changed much.

So Whiskers suggests you look for the birth certificates of her children, her death certificate, even her husband's death certificate. You may also have luck with the marriage or death certificate of her children. In addition, Baptism records may also contain the mother's maiden name, even in older church records. Look for unual middle names for her children, as naming a child with the Mother's maiden name is often seen. For example, if her son is named, Robert Bolling Jefferson.

You can smile....

Another possible source is her obituary, which might mention surviving brothers. Also look for obituaries of sisters or men you believe are her brothers. Continue to look for wills, as a woman may be mentioned in her father's or mother's will. 


Good Luck, with patience and methodical research, you will succeed!

Lexington and Concord - This Day in History

Historians do not always agree about the happenings of this day in colonial history. There are many accountings of what became the 'First Battles of the American Revolution.' I speak of course of the battles of Concord and Lexington. Many dispute the number of men present on the colonial side, if they were in fact militiamen at all. There is even dispute among scholars as to who fired the first shot. Some say the British, some say the colonist. That shots rang out between the men and forever changed our history is not disputed.


The issue of which side was to blame at Lexington and Concord grew during the early nineteenth century. For example, older participants' testimony in later life about Lexington and Concord differed greatly from their depositions taken under oath in 1775. All later said the British fired first at Lexington, whereas fifty or so years before, they weren't sure. All now said they fired back, but in 1775, they said few were able to. The "Battle" took on an almost mythical quality in the American consciousness. Legend became more important than truth. A complete shift occurred, and the Patriots were portrayed as actively fighting for their cause, rather than as suffering innocents. Paintings of the Lexington skirmish began to portray the militia standing and fighting back in defiance.


In the early dawn on April 19, 1775 according to one account approximately 70 armed Massachusetts men stood face to face on Lexington Green with the British advance guard. Another version states that the men of Massachusetts were not at all 70 in number, nor were they militiamen, but just residents of the small settlement of Concord.

That there was indeed a confrontation and that it had results in not in dispute. When I lecture on the Revolution, I always remind my audience that they are always two sides, sometimes more to every story in history. This historical event has it's legends too.


We know that a shot, some say unordered, the 'shot heard around the world' officially began the American Revolution. A volley of British rifle fire followed by a charge with bayonets leaves eight Americans dead and ten wounded. The British regroup and head for the depot in Concord, destroying the colonists' weapons and supplies. This they were ordered to do by General Gage. 

The engagement at Lexington has often been styled a battle, but in reading many sources the engagement at Lexington was just a minor brush or skirmish. As the regulars' advance guard under Pitcairn entered Lexington at sunrise on April 19, 1775, a Lexington "training band", emerged from Buckman Tavern and stood in ranks on the village common watching them, spectators watched from along the side of the road.


Their leader was Captain John Parker, a veteran of the French and Indian War, who was suffering from tuberculosis, and was said to be difficult to hear at times, a fact not left out. Interestingly, of the men who lined up, nine had the surname Harrington, seven Munroe (including the company's orderly sergeant, William Munroe), four Parker, three Tidd, three Locke, and three Reed; fully one quarter of them were related to Captain Parker in some way. This group of men were part of Lexington's "training band", a way of organizing local militias dating back to the Puritans, and not what was styled as a full minuteman company.


It is important to remember that Captain Parker was clearly aware that he was outmatched in the confrontation and was not prepared to sacrifice his men for no purpose. Captain Parker hoped that the Regulars would march to Concord, find nothing, and return to Boston, tired but empty-handed. He positioned his men carefully. He placed them in parade-ground formation, on Lexington Green. They were in plain sight (not hiding behind walls), as British accounts have it, and not blocking the road to Concord. They made a show of political and military determination, but no effort to prevent the march of the Regulars. Many years later, one of the participants recalled Parker's words as being what is now engraved in stone at the site of the battle:

"Stand your ground, don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here." 


According to Captain Parker's sworn deposition taken after the battle. Yes they took despositions even back then.

First Shot?
A British officer, probably Pitcairn, but accounts are uncertain, as it may also have been Lieutenant William Sutherland, then rode forward, waving his sword, and called out for the assembled throng to disperse, and may also have ordered them to "lay down your arms, you damned rebels!" Captain Parker told his men instead to disperse and go home, but, because of the confusion, the yelling all around, and due to the raspiness of Parker's tubercular voice, some did not hear him, some left very slowly, and none laid down their arms. Both Parker and Pitcairn ordered their men to hold fire, but a shot was fired from an unknown source.


Here are some copies of articles on the account taken from the June Edition of Gentleman's Magazine in 1775. It gives a richer perspective of the happenings of this day.

Take This Link To Read

When I speak today as a historian, I bring copies of paintings with me to show my audience. Some paintings portrayed the Lexington fight as an unjustified slaughter. The issue of which side was to blame grew during the early nineteenth century. My audiences all refect on what they see, and make comment that in one picture the patriots are small and seeming to be running away from the British. In another picture of a painting, quite the opposite in strength and resolve is seen in the colonial men and the the 'militiamen' are taking the upper hand.

One must remember that too often legend become more important than the truth. Understand that a complete shift may have occured in the telling of this famous day in our countries history. Nobody except the person responsible knew then, nor knows today with certainty, who fired the first shot of the American Revolution.


I respectfully leave you with the imortalized words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, written about the events at the North Bridge in his 1837 "Concord Hymn". This is how generations of Americans have learned our history in the 19th century No one will dispute that it helped to forge the identity of our nation.

"By the rude bridge that arched the flood
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world."


Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Concord Hymn"








References
Bradford, Charles H (1996). The Battle Road: Expedition to Lexington and Concord. Eastern National. ISBN 1-888213-01-9.
Brooks, Victor (1999). The Boston Campaign. Combined Publishing. ISBN 9780585234533.
Chidsey, Donald Barr (1966). The Siege of Boston: An on-the-scene Account of the Beginning of the American Revolution. Crown. OCLC 890813.
Coburn, Frank Warren (1922). The Battle of April 19, 1775: In Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, and Charlestown, Massachusetts. The Lexington historical society. OCLC 2494350.
Dana, Elizabeth Ellery (1924). The British in Boston: Being the Diary of Lieutenant John Barker of the King’s Own Regiment from November 15, 1774 to May 31, 1776. Harvard University Press. OCLC 3235993.
Davis, Kenneth C. (2009). America's Hidden History. London: Collins. ISBN 0061118192.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1837). "Emerson's Concord Hymn". National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo (1875). Proceedings at the Centennial Celebration of Concord Fight, April 19, 1875. Town of Concord. OCLC 4363293.

The Ride of Paul Revere - When Poetry and History Conflict

 We continue today to teach our elementary school children about "Christopher Columbus wanting to prove the Earth was round," and George Washington's having wooden teeth.  I was in the company of two Scottish friends a while back, who were commenting on my knowledge of not only American history, but Scottish history as well. It seemed I knew theirs better than they did, much to their delight! I will never forget being asked, whether George Washington did indeed have"wooden teeth?" To which my answer was, "noooo... they were not wooden at all." They had been taught the very same thing as school children in Scotland, as many of us have.


The question of what to teach our children about the history of our country comes into conflict particularly with the esteemed writing of Henry Wadsworth Longfellows and his of the famous ride of Paul Revere.


Thanks largely to a famous poem by Mr. Longfellow, which was written April 19, 1860, and first published in 1863 as part of "Tales of a Wayside Inn," most people believe that Revere was the lone hero who rode through Middlesex County, Massachusetts alerting everyone that the British soldiers were invading. The truth however, is that there were actually multiple riders that night delivering news, including the likes of Israel Bissell and Sybil Ludington, both of whom, it is said, actually traveled much further than Revere did (Ludington actually doubled the distance that Revere covered). Perhaps, Midnight Riders will finally set the record straight.


I am a rider and a writer, so I will humbly apply for clarifications here.


In  a celebration of April's National Poetry Month, Historian, Jayne Triber passionately reads Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride." Triber also discusses the background of Revere's fabled ride, and the historical inaccuracies in Longfellow's poem.

TAKE A LISTEN TO A READING ON NPR HERE"


This poem literally transformed a nation's perception of an event and a man who had a very minor roll, into almost a founding Father. Longfellow wrote this written some 80 years after the actually ride. The poem was published just before the American Civil War. It was to inspire to come together in patriotism by having them reflect on a telling of history from the American Revolution. Longfellow's attempt succeeded in inspiring his countrymen before the civil war. 

However, Longfellow also doesn't mention in "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" that British troops captured all three men at a site near Hanscom Air Force Base in present-day Bedford. You can see a marker commemorating the capture site in Minute Man National Historic Park on the route to the Old North Bridge.
Fortunately, they managed to escape. 


I hope I didn't spoil some of the romantic aspects of that night for you. It still was very important to the telling of the whole story of the American Revolution. But remember it was a poem taking creative license with the intent to inspire. It did inspire, when it was published and still does today. We need to remember that creative license often takes history down alternative paths, and this includes movies made about the same subject, but that is a post for another day.


TAKE THIS LINK TO READ THE POEM HERE




Reference:
A True Republican: The Life of Paul Revere (University of Massachusetts Press; Written By Jayne Triber, ISBN: 1558492941).

On This Day in History - Thomas Jefferson was Born

Thomas Jefferson -- Author of the Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia -- voiced the aspirations of a new America as no other individual of his era. As public official, historian, philosopher, and plantation owner, he served his country for over five decades.

Born: April 13, 1743. Birthplace: Shadwell, Virginia. Now for you historians that really keep track. His birthday was actually April 2nd under the old calender. You will see this notated as 'O.S.' When you see the earlier date. Look for my post on the change of the Gregorian to Julian calenders and how that effects many of our dates in history.
His father Peter Jefferson was a successful planter and surveyor and his mother Jane Randolph a member of one of Virginia's most distinguished families. Having inherited a considerable landed estate from his father, Jefferson began building Monticello when he was twenty-six years old. Three years later, he married Martha Wayles Skelton, with whom he lived happily for ten years until her death. Their marriage produced six children, but only two survived to adulthood. Jefferson, who never remarried, maintained Monticello as his home throughout his life, always expanding and changing the house.

Here is my Daughter, Lindsay giving her Uncle Thomas a hug. We are descendants from his sister Mary Jefferson. Ironically, Lindsay did not know this when this picture was taken as the developement of this line of our family had not been done yet. It does makes it more sweet to me that she felt some admiration and kinship to this great man.


There are many wonderful books on Thomas Jefferson. Please look to read a few, he was a remarkable thinker and writer.


Incidently, Jefferson's obelisk gravemarker is at Monticello, as he died on July 4, 1826, just hours before his close friend John Adams, on the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He was eighty-three years old, the holder of large debts, but according to all evidence a very optimistic man.


It was Jefferson's wish that his tomb stone reflect the things that he had given the people, not the things that the people had given to him. It is for this reason that Thomas Jefferson's epitaph reads:

HERE WAS BURIED

THOMAS JEFFERSON

AUTHOR OF THE

DECLARATION

OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

OF THE

STATUTE OF VIRGINIA

FOR

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

AND FATHER OF THE

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

BORN APRIL 2, 1743 O.S.

DIED JULY 4. 1826

Happy Birthday Sir.