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.

A Post-Colonial Myth - Name Changes at Ellis Island

If there is one common myth I run into often as a genealogist, it is someone believing that their last name was changed by a clerk at Ellis Island. Often the person telling the story feels some sense of violation and loss of identity. I want to expound on this today.

Did name changes happend according to this popular lore?

Actually, it is highly unlikely that this happened. To begin with the clerks at Ellis Island didn't write down names. They worked from lists that were created by the shipping companies. What usually happened was the emigrant bought a ticket from an office near his home. So, the seller probably spoke the same language and transcribed the name correctly. In cases where the name was recorded incorrectly, it likely occurred in the old country, not at Ellis Island.

There are several questions to consider when talking about the accuracy of name spellings on records:

• When the record was created, was there a standard ("correct") way to spell the name?
• Did the individual know how to spell the name himself? (Was he or she literate?)
• If he did not write the name himself, did the recording clerk ask him his preferred spelling? 

So much of the time, the answer to at least one of these questions was "no." However, let us assume that your immigrant knew how to spell his name and it was written correctly on the list created by the shipping company and used by the inspectors at Ellis Island. When he arrived at Ellis Island, he was checked against the list. With all the immigrants coming through the facility, many translators were employed so language problems were rare.

Bear in mind that name changes were often made by the immigrants themselves.


Remember Ellis Island was called Gibbet Island, after a few pirates that were hung there in Colonial Days! Ellis Island officially opened as an immigration station on January 1, 1892 and closed in November 1954.


Here is a story on the pre-colonial story, I feel is worth telling.

Whether your family came to this country during the Ellis Island period or the Colonial Period... 

I wish to welcome you to this great country. 


There truly is no other place like it in the world!

Visit the DAR on Flickr

Visit the Site Here

The NSDAR is a genealogical lineage society of women who can trace their ancestry to one or more patriots who fought in the American Revoution. In addition the NSDAR is an non-profit organization which works to preserve our nations great history. Enjoy and visit it often, as new photos will be posted!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/todaysdar/

This Day in History

"On April 7th 1778 The U.S.S. Lexington becomes the first American ship to capture a British warship (the HMS Edward)"

The Colonial Octant

Octant, attributed to John Hadley ( British 1682-7744) ca 1740 Wood, Brass, Ivory. 17 1/8 inch radius, Photo courtesy of Seaport Museum, Philadephia. Gift by Austin B. Hepburn

This octant is believed to have belonged to John Barry (1745-1803), the first naval captain appointed by President Washington and remembered as the Father of the American Navy. Made before he was born, the octant would have come to Barry secondhand; either purchased by him on the cheap as a budding captain or gifted by a mentor. It is said to have been used by him while a Continental Navy captain aboard the ships Lexington and Alliance, among others, and also on a voyages he subsequently made to China.


Octants were used for celestial navigation and measured the angles of the sun above the horizon to find the latitude position of the ship. Almost simultaneously invented by Philadelphian Thomas Godfrey (in 1730) and Englishman John Hadley (in 1731), both of whom were recognized by the Royal Society, the octant allowed for a greater degree of navigational accuracy than its predecessor, the quadrant, and increased the reliability of ship arrivals.

Today's Colonial Gift

Today's Colonial Gift from Whiskers

Today's byte is especially tasty. It comes from his friend Mortimer who works with a NSDAR Genealogist, most wise. Mortimer told Whiskers that when you are looking to connect family members, look at land records. For in these records you will learn often, that a piece of land was willed to, or sold to a family member. Often times family member will also live nearby as well. Patriots of the American Revolution were often granted 'Land Patents' for their service. Anyone else would have a land deed. So if you are having trouble connecting people as relations, look for their land holdings! Thanks Mortimer!