Barnet Schecter, author of the much praised The Battle for New York, gave Round Tablers a new view of the role of our city in the American Revolution. Instead of the familiar story of catastrophic defeats in 1776, followed by British occupation, he urged us to look at New York's crucial role in the eight year long struggle. From that perspective, New York becomes the scene of a "victory in disguise" -- a ball and chain that tormented British strategy throughout the war and eventually led to royal defeat. He opened with a riveting quote from John Adams. On Jan. 6, 1776 the stumpy New Englander told Washington: "New York is the nexus of the north and south, a kind of key to the continent." Next came a wry treatment of eccentric General Charles Lee's performance as New York's first defender. Instead of fortifying the Narrows and Hellgate, which might have blocked the British fleet, Lee built forts on Brooklyn Heights and Manhattan. Another what if was the role of Henry Clinton, who urged the British commander, William Howe, to land at Spuyten Duyvil and trap Washington's army on Manhattan and Long Island, where they could have been disposed of at will. Next came vivid stories of occupied New York, stressing the British failure to create a genuine community, with civil rights. Instead New York got seven years of martial law, while many civilians lived in tents in the ruins of the buildings burned in the great fire of September 1776, a catastrophe that wrecked the quality of the city's life. Meanwhile, New York continued to play its hypnotic role in British strategy. First Burgoyne was abandoned at Saratoga, rather than risk the city, then Washington and his French allies picked off yet another British army at Yorktown and ended the war. Mr. Schecter closed with a tribute to the city's role in promoting reconciliation between loyalists and rebels in the 1780s. After suitable applause, our gifted guest, who is also a talented sculptor, spent a goodly portion of the next hour signing copies of his book for enthusiastic purchasers.
At their January meeting, the Philadelphia American Revolution Round Table announced that this year's winner of the Thomas Fleming award for the best book written in 2003 went to our old friend Willard Sterne Randall for his biography of Alexander Hamilton. For those who may have missed the story, the Philly folks, admirers of Tom, have named their annual award after him. Congratulations, Will! To which Tom adds: "Right on!"
John Buchanan caught our attention with the opening line of his review of Richard Brookhiser's latest: Gentleman Revolutionary. Gouverneur Morris: The Rake Who Wrote The Constitution. Jack said Mr. Brookhiser had "put us in his debt" by writing a pithy, lively 225 page profile of this fascinating New Yorker, instead of an 800 page tome. Governeur was born in the South Bronx, on an estate that took up a large chunk of the future borough, the Manor of Morrisania. His mother was a Tory and one of his brothers became a general in the British army. But Morris became a revolutionary, albeit a conservative one, with a low opinion of democracy. He risked his head and his inheritance by signing the Declaration of Independence, writing New York's constitution (with John Jay) and serving as a forceful member of the Continental Congress, where he manfully defended George Washington against his critics. At the Constitutional Convention, only James Madison made a larger contribution. Morris wrote the final draft, including the moving preamble, whose opening line, "We the People" shocked those who wanted to make the document a product of the assembled states. Morris also found time to pursue innumberable women, serve as ambassador to France during their chaotic revolution, and play a dynamic role in the creation of the Erie Canal. Jack summed all this up with: "I highly recommend this book."
Elizabeth Zinn reviewed The American Revolution in Indian Country by Colin C. Calloway. Betty said the book described in "horrifying detail" the destruction of native cultures and the Indian way of life. The Revolution aggravated the differences among the Indians that had been created by the coming of the Europeans. They struggled to maintain themselves in the chaotic war, which burned villages, destroyed orchards and farms and reduced many tribes to starvation. Heavily footnoted, the book is not for the general reader. In an epilogue, Mr. Calloway wonders what lies ahead for American Indians. Betty says: Not to worry. The Six Nations, the Lakota, Sioux, Hopi and other nations are all in touch with each other, sharing problems and supporting causes. Instead of smoke signals, they are relying on the Internet and cell phones.
Our doughty doyen of the book department, Lynne Saginaw, supplied us with a potpourri of book-related topics to complete this phase of the evening. First came a correction: It is not Bantam Books but Bauman Rare Books that is offering a first edition of Ben Franklin's Political, Miscellaneous and Philosophical Pieces, published in 1779, and available for a mere 6500 simoleons. Bauman is also selling a copy of Patrick Gass's journal from 1807, one of the earliest accounts of the Lewis and Clark expedition. This one is going for (gasp) $20,000. Another Lewis and Clark inspired tome, Alexander McKenzie's Voyages from Montreal is yours for a bargain-prized $8000. Back in the real world, one of the best novels about Lewis and Clark, Brian Hall's I Should Be Extremely Happy in your Company is out in paperback for $14.00. Also recommended for those with young readers in their lives is: George Washington's Teeth by Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora and the award winning An American Plague by Jim Murphy, about the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, which did in, among others, Benny Bache, editor of the Aurora, and Ben Franklin's grandson.
As a byproduct of Tom Fleming's three hour appearance on Cspan's In Depth show in January, he has received dozens of letters from readers. One man caught his attention by asking him what he thought would have happened to America if the British had won the war. Tom wrote him the following reply:
Dear Mr. Collinson:
Thanks so much for your interesting letter. It is certainly worth pondering, what might have happened if we had lost the Revolution. I think the British would have handled America as they had already handled rebellious Scotland and Ireland. Prominent rebels such as George Washington would have been hanged and their property confiscated. A local aristocracy would have been created among deserving loyalists and confiscated estates distributed to German and British officers, who would have been on tap to counter any future uprisings with fire and sword. A mobile army backed by a fleet would have garrisoned New York. They would have been supplemented by a well-armed "loyal" militia in each colony. At home, the British would have continued down the slope they were rapidly descending in 1776 -- toward an amazingly corrupt oligarchy that would have gone on blithely enslaving half the world, as they had already enslaved Ireland. With their wonderful combination of hypocrisy and arrogance, the King's men would have contined to assure themselves that "British liberty" was prospering at home among the 250,000 enfranchised voters out of a population of 8 million."
Do you have a contrary (or complementary) opinion? Send it to us. We'll reprint the most interesting ones. If you have any other Revolutionary What Ifs to propose, send them along too.
Our old friend Bill Stanley, long running sponsor of Benedict Arnold's resurrection, is at it again, with a new revolutionary wrinkle. Now head of the Norwich (Connecticut) Historical Society, Bill has discovered that George Washington was NOT the first president of the United Staes. Another gentleman, Samuel Huntington of Norwich, was in that slot some 8 years ahead of the Great Man. Sam was the first president of the Continental Congress after they ratified the Articles of Confederation in 1781 -- making him, Bill argues, the first presiding officer of a more or less united nation.
In an elaborate ceremony in Norwich on November 24, featuring the First Company of the Governor's Foot Guard in their red grenadier uniforms, Huntington and his wife Martha were reinterred in a rebuilt tomb, with new coffins and a time capsule to emphasize their new notoriety. First Grade students carried placards inscribed: "The Samuel Huntington School Loves Samuel Huntington."
One little girl displayed her placard upside down in a newspaper photo -- which may be the best summation of this exercise in historical confusion. Stanley L. Klos, a Pennsylvania historian and collector of rare documents, urged President Bush to amend the standing presidential order and have wreaths laid annually on the graves of the nine presidents under the Articles of Confederation. The Norwich Historical Society raised $25,000 to rebuild Huntington's tomb.
CBS Radio carried Bill live on Washington's birthday, arguing cheerfully that it was time for tourists to begin trekking to Sam Huntington's grave with the same reverence that they journey to Mount Vernon. Whether or not you agree with him, you have to admit Bill puts a controversial zing into revolutionary history
Fred Cookinham has reported by email on two Revolutionary stage productions, "Liberty Calling" and "Fair Liberty's Call." Fred began with a question: "Has our revolution gone from neglect to chic? From hackneyed to hip? From boring to boffo?"
"Liberty Calling" was staged at the New York Historical Society in December. The cast consists of one man and one woman, with no curtain or sets and a minimum of props. The words are all adapted by writer Peter Ruocco from original source material in the Society's vast collection. Mainly it is the diary of a New York housewife forced to flee to Paramus NJ when the British take New York and her husband joins the rebel army. There is almost no dialogue. The husband mostly declaims patriotic speeches. That seems to be the point: the women have to keep house and feed the children while the men orate and fight. There is a surprising amount of personal emotion, nonetheless, especially when the wife walks into the audience and in Fred's words, "her face not four feet from mine in the second row, she tells in tears of anguish the terror of an action fought literally in her bedroom and front yard."
"Fair Liberty's Call" is a musical, with eight characters and a troupe of five musicians onstage. Its book is based on original source material. But the story is fictional. The plot revolves around an African American dilemma, which side should I fight on, if any? The action takes place in a New York tavern. The show's long suit is music. There are no less than 50 folksongs in the evening., including "Barbara Allen" and "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier." Fred found both plays welcome, "after so many years of relegating New York's share of the Revolution to Disney or oblivion."
New York has a distinguished list of Founding Fathers: Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Lewis Morris, Francis Lewis (not to mention the Livingstons, Kings, & Montgomerys) and even Aaron Burr. But before the British created New York City in 1664, New Amsterdam's village of Flushing, Queens had its own Founding Father: John Bowne.
Long time Roundtablers will remember the Landmark Maven's report on Bowne's defense of the Quakers against Peter Stuyvesant's edicts. In 1662 Bowne allowed the Quakers to meet in his kitchen, for which he was jailed and then banished to Holland to stand trial. There he won his case, which many believe was the first test case for freedom of religion in the colonies. Flushingites are justly proud that the site still stands today.
Or does it? The Bowne House Historical Society has been conducting archaeological digs which have turned upside down many of the concepts believed for centuries. Firstly, Prof. James Moore of Queens College, who is conducting the research, believes that the artifacts found in the digs were too expensive for Bowne to afford. It is known that he had indentured servants, but Moore believes he must have also had slaves. In our politically correct world, this puts Bowne, in the category of white landowners who fought for freedoms for themselves while enslaving others. The Bowne family never thought that John would be compared with Washington and Jefferson in this manner. Much more importantly, Moore also states that the kitchen where the Quakers met was not built until the 1800s!!! If this is true (and many disagree) then the oldest section of the house was built in the 1680's, twenty years after Bowne's defense. Does this mean that Bowne had a earlier house, long since gone, or is the Bowne story an old wives' tale?? The Society hoped to use this new research to solidify its case to be included as a new member of the Historic House Trust. As far as wishing for new documentation goes (as this observer often says): be careful what you wish for, you may get it!!
From the beginnings of the United States, people have named their children after our Founding Fathers. There's Washington Irving, Washington Roebling & George Washington Carver. For Civil War buffs there's Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and Union General Jefferson C. Davis, and, of course, there's Franklin D. Roosevelt. Sadly, this practice seemed to be disappearing: until now. For the second year in a row, the #1 name chosen for baby girls is: Madison!! Some pundits believe that this can be traced to the 1984 movie "Splash" starring Tom Hanks with Daryl Hannah, as Madison, the mermaid he loves. Even if true, she picked the name after reading it on a street sign in Manhattan (wonder if she ate dinner at the Williams Club?)
Lynne Saginaw won the December Quiz. The answer was Stratford Hall in Virginia. But the Quiz Master was in error in one clue. Richard Henry Lee & Francis Lightfoot Lee signed the Declaration, General "Light Horse Harry" Lee and his wife Matilda lived there, and Robert E. Lee headed both West Point and Washington and Lee University, but Robert was not Matilda's son. Instead he was Anna Carter Lee's son (Harry's second wife). Thanks to Betty Zinn for pointing this out.
Name the two signers of the Declaration of Independence who are NOT buried in one of the original 13 states. (This could be tricky: remember we normally meet around April Fool's Day!) A Free Dinner to the Winner!!!!