The Battle for New Jersey History: Part 1

Sorry for the hiatus between posts. Having a schoolwork overload does that kind of thing...

Over the past year, I've been working with a number of organizations, namely the Washington Association of New Jersey, the Crossroads of the American Revolution, and the Daughters of the American Revolution, to preserve a number of amazing historical sites for my generation. New Jersey saw more action during the American Revolution than nearly any other colony, and yet its citizens seem unaware our state's role in the founding of our nation.

My personal involvement in the fight to make New Jersey History known started when Governor Chris Christie announced that funding to the Old Trenton Barracks (the centerpiece of the Battle of Trenton), battleship USS New Jersey (the most decorated battleship ever), and the former governor's mansion at Morven (where many important statesmen lived in Princeton) would be cut from the FY 2011 budget. Without this necessary support from the State of New Jersey, these three sites, steeped in historical significance, would be unable to balance their budgets and would be threatened with closure.

That's where I got involved. In a conversation with Ms. Cate Litvack, head of the Crossroads of the American Revolution, an organization dedicated to preserving New Jersey history, we came up with the idea to have me write a letter to Governor Christie explaining the importance of these sites to my generation. My letter is below:

Office of the Governor

P.O. Box 001

Trenton, New Jersey  08625

Dear Governor Christie,                                                                                 

            My name is Hunter Stires. I'm fourteen years old and live in Bedminster, here in the great state of New Jersey. 

            Thank you very much for all that you are doing to put our state's financial house in order. I appreciate your hard work to address the serious fiscal challenges that you inherited upon taking office.

            I am writing to you today about a different kind of inheritance. I am asking for your leadership in reinstating the funding for New Jersey's Historical sites, in particular the Old Trenton Barracks and battleship U.S.S. New Jersey. Without state funding, these sites will be forced to close, and the impact this decision would have would be irreparably harmful to my generation, effectively robbing us of access to much of our proud heritage for the foreseeable future.

            During our school years, children have an opportunity to see and experience history with a certain, perfect set of eyes that help us understand our place in the world.  New Jersey's unique historical legacy allows school-age kids to discover the essential role that our state has played during key moments throughout our nation's history. At Trenton Barracks, for example, children can walk the same hallowed ground previously tread upon by George Washington who became the first general in the history of the world to inoculate an entire army from smallpox.  Perhaps more importantly, imagine the pride New Jersey kids come to feel when they realize that the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and our future first president literally spent more time in New Jersey than in any other state during the Revolution.  And don't even get me started about the fact that the barracks were the center of one of the defining battles of the war on a certain December day in 1776! 

            Aboard USS New Jersey, children can see exactly where one of the most storied admirals in naval history, Admiral William “Bull” Halsey (born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, by the way) sat in the Flag Plot of the world's most decorated battleship that served her country for nearly 50 years and earned 19 battle stars.  Kids can see the muzzles of her 16-inch guns that were used to defend our nation's interests everywhere from the Pacific to the Middle East. 

            As you finalize the state budget, I urge you to consider the inherent alternative legacies that your funding choices will offer our state's children.  Would you rather they consider themselves citizens of “The Snookie State,” and the setting for questionable reality TV shows? Or would you rather have our kids take rightful pride in the fact that our great state of New Jersey has been at the crossroads of history throughout the centuries, from the Revolution, where George Washington nearly lost—then saved the Glorious Cause itself, to World War II, where we were building ships for the U.S. Navy, including our namesake battleship this budget is seeking to close.

            In essence, the decision to cut funding to these vital historical sites would deprive a generation, my generation, of our birthright.  And with the utmost respect for you and your office, it is not yours to take away.

            I urge you to find another pathway forward.

                        Sincerely,

                        Hunter Stires

The story continues in the next post...

Not a Moment to be Lost: When the Inestimable Blessing of Liberty was at Stake: Part 2

It's hard to imagine the world without the power and might of the United States of America keeping us safe.  What if our country weren't there to change the course of two world wars and protect weaker countries from unwarranted hostile aggression?  The world would certainly be very different if not for the hard struggle of 2,000 men during the last two weeks of 1776.

Most of us know the story of the days and months preceding the Battle of Trenton.  What we may not know is how quickly the plan for that battle was pulled together.


By December of 1776, General George Washington's Continental Army was on the verge of dissolution.  Three months before, they were driven out of New York City in a disastrous, bloody campaign.  Subsequently chased out New Jersey in a week and a half, the American army looked finished.  Most enlistments expired at the end of the year, which meant that most of the American patriots who hadn’t already deserted were literally packing their bags.  General Washington knew that if the army dissolved, so would the “glorious cause” that he had labeled only months before. He had to act. If he didn't, he would become nothing but a footnote in history as the traitor who led a hopelessly vain effort for independence from the most powerful nation on the face of the Earth.

Of course, looking back, we can just count down the days until Washington crosses the Delaware River and saves the day.  Breathing a sigh of relief and exclaiming what a close call it was, we move on with our daily lives, not grasping just how quickly this complicated plan came together before it was set in motion on that momentous Christmas night.

On December 22, Colonel Joseph Reed, a Massachusetts militia commander, wrote Washington about the dire situation, imploring him to retake the initiative and take back at least part of New Jersey.  He proposed a series of offensive actions across the Delaware to achieve these objectives and at the same time, raise morale.  He suggested:

"We are all of Opinion my dear General that something must be attempted to revive our expiring Credit give our Cause some Degree of Reputation & prevent a total Depreciation of the Continental Money which is coming on very fast....In a little Time the Continental Army is dissolved the Militia must be taken before their Spirits & Patience are exhausted & the scattered divided State of the Enemy affords us a fair Oppy of trying what our Men will do when called to an offensive Attack—Will it not be possible my dear Genl for your Troops or such Part of them as can act with Advantage to make a Diversion or something more at or about Trenton—the greater the Alarm the more likely Success will attend the Attacks—If we could possess ourselves again of New Jersey or any considerable Part of it the Effects would be greater than if we had never left it—Allow me to hope that you will consult your own good Judgment & Spirit, & not let the Goodness of your Heart subject you to the Influence of Opinions from Men in every Respect your Inferiours."

Reed's tone of voice could have gotten him in big trouble with a lesser man, and remember, he's writing to the Commander-in-Chief.  Closing his letter, he explained himself:

"Pardon the Freedom I have used, the Love of my Country, a Wife & 4 Children in the Enemys Hands, the Respect & Attachment I have to you—the Ruin & Poverty that must attend me & thousands of others will plead my Excuse for so much Freedom."

The next day, Washington replied with a daring plan to cross the ice-choked Delaware River to launch a dawn surprise attack on the 1500 strong Hessian garrison at Trenton.  While we don't know what plans Washington already had in mind before Reed's letter, this correspondence would lead us to believe that Colonel Joseph Reed set in motion one of the most crucial actions in American history, a move that had to be pulled together in a mere 48 hours.

When the Inestimable Blessing of Liberty was at Stake: Part 1

We've all heard the story of Washington Crossing the Delaware. It's practically a fairy tale for most schoolchildren, of how the Continental Army, in what seems like a pre-destined course of events, crossed a river and changed history. Some of us may have seen the Emanuel Lutze painting in New York, which helps put symbolic faces to that story and show, albeit a bit unrealistically, what the mood must have felt like that night. But I doubt that most people have any idea how difficult it must have been for George Washington in those dark days when the situation was dire, the cause was in doubt, and the Continental Army was about to dissolve. Over the next few posts, I'd like to shed some light on how this amazing story played out when the world held its breath that fateful December day 235 years ago.

In a letter to John Hancock on December 20, 1776, Washington described the distressing predicament and his doubts regarding the militia upon which he was supposed to rely. This is only 6 days before the crossing, and it would seem that the plan to attack Trenton hasn't even begun to form:

“We find Sir, that the Enemy are daily gathering strength from the disaffected; This strength, like a Snowball by rolling, will increase, unless some means can be devised to check effectually, the progress of the Enemy’s Arms: Militia may possibly do it for a little while; but in a little while also, the Militia of those States which have been frequently called upon, will not turn out at all, or if they do, it will be with so much reluctance and sloth as to amount to the same thing [….] could any thing but the River Delaware have saved Philadelphia? can any thing[....] be more destructive to the recruiting service, than giving Ten dollars bounty for Six weeks service of the Militia, who come in, you can not tell how—go, you cannot tell when—and act, you cannot tell where—consume your provisions—exhaust your Stores, and leave you at last at a critical moment. These Sir, are the men, I am to depend upon, Ten days hence. This is the Basis on which your Cause will and must for ever depend, till you get a large standing Army, sufficient of itself to oppose the Enemy....”

As Thomas Paine so eloquently observed, these truly were the times that tried men's souls.

Robert Carter: The First Emancipator

I recently heard a lecture by Professor Andrew Levy in which he shared the remarkable story of one of George Washington’s contemporaries, Robert Carter III. You may not have heard of Robert Carter (l certainly hadn’t!) and yet this man did something truly profound. Professor Levy is the author of The First Emancipator, in which he reveals the unprecedented acts of a figure previously lost to history. 

So, what exactly was this astonishing act? In the last decade of the 18^th century, Carter freed over 500 slaves, the largest number of slaves ever freed by an American slaveholder until the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. While George Washington may be famous as the only founding father to free his slaves, he was not the first, and he may well have been inspired to do so by Robert Carter.

Robert Carter III was the grandson of the famous King Carter, the patriarch of one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Virginia, if not the entire Thirteen Colonies. When his father died, Robert inherited three generations of properties, including 65,000 acres of land, and over 100 slaves, all of which he increased substantially over his lifetime.

Carter became troubled, however, by the existence of slavery and began to change the status quo on his plantations. This manifested itself in several ways. Unlike common practice, he very rarely allowed his slaves to be beaten, and when there was a disagreement between his slaves and someone else, Carter always favored his slaves’ version of the events.

In 1787, when the U.S. Constitution was being drafted, the country was debating whether or not slavery should be banned in the new nation.  After all, Thomas Jefferson did declare that “all men are created equal.” Yet, the prevailing popular opinion was that this was the worst possible moment to ban slavery. People disagreed about slavery’s morality and, perhaps more to the point, it was argued that abolishing slavery was simply not practical or possible without devastating economic and social consequences.

Meanwhile, Robert Carter, effectively turning a deaf ear to the national debate, was making plans for freeing his slaves through what he called his “Deed of Gift.” The Deed of Gift listed the names of Carter’s slaves, on which plantation each person worked, and the designated time when each was to receive his or her respective freedom. The instructions for emancipation within the Deed were to be executed in batches, with one group of slaves being freed after another, rather than all at one time. This process of emancipation required a great deal of planning and effort on Carter’s part. He had to go to each courthouse in the counties where his plantations were located and arrange his slaves’ legal status as free men and women.

It was an incredibly risky undertaking as well. The Deed of Gift had the potential to ruin the Carter family’s substantial livelihood, selling cash crops like tobacco (which is quite labor-intensive to harvest). Robert Carter, however, was able to emancipate his slaves and also adapt his business model to make money by renting out his land to his now-freed slaves and other tenants.

Robert Carter’s audacious Deed of Gift was not only difficult to execute but extremely unpopular among his fellow landowners. His actions made a lie of the notion that freeing slaves was a practical impossibility. Many neighboring landowners tried to fight Carter in court, and argued that freeing slaves would create a “public disturbance.” However, Carter was one of the most powerful men in Virginia, and he was determined to execute his plan on his own terms and on his own timetable. Carter wanted the Deed of Gift to be “a quiet revolution.” He tried to execute it with as little notoriety as possible. He accomplished this, but still sent shockwaves through American society with this “inconvenient truth.”  His revolution was so quiet, however, that he was lost to history until Professor Levy wrote his book, The First Emancipator.

Robert Carter offers us two great legacies. First, he showed the United States that emancipation was possible at a time when popular opinion found it highly convenient to believe that it was not. Second, it is arguable that the actions of Robert Carter inspired the decision of George Washington to free his own slaves and set the great example we have all come to know.

Find out more about the book here: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/07/books/chapters/0807-1st-levy.html?pagewanted=all

The Treasure Trove Next Door

And we're off!  Blog post number 1!

Imagine discovering an untapped archeological treasure trove containing hundreds of thousands of precious national heirlooms chronicling the story of America from Ferdinand and Isabella all the way to George Washington and Susan B. Anthony. As it happens, there is just a place in Morristown, New Jersey.

At Morristown National Historical Park, home to the Jacob Ford Mansion where George Washington had his headquarters during the winter of 1779—1780, more than 300,000 manuscripts and 15,000 printed documents are housed in what is known as the Lloyd W. Smith Archives Collection. Smith, a Wall Street executive from the first half of the 20^th century, was a passionate collector of historic papers and records, and wanted to create a kind of primary source history of the United States. In 1957, two years after Smith's death, his documents became the backbone of a new repository in his name.

Ms. Sarah Minegar, the chief archivist of the Collection, has been a classroom teacher as well as a longtime student of history. “I feel the close study of primary documents makes me a more perceptive and conscientious historian,” she says. Because Minegar considers it a privilege that she lives her daily life in such close proximity to history, she actively seeks to share her experience and knowledge. “I feel compelled to be the best steward of history I can,” she says.

One way she accomplishes this goal is through a high school program she created and introduced this year, Archival Ambassadors. This week-long summer course is designed to allow students entering 10^th, 11^th, or 12^th grade to “explore history from the source,” and to learn proper methods for dealing with historic materials. When examining primary sources, the students are asked to “interrogate the documents” to find out important information, such as the speaker, audience, subject, and purpose. “This gives the students a chance to... really dig into the uninterpreted, raw history.”

Even the occasional forgery makes for a great story, too. One letter, supposedly written by George Gordon (aka Lord Byron), the famous poet, was acquired with the rest of the collection and was put on display periodically. Earlier this year, when another institution was planning on doing an exhibit on Lord Byron, the letter was pulled out to be examined. Surprisingly, the letter was proved to be a “faux.” Dr. Jude Pfister, curator of the museum at the Morristown National Historical Park, realized that this discovery opened the door to a new and worthwhile conversation about the motivations and circumstances behind forgeries like this one. He explained in an interview with radio station WCBS, “We don’t have the real thing, but in and of itself, there’s just as much of a story.”

Young historians and researchers don't necessarily have to be in the summer program to gain access to the extraordinary materials in the collection. After being issued a Research Card, one can call ahead to schedule time at the Archives at (973)539-2016. The Archives are usually open from 1:00 to 4:00pm Tuesdays through Thursdays. In general, researchers look at microfilm rather than the manuscripts themselves, which are rarely pulled from the vault. No food or beverages are allowed in the research room itself to protect the documents and equipment. There are lockers to keep coats, bags, and lunch, along with a break room nearby.

Many historians pick the usual places, like the New York Historical Society and the National Archives, to do their primary source research. They overlook the rich, comparatively untapped resource residing at Morristown National Historical Park. Ms. Minegar and Dr. Pfister are hoping to change that.

For more information, please go to http://www.morristownnhplibrary.blogspot.com/ and http://www.primarysourceseminar.blogspot.com/

Welcome

Hi there.

Welcome to the blog of A Kid's Eye View of American History.  My name is Hunter Stires.  I'm 14 years old and a huge history buff.  I'll be posting a lot of fun stories, interesting tidbits, and accounts of my experiences exploring the realm of U.S. and World History.

I hope that I can bring a new perspective and show you how awesome history really is.