Happy 250th Birthday, America!

In honor of America’s Semiquincentennial, I’ve rounded up seven previous blog posts that focus on various aspects of the American Revolution. Some are from the very early stages of Traveling through Reading, while others are much more recent.

You’ll travel throughout the colonies, meeting the individuals who loom large in our nation’s founding and discovering places often overlooked. No matter the level of fame today, each person, place, and occurrence all had a part to play in creating the United States of America out of thirteen loosely tied colonies.

The Signers

In Signing Their Lives Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed The Declaration of Independence, authors Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese provide a brief biography of all fifty-six signers.

Today, visitors can walk the same cobblestone streets that the signers walked in Philadelphia. Inside Independence Hall, you can step into the room where the Declaration of Independence was signed and imagine the arguments for and against a split from Great Britain. Just across the street is the Liberty Bell. Originally it hung in Independence Hall, but has been moved to a spot where all visitors can see it up close.

Military Drill for Independence

The Drillmaster of Valley Forge by Paul Lockhart is an insightful look into Baron von Steuben, the man credited with training the Continental Army at Valley Forge in 1778. For many Americans, this is where Steuben’s story ends. Lockart’s biography details the rest of Steuben’s major contributions that had a lasting impact on the American military.

Valley Forge is located about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The Visitor Center provides an overview of Valley Forge and numerous artifacts from the winter encampment. Throughout the park, you can visit replica cabins that soldiers would have stayed in, the home Washington used as his headquarters, and the plain where Steuben trained and drilled the army.

            
“The ‘Cockpit’ of the American Revolution”

The American Revolution in New Jersey: Where the Battlefront Meets the Home Front, edited by James J. Gigantion II, explores the impact of the Revolutionary War on New Jersey. Readers gain insight into the personal, economic, and military impact on the residents—for both patriots and loyalists.

Red Bank Battlefield Park is one of the many locations in New Jersey that commemorates where the America forces fought for Independence from Great Britain. Located on the Delaware River, the patriot forces fought Hessian soldiers. The original owners' home is open seasonally and provides a glimpse into Colonial life.

The Glorious Cause of America

In 1776, author David McCullough unpacks all that happened during one pivotal year. He splits the book into three parts that move the reader from London to Colonial America. For me, the most impactful part of 1776 was McCullough's description of the Continental Army: a collection of rag-tag volunteers who morphed into a disciplined fighting force. 

Nestled amongst numerous other Philadelphia sites important to the story of 1776, the Museum of the American Revolution is a fully immersive museum that takes full advantage of technological advancements. It covers the entirety of the American Revolution, transporting visitors across geography and leaving them with a greater appreciation for the everyday patriots committed to independence. 

Chain Defense

Chaining the Hudson by Lincoln Diamant highlights an important part of Revolutionary War history: defending the Hudson River, north of New York City. Failure to defend it would split the northern colonies in two and cut off supplies.

Fort Montgomery is on the northern edge of Bear Mountain State Park, in New York. The area includes a small indoor museum, detailing the significance of the Fort to the defense of the Hudson, original stone foundations and earthworks, and recreated structures.

And, just as a reminder, the last two published blog posts were the first in this mini-series:

• Evolution of the Revolution
• The Flag Seamstress

The Flag Seamstress

“She is important to our understanding of American history not because she made any one flag, however iconic that moment may have become, but because she was a young craftswoman who embraced the resistance movement with vigor, celebrated its triumphs and suffered its consequences” (361).

The Book

Betsy Ross is unique in the pantheon of American Revolution figures: a woman, non-political, non-military, and an artisan. Did she really sew the first American flag and was it her suggestion to make the stars five points, instead of six points? If the answer is yes, Ross happened to be in the right place, at the right time, and knew the right people. Her skills as an upholsterer and family connections opened up the door. In Betsy Ross and the Making of America author Marla R. Miller explores the world of Ross and how it intertwined with the development of the United States.

Elizabeth Griscom, later Betsy Ross, was born January 1, 1752 by Newton Creek in New Jersey to Quaker parents. The family was well-off due to her father’s work as a builder in Philadelphia, where an influx of immigrants created a housing demand. In the mid-1760s, Ross went to work in an upholstery shop becoming skilled at needlework. Her first husband, John Ross, apprenticed at the same shop and worked alongside Ross. They married in 1773, after John opened his own upholstery shop, where they both worked. During the same year, the boycott of goods from England (in response to the Tea Act) directly impacted their shop. In January 1776, John died and Ross sold the goods in the shop. When the American colonies declared independence in July 1776, military flags were needed. There is no historical proof that Ross contributed to the design of the first US flag, made it, or even met with George Washington about it. However, there is evidence that Ross sewed ships colors for the Pennsylvania Navy Board during the American Revolution.

She married Joseph Ashburn in 1777, who sailed on American ships tasked with disrupting British shipping. He was captured and died while imprisoned in England. In 1783, she married John Claypoole and they opened an upholstery shop that also sold furniture and wallpaper. For the next four decades, Ross worked alongside her daughters, nieces, and granddaughters. This included sewing 46 garrison flags for the US Arsenal on the Schuylkill River. In 1827, with her eyesight failing, Ross retired; and, on January 30, 1836 she died. Miller pinpoints the start of the Betsy Ross legend with an 1857 conversation Ross’s daughter, Clarissa Claypoole, had with her nephew, William Canby. In 1870, Canby shared the story during a lecture at the Historical Society of Philadelphia. From there, the legend took on a life of its own.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Betsy Ross and the Making of America. Miller is a good writer who often provides small asides that provide a richer understanding of the time period. Readers do not only learn about Ross; they learn about her family and the world she lived in. Unfortunately, some of those asides take up the bulk of chapters, detracting from Ross’s story. Miller makes it clear that there is a lack of historical records about Ross. In many cases, she relies on the experience of others or musings about what Ross would have done. I found myself skimming some sections, because I was more interested in Ross. A photo section includes sketches, engravings, paintings, and photos. None are of Ross when she was alive.

The Place

The Betsy Ross House, while close to all the key sites of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, sits alone on a section of Arch Street. And yet, it is still just as crowded with tourists who want to walk in the steps of the legend. Visitors enter through a small courtyard, where Ross and her third husband (Claypoole) are buried. Self-guided tours begin in the Museum shop. As you make your way throughout each room, you get a sense of life during the American Revolution. In the upholstery shop, a costumed interpreter interacts with guests as Betsy Ross. Despite being the most crowded room of the tour, I enjoyed hearing the interpreter speak and watching her sew like Ross.

It’s recommended that you purchase tickets online, ahead of your visit. They are good for any day during the year of purchase and are not time specific. Operating dates and hours vary depending on the season; the only days the House is closed are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. The House has three flights of stairs and is not wheelchair accessible. A visit won’t take more than a couple of hours, so it’s a great opportunity to explore other sights close by or simply wander the streets of Old City.

Evolution of the Revolution

“Massachusetts, [Samuel Adams] insisted, needed to step forward to serve as an example for the other colonies in order to win their backing for a boycott of British goods” (116).

The Book

The Boston Tea Party. The First Continental Congress. The Battle of Lexington and Concord. The American Revolution would not have happened if it weren’t for these three events. But what happened before and in between them? How did the colonists come to respond as they did? These are questions Mary Beth Norton addresses in 1774: The Long Year of Revolution.

American colonists loved tea. They loved it so much that it was a lucrative item for smugglers, who avoided the East India Company (EIC) monopoly and crown taxes. The Tea Act of 1773 was meant to bring down the price of tea and save EIC from bankruptcy. Responses throughout the colonies varied, but the majority of colonists saw this as another example of taxation without representation. Several months after news of the act arrived in America, a ship with a cargo of tea sailed into the Boston harbor. There was a 20-day deadline to pay the tax or have the cargo confiscated. A two-day meeting resulted in a unanimous vote to prevent its landing and send it back to England. The ship’s captain resisted and one night before the deadline, the Boston Tea Party occurred.

From that moment on, Norton traces the reactions of the other colonies and the progression towards declaring independence; and Boston looms large as the catalyst. In May 1774, Parliament retaliated by closing the ports of Boston and New York City. Shocked, Boston asked the other colonies to join them in a boycott of trade with Great Britain. Deliberation occurred in town meetings, personal correspondence, broadsides, and editorial letters. None of the colonies supported the boycott, but they did all agree to a continental congress. Meanwhile, Boston was an occupied city with British troops, a closed port, and an altered governing charter.

The First Continental Congress—which met from September 5-October 26, 1774—agreed to a staggered response: October 1774, they would stop buying tea and in March 1775, they would stop consuming tea. During the winter of 1774-1775, letters from prominent and regular colonists reflected a crisis about to come to a head and the term “loyalist” first appeared. Calls for a Second Continental Congress reflected a shift from peacefully resolving the issues to talk of independence. In spring 1775, British soldiers in Boston increased their harassment of colonists and news arrived that Parliament declared the American colonies in rebellion.

1774: The Long Year of Revolution opens up a new window into the American Revolution. Its focus on providing context and insight from everyday colonists enhanced my understanding of what happened in 1774. Much of the deliberation occurred in print and Norton liberally quotes from letters, newspapers, and pseudonym letters to the editor. She provides a fuller picture by incorporating well-known figures as well as those lost to history. These figures are from all sides: royal governors, Sons of Liberty, printers, moderate colonists, loyalists, and patriots. They also include women who wrote letters to their husbands serving in the First Continental Congress. The letters include political commentary, highly unusual for that time. The chapters are long, but they are split into sections. Each chapter begins with an introductory story that sets the stage for the rest of the chapter. A handful of black and white images are sprinkled throughout, mostly depicting political illustrations of the time.

The Place

The Boston Freedom Trail is a real-life depiction of how Boston was a catalyst for the American Revolution. It is made up of a red-brick path that winds throughout Boston, connecting 16 historic sites. The Trail begins at the Boston Common, the oldest public park in America, and ends at the Bunker Hill Monument. During my visit, two sites stood out to me: the Granary Burying Ground and the Old South Meeting House. Our tour guide spent a lot of time in the Granary Burying Ground, explaining the roles of key people in the American Revolution. Sitting inside the Old South Meeting House, I could imagine being a colonist attending a town meeting and listening to the debates about how to respond to taxation from Parliament.

You can either follow the Trail on your own or take a guided tour. I had the opportunity to take the guided tour—with a guide dressed as a colonial town crier—and to walk the path on my own. Both options provide you with a great way to experience early American history. The guided tour doesn’t stop at all 16 sites, but spends time at the majority of them. If this is your first time in Boston, I would recommend the guided tour. The town crier stays in character for the entire tour and regales you with stories, both new and well-known. Tickets are required and offered several times throughout the day. Tours last 90 minutes and require quite a bit of walking. However, if you prefer going at your own pace and going inside the different sites, walking the path on your own would be better.

A Light in the Darkness

“the Beje was the center of an underground ring that spread now to the farthest corners of Holland” (125).

The Book

The number of books published about the Holocaust are numerous. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, with Elizabeth and John Sherrill, stands out from the rest because of the selfless love and testimony of the ten Boom family. When confronted with the evil treatment of the Jews, they chose to serve God’s chosen people despite the danger and consequences.

The first chapters introduce the ten Boom family and their home, the Beje. You get a sense of their personalities, love for others, and strong faith in God. By the time the main events of the book take place, three ten Booms live in the Beje: Casper, father and skilled watchmaker; Betsie, oldest child and caretaker of the Beje; and Corrie, youngest child and first licensed woman watchmaker in Holland. Two other ten Boom children, Willem and Nollie, live nearby and frequently return to the Beje.

When the Germans invaded Holland in 1940, Casper was 81, Betsie was 55, and Corrie was 48. As the Germans implemented anti-Jewish laws, the ten Booms discussed opportunities to help Jews. They began by storing theology books and valuables and, in 1942, started hiding people. A secret room—the hiding place—was built in Corrie’s bedroom and could hide several people during a raid. Eventually, there were several permanent residents in hiding, with others who stayed for a night or two. The residents of the Beje held practice drills to prepare for a raid, timing their movements and rehearsing answers to interrogation. On February 28, 1944, a raid occurred. Six people scrambled to the hiding place and the five ten Booms; plus, numerous underground workers were arrested.

After spending the night in the police station, they were taken to The Hague (two hours away) and imprisoned. Corrie was confined to a solitary cell because of influenza and she slowly recovered, despite the unsanitary conditions. By April, only Corrie and Betsie were in prison; Casper died in prison in March. Amazingly, all six in the hiding place survived the raid and were rescued. In June, Corrie and Betsie were reunited on a transport train to a prison in Vught. It was here that Corrie began to marvel at Betsie’s ability to love the guards and maintain an attitude of grace. After a few months, they were loaded onto freight cars and taken to Ravensbrück, a concentration camp in Germany. Through it all, Corrie struggled with misery and selfishness; while, Betsie found ways to be grateful and spread the love of Christ. Betsie’s example spurred Corrie to do the same. In December, just before she died, Betsie implored Corrie, “…must tell people what we have learned here. We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that [God] is not deeper still. They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here” (227). On December 30, Corrie was released from Ravensbrück, due to a clerical error, and arrived home in January. She spent the remainder of her life fulfilling Betsie’s request to share what they learned.

The easy-to-read memoir plays out as vignettes that propel the story forward catching the reader up in it. The focus is on the people, their interactions, and Corrie’s feelings. As narrator of The Hiding Place, Corrie punctuates the narrative with memories and is candidly honest in sharing her thoughts, temptations, and struggles with faith and love while imprisoned. This is what makes her so relatable. Christian readers will be encouraged when Corrie finds strength through God and joy in all circumstances. Throughout the book, the faith of the ten Boom family, love for your enemies, care for the vulnerable, and the power of forgiveness are underlying themes. Without them, this story would not have taken place.

The Place

The Corrie ten Boom House brings to life the events of The Hiding Place in a way that the book cannot. When I read the book, I understood that the house was small, the rooms tiny, and the staircase precarious. Standing in the house, I realized that my imagination failed to grasp what is was like. The living room, dining room, and Corrie’s bedroom—where the hiding place was—are preserved. The other bedrooms were converted into a small museum and the watch shop is now the gift shop. It covers life during the Nazi occupation, the concentration camp, and Corrie’s life after her release.

My brother and I specifically visited Haarlem to tour the Corrie ten Boom House. Ever since I first read The Hiding Place in high school, I have looked up to the faith of the ten Boom family and drawn encouragement from their testimonies. It was a special experience to walk in their home. After our tour we visited the Grote Kerk, where the ten Boom family attended church, and the Grote Markt, the central market square. Both are mentioned frequently in the book and provide insight into life in the Netherlands.

Tours of the Corrie ten Boom House are free and offered Tuesday through Saturday. English tours are available from 10am-12pm and at 2pm, lasting about 75 minutes. These tours fill up quickly and it is recommended that you book online three to four months in advance. The House is not handicap accessible and photography is only permitted in the Hiding Place. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and it was special to be on a tour with other Christians from around the world.

A Park for Everyone

“What better wholesome entertainment can you find than to take the family out to Franklin Park to see, believe it or not, plants and flowers from at least 45 countries. Just read the little tags and in the space of one little corner you may find things from as many as five or six countries” – The Columbus Dispatch, 1951 (50).

The Book

Reading Past to Present: A Chronological History of the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is like going on a private tour with the author, Dennis Craig Thompson. He is clear from the beginning that his personal experiences with Franklin Park led him to write the book, especially after he discovered that there aren’t many books about it. Past to Present is organized in a unique way. Thompson begins with his own memories of working a summer job at Franklin Park. Then, he details the chronological history of the park—the bulk of the book—and ends with a few short chapters on items he found interesting.

The land where Franklin Park is located was first the Franklin County Fairground in 1852 and then the location of the Ohio State Fair from 1874-1884. In 1886, it officially became a city park. The Conservatory building was built from 1895-1897 and encountered numerous challenges, from rising costs to lawsuits to labor unrest. The building seemed to always face some kind of structural issue, even being condemned in 1958. That led to over a decade of repair and remodeling. From the mid-twentieth century to today, Franklin Park has expanded to include more unique collections of plants, an outdoor glassblowing pavilion, a children’s garden, and rotating exhibitions. This includes growing all the plants for city parks (starting in 1918), adding animals to attract guests (1924), and being the first in the US to host a seasonal butterfly exhibition (1994).

While Past to Present does provide fun facts and the history of Franklin Park, it wasn’t the easiest or most engaging book to read. The historical chronology often gets too detailed with meeting notes or newspaper articles and, after some sections, Thompson will summarize what was just listed. It would have been better if the history was presented in a narrative format. I also found myself wishing for more information about the plants on display and visitor experience throughout the years.

The Place

The Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is nestled in a neighborhood east of downtown Columbus. It’s easy to forget that you are near a state capitol city because you can’t hear any city noises. Several gardens and collections make up Franklin Park. Outdoors is the Botanical Gardens, the Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation Children’s Garden, and Paul Busse Garden Railway. Indoors are the Conservatory, John F. Wolfe Palm House, and Bonsai Collection. Visitors will find native Ohio plants along with plants from around the world. When we went, there was a special exhibit of topiary animals throughout Franklin Park. It was really neat to see land and sea animals, made out of flowers, ready to walk through the gardens—you could even sit on the elephant!

Franklin Park is open daily, 10am-5pm, except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Make sure to check the website for closures due to private events or renovations. Tickets are required for visitors; they can be pre-purchased online or upon arrival. There is ample free parking available. As you plan your visit, check for upcoming events and leave enough time to visit the Hot Shop, for glassblowing demonstrations. Since Franklin Park has both indoor and outdoor exhibits, dress and prepare for the weather.

The Library Palace

“And because it was built to endure, it looks as fresh-minted as ever today – a handsomely restored and maintained monument of cultural pride.”

The Book

In The People’s Palace: The Story of the Chicago Cultural Center, author Nancy Seeger traces the creation of a permanent public library in Chicago. Like most aspects of Chicago, the public library was impacted by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Prior to the Fire, the public had access to over 30,000 books in the public reading room. The Fire destroyed the whole collection; but the generosity of British authors and statesmen formed the beginning of a new library collection (8,000 books). The collection was temporarily housed in an old water tank (the book includes a drawing of this) and it soon grew to over 120,000 books. By 1891, twenty years after the Fire, Chicago had the largest library system in the United States.

It was at this point that work began on a permanent home for the library, that would also serve as a memorial to the veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic. Construction on the Chicago Public Library lasted five years. The building included five stories, a Greek inspired entrance on the north side, a Roman inspired entrance on the south side, the world’s largest Tiffany dome, and mother-of-pearl mosaics. “In this building, at any rate, beauty was to be everyone’s democratic right.” The building served as Chicago’s central public library until the new library opened in 1991. In 1994, it was renovated and reopened as the Chicago Cultural Center. The renovation took great care to preserve the architectural features and introduce the building to new generations of patrons.

The People’s Palace is reminiscent of a postcard book, with thick pages and a horizontal structure. It could easily work as a small coffee table book. The layout draws the reader’s attention to images and key words, using a variety of font sizes and backgrounds. The images are photos and drawings in both black and white and color. There are no chapters, but there are uniquely designed title pages that tell the reader the content is changing. When I read a book with minimal text, I often find myself wanting more information. However, that was not the case with The People’s Palace. The minimal text works well due to the unique design.

The Place

The Chicago Cultural Center, located right across the street from Millennium Park, is one of my favorite places downtown Chicago and one that I tell any new visitors to add to their list of places to see. I first encountered the Center when my curiosity was piqued by the exterior architecture. Inside (Washington Street), I was greeted by a marble staircase, embedded with the names of famous authors. Once I reached the top, my eyes were drawn upwards to the Tiffany stained-glass dome. To this day, I am still struck by that staircase and stained-glass dome.

The Center is open every day from 10am to 5pm. Those that wander into the building have a variety of options to choose from: explore the building on your own, attend a free public event, walk through the changing art exhibits, or take a free tour. If you explore on your own, there are several highlights you don’t want to miss: the marble staircase and stained-glass dome, the Grand Army of the Republic memorial room, and the architecture throughout the building. No matter what you choose to do, keep in mind that this grand building was once the Chicago Public Library and the Tiffany stained-glass dome once hovered over patrons receiving the books they requested.

Why Warren G. Harding Deserves a Second Look

“[Harding was] a man who was far from perfect, a mortal sinner like the rest of us, but someone who began life in modesty in small-town America, worked hard, and achieved the American dream, then made it possible, during very trying times, for his countrymen to achieve theirs” (189).

The Book

Warren G. Harding is often ranked as one of the worst presidents, alongside James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson, and his accomplishments are often overlooked due to a handful of scandals. In The Jazz Age President: Defending Warren G. Harding, author Ryan S. Walters focuses on the context surrounding, the actions of, and the impact of the Harding presidency, to help readers come to their own conclusions.

The years leading up to the 1920 election were tumultuous ones: World War I, the Spanish Flu, socialist and anarchist led terrorism, racial violence, economic depression, and labor unrest. Harding was nominated on the tenth ballot at the Republican Convention, after he reluctantly entered the race. And, despite only being president for 882 days, his administration accomplished a lot:

• For the first time the vice president was involved in all cabinet meetings.
• An economic boom resulted from a reduction in government spending and tax rates.
• Humanitarian aid was provided to the Soviet Union during a famine.
• Government relations with Latin America were repaired.
• The Washington Disarmament (or Naval) Conference sought to prevent another arms race, like the that led to World War I.
• The segregation of the federal government, under President Wilson, was reversed and Harding called for the civil rights of blacks in a speech delivered in Alabama.

Yet, despite all of this, the Harding Presidency is mainly remembered for three scandals: the leader of the Veterans Bureau pocketed money for himself from funds meant to support veterans; the Justice Department was riddled with political corruption; and the Secretary of the Interior accepted bribes for oil reserves (Teapot Dome). In the first two, Harding acted immediately, demanding resignations and threating arrests. The details of Teapot Dome didn’t emerge until after his early death—in 1923, preventing him from taking swift action or defending himself. Walters points out that Harding probably wasn’t a great president, but what he was able to accomplish in such a short time point to being a good president.

Under 200 pages, The Jazz Age President isn’t your typical academic biography of a president. It is a quick and easy read, with Harding not taking center stage until the third chapter. The narrative relies about equally on Harding’s own words and the words of his critics (both in the past and today). In some instances, the reader will discover current scholars who are reconsidering the accepted beliefs about the Harding presidency. For the most part, I appreciated the tighter focus, except for the chapter on the three scandals. I found myself wanting a bit more detail to help me form my own conclusions. In his defense of Harding, Walters wonders why history has judged Harding so harshly, when other presidents have also faced scandals. It’s a good question and one that his book helps to address.

The Place

The Warren G. Harding Presidential Sites consist of the Harding Home, Harding Memorial, and Warren G. Harding Presidential Library and Museum, all located in Marion, Ohio. Opened in May 2021, it is one of the newer presidential museums; the restored Home also reopened to the public at the same time. Just like The Jazz Age President, these sites aim to help visitors have a better understanding of Harding. On the Home tour, you get a peak into the lives of Harding and his wife, including the fact that waffles were Harding’s favorite meal (he liked to top his with chipped beef and gravy). About half of the small Museum focuses on Harding’s presidency and impact, with the other half focusing on his early life, newspaper career, and time in the Senate. A short drive from the Home and Museum is the Memorial. While an impressive memorial to the former president, we didn’t stay long because it was a frigid January day.

The Home and Library and Museum are part of the same complex and have seasonal hours. From March through November they are open Wednesday through Sunday and from December through February they are open Thursday through Sunday; with varying hours for the days of the week. There is an admission fee and tours are offered—on the hour—of the Home. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets online. The Memorial is open year-round from dawn to dusk and free.