Category: TradeBait’s Stories

American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 6

Now would be an excellent time to pay honor to a great American who is probably enjoying the show in our nation from Heaven.

America is back! God bless America and all freedom loving people worldwide.

Time To Get Into The Weeds

This is an appropriate time to discuss Federalism versus Anti-Federalism. Since our leaders in the national experiment called the United States of America back in the day were playing hard, fast and for keeps; we should be made very aware of what was involved. If you have not spotted the truth of this issue still being in play today along with a nasty fight between the political forces aligned with PDT versus the Uniparty, then you need to take a dose of cold reality. The parallels are amazingly similar. Below is a primer to get you started.

https://thisvsthat.io/anti-federalists-vs-federalists

For more detailed information,

https://constitutioncenter.org/media/files/4.5_Primary_Source__Who_were_the_Federalists_and_the_Anti-Federalists__.docx_.pdf

Now, extend what you learned or were reminded of and apply it to America today.

Do you consider the federal government your friend and partner, or, the potential usurper of God and/or Constitution granted rights as an American?

If you believe the former, you are probably a Federalist. If you believe the latter, you are probably an Anti-Federalist.

Do you believe the federal government should be involved in curing the perceived weaknesses of society and righting perceived wrongs of equal rights for all classes of citizens, or, do you believe that responsibility to redress should be left to local citizens and/or related state and local authorities?

The former is Federalist, the latter is Anti-Federalist.

If a power or authority has not been assigned by the Constitution to handle a subject or concern of importance to the nation, do you believe it is a federal or a state responsibility per the Constitution to address?

Yup, Federalist or Anti-Federalist.

We could continue the game, but you probably get the point. The founding fathers worked through the subjects between them and delivered our Constitution and Bill of Rights as the answer to the desires of both sides. Which is the exact same positions we still fight over today for many of the same reasons they did. Let’s review the officially long deceased Federalist Party and what it represented per an accurate Wiki description. Who does that party resemble today?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_Party

Yup, it describes the current Democrats and Uniparty in general.

Now lets look at the Anti-Federalist movement as it never officially became a political party.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Federalis

Backers of the Anti-Federalist movement formed a political party called the Democratic Republican Party with Thomas Jefferson as its leader. These Anti-Federalist influenced backers were for smaller central government, states rights, less regulation, lower taxes and the abolition of slavery. As the years passed the Federalist Party became the limited party of the elites in the New England and eventually died. With Andrew Jackson’s rise to power and the Presidency, the Democratic-Republican Party split with Jackson on the Democratic party side supporting individual and states rights rivaling a coalition formed primarily of remaining Republicans and Anti-Mason Party supporters into the Whig Party. It was led by Henry Clay supporting Federalism and greater power of Congress over the President.

The 1850’s brought the demise of the Whig Party with their support of slavery and elitism. That led to the rise of the Republican Party and eventually Abraham Lincoln and the anti-slavery forces. This Grand Old Party (GOP) as it became known, arose from the Union’s victory in the Civil War. The party typically dominated federal politics for several decades afterward. The Democratic Party became the broad based party of conservatives and agriculture rooted in the “solid south” as well as other scattered segments. As backers of states rights, they generally opposed the anti-slavery changes. They would occasionally win control of houses of Congress along the way.

Fast forward to today. My, oh, my how things change!

We are back to Federalists being Uni-party elitists with cobbled together minority segments in the Democrat Party and RINO’s versus the Anti-Federalists being the rapidly growing, populist America First MAGA segment of the GOP that is all about operating as a republic with states rights being important.

What has happened since our nation’s founding and today is a continuous morphing between these primarily Federalist versus Anti-Federalist viewpoints. America and its politics have never been one thing or the other throughout its history. Yet, the tension remains from the negotiations surrounding the interpretation of the Constitution and with the accommodation provided by the Bill of Rights.

As things stand today, did the Democrat and RINO Uniparty exceed their authority by claiming powers over subjects, issues and people that are not enumerated in the Constitution? Of course they did and still attempt to do. That is why EO’s and EA’s have been flying out of the Oval Office in droves under President Trump already. To increase their power and reach, central governments tend to naturally grow and extend their tentacles increasingly into the business of the people. That is not a question, it is a fact demonstrated over thousands of years in governments all around the globe.

Can a fully decentralized republic adequately defend itself against foreign and domestic forces and enemies without central governance and leadership? Probably not very well in America as the independent states may opt out of their responsibilities and enter into disputes with each other as well as the federal government. There would be no hammer to cover all aspects of government in place to force them back into compliance. Our strength as a nation against foreign powers is in unity, not division.

As a result the pendulum of change has swung both right and left since the Constitution’s ratification in 1788 and implementation in 1789. The excesses of the Uniparty activities in our times are obvious and the reason Donald Trump is POTUS. Very few are willing to admit it, but the Constitution still has problems that the Anti-Federalists foresaw. The compromise over the Bill of Rights did not go far enough. It addressed some of the major issues of the day that would probably survive as time passed. But as we have subsequently learned over time it left gaping holes of how to prevent and penalize federal government overreach when they venture into powers and authorities that are not enumerated. When transparency is the law, those in federal authority have rarely provided it without prodding, outright threats or legal actions. Attempts to permanently change the responses have been unsuccessful at times, just as Anti-Federalists predicted could happen.

The truth is the development and use of political parties has stymied our nation’s progress frequently. The tension of partisanship that is built into the system can help, but it also can hinder as we have seen repeatedly in our times. We will touch more on this and the life of James Monroe in particular down the road in this series.

The partisanship has led our nation into the long overdue corrective phase today that Anti-Federalists of old would celebrate. We populist, American First, MAGA, states rights, kill the Fed, modern day Anti-Federalists won the election despite the current day, Federalist, Uniparty cheating the elections as they have for at least a century. Too big to rig got it done, however, that should not have been required. As a law abiding nation our citizens could choose to be honorable and have integrity. Unfortunately, the past 235+ years years since Constitution implementation reveals the truth that honesty and honor are not always present or enough. One of the primary reasons for that is radical partisanship. Many throw up their middle finger on reasoning and consensus building, two ingredients that are required for effective leadership.

Which is why the theme of the POTUS Trump administration has been “common sense“.

Strengthening constitutional enforcement issues could be a meaningful answer as well as satisfying the obvious need for honest, accurate elections. When one side or the other goes rogue or overreach becomes the modus operandi while in control, they can choose to enforce or not enforce the provisions of the Constitution and related law with minimal blow back because of the mockery they have made of law enforcement activities and the judiciary. We have seen this blatantly demonstrated in the past three decades with the weaponization of the DOJ and Intelligence Community (IC). Political gain replaced bipartisan administration of the law in the highest offices of our land.

President Trump and America First supporters aim to change all of that. We are already seeing a great deal of Anti-Federalist approaches to powers not enumerated and a great deal of leverage applied. President Trump, cabinet, and all supporters are going back to the original intent of the Massachusetts Compromise we discussed in a previous part. That compromise led to that key state’s ratification of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Some of the actions President Trump is intentionally taking will end up on the desks of the SCOTUS due to lawfare by the Uniparty if they are not codified through actions of Congress. We will have clarity on which to base future steps soon. As that happens it will be critical to gain even more patriot control over Congress in the future as the Uniparty will be fighting against us with all they have. There are more amendments to the Constitution that are necessary to assure our nation’s viability for centuries to come.

If history is our guide, political parties based on partisanship control will eventually die and morph into something else. That is exactly where the Democrat Party finds itself today. The GOP through POTUS Trump and supporters morphed from the party of big business to the party of the people over a couple of decades. What signaled that change was coming was when the Democrats lurched left. The Solid South left the party and have become GOP stalwarts.

Given a personal choice of one side or the other, I think readers know I am an Anti-Federalist in my core. Power and money corrupt and nowhere is that seen in a greater display than in our nation’s Capitol. I have personal experiences during my career on which to base my position. I also recognize that in regard to the powers that are enumerated to the federal government, we all must support without reservation as long as the activities are legally conducted. They are not mutually exclusive positions.

On we go to discuss more signers of the Declaration of Independence. We will look at a leader of both the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists as well as one who help reconcile both sides to make it all happen as it did.

George Read

Born in 1733 in North East, MD, George Read was born to John and Mary Howell Read. His father was an Englishman from a family of great wealth. He moved to the colonies and bought a large estate in Cecil County, MD. With six others he went on to found the City of Charleston on the Chesapeake Bay. While there he held numerous military offices.

Soon after his birth, George’s family moved to an estate in New Castle, DE. He went to school with American Patriot Thomas McKean at Rev. Francis Allison’s Academy in New London, PA at age 15. He then studied law in Philadelphia, passed the bar in 1753, and moved back to New Castle to establish his law practice. In 1763 he married the daughter of an Anglican Church rector, Gertrude Ross. They joined the Episcopal Church there. They had three sons; George Jr., William and John.

He was appointed as the Crown Attorney General of three counties in DE by the governor. He remained in that position until he joined the first Continental Congress in 1774. Read preferred that the colonists find common ground with the British and loyalists. When it became time to vote on the Declaration of Independence he voted against it. This caused Rep. Caesar Rodney from the state to ride all night to break the tie for DE to approve the Declaration. However, when it came time to sign it, George Read did so in support.

With the future of the United States on the line in the Revolutionary War. He returned to serve in DE, but soon learned of the capture of the Continental Congress President John McKinley. He was nearly captured himself in Philadelphia, but escaped and served as President of the Congress for six months. He recruited men for the military and helped in the defense of the colonists during the period wile serving in the Legislative Council after the end of his term. He then returned to his home and activities in the state legislature. He took one year away to recover his health.

He was called into service again by DE with the work towards the approval of the Constitution. He was a leader in the fight for a strong federal government, advocating at one point for the abolition of states altogether. None of his fellow representatives agreed with him, so he moved on to protecting the rights of small states versus their larger neighbors. Once those rights were assured he led the approval of the vote for the Constitution for which DE was the first to ratify. In leading these efforts Read became a major voice in the Federalist Party.

The DE General Assembly elected Read to be a U. S Senator in 1789. He served there until 1793. He strongly supported George Washington and believed in centralization, including the creation of a national bank. He left the Senate when appointed the Chief Justice of the DE Supreme Court and served there until his death from heart problems in 1798. His wife passed away five years later. His son George Read, Jr. became the first U. S. Attorney for DE. His grandson, Read III, became the second. He had two brothers serve as officers in the Continental Army and Navy respectively.

George Read was a highly influential American Patriot who gave his all and left a family legacy of doing likewise.

Richard Henry Lee

In addition to prominent Anti-Federalists John Hancock and Samuel Adams, there was Richard Henry Lee. Born in Westmoreland County, VA in 1732, Lee came from a long line of aristocratic military officers, diplomats and politicians in his family. His parents were Colonel Thomas Lee and Hannah Harrison Ludwell Lee. Lee was sent to England to study and during the period both of his parents died in 1750. He continued in Europe until 1752 when he returned home to settle the estate of his parents with his siblings. In 1757 he was appointed justice of the peace and a year later elected into the House of Burgesses, serving until 1775. Also in 1757 he married his first wife, Anne Aylett, with whom he had six children with four surviving. After her death in 1768 he married Anne Gaskins Pinckard a year later. The couple had seven children together of whom five survived.

Lee was strongly in favor of independence and was a founder of the VA Committees of Correspondence. However, he was not in the tar and feathers promoters. He preferred boycotts and verbal persuasion in a gentlemanly manner. In 1766 he authored the Westmoreland Resolution that was against the enforcement of the British Stamp Act. Among those who signed it were several of George Washington’s family members. He was even more actively opposed to the Townshend Acts. He was selected by VA to attend the First Continental Congress. It was Lee who brought the motion for independence in the Second Continental Congress is 1776. The key part of his resolution read,

“Resolved: That these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

He had returned to VA prior to the actual vote, but returned in time to sign the Declaration. Later in 1783 he was selected as the President of the Congress. He served for a year and was selected as U. S. Senator from 1789-1792.

Lee strongly supported states rights and a reduced presence of the federal government. He was very active in the Anti-Federalist movement and instrumental in the inclusion of the Bill of Rights. His proposal of the language of the 10th Amendment was adopted substantially as he presented it. With the compromise, he backed the ratification of the Constitution and had high regard for the performance of George Washington through the years. He soon grew to appreciate the Constitution as he saw how it actually performed. He passed away in 1794 at age 62 with his wife passing away two years later at age 48. He never fully recovered from an overturned carriage accident in 1791. Within the founding fathers as a group, he was considered as important as the bigger names of Jefferson, Adams and Franklin.

Richard Henry Lee was a great American Patriot.

Roger Sherman

One of the patriots who was critical to building consensus between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, large states and small states, providing a compromise that led to the House and Senate structures as well as other meaningful agreements was Roger Sherman. Born in Newton, MA in 1721, Sherman was the son of farmers. His parents, William and Mehetabel Sherman, moved when he was two years old to Stoughton. Sherman had little formal education outside of grammar school and his father’s library. He was also taught by his Harvard educated parish minister, Rev. Samuel Dunbar. His first job was as a shoemaker.

After his father died in 1743, he moved to New Milford, CT with his mother and siblings. He opened a cobbler store with a brother. He became the county’s surveyor two years later. This helped him save money to later purchase land and earn a good reputation among county residents. He married Elizabeth Hartwell in 1749. She passed away in 1760. He then married Rebecca Prescott in 1763. Between the two wives they had 15 children, 13 of whom lived to adulthood. He published a successful almanac for eleven years as well as studied law. He passed the bar exam in 1754. He became very involved in church and civic affairs, resulting in his election as town clerk of New Milford. He was also elected to the CT House of Representatives for several terms during the period. He was named a justice of the peace in 1762 and a judge in 1765. From that position he was named Justice of the CT Superior Court for the next 23 years. During this time he was also appointed Treasurer of Yale College and taught religious studies there for years.

He represented CT in both the first and second Continental Congress. He was one of the Committee of Five who drafted the Declaration of Independence. His involvement continued into the production of the Articles of Confederation and a member of the related Congress. As such he also became a signer on the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War.

Sherman attended the Constitution Convention with no preconceived positions. He actually preferred amending the Articles of Confederation as he saw the problem with it being primarily the lack of the ability to enforce its provisions. (SOUND FAMILIAR?) 😂

Sherman was the definition of a nationalist and viewed his state in isolationist ways. He saw it being essentially self sufficient and aligned with his religious (Puritan) views. Even then he foresaw the future end to slavery in America (SOUND FAMILIAR?) So, he worked to encourage compromises between the two sides even though he was personally anti-slavery. He was a very active participant in legislative and development sessions no matter the project or meeting. He was not an eloquent speaker as he was described as being very direct and terse in his many presentations. This led to him not being quoted as much as others as well as the fact he did not keep extensive journals of his activities.

He was also an opponent of “paper” money. He saw a national currency of same being a future problem to the individual states.

Roger Sherman was largely responsible for the current organization and voting functions of Congress. He forged a compromise, the Connecticut Compromise, through the Grand Committee he formed to deliver a compromise between the large and small states that would balance the interests of both more fairly. He went on to serve as a U. S. Representative and later, as a U. S Senator of his state until his passing from typhoid in 1793. The great American theologian Jonathon Edwards preached his funeral. His wife, Rebecca, passed away in 1813.

Roger Sherman was the only person in our history to sign all four major documents of the United States from our period of founding; the Articles of Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U. S. Constitution. His more famous contemporaries Jefferson, Adams and Madison had deep admiration for the man and held all of his works in high regard.

Conclusion

A Federalist, an Anti-Federalist, and a Consensus Builder walk into a bar…

OK, start to a bad joke. However, this has been how America has evolved over many years by building consensus among dissimilar individuals who are linked by the common bonds formed from our great Declaration of Independence.

May God bless America.

American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 5

Saratoga. Everything hinged on Saratoga. From history.com we have the following:

“British strategy in 1777 involved two main prongs of attack aimed at separating New England (where the rebellion enjoyed the most popular support) from the other colonies. To that end, General John Burgoyne’s army marched south from Canada toward a planned meeting with Howe’s forces on the Hudson River. Burgoyne’s men dealt a devastating loss to the Americans in July by retaking Fort Ticonderoga, while Howe decided to move his troops southward from New York to confront Washington’s army near the Chesapeake Bay. The British defeated the Americans at Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvannia on September 11 and entered Philadelphia on September 25. Washington rebounded to strike Germantown in early October before withdrawing to winter quarters near Valley Forge.

Howe’s move had left Burgoyne’s army exposed near Saratoga, New York, and the British suffered the consequences of this on September 19, when an American force under General Horatio Gates defeated them at Freeman’s Farm in the first Battle of Saratoga. After suffering another defeat on October 7 at Bemis Heights (the Second Battle of Saratoga), Burgoyne surrendered his remaining forces on October 17. The American victory at Saratoga would prove to be a turning point of the American Revolution, as it prompted France (which had been secretly aiding the rebels since 1776) to enter the war openly on the American side, though it would not formally declare war on Great Britain until June 1778. The American Revolution, which had begun as a civil conflict between Britain and its colonies, had become a world war.“

At one time, France actually had a spine. The colonists rejected their oppressors and earned the assistance of the long time British enemies, France. What is not remembered often is that Spain entered the conflict as an ally of France. America owed Spain a debt of gratitude for what they did to assist. They provided critical supplies and funding. They were in their own conflict with the British and saw it as an opportunity to further weaken their enemy so that that could retake Menorca, which was successful a few years later.

Win-win-win for the colonies, France and Spain. An enemy of my enemy is my friend.

But let’s take a closer look at General Horatio Gates in the fall of 1777, the reported hero General who changed everything for the colonies. From mountvernon.com:

“When British troops under the command of Major General John Burgoyne invaded New York in 1777, Gates’ army defeated Burgoyne twice, on September 19, 1777 and October 7, 1777. Gates’ troops forced Burgoyne to surrender his 5,700 man army near Saratoga on October 17, 1777. This victory, a major turning point of the American Revolution, convinced France to form an alliance with the Americans against Great Britain in 1778.

Tensions between Gates and General George Washington grew immediately following Saratoga, after Gates informed Congress directly of his victory rather than informing his Commander-in-Chief. Washington was further angered that Gates did not promptly return troops sent to help Gates during the New York campaign. General Washington was also convinced that Gates played a role in the Conway Cabal in late 1777, which was a supposed plot to remove Washington from command and replace him with Gates. In November 1777, Gates became president of the Board of War and technically became Washington’s superior. Bickering continued between the two men as Gates drew up plans for an invasion of Canada without consulting Washington.“

Wait… what? There was dissent in the highest ranks during the Revolutionary War? Somebody got the big head after battle victories? Somebody decided to posture for personal career gain like our political and military idgits do today? Tell me it isn’t so! What is this about a “Conway Cabal” being involved? Enjoy reading the backbiting of some of our founding fathers in the link below. Be sure and click on the second page prompt at the bottom left of the first page.

https://www.ushistory.org/march/other/cabal.htm

As if Benedict Arnold was not enough, Gen. Gates played politics and showed his pompous azz in the middle of our fight for independence. But in the ultimate “what goes around comes around” result, the following explains what happened next. Unfortunately it came with a heavy cost of lives for the colonists.

“In the spring of 1778, Gates returned to field command in the north, controlling troops in New York and Massachusetts. Gates took command of the Southern Army in South Carolina in July 1780 to meet the British army that had invaded that state earlier in the year. Abandoning the cautious strategy he employed against Burgoyne in 1777, Gates marched his army toward the British troops in Camden, South Carolina, despite the fact that his men were running low on supplies. This action led to the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780, which was one of the largest American defeats of the war. As the American troops retreated, Gates left the battlefield and abandoned his army, riding nearly 200 miles in three days. Accused of cowardice, his reputation was ruined. Gates was removed from command in October 1780.

Congress briefly reinstated Gates into the army in the summer of 1782, but after uneventful service he left for the final time in 1783. In 1790 Gates sold his Virginia plantation, freed his slaves, and bought an estate in New York called “Rose Hill Farm.” He ended his career serving one term in the New York legislature from 1800-1801. Gates died on April 10, 1806.”

Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. We have seen this scripture proven true countless times over the years. We should always heed these wise words.

Time for more signers. Let ‘s go with one of the players in the Conway Cabal debacle.

Benjamin Rush

The most celebrated physician in America post Revolutionary War was Benjamin Rush. He was born in Byberry, PA in 1745. He was born to merchant John Rush and Susana Hall, the middle of seven children. His father died when he was six and he was sent with a brother to live with an aunt and uncle two years later so they could receive an education. He studied under Dr. Samuel Finley at the West Nottingham Academy. Not long after that he graduated at age 14 with a BA degree from the College of New Jersey, which became Princeton later. For the next five years he apprenticed under Dr. John Redman in Philadelphia before accepting an opportunity to study at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland for three years, where he earned an M. D. degree. While there he became fluent in French, Italian and Spanish. He returned to America in 1769 and opened a medical practice while also teaching chemistry at the University of Philadelphia (UPenn – there it is again). Later in life he published the first American textbook on chemistry.

Rush joined the Sons of Liberty soon after his return from Scotland. He was so respected that Thomas Paine consulted him about content in his Common Sense book. He represented PA when he signed the Declaration. In a letter to John Adams he recalled the signing in a similar manner as fellow signer William Elery. Per Wiki, he wrote the following,

He described it as a scene of “pensive and awful silence”. Rush said the delegates were called up, one after another, and then filed forward somberly to subscribe to what each thought was their ensuing death warrant. He related that the “gloom of the morning” was briefly interrupted when the rotund Benjamin Harrison of Virginia said to a diminutive Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, at the signing table, “I shall have a great advantage over you, Mr. Gerry, when we are all hung for what we are now doing. From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes and be with the Angels, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air an hour or two before you are dead.” According to Rush, Harrison’s remark “procured a transient smile, but it was soon succeeded by the Solemnity with which the whole business was conducted.”

He served in the Continental Congress as well as in the war in the field with the Philadelphia militia. He laid the foundation for battlefield treatments of the Continental Army during this time. For a period he served as Surgeon General in the Continental Army’s Middle Department until the lack of medical supplies and underreporting of casualties by officials caused him to make the ill fated Conway related comments, after which Washington asked him to resign. He regretted what he said greatly. Per Wiki, in another letter to John Adams in 1812 he stated, “He [Washington] was the highly favored instrument whose patriotism and name contributed greatly to the establishment of the independence of the United States.” Rush also successfully pleaded with Washington’s biographers Justice Bushrod Washington and Chief Justice John Marshall to delete his association with those stinging words.

Benjamin Rush accomplished an incredible amount in his life in the post revolutionary period. Perhaps the greatest was facilitating the reconciliation of two of the great founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. He had lifelong friendships with both as well as other signers.

A biographical summary is linked below and you will probably be as amazed by his accomplishments as I was.

https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/benjamin-rush

On a personal level Benjamin Rush was a devoted Christian. He believed (as I do) that the United States of America was the work of God: “I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am as perfectly satisfied that the Union of the United States in its form and adoption is as much the work of a Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament”. In 1798, after the Constitution’s adoption, Rush declared: “The only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be laid in Religion.” He had involvement in several denominations through the years and assisted Richard Allen in the formation of the AME Church at one point.

He had married Julia Stockton in 1776. The couple had thirteen children, nine survived past one year. One son, Richard, went on to become part of the administrations of the presidencies of James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincey Adams, Andrew Jackson, James Polk and Zachary Taylor. Benjamin Rush died of Typhus Fever in 1813 at age 68. Julia, 14 years his junior, lived until 1848. Both remained faithful to the Lord and their country throughout their lives.

Benjamin Rush was an incredible American Patriot who left a legacy that continues to this day.

Joseph Hewes

Born in 1730 in Princeton, NJ to Society of Friends (Quaker) parents. He also graduated from the College of New Jersey (Princeton). He left the area soon after and joined a family member’s mercantile business in Philadelphia. He attended Quaker meetings while there and apprenticed in the business. He learned of business opportunities in the port town of Edenton in North Carolina, so he moved and formed a company with Charles Blount there that succeeded for a time. However, the death of his fiancee soured him on life as well as the business, which was dissolved. He recovered and partnered with a local attorney, Robert Smith. His business ventures began to flourish. He owned many properties, warehouses and became involved with shipping at the port; owning multiple ships, sloops and brigs. He created a rope walk to be used between ships as well developing and selling rope and related products to the shipping industry.

Over the years he became a justice of the peace and later was elected into the NC Assembly. He remained active as a Quaker and at one point was believed to have joined the Anglican church. Many historians report he believed as a deist.

He became more and more involved in the independence movement. He joined the NC Committee of Correspondence and represented the state in the Continental Congress. He actively supported the Suffolk Reserves, which called for a termination of trade with Great Britain in 1774. He was sold out to the causes of the colonists and independence. Ultimately this led to his signing of the Declaration.

For a month afterwards he visited his mother back in Princeton, NJ. The gravity of the situation had begun to weigh on him. Per Wiki, “Hewes wrote “I had the weight of North Carolina on my shoulders within a day or two of three months. The service was too severe. I have sat some days from Six in the morning till five, and sometimes Six in the afternoon without eating or drinking. My health is bad, such close attention made it worse. …Duty, inclination and self preservation call on me now to make a little excursion in the County to see my mother. This is a duty which I have not allowed myself to perform during almost nine months that I have been here.” Towards the end of September Hewes returned to Edenton for rest and recuperation.

Hewes fully realized what was to come from the Declaration. He assisted in training the NC militia and began preparing ships for Naval use. In truth, some of this work had been done well before the signing of the Declaration as he saw the course the colonists were on would lead to war. He was appointed to a marine committee that began outfitting of privately owned ships with guns. He even leased one of his brigs to the marine committee in the Continental Congress with the committee providing him insurance for potential loss.

In the late 1770’s his health began to suffer as he dealt with continuous head aches. He served in the Continental Congress until mid 1779 despite a group of fellow marine committee members objecting to the money he made while providing marine services to the country. He returned to office with the NC Assembly and continued to represent the state in the Continental Congress. He returned home from the Congress in October 1779 due to his health. He passed away a month later at 49 years of age.

Joseph Hewes never married. The earlier loss of his future wife was too much for him to overcome. As a result he had no children. Her loss had led him to throw all of his efforts into his business ventures and service to our country in the Revolutionary War period. He was a self made man of great wealth who remained committed to the cause of independence unto his death. In his honor and in a demonstration of respect, members of Congress wore crape on their left arms for one month after his death.

Joseph Hewes was a true, devoted American Patriot.

William Williams

Born in Lebanon, CT in 1731, William Williams was one of ten children of Congregationalist Church minister, Solomon Williams and wife, Mary Porter Williams. He studied both law and theology at Harvard and graduated in 1751 as well as studying the ministry with his father. Four years later he served in a local militia in the French and Indian War. He returned and opened a store in Lebanon. He never owned slaves as he felt it was morally wrong.

At nearly 40 years old he married Mary Trumbull who was about 15 years younger. She was the daughter of CT Royal Governor Jonathon Trumbull. Trumbull went on to serve as the second Speaker of the U. S. House of Representatives. William and Mary went on have three children together. He took the job of town clerk, a position he held for 44 years.

Williams spent over two decades as a representative in the CT House of Representatives. He was elected Speaker in four of those years. He was strongly for independence as he was a member of the Sons of Liberty, on the Committee for Correspondence as well as the Council for Safety. At one time he anonymously had a satirical letter published in the local newspaper that confronted the King and his actions. He became an even more fierce opponent to the Crown after the Coercive Acts of 1774. He was elected to replace Oliver Wolcott as a representative from CT in the Continental Congress one week after the Declaration was formally announced, so he did not get to vote. However, he arrived in time to be a signer. Following this act he resigned his militia commission as a Colonel to serve in the Congress. He also served as a county judge for 28 years beginning in 1776.

Williams refused to sign the Constitution. He was opposed because Article VI banned religious tests for government officials. As a devout Christian and Congregationalist Deacon he felt it was a necessary requirement. He lived a life of dignity with a humble attitude and consistency that he felt was necessary for government officials. He lived his entire life as an example for Christ and for America. During the war, he closed his business, gave generously of his time and contributed much of his wealth for the cause. He regularly opened his home for military members to stay and rest.

In his latter days Williams read, meditated and prayed. He passed away at age 80. The day of his death, August 2, was exactly 35 years to the day from the date he signed the Declaration. His wife, Mary, passed away 20 years later.

William Williams was the epitome of a Christian servant leader and American Patriot.

Conclusion

As we wind our way through the Declaration signers, we come across stories such as these with Gates, Conway, Washington and Rush that remind us that nothing in life happens in a linear progression of goodness. Sometimes it all comes across as a soap opera. Yet, somehow the hand of God always has appeared at the right time to steer us in a direction that restores our destiny. Indeed, we are going through such a resurgence of the American spirit today.

It is interesting to me that an active faith in God, in a higher power, always seems to be the catalyst that drives the renewal.

In this story we have two devout Christians and a probable deist from different states who were working on the same team as patriots and signers of the Declaration of Independence. They gave their all for America, just as American First MAGA is doing today.

May God continue to bless America.

American Stores: When in the Course of human events – Part 4

This series is now dedicated to DeplorablePatriot, Susie Sampson. RIP and enjoy the company of Heaven, friend. We will carry on here and try to do you proud.

The post below probably reflects the more crude sentiments of most of the 77+ million voters for President Trump, which was probably over 90 million if all of his votes were actually counted.

Pardon me as I leave my Christian virtue outside the door. It will return after my next statements.

Our righteous anger has consequences. That summarizes how my current day fellow Sons and Daughters of Liberty feel. That unity and mercy shiz at the enemy’s request and terms ends now. There must be full compliance with the principles of the Declaration of Independence and provisions in the Constitution or GTFO to every person within our borders from this point on.

The scoundrels said and did what they said and did. Even with that President Trump is reaching across the aisle to encourage working together, just on our terms and not theirs. It will not work and he can say he tried. They will only do so reluctantly and will return to their evil ways at the first opportunity. l much prefer we move on to the obvious conclusion. They have no remorse for what they have done to him or us. They will continue to obstruct, lie and deceive. Yet, it will not stop what is coming.

Judgment Day.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled, but applicable, programming. Well, maybe after one more discussion. As you will probably figure out, I have clearly gone off the rails with this posted story. 😂

Coincidently

Was Inauguration Day great or what?! That day is one for the ages, it will likely never be topped. Celebration with each statement he made and EO he signed. Inspiring speeches. meaningful prayers and fun music abounded. The wonderful happy faces of people celebrating filled me with joy. Patriotism and expressions of faith are returning in full force. The majority of Americans have hungered for this day and were sick of the dangerous, corrupted, woke nanny state we had become. For psychological effects, nothing tops J6 for rebellion against Americans by the feds and their minions. Yet, we patriots know that all of the power plays by the leftists and cabal have been illegal and treasonous in nature. When many of the cops and judges break bad, it is a painfully hard thing to return the law and order of the American Way. That begins in earnest now.

EO after EO. Confirmation after confirmation of meaningful actions to come. Reconciliation bill(s) on tap per Speaker Johnson that will codify Execrative Orders and Actions into law with a united GOP paving the way for a change is what will benefit We the People the most. Thank you POTUS! 🇺🇸

Now, let’s get the election system in order so that cheating ends forever.

Treaties, Pacts And Deceptions

The following is one man’s observations and opinions in just one major aspect of our rights as citizens. The reader is free to agree or disagree, it is the American Way and your right to do so thanks to the founding fathers and now, President Trump. I encourage it. Regardless of your position, the subject is one of major focus by POTUS and his cabinet. Treaties and trade pacts will be up for constant withdrawal, negotiation, execution and discussion. America is going to be aggressive economically as well as geographically. With multi polarity the topic of international discussions, expect the first step to be toward a lockdown control of North America with inroads of increased relations in Central and South America. The Abraham Accords will also return to the stage soon.

As a result it seems appropriate to begin this part on Declaration signers with a summary discussion of treaties and pacts. Many folks ignore or forget that treaties and bi/multi lateral pacts are legal and binding between peoples and nations only as long as they are honored by all parties. They die in value the very second a party(ies) violates regardless of legal language in the treaty or pact that provides remedies. The reason is the violators nearly always know they are violating. The violated can never fully trust the violators again. There are no independent, neutral arbiters of violated treaties and pacts that have the ability and authority to enforce. For the most part there are no real “mistakes” or “errors of omission or commission”. The documents are negotiated and reviewed in great detail before execution. The parties know what they are doing.

Violations of treaties and pacts lead to all types of conflicts and wars on the battlefields, economically, with terrorism, with criminal activities and so on. Honoring a legal agreement that has been violated by a party to it is foolishness. The violator has openly provided a sign of a lack of respect and honorable intent. For an example, who first violated provisions of the NATO/Russia Founding Act of 1997 when each party stated they did not consider the other adversaries? Who violated the Minsk Accords in 2014 with a color revolution? Now look where things are today in the subject nation of Ukraine. Why bother signing agreements when neither party can trust the other to hold up their end of the deal? It is lipstick on the pig and We the People need to wise up to not fall for political maneuvering and theater.

Next, drill down to the individual rights of all people in the above referenced comments. You have now entered into the “natural rights” of all people individually to which our American founding fathers speak in the Declaration. In fact, it is the basis for everything that comes thereafter in our nation’s history. Those same rights were granted at the dawn of creation by the Creator. OUR collective American nation is governed by that principle and law per the Declaration and Constitution that followed. It was the understanding of our founding fathers and all American patriots. It has been in our governing documents since execution.

As a result, anything or anybody operating outside of those documents; any laws or regulations that violate that understanding; any foreign interests that impose their wills against it; even Satan himself doing his thing: None have any authority to act opposed to those governed by the founding document and resulting Constitution. We have the natural rights to toss any conflicting statute, law, rule, regulation, etc. out and overthrow anybody that attempts to enforce them. In fact, our founding documents indicate it is our responsibility to do so.

To illustrate the point of the intertwining of our nation’s formation and Christianity, what is the first sentence in the 1783 Treaty of Paris that officially brought an end to Revolutionary War hostilities and freed the states from British oppression?

“In the Name of the most Holy & undivided Trinity.“

The Treaty was willingly executed by both nations to end the conflict. They each acknowledged the above reference quote. They agreed the document was being executed in good faith in the presence of the most high, holy God in the form of the Trinity. Anytime a person or entity tells you that America was not founded on Christianity or is not a Christian nation, tell them to go pound sand and to read the Declaration of Independence and the Treaty of Paris. You have seen the references to the Creator and His providence in the Declaration and its affirmation in the Constitution. Now you see it and a direct reference to the Trinity in the Treaty that granted America its full independence. So enough with the lies and propaganda. Full stop. The Holy Word of God is the final authority on all matters.

Further…

“His Brittanic Majesty acknowledges the said United States, viz., New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, to be free sovereign and Independent States; that he treats with them as such, and for himself his Heirs & Successors, relinquishes all claims to the Government, Propriety, and Territorial Rights of the same and every Part thereof.”

Freedom.

We see that the Constitution that was subsequently executed a few years later is valid in that Americans had treaty granted rights to do as they pleased in terms of government and national formation. Great Britain was out. At least until they tried to force their way in again in 1812, which led to the Treaty of Ghent two years later.

Which is a major point. Treaties are good until they aren’t. But know this, no amount of deception such as was performed in 1913 is legal per the founding documents. They are direct violations of established principles in the Declaration and law in the Constitution. For example, there is no legitimate national indebtedness to the City of London as some supposed, just like there is no legitimate national indebtedness to the Federal Reserve. Americans are about to get educated if I read the tea leaves right. President Trump and fellow patriots are going to rip down the veil and tear it to shreds.

To summarize, our elected leaders and their appointees have no authority to enter into any treaty or pact that does not have America First. America was not first with the Paris Agreement on climate, the funding of WHO through the UN and many others in recent memory. We should sign nothing that does not have America and its citizens first. If our government does not do that they are operating in opposition to the law from the founding documents that rule our nation. If there is a need of We the People that is pressing, the governing officials have no legal right to give the funding to any foreign nation or interests before us. Every Congress critter and POTUS who has done that is corrupted and violated their oaths of office.

The Declaration of Independence is the vision and authority for the American experience, the American Way. It also provided a citation of violations of the King and Great Britain against the colonies. Do the listed violations sound familiar? Many are similar to what we have experienced currently from our own government that has pushed down heavily on We the People. Many of our leaders and citizens are still connected to the Crown and other blood suckers just as they were in the Revolutionary War period.

The Constitution is the modus operandi for how we live and operate as a nation. The statutes, laws, rules and regulations that flow from it must be in accordance and also be in sync with the Declaration. Even SCOTUS rulings that violate the goals, intentions and mission of those documents are null and void. Any legal precedents they establish that violate natural laws are invalid. We only have to look to the recent COVID related mandates to understand how and why. For example, Roe v. Wade was finally seen by the SCOTUS to be an unconstitutional violation that a previous SCOTUS made and others upheld through the decades that followed. The more current court chose to honor the founding documents that established a republic in opposition to the new age Federalists that pushed for central governance and control. This recent decision led to the people in each state being able to legally determine to honor or not honor the natural rights of the conceived, but not yet born; which is how this republic is supposed to work.

All people are acknowledged as being created equally by the Bible as well as in the Declaration of Independence. The Constitution is written to reflect that understanding. Again…

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Knowing that even some of the same patriots who brought us that language permitted slavery of “equal” men and women with certain “unalienable Rights” to exist in the new nation. If the quoted language is to be believed, which it should be, the view of many of We the People that slaves were property was obviously dead wrong. It is no wonder that as soon as America officially existed, it had internal strife that culminated in a horrific, bloody war less than a century later that had slavery as well as other major issues attached such as banking wars, industrialist control issues, treatment of native American Indians, misuse of central government over states’ rights, buying religious endorsements from the pulpits, corrupting higher education, and so on.

All of the deception can throw individuals and nations off track. The saboteurs and evil doers know that and use it to gain an upper hand. Because America is dedicated to God clearly in the Declaration and affirmed in the Constitution as well as the Treaty of Paris, eventually slavery would cease to exist. It was inevitable. But flawed leaders and parts of society resisted as people are want to do just as they do today. In the early days of our nation the existence of slavery in the United States led to their using it as an excuse for starting another war to reclaim their still perceived possession of the colonies in violation of the Treaty of Paris that they previously signed “In the Name of the most Holy & undivided Trinity.“

And the circle goes round and round and…

It is my personal belief that the Declaration is one of the greatest documents ever produced in human existence and that it was guided by the hand of God. Many of the expressions contained within reflect related messages of the Bible.

With this understanding and in contrast, what would you do if opposed to our founding documents? If war did not work; infiltrate and circumvent, of course.

That has been what has happened to America since it won the Revolutionary War. Do you want to know the primary reasons why Sons of Liberty wild men John Hancock, Samuel Adams and others had voiced concerns and reservations about approving the Constitution after winning the war? After much consternation and debate, consider that that those two finally agreed to go along and vote to approve it. Their influence swung the state’s vote to approval in Boston, the Cradle of Liberty. The short Wiki link below is accurate and briefly explains this compromise. You can find numerous historical accounts if you want to dig deeper.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Compromise

The actual vote was 187 – 168 in favor. If only 10 people had voted differently things would have been messier. Hancock and Adams were deeply concerned that the young nation would descend into chaos and ruin without its ratification even though they believed parts of it were flawed. So they forced a compromise with the central government supporters, the Federalists, that formed our Bill of Rights and many of the legal principles and related provisions that provide individual freedoms associated with natural rights.

Failure to approve would have been worrisome since they had just led a bloody, destructive revolution that was based on and assured those rights for the colonists. Logically, all should have been unanimously voting in support of the natural rights of the people in a republican form of government. I guess liberty and freedom is never fully understood and accepted even by all who benefit.

Basically we have been at some form of war since the revolution. The battlefronts and war types have changed, but the worldly and fallen angel heavenly forces allied against us are still the same. If we had no value, were of no consequence to the world or Heaven, I dare say we would not be at war continuously. Apparently, we are very valuable to both camps.

So as Joshua said in Joshua 24:15 and I have repeated often in my stories, “But if it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (NASB)

Sounds like a Godly version of what Samuel Adams might say.

Now on to two more of our Declaration signers.

William Elery

Born in Newport, RI in 1727, William Elery was the second son of a merchant father of the same name along with his wife, Elizabeth. His father educated him until he entered Harvard at age 16, graduating four years later while excelling in Greek and Latin. For many years afterwards he tried to find a career that suited him. At first he was a merchant, then collector of Custom taxes, and eventually the recording clerk of the General Assembly. Finally at age 43, after his parents were deceased and he had received a large estate, he found his calling and became an attorney and judge. He joined the Sons of Liberty in Rhode Island and became a representative at the Continental Congress when the previous representative, Samuel Ward died. When it came time to sign the Declaration he boldly approached. “I watched everyone sign, as I was determined to see how they looked as they gave their names to what might be their death warrant.” He had been moved by their “undaunted resolution” while doing so.

Just like many of the patriot founding fathers and signers of the Declaration, he found his home had been ransacked and burned during the Revolutionary War.

In 1785 he became a strong, vocal advocate for the abolition of slavery. He was appointed Commissioner of The Continental Loan Office a year later. He served there until appointed by POTUS Washington to be Customs Collector in Newport in 1791. He passed away in 1820 at the age of 92.

Though lower in profile than many of the other founding fathers, Ellery made other inspiring, resolute, patriotic statements that have been quoted by historians. In addition to the previous quote, the following was written in a letter to his brother, Benjamin.

“We have lived to see a Period which a few years ago no human forecast could have imagined – to see these Colonies shake off and declare themselves independent of a State which they once gloried to call Parent …”

Later, Ellery wrote to Reverend Ezra Stiles and said, “We have been driven into a Declaration of Independency & must forget our former love of our British brethren. The Sword must determine our quarrel.”

These quotes are strong reminders to us today. Never accept less than America First and forge forward regardless of the opposition. Be bold and be strong for liberty and freedom for all.

Ellery was married to Ann Remington until her death in 1764. He later married Abigal Cary who bore them seven children that survived to adulthood. One of his children became a noted Universalist theologian and another, Henry Dana, became a noted poet and essayist. William Ellery was a devoted American Patriot.

Lyman Hall

Lyman Hall was born in Wallingford, CT in 1724. He was the son of a local minister, John Hall and mother, Mary Hall, who was the daughter of Rev. Samuel Street. He was educated by his uncle, Samuel Hall. He went on to graduate from Yale. He attempted to become a minister, which was met with trouble within the congregation. He began studying medicine and two years later became a physician. He married Abigali Burr of CT, but she died a year later. Five years later he married Mary Osborne. They had two sons together, one of whom died as at age 11.

The couple moved to Charleston, SC and Lyman opened a medical office. In 1760 he purchased land in Georgia and started a plantation operation there. He joined the radical patriots in the Sunbury, GA area, which is now a ghost town. He prevailed in being elected to the Continental Congress despite a predominance of Georgians who were loyalists at the time. He became active in the Revolutionary Armies provisioning medical supplies and food. He remained in the Congress for five years until 1780, however, he returned to GA for a period in 1777 to attend to plantation operations and to help with the personal and legal situation of his friend and fellow Declaration signer, Button Gwinnett. Gwinnett later died in a dual with his rival and fellow patriot, Lachlan McIntosh. Hall was devastated by the loss of his friend and attempted without success to have McIntosh arrested.

A short time after his return he learned the British had taken Savannah and had burned down his home and property. They charged him with treason. He and his family fled to Charleston and realized the British had control. They continued on to Connecticut and possibly later, Virginia. Finally, in 1782 they were able to return to the Savannah, Georgia area to reclaim their property and resume their lives.

A year later he was elected Governor of GA. He never left his religious roots and began efforts to charter a college level school that provided a good education, especially in religious education that would help deliver a more virtuous society with less vice. The University of Georgia was chartered in 1785 as a result. After serving one year as Governor he returned to his medical practice. Through the years he experienced financial challenges and hardships that originated from the war. In 1790 he sold his plantation and moved to a different one in Burke County, GA to retire. He passed away that same year at age 66. His wife passed away three years later. Hall County, GA bears his name.

Lyman Hall was a dignified, affable, intelligent, considerate American Patriot who took up the challenges of gaining freedom and liberty from the oppressors no matter the personal cost.

Conclusion

The better we understand our history the more we realize this great nation has been established through the blood, sweat and tears of patriots over many years. I still hear Elery’s words in my head and heart relating to the signers standing on principles and purpose unto the point of their willingness to die for the good of fellow Americans. Most could have chosen to continue in their high social standing and not risk it all. Yet, they exhibited the spirit that John F. Kennedy conveyed with his famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

The founding patriots did it to establish a free republic for We the People.

We do it to preserve and strengthen the greatest nation on earth.

God bless America.

American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 3

Before we begin this inspiring part of our signers of the Declaration of Independence series, I have one more note for the readers on the research involved in this series. Many of the historical accounts disagree with each other on specifics. For example some may have a person leaving a town for another in one year and others in a different year. Some may include career details in one place or another doing one one thing or another that are different than other accounts. Some of our subject signers left journals, letters and other accounts for posterity; while others left nothing, just the accounts of supporters and detractors. I have one account of a person dying in one year, but attending a gala later that same year. Details matter, however, in doing these summarized accounts of American Patriot lives going back over three centuries, I reserve the right to miss the mark in the minor details as I am working from other people’s sources and works. I consider numerous accounts before I write. I attempt to ferret through the details and determine what I believe best summarizes the truth and message learned from their lives. I also want to represent them as real people like all of us, not some gods whose actions or words cannot be questioned. After all, there is only the one I AM that holds that title.

It is now time for us to review the role of an important group of patriot trouble makers toward the British Crown. Their role is unquestioned in moving the needle toward independence for the colonists.

The Sons of Liberty

We started this series with John Hancock, a card carrying member of the Sons of Liberty if there ever was one. We can easily see how he would be associated with this loosely organized group of patriots who were antagonists to the Brits. He was proud of his role in the early days of the independence movement. To learn more about this group please read the link below.

https://www.history.com/news/sons-of-liberty-members-causes

Not much else needs said about them. You did not want to cross them, they would make your life miserable if you were an American loyalist Tory or sympathizer. They were some of the most important founding fathers of our nation. One Son of Liberty may have been the most important in the movement and I have briefly discussed him previously.

Samuel Adams

From the link above…

“The Sons’ most prominent leader was Samuel Adams, the son of a wealthy brewer who was more interested in radical rabble-rousing than commerce. Adams wrote his masters thesis at Harvard on the lawfulness of resisting British rule. While George Washington eventually led the war effort against the British, “the truth is that there might not have been a fight to begin with had it not been for the work of Sam Adams,” writes historian Les Standiford.”

Both Adams and Hancock were hated and feared by the Brits as will be discussed later in this story. Samuel Adams was so outspoken about independence that he put the world on notice while a student at Harvard, a college that was filled with loyalist students sent there by their aristocratic, Tory parents. It is no wonder that fellow average colonists who desired independence joined in with the Sons of Liberty’s exploits to push the Brits beyond their limits.

Samuel Adams was born in 1722 in Boston. He was the son of Samuel and Mary Adams, Sr. He was one of twelve children, however, only three survived past the age of three. His father was a wealthy merchant and deacon in the Puritan Church. His father became active in Boston politics and eventually rose to elected office in the MA House of Representatives. Integrity was instilled in the couple that passed to their son. Adams, Sr. was active in the town meetings and sided with the popular party, which was the precursor to the Whigs, or, Patriot party.

His parents hoped young Samuel would gravitate more toward ministry in the church, but as time passed Samuel became more involved in politics. After Harvard, Samuel became a partner in his father’s malthouse business. He was not a good businessman at all and it eventually was closed. During the period the local economy began experiencing a cash shortage. His father became involved with other business leaders in creating a local land bank that included the creation of paper currency in 1739 by using borrower mortgages as security. Most of the area citizens fully supported it, which concerned the loyalists. The aristocratic, Court Party held control over governance and used the Brits to dissolve the bank through an act of Parliament. Directors of the bank who included young Samuel’s father were held personally liable for all of the currency outstanding, which had to be repaid in gold and silver. Lawsuits continued over the years even after his father’s death. As Samuel dealt with them it remained a constant reminder to him of the untrustworthy Brits and loyalists, the Tories. It became fuel for his patriot fire.

Meanwhile Samuel’s interest and influence in politics and independence continued to grow. He was elected to a clerk position of the Boston market in 1747. To understand more about the market, Faneuil Hall, its origin and place in the American revolution, please read the link below.

https://citydays.com/places/faneuil-hall-market

At that point Samuel also assumed control over his family’s affairs when his father passed away a year later. A year after that he married Elizabeth Checkley, his pastor’s daughter. She bore them six children over the next seven years, but only two survived to adulthood. Elizabeth passed away with the stillbirth of their last child. Some years later he married Elizabeth Wells and they had no children.

As his prominence and popularity grew, in 1756 he was elected into the position of tax collector. The problem was he could not always force himself to collect taxes from some of the people. However, that did make him even more popular with the people. By 1765 the deficit in collections had risen significantly and become a governmental problem. His political opponents used it against him and by 1768 he was forced to pay a large judgment. Friends helped raise funds and a portion was written off. Yet, it did nothing to reduce his popularity with the people and the “popular party” of patriots.

The Brits had incurred huge debts in the winning of the French and Indian War. They looked to the colonies as a source of taxation to repay much of it, rationalizing their victory helped the colonies. Through the years leading up to the Declaration of Independence, Adams contested every move and interpretation taken by the Brits and loyalists. He led boycotts to counter. This led to confrontations over the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshends Act, and more. Many times his arguments and boycotts were successful. However, it did not stop the Brits from overreach. Finally, with the British occupation of Boston by four regiments of troops in 1768, Adams gave up any hope of reconciliation.

Adams continued to try to get the Brits to remove their regiments without full success. This culminated in the Boston Massacre of 1770 when five colonists were killed. Through his efforts this led to the remaining regiments being withdrawn from Boston even if the Brits resisted allowing trials of their murdering soldiers. In a compromise he arranged for his cousin, John Adams, to defend the accused to present a more balanced view of the hearings to both colonists and Brits. Six of the eight soldiers involved were acquitted of charges. The other two received reduced sentences for manslaughter with a simple branding on a hand.

Please note that despite many other depictions and representations, Samuel and John Adams were cousins, not brothers. They also became political opponents later in life.

The resolution of the Boston Massacre led to a “quiet” period of a couple of years. After losing an election for Register of Deeds, Samuel won another term to the MA House of Representatives. When the Brits took over the colonists’ role of paying the Governor, Lt. Governor and Superior Court Justices; Adams and supporters felt the Brits had overstepped their legal authority once again. Adams and associates devised a system of Committees of Correspondence to circulate information throughout the colony about the British activities. Loyalist Governor Hutchinson became concerned and entered into this discourse, which gave Adams an opening to make his points for the colonists and in support of independence. In mid 1773 Adams and associates seized the opportunity and published the widely circulated Boston Pamphlet that addressed colonist rights along with the past written statements from letters of the loyalist Governor to Adams. This effectively ended Hutchinson’s political career.

When Parliament passed the Tea Tax later in 1773 the colonies went into a rage due to the effect it would have on the economy of the colonies. This soon led to the often referenced Boston Tea Party and the Brits’ responses through the Coercive Acts. As they say, the rest is history; all of which Adams was in the middle of as a charismatic, rebel leader of the colonists along with John Hancock.

The events leading to the Revolutionary War began to happen at an increasing pace. After attending the First Continental Congress, Hancock and Adams decided to stay at Hancock’s Lexington home when they were informed by fellow patriots that British General Gage had been dispatched from Boston with troops for their capture. They escaped, but this move by Gage incited the American militia in Lexington and Concord to battle them in the start of the Revolutionary War.

As the Second Continental Congress met and the Declaration of Independence was introduced and signed by Adams and the others, he began a crusade against American loyalists. In a 1776 speech in Philadelphia, he went after all who sided with the Crown. “If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom—go from us in peace,” Adams said. “We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you.” A few years later he pushed for exiling all loyalists as well as the payment of reparations through confiscating their properties. He considered them traitors to the America he loved.

He helped draft the Articles of Confederation and in 1781 returned to Boston where he entered state politics. He was elected to the MA Senate, Lt. Governor and later Governor for three, one year terms after Hancock passed away. He remained a man of the people and supported free education for all including women, which was considered highly controversial. He tried to return to national politics as he had concerns about the soon to be enacted Constitution, but was not successful. In the end he signed along with Hancock to ratify the Constitution, which was approved by a narrow majority in MA. His influence began to wane and he lost a vote in 1796 for a potential VP position to his cousin, John Adams, on the Thomas Jefferson ticket. He was pleased when his cousin lost a run for POTUS four years later.

At that point he retired. He and his wife had no financial issues as he had received income from his surgeon son who had served in the Revolutionary War when he passed away at age 37. The couple had always lived modestly, so they had enough. He passed away in 1803 at the age of 81 from Essential Tremors that had plagued him the last decade of his life.

Samuel Adams was a political firebrand with Puritan ethics and integrity that influenced legions of moderate colonists to embrace independence. He had been deeply influenced in his younger years during his education and from literature that held the view and belief that all people are born with specific rights and that governments exist by consent of the people. It fit his worldview as a Puritan and patriot. This was imprinted even more deeply into his being when he observed what the Brits and American Tories did to the land bank. The resulting legal hardships it caused his father and later, himself, as he handled the family affairs after his father died were never forgotten. He wanted all Americans who sought independence to be free of the oppressors.

There may never have been a Revolutionary War and our independence without patriots such as Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty.

Charles Carroll

Seemingly entering the scene of patriots as a dignified wealthy aristocrat, Charles Carroll proved to have a steely resolve that was no less strong than that of John Hancock or Samuel Adams. Given his family’s background and circumstances one would think he would have sided with the Tories or otherwise taken a life of neutral, non-commitment to patriot causes. Perhaps his learned appreciation for all things French through the years influenced his future thoughts about British rule.

Charles “Charley” Carroll was born in Annapolis, MD in 1737 into a mega wealthy plantation family. At the time of the Revolution he was likely the wealthiest of all American colonists as he inherited a fortune of land and assets that was the equivalent of $375 million even then, the equivalent of multi billions today. His father’s side descended from Irish rulers and his mother’s side was English. Since they were Catholics, he attended Jesuit prep school until age 11 when he was sent to France where he was educated by Jesuits at St. Omer, France; at seminary in Rheims; as a graduate at the College of Louis the Grande in Bourges; as well as other studies in Paris and finally, an apprenticeship in law in London. He returned to Maryland in 1765 in the middle of the rancor of the Stamp Act that he adamantly opposed. He became involved immediately as his dignified manner and intelligence helped bring order to the response. He enthusiastically joined a group of patriots and fully supported independence even if it meant armed conflict. He made himself quite clear with the quote, “Neither my millions nor my writing will settle this just cause, but the bayonet will.”

Carroll was elected to represent Maryland on the 4th of July and was too late to vote for the Declaration, however he arrived in time to sign it. Since Carroll was a common surname, he signed it Charles Carroll of Carrollton. At which time he told Hancock, “Let there be no doubt there is only one Carrollton.” Throughout the period leading up to the signing Carroll had been a tireless promoter of independence and debated frequently with great eloquence and skill from his religious and law background. He represented Maryland within the Samuel Adams promoted Committees of Correspondence. Due to his fluency in the language he was chosen along with Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase and his cousin John Carroll to visit with French Canadian Catholics to seek assistance for the colonies. The effort was unsuccessful. This lack of success only strengthened his patriotic resolve.

He served on the Board of War during some of the darkest years for the colonies. He remained a staunch defender of George Washington as well as a close friend. Both were like-minded conservatives by nature from planters backgrounds and opposed the confiscation of Tory land that Samuel Adams and others proposed. They both fought against the enlistment of slaves into the army without there being adequate compensation to slave owners.

He served two years in the Continental Congress before returning to his native Maryland to assist in state government, where he was elected into the Maryland Senate and for a brief period as a U. S. Senator. He resigned the latter when he was prohibited by law from serving both roles as he much preferred serving his state. He did so in the MD Senate for nearly 25 years until retirement.

He was somewhat ambivalent about the issue of slavery. The Carroll family owned the most slaves of anybody at the start of the Revolution. He personally owned 400 – 500 at one point. Yet, he stated frequently his desire for slavery to end and even introduced a bill to gradually do so, which failed. Even with his beliefs on the issue he still did not release his own. In the later years of his life he supported and led the movement to return slaves to a free status in the nation of Liberia and other African nations.

He retired from public life and politics in 1801. He would occasionally be seen in ceremonial roles through the years. Much of his time was spent operating his many businesses. He lived the longest of all Declaration signers and passed away at age 95 in 1832.

His story could have stopped there. Most historical accounts of him do.

However, at this point in my research I noticed little had been stated about Carroll’s personal and family life in historical accounts other than his early years and his wife’s name, who passed away sometime around the end of the Revolutionary War. I searched deeper and found two sites dedicated to telling more of his personal story. The one quoted and linked below probably reveals why many historians did not go “there”…

“His family had become a wreck during his continued absences. His wife was addicted to opium before her death and his son, Charles Carroll of Homewood, soon became a miserable alcoholic. Carroll tried to intervene to save his family, but more often than not, his efforts were futile.

His record as a slave owner and early abolitionist is a testament to his faith. He sold slaves, but avoided breaking up families, and he offered weekly religious instruction. He once presented a bill in the Maryland Senate for the gradual abolition of slavery which required all slave girls to be educated and then freed at twenty-eight so they could in turn educate their husbands and children. When several proposals for abolition failed, he joined the American Colonization Society and in 1830 was elected president of that organization. Three older slaves kneeled at his bedside the night of his death, practicing the Catholic faith his religious instruction provided them.“

Charles Carroll of Carrollton: The Southern Irish Catholic Planter

This was found on the other site:

On his return to Maryland in 1765, Charles Carroll was given a 10,000-acre land tract called Carrollton, located in Frederick County.  Although he would never live there, Carroll added the word “Carrollton” to his signature to distinguish himself from other Charles Carrolls. In 1768, he married his cousin, Mary “Molly” Darnall, and began major improvements to his family’s urban home and gardens in Annapolis. They had seven children, only three of whom lived to adulthood. Charles, their only son, would later live at Homewood, now located on the Baltimore campus of Johns Hopkins University.

The Carrolls were busy and gracious hosts to such dignitaries and governmental leaders as George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette. The house and grounds were the scenes for many social events, “humble feasts” and after-the-races dinners. Politics kept the family busy through the Revolutionary War and in 1783, the Annapolis house and grounds were the sites of the Official State Celebration for Peace and Independence:

“Elegant and plentiful dinner provided for the celebration of Peace on Carroll’s Green; … sheep, calves, and whole ox were roasted, liquor in proportion … A convenient, extensive building was erected sufficient for the accommodations of many hundreds. Patriotic toasts were drunk, each attended with thirteen cannon.  After dinner at night, the Statehouse, a superb building, was beautifully and magnificently illuminated and an elegant entertainment given to the ladies at the ball-room …” April 24, 1783, Maryland Gazette

Charles Carroll of Carrollton – The Signer

Conclusion

No person, even the mega wealthy, is exempt from toil, trouble, and personal issues in the struggle of living well. Charles Carroll was another legendary patriot who overcame many challenges and America was the better for it. Despite being raised in wealth, Samuel Adams battled through numerous hardships that would have destroyed lesser men and lived in very modest conditions in retirement with serious physical limitations and far less popularity.

These men, their families, and supporters serve as reminders that freedom is not free for us. Do you count yourself as a modern day Son or Daughter of Liberty? We the People need you.

God bless America.

American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 2

Before we go farther, I want to inform readers about the sourcing of my information, which should have been done in the opening story. All of the content is in the public record and accessible via the internet. As a result I am not listing the individual sources in my stories with one exception. I am also utilizing a special edition insert from The Sun newspaper of the Conway/Myrtle Beach area of SC from the 1990’s titled “The 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence”. While on vacation there about 30 years ago I picked up this wonderful supplement to that newspaper and retained it in my files. It has been very helpful.

Our first three American patriot heroes were from the colonies of Massachusetts, New York and South Carolina. In our minds we can picture them in the assembly of many others from the colonies who were there to discuss their situations and the possible path forward. As they gathered there would be small group breakouts and much discussion, laughter, contentiousness, toasting, yawns, speech making, anger, joking, and even prayer. We tend to forget they were people just like us. Some slept well and others did not. Some were constipated, had colds, were stroke victims, walked with canes and so on. Some were healthy, near death, or somewhere in between. Some had alcohol addictions or drank socially while others abstained. Some had personality disorders. Some were loud braggarts and others were humble in spirit. Some were hawks and others were doves. They were all adult ages. There were the wealthy and those of more modest means. Some were reconciliatory toward the Brits and others could not rest until the last one on American soil was dead or back in England. Most missed their families, friends and life’s work at home while doing the work of We the People. They all had concerns and fears.

Most importantly, they all knew the magnitude of what they were doing.

When it came time for making decisions on the direction of the colonies and the formation of the new nation they were all focused on the task at hand to achieve consensus. As you will learn, many times the votes were split between the representatives within a state. These votes had consequences back home and some lost reelection for voting in ways that were against the will of the people. For the Declaration and Constitution that followed the war’s conclusion to come to fruition required divine inspiration and a guiding hand. As a result, God’s wisdom is interwoven into the document intentionally. The participants knew they were dependent upon God’s providence to succeed as they were going against the most formidable opponent in the world that they knew all too well. They demonstrated that understanding by referencing God multiple times in the documents.

Americans – Who Are We?

It is such a basic question, yet, I am afraid most people cannot answer adequately. For this part and those to come we need to review a foundational truth about America and being an American citizen. In my opinion it is most accurately reflected in something written by the great, great grandson of the next patriot I will feature. You may or may not be familiar with it, although it should be something imprinted in our heads and hearts as Americans. It was presented and accepted by the U. S. House of Representatives in 1917. As you read the words that follow, you will sense the passion and commitment. The statements may appear familiar, similar to those you see and hear that are associated with the America First MAGA movement today. Anybody or anything that seeks to change the definition of the following must do so within Constitutionally provided confines. Which is why the globalist criminals and other enemies of our nation work to corrupt and circumvent the Constitution at every opportunity. So as you read transport yourself back in time to the origin of it and understand the words contained within are in their purest form, uncorrupted by current times.

The American’s Creed

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

God Save the United States

William Tyler Page

https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.americanscreed00morr/

Beginning at age 13 in the role of a page in the U. S. Capitol, Page had a 61 year career in public service. In the middle of that career at age 49 he entered the above Creed in a nationwide patriotism contest and won. He drew his inspiration and wording from a wide variety of documents including the Declaration, the preamble to the Constitution, and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Patriot William Tyler Page probably did not know at that time that some political and business globalist leaders had taken steps to completely undermine the very foundation of America and its Constitution four years previous to his Creed being accepted by the House. We can only speculate on how many of those elected representatives were in on that treason and sedition that ensued over the next century. The Creed is inscribed on a bronze tablet and displayed in the Capitol. How many of our current elected officials and administrative staffers even know it exists, much less believe the foundational truths it states?

What if those words that were written over a century ago by a descendent of a patriot signer of the Declaration of Independence have become the current marching orders for our America First MAGA movement that is led by President Donald J. Trump? We know our roles are to restore the republic and the American Way. The Creed is representative of the American Way. It is with it in mind that we turn to learning more about other Declaration signers.

Mr. Page descended from…

Carter Braxton

Carter Braxton was born into wealth on the Newington Plantation in King and Queen County, VA, east of Richmond in 1736. His maternal grandfather, King Carter, was the wealthiest man in VA at the time. Carter went to the College of William & Mary in the state and returned to be a planter. He married into wealth as well, wedding first the niece, Judith Robinson, of the Speaker of the House of Burgesses in the state. She later died during the birth of their second child. After she passed away he journeyed to England for two years before returning and later marrying his second wife, Elizabeth Corbin, who was also from a family of wealth and governance in VA. He is known to have a minimum of 16 children from the two marriages.

When his older brother died in 1761, Braxton became the wealthiest man in Virginia and of all of the signers of the Declaration. His holdings were so large that even after selling off large amounts of land for the war effort he still owned over 12,000 acres of farmland and 165 slaves after the Revolutionary War ended. With more land than cash to fund operations, he sold off 3500 acres over the next half dozen years and gave away many of his slaves to other family members and farmers. By the time of his death he had sold off or gave away more land to the point he only owned about 3900 acres. He differed from the other grandsons of his maternal grandfather as he wanted to continue slavery while they did not.

During his life he became very involved in politics and served in various roles from The House of Burgesses to county sheriff to colonel of a local militia. Considered a moderate to conservative in politics he was personally conflicted about independence and the war. Prior to the Declaration he served as intermediary when the Brits stole gunpowder owned by the colonists in VA. He negotiated a compromise financial settlement between Patrick Henry and his father in law who was a loyalist in government, Corbin, to settle it without conflict. For many years he could work in both worlds of the colonists and Brits while trying to bring compromise and mediate disputes.

However, the time came when he had to choose.

When Peyton Randolph of VA died in 1775 and John Hancock stepped into his role as President of the Continental Congress, Braxton was chosen to replace Randolph. It was in that role in 1776 that he signed the Declaration. It was an act that he took despite misgivings. He felt it was premature and had issued a pamphlet of his views to counter those of John Adams in his “Thoughts on Government”. However, he valued the unity of the colonists and agreed in consensus with the other signers. He then returned to his home soon afterwards and resumed roles in VA government, politics and with his plantation holdings.

No serious historian would question his commitment to the war efforts after signing. He gave and loaned a large amount of his wealth to the effort. During the war he lost half of his shipping interests and racked up large war debts that he struggled to repay. At one point he was even censured by the Continental Congress when his men illegally seized a neutral Portuguese vessel. He was constantly involved in business disputes and lawsuits. He basically was a royal pain in the azz from life’s challenges. The Brits inflicted great damage to many of his plantation holdings. His own business operations practices also created hardships as he made many mistakes. After the war he eventually moved to Richmond and more modest housing as he worked through his many financial mishaps. It is there where he is believed to have died after suffering a stroke that paralyzed him in 1797 at the age of 61. He was buried at his beloved Chericoke Plantation that is still owned by his descendants today.

He had outlived all five of his sons. However, there were many grandchildren that were produced from his children. A number of his descendants fought in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. A great grandson, John W. Stevenson served terms in the U. S House of Representatives, as a Senator, and as Governor of KY.

The years that followed his death have helped enhance his legacy. He is now seen as instrumental in winning the war, that his financial commitment to the cause was critical to the victory. During the gunpowder theft scandal it was his negotiation that kept Patrick Henry and men from engaging in a poorly thought out attack that would have caused the destruction of the town in the British response. In much the same manner he acted as a moderate to negotiate a resolution over unpopular duty taxes charged by the British before the war in VA.

Braxton was sympathetic toward the British and their interests often, but would never be considered a loyalist. He wanted to exhaust all avenues of compromise before resulting to more extreme measures. It is in that willingness to negotiate and seek common ground that he excelled. He became a legendary American hero despite being a large slave owner because he was willing to put all of his wealth on the line and work in government roles for the America he loved.

Thomas McKean

This one will take awhile. The historian and media focus seems to be on other founding fathers more often. But there are some real jewels for those who enjoy researching parallels and interconnections like I do. Hold on to your hats.

Thomas McKean was born in New London, PA in 1734. His father immigrated to America in 1720 and was a tavern owner. Thomas’ mother, Letitia, passed away when he was still a child in 1742. This led to his father becoming an alcoholic and incapable of raising their three children, so Thomas’ sister went to live with an uncle and aunt while he and his older brother, Robert, were taken into a school operated by Presbyterian minister Francis Alison in New Castle, DE. It was there he grew in all aspects of being a boy as well as in his studies. A noted Latin scholar, Rev. Alison was a leader of the Old Side (order and tradition) versus New Side (Great Awakening/Whitefield) struggle within the Presbyterian Church during the period. With the two sides reconciling in 1758, Rev. Alison continued to take the Old Side interpretation of theology.

At this point it is important to note that Thomas McKean is not the only signer of the Declaration of Independence that directly studied under Rev. Francis Alison in New Castle. It seems signers George Read and James Smith were his students as well. In addition the Secretary of the Continental Congress, Charles Thomson, also studied under Rev. Alison. Their foundational understanding of life and its application as well as education were rooted in the mentorship and teachings of one of the greats of the Presbyterian faith.

Funny, those truths never seem to make it into many of the historical accounts, publications and media reports about the clear interconnections of many of our patriot founders and their adherence to Christian principles in how they led and governed our nation. Rev. Alison was also a noted leader in the Philadelphia Synod of the American Presbyterian Church. He was a close friend of Benjamin Franklin who took a special assignment from same to assist in teaching and the development of the College of Philadelphia, which is now known as Ivy League school Penn. This is the school that educated eight future signers of the Declaration and twelve future signers of the Constitution, including Gouvenor Morris, the brother of Lewis Morris we discussed in the previous part. See link below.

Penn Signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

Rev. Alison was a defender of Presbyterian theology in opposition to the influence of the Church of England. He stood with both feet firmly planted with American patriots. Finally, he was the founder of New Ark Academy that eventually merged into the institution that later became the University of Delaware. It is clear that Rev. Alison was a man of great accomplishment and value for the kingdom of God as well as this nation.

Among other connections through the years there is a major current connection, Donald J. Trump. The same Donald Trump that attended Penn University and graduated from its Wharton School of Business in 1968. The same Donald Trump whose mother was a Gaelic speaking Scottish Presbyterian who had immigrated to the States in 1930 and married Donald’s father, Fred, in 1936 at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church with its Old Side theology and connections decades before to member, Andrew Carnegie.

Fred Trump was already established as a real estate developer in the Queens area. Mary Anne MacLeod Trump became a naturalized citizen in 1942. Donald and all of his siblings were raised in the Old Side Presbyterian faith. A Christian worldview that has been expanded with his political career as POTUS that has introduced him to more evangelical elements of Christianity that would have common interests with the Presbyterian New Side and George Whitefield. Benjamin Franklin had commissioned a great preaching hall at the school where he wanted his close friend Whitefield to preach while there at Penn. Until 2020, Penn displayed a statute of Whitefield on its grounds. They placed it in storage to accommodate the woke cancel culture at that point.

Is it any wonder that Donald J. Trump is a flag loving American patriot with a historically rich Christian background? What Rev. Alison helped start at the behest of the American patriot great, Benjamin Franklin, is flowing through his veins. We see our heritage unfolding before us and why Donald Trump is willing to take a bullet for all of us. I dare say that no POTUS has ever worked harder for his country with more focus and dedication to American values than him.

Knowing this history, it is then no surprise that Thomas McKean was known to work harder and in more positions of service than any other signer of the Declaration. He learned at the feet of a master, which continued into the practice of law. After he finished school with Rev. Alison in 1750 he left and moved in with his uncle, John Finney, a wealthy attorney. He studied law there and passed the Delaware bar four years later. In 1753 he married his first wife, Mary Borden of Bordentown. Once again we find connections to the Revolutionary War era with local Bordentown resident Francis Hopkinson signing the Declaration along with Thomas Paine living there. Thomas McKean and his wife had six children together in the years that followed until her passing in 1763. A year later Thomas reconnected with a woman from his youth, Sarah Armitage, who was a toddler friend before he had been taken in by Rev. Alison. They married and moved to Philadelphia where they had four children together.

McKean was active in many roles throughout the region that ranged from law to holding government offices as well as in the military. He identified as a Country Party member in Delaware that supported independence from the British. The Court Party were loyalists. McKean’s family arrived from Britain as Irish Presbyterian refugees known as Scotch-Irish (Scots-Irish). The slogan “no taxation without representation ” originated with northern Irish Presbyterians and Catholics who were not allowed to vote in Parliament. McKean became a noted leader and represented Delaware in the Stamp Act Congress of 1765 along with Caesar Rodney. This work eventually led to the Continental Congress accepting the recommendation of McKean on voting procedures. The Congress of the Articles of Confederation adopted the practice and as a result, the young nation established the value of the equality of states in the composition of the U. S. Senate.

Despite living in Philadelphia, McKean remained a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congress representing Delaware. When it came time to vote for independence, the vote was split with McKean for it and George Read against it, which meant a tie for the state and no agreement. This led to McKean sending word to Caesar Rodney, the third DE delegate, to ride all night to come vote and break the tie. He did so and Delaware voted for independence. A few days later McKean joined the Fourth Battalion militia of the Philadelphia Associators that had been created by Benjamin Franklin, rising to the rank of colonel. The battalion joined in Gen. Washington’s defense in battles in New York and New Jersey. Having left soon after the vote to join the military, McKean did not sign the Declaration initially. It is speculated he signed after certification, possibly as late as 1781.

Not all went well in Delaware when other officials learned of the independence vote as the Court Party stood in direct opposition and all citizens were wary. McKean and Rodney were not reelected to their roles in the Congress as many sided with the loyalists or were fearful. That is until the Brits occupation of the colony/state after the Battle of Brandywine. Moods and attitudes changed quickly and McKean was reelected back to Congress in 1777. However, McKean and his family remained on the move as he was a top target of British forces. He and his family relocated five times in just a few years to stay out of their reach.

He served in Congress throughout the war and drafted The Articles of Confederation in 1783. He served in Delaware’s House of Assembly for several years beginning in 1776. For a brief period he was chosen as President of the Congress for an interim period. He also worked on keeping civic order and recruiting militia in Delaware during the period.

While all that was going on in the Congress and Delaware, McKean was also Chief Justice in Pennsylvania. Yup, he served in that capacity for 22 years. This service led to him being elected Governor of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1808. He was noted for expanding free education and leading the local war effort in the War of 1812 at age 80. He spent his retirement in Philadelphia writing, talking politics, and enjoying the wealth he had gained with business and real estate investments. He passed away in 1817 at age 83 and is buried in Philadelphia. He was honored by many and there were probably just as many detractors at various points in his productive life. He had served an Assemblyman, Judge, Delegate, President of Congress, State Representative, Chief Justice, and Governor for a total of 36 terms over 42 years in three states (PA, DE, NJ), often holding office or acting in an official capacity in more than one state at the same time.

During his time as Chief Justice of PA, his decisions became part of the basis of the future ruling of Chief Justice John Marshall in Marbury vs. Madison that freed the way for SCOTUS to overturn an unconstitutional law. It is a basic legal principle that applies to this day.

It is mind boggling that he survived all of his experiences and had time to be married and have ten children. I have linked a bullet point style summary of the man, events and his many accomplishments for those who want to know more.

McKean, Thomas

Our government and judiciary today use principles and conduct business using practices that Thomas McKean established prior to, during and after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary War. He is a legendary American patriot.

Conclusion

There is only time to discuss two signers and the great grandson of one to keep this part from running too long. As we read we need to think about their actual lives. For example, we can clearly see that Thomas McKean was a workaholic that operated at a furious pace with a quick, highly intelligent mind that could accomplish many great things. We also see that he did so with zero concern for the potential personal repercussions. He did what he thought was right and damn the consequences. He seem to have developed this disciplined approach to life as a child and young adult from the mentorship of Rev. Alison and his uncle.

With Carter Braxton we see a man of great wealth and historical standing in the colonies with loyalist friends. He felt pulled between two worlds, yet, knew that what the King and Brits were doing was wrong and harmful to the colonists and their families. He saw the need to act as an intermediary attempting to find compromise to help prevent harm to either side, but in the end chose the way of freedom for the nation even if he did see that as something his slaves might be worthy of as well. When he committed, it was all in and the treasury of America was the beneficiary when they needed it most to battle the oppressors. He died with far less than he had, having given away much to the war effort as well as to family members during the last years of his life.

Both of these signers were larger than life figures. They had many people who thought highly of them as well as many detractors. However, the war results hung in the balance and may never have tipped in the colonists favor without them.

There is ample history to write about concerning the signers’ achievements and failures. Whereas the great, great grandson of Carter Braxton, William Tyler Page, served as a humble civil servant in a support role of a government apparatus that grew into the one we MAGA types abhor today. He worked most of his career as a clerk in the House of Representatives with involvement in the U. S. Flag Association. He married, had five children and passed away at age 74 in 1942. Yet, he left Americans with something we should all ascribe to believe and be for as long as America exists. He is also an America patriot, just like so many people who serve America without fanfare today.

God bless America.

American Stories: When in the Course of human events…

November 5, 2024 happened. It is time. God answered the prayers and groanings of His faithful as well as all MAGA supporters with an intervention. We start this story by going back in history to build the foundation. It was also a time of God’s intervention into human events.

Most people ignore or gloss over what transpired with the negotiations and collective agreement of the content that is stated in the Declaration of Independence. They acknowledge its importance, just do not really pay much attention to how it came to be. The vast majority of Americans are clueless as to its content and relevance to life in America today, nearly 250 years later.

Instead of spending time on discussing the Declaration’s content, I have posted a link below. As an American you owe it to yourself and your country to study the Declaration of Independence and Constitution as if your life on this planet depended upon it. Your children and grandchildren should be taught its content and importance; do not count on the schools to do so. If you are unfamiliar or need a reminder, please read it because my story is about some of the people who conceived, executed and risked all for the contents of that critical document that led to the establishment of the United States of America.

https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

What was the foundational concept of the Declaration? It was a Biblically inspired belief in the natural rights of mankind as expressed in the document itself. What was the background of the signers in regards to this belief system? From the following link,

Professing Faith: The religious foundations that bolstered the Declaration of Independence

comes this statement.

“Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration, the great majority, perhaps all, identified themselves as Christians, and all but one were Protestants. Four were either present or former ministers, and a number of the signers were the sons of clergy. At least half of them had studied “divinity” at their various universities.  The denominations breakdown runs as follows: 32 of the signers, well over half, were Episcopalians, or Anglicans, the old state Church of England. There were 13 Congregationalists, 12 were Presbyterians. There were two Quakers, two Unitarians, and one Roman Catholic.“

If that statement is correct and I have no reason to believe it is not, we can clearly determine that Biblical faith formed the basis of their world view as well as that of the future nation.

The ensuing implementation of the Declaration led to war, lost battles and this…

https://www.nps.gov/vafo/learn/historyculture/valley-forge-history-and-significance.htm

Which eventually led to this…

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/surrender-british-general-cornwallis-americans-october

I hope you have reacquainted yourself with the document and the period in this brief tour of American history at its founding. I contend that it is that same American spirit that charges through the words of the Declaration of Independence that led to the greatest, ongoing experiment in national governance in world history. It is a spirit that is very much alive and expressed by the massive America First MAGA movement today, whose spirit is spreading like wildfire worldwide.

Not all of the 56 signers were present during the discussions and negotiations that surrounded the production of the document. They signed on anyway. They knew what was at stake and agreed in principle with the contents of the document. In this series we are going to dig down into understanding their roles and who many of them were as human beings. We need to personally identify with their commitment such that we may be emboldened to go and do likewise. This series will focus on many of these brave patriots.

Hint: They acted a lot like many America First MAGA patriots do today. Quite a few were from wealth and dignified. A handful were truly messed up people. Others were heroic and inspirational. Some were bombastic and others were pensive. A large number were highly educated and accomplished. Others were less educated, yet enlightened and committed to the cause. Blended together they gave us the foundational start for a truly blessed nation.

John Hancock

The signature of the first to execute it, John Hancock from Massachusetts, was the most flamboyant and recognizable of all. It reflected his popularity during that day. He was orphaned as a youth and adopted by a wealthy merchant uncle. He interned in the business, graduated from Harvard College at 17 and eventually inherited a vast wealth when his uncle died in 1763. The assets were said to be the largest in all of New England. Prior to the rise of the American patriots; that wealthy, elite standing would have placed him in the midst of the society of British loyalists in the colonies. However, John Hancock rejected that standing as time moved on and joined the independence movement. He was in the company of John and Samuel Adams, the latter being a political mentor, while becoming deeply involved in the republican movement in New England. In 1768, his sloop the Liberty was impounded by the British for allegedly carrying contraband. This accusation inspired a large group of local patriots to storm the customs post, burn the government’s boat and beat up its officers. The officers retreated to a British ship offshore. It was not long afterwards that Hancock helped lead and strongly support the Boston Tea Party.

When Peyton Randolph resigned from the Continental Congress in 1776, Hancock became President. England decreed a large reward for his capture and other patriot leaders later that year. Hancock’s comments upon signing the Declaration with large, easy to read handwriting were, “The British ministry can read that name without spectacles, let them double their reward.” One who had so much to lose, who could have easily gone along to get along; gave without reservation to America and his fellow patriots.

It was a big 🖕 you to the oppressors of the colonists. A spirit that has long prevailed in our nation.

What is not discussed much in historical accounts is all of the relationships, entanglements, misfortunes, twists and turns of the life of this as well as many other patriots. Some historians suggest Hancock was disappointed that Washington was given command of the Continental Army. Yet, we know that he held great respect for Washington and the two worked well together in the affairs of the young nation. What was true by this point was that his mentor from the early days, Samuel Adams, had soured on Hancock as he considered him vain and extravagant, unbecoming of a republican leader. Despite his wealth suffering from the war, Hancock always gave greatly to the poor and needy. He was generous to so many and the people idolized him.

His political career was a picture of ups and downs, as were his military leadership skills during the war. Yet, his reputation and support never really suffered for it. Throughout the war period he was loved and was elected governor of Massachusetts in 1780 with over 90% of the vote. He served terms there as well as being elected as a delegate to the Philadelphia Convention among other elected posts.

There have been many supporters and many detractors of Hancock that continued over the 2+ centuries that have followed; owed in large part because he did not leave much in the way of journals or letters for historians to use to make their assessments. Obviously, too much that has been stated about him came from information gained from his detractors as they were not shy in writing their commentaries (much like today). What he did have that could never be discarded or ignored was the overwhelming support of We the People (sound familiar?).

Despite his wealth and societal acceptance, he chose to give his all for America. He cast off the British crown and became an American patriot. Well before the war he had married into the politically prominent Quincy family with whom he had two children. He died in 1793 at 56 years old with his loyal wife, Dorothy, by his bedside. He had suffered from gout most of his life and it eventually led to his death. Even Samuel Adams, the acting Governor, reconciled to the greatness of the man as he led the efforts to provide a lavish funeral and declared its day a state holiday.

Guess Who?

Shall we step into the shoes of the next founding father?

You have lived a life of wealth and privilege as a 4th generation colonist with deep British roots. You are a graduate of Yale and have numerous real estate and business holdings that you received as inheritance. Your ancestors had immigrated to America and built the family’s business empire as loyal British subjects. Over the years as they passed away this led to you assuming control as an adult. You marry Mary Walton of the prominent merchant Walton family. You expand your family’s holdings and eventually become the 8th colonial governor of New Jersey. Local residents in one area even name a town after you. Life has been exceptionally good, but now you are faced with a difficult decision that will have lasting consequences on not only you and your family, but on your fellow colonists. The rulers of the colonies have ordered your vast property holdings and real estate development interests to be seized. However, they tell you that if you decline to vote for liberty that your holdings will be spared and life can go on as it has been. This is an offer that is extended as a courtesy due to your great grandfather and his brother having served with honor and high rank in Cromwell’s army in the English Civil War in the previous century; which eventually led to similar military involvement currently with a brother and half brother located in the colonies. They know your decision will be one of great influence on your fellow restless, angry colonists.

With all of this family history, work, and social standing you respond to the offer with, “There are plenty of homes but only one country.” To summarize – 🖕Brits.

It does not stop there. Your brother who is a General in the British army follows up and tells you not to not sign that document or you will lose everything. Your half-brother, Gouverneur Morris, does likewise even though he sides with the colonists. You hesitate after the safety of your family becomes a question. Once reassured by General Washington that they will be safe and it comes time to sign or walk away you respond with, “Damn the consequences. Give me the pen.” Once again – a big🖕Brits. Your family of a wife and ten children are driven into exile.

You then proceed to lose all of your property holdings and money in the exchange from the sacrifices of war.

Over time you become a hero and icon in the Revolutionary War and legislature that leads to your nation’s founding. You first give up your seat in the Continental Congress to your brother, Gouverneur, and become a General in the Continental Army under Washington. In 1777 you also return to roles in governance in the New York legislature and later become a county judge. After the war you return to your 2000 acre farm and begin the process of restoring what had been burned down by the Brits. Over time three of your sons join the military and become officers; a General, a Colonel and a Lieutenant. They later go on to serve with honor and distinction in the War of 1812.

You continue to serve your nation until your death in 1798 at age 71. Prior to your death in 1790 you offer your land as the site to house the U. S. Capital. It is now part of the South Bronx neighborhood known as Morrisania. Upon your death you are buried in the family vault on the property of St. Anne’s Church in the Bronx.

Your name is Lewis Morris of Bronx County, New York, a legendary American patriot.

Thomas Lynch, Jr.

I am sure some are asking, “Who?” Other than reading his signature on the document, most probably know very little about him. Yet, this young patriot contributed during a critical time in the lead up to the war in important ways that cannot be easily measured. His efforts had very little to do with military exploits on the battlefield. His gifts were of persuasion and concern for family and countrymen. He did his thing, after which, he disappeared.

Yes, there is more, a mixed bag like all of us. Privilege, good deeds and decisions, love, suffering, sorrow, poor decisions, and tragedy are in his story.

Thomas Lynch, Jr. was born in the Georgetown, SC area in 1749 on the Hopsewee Plantation his family owned. He was sent to England to study at Cambridge University, graduated and stayed to study law. After eight years away he returned home in 1772 and married Paige Shubrick, whom he courted prior to going to England. He was active in the family’s plantation operations as a planter, having no interest in going into law despite his education. He became politically engaged immediately as his father was a noted patriot in the independence movement who later signed on the Continental Association. His father had a serious stroke while serving in this role, so at age 26, young Lewis stepped in as a representative of the Continental Congress.

Upon his return to South Carolina and with independence in the wind, he was soon commissioned a captain and company commander in the South Carolina First Regiment under famous Col. Thomas Pinckney. He recruited men from his region to join the unit.

https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/patriots_sc_capt_thomas_lynch_jr.html

Unfortunately, while in his role with the regiment he soon fell ill from bilious fever (tick bite) before he could take full command of the unit he had recruited for the war effort. He never fully recovered. News soon came that his father’s health was again severely declining and he received permission to go to Philadelphia as a representative of the state where his father was serving in the Continental Congress. This led to him at age 27 to become the youngest signer on the Declaration of Independence as he stepped into his father’s role once again. While still there he made a fierce defense for the use of slaves on the plantations and threatened South Carolina’s secession if there were illegal attempts to end the practice. Later that year as he and his father made their way home, his father passed away from a second stroke.

Lynch stayed in South Carolina and lived with his wife at their Peachtree Plantation in the South Santee River area, one of three he owned. His health continued to be a lingering, serious problem. He and his wife took the advice of friends to relocate to Europe to see if a different environment might help. With the young nation still at war they could not leave through normal sea routes, so they chose to travel to the West Indies first. From there they planned to travel to Europe. They left for the destination on the brigantine, Polly, on December 17, 1779. They never arrived. The ship, crew and passengers were never heard from again. After becoming the youngest of the Declaration signers, at age 30, Thomas Lynch, Jr. became the youngest of the signers to die.

Lynch’s contributions beyond those stated above were his passion and ability to encourage others in the patriotic pursuit of independence. He was a brilliant orator and motivator of the people. He was aware of his impact on others and served as an inspiration to the people who knew him during the fight for independence.

Common Themes

Throughout this series you will note common themes. In this part and as will also be present in others; each of these colonists became American heroes at a critical juncture in our nation’s formation. These and many other signers first arrived on this planet from families that came from wealth and strongly rooted British backgrounds. They were privileged with strong educational training. They were disciplined in their pursuits. They had advantages that average colonists would never experience. However, this was important in the organization of the young nation. Their understanding of law, governance and industry while embracing the principles of natural rights, liberty and freedom would serve the needs of We the People well.

Yet, all three in this story as well as the other signers rejected the haughty attitudes of the Brits and loyalists with whom they had lived for so long and maintained relations. The interconnections from long held family relationships had proven very difficult to navigate. All three in this story chose a different path for themselves and their fellow colonists. They did so without reservation and remained faithful to the pursuit of freedom until death. Their devoted spouses were at their side when each passed away. The newly formed states of their origins proudly memorialized their contributions, which still affect the course of our nation today.

These were three American heroes who gave their all for their fellow Americans in the spirit of the words in the founding document they all signed in defiance of their oppressors. May we go and do likewise.

God bless America.