Jane Hampton Cook's Blog, page 10
September 10, 2015
August 31, 2015
Culture Clashes in Alaska: Then and Now
Controversy has erupted over President Obama’s plans to rename Alaska’s Mount McKinley, which Congress named after U.S. president William McKinley in 1917, to Denali, the Athabascan word meaning “the high one.”
Alaska has long been a mix of cultures, sometimes leading to clashes of controversy and diplomacy, as I wrote about in my book, American Phoenix. Here’s an excerpt.
—
As August 1810 came to a close, U.S. diplomat to Russia John Quincy Adams sensed the winds of autumn cooling his arctic post in St. Petersburg, which was then the capital of Russia.
Once aga
in Adamsvisited the Russian Chancellor, Count Romanzoff, as his home on the czar’s palace square. Adams wanted to discuss American trade with Russia and Napoleon’s attempts to thwart it in Western Europe. In contrast, the count wanted to discuss other business, the territory occupied by the Aleutian people on Alakshak, “the great land.”
Shortening the Aleutian name, the Russians called the peninsula Alaska.
Russia had long traded exclusively with China from posts in that expansive territory. Members of the Russian government wanted to open the route to American trade. They had only one prerequisite. The U.S. government must prevent the sale of weapons from its Northwest Territory to the region’s native tribes, who used the guns against Russian traders.
Adams’s reserved nature probably kept his eyes from opening wide in disbelief. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The United States held no more control over its western territories than it did over Great Britain. Explorers Lewis and Clark had only recently achieved their western explorations. The U.S. government could barely manage Indiana, much less posts along the Pacific Northwest.
Romanzoff might as well have asked Adams to wrestle a grizzly bear or move a mountain. Opening trade on these routes was plausible, but restricting weapon sales to tribes? Impossible. Holding back his opinion, Adams deftly agreed to write the U.S. government about the count’s proposition.
On October 9, John Quincy received received a summons to visit Count Romanzoff again. He feared the news he carried would not please Romanzoff.
Adams had recently received instructions from the US government regarding trade with Russia’s Alaska territory. The Russian envoy to America had also raised the matter in Washington D.C. with the U.S. secretary of state, who sent John a reply.
It was the “sincere and earnest desire of the President of the United States to concur in any measure which might be useful to the Russian dominions and agreeable to His Imperial Majesty,” Adams told the count.
The crux of the matter, however, was territorial limits or jurisdiction. The U.S. government could not restrain its citizens from trading guns with the region’s native people.
“The people of the United States were so extensively engaged in commercial navigation to all parts of the world, that the traffic with the Indians on the northwest coast could not be prevented by special prohibitions of law.”
The problem was also about practicality. America didn’t have customhouses and trading posts established on the northwest coast. Americans were only beginning to explore the West.
“And although nothing could be easier than to draw upon an article of a convention to prohibit the trade, it would indicate a want of frankness and candor in the United States to contract engagements and then find them not executed,” John noted.
Congress could easily pass a law preventing gun trade with tribes in Alaska. Enforcing the law was impossible. Passing such a law would be dishonest without enforcement. He waited for Romanzoff ’s response.
Was the chancellor angry that the US government had refused the request? Or did he understand?
The count responded cautiously, saying that it was not a matter of great concern and he would pass the news along to the czar.
Relieved, John then raised another question. Where did Russia draw the boundary between their lands?
“As to the fixing a boundary, it would be most advisable to defer that to some future time,” Romanzoff replied, not wanting to “strike a new spark” of dispute. Given the lack of peace in Europe, the Alaska question would have to wait until another era.
Adams reassured him. His government believed that Russia had never
been friendlier toward America. Romanzoff paused, taking in the information
before making a careful reply.
“Our attachment to the United States is obstinate—more obstinate than you are aware of,” Romanzoff stated as firmly and emphatically as he possibly could.
While the meaning was a bit vague, the intensity and inflection on the word obstinate were strong. With no elaboration, Romanzoff continued their conversation.
Discover more about this story in American Phoenix.
End of excerpt
—
Years later in 1867, Russia sold the territory of Alaska to the United States for $7.2 million. Secretary of State William Seward was credited for the Alaska Purchase.
A gold prospector in Alaska unofficially named the mountain peak Mount McKinley in 1896 after Ohio’s William McKinley, a strong proponent of the gold standard. McKinley became president and was assassinated. Congress made the name official in 1917.
The territory of Alaska became a state in 1959.
Author Jane Hampton Cook is known for making history memorable and relevant to today’s news, current events, and modern-day life. A frequent guest on the Fox News Channel and other outlets, Jane is the author of eight books, including American Phoenix, America’s Star-Spangled Story, and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War. Jane is also a former White House webmaster. She lives with her husband and three sons in Fairfax, Virginia.
Fencing for Back to School? Then and Now.
Back to school is on the minds of many right now. No doubt parents are watching their kids get back into the groove of studying math, English, science, social studies, and other subjects.
What about fencing? Though not a typical back to school subject today, fencing was one of several disciplines that John Quincy Adams, who became America’s sixth president, wanted his children to study. His experience sheds light on what life was like 200 years ago, revealing that parents were just as concerned about education then as they are now.
When President James Madison appointed him as the nation’s top diplomat to Russia in 1809, John Quincy faced an agonizing decision. What should he do about his older sons, George, age eight, and John, age six? Should he and his wife take them to Russia?
Fears of a ship
wreck wiping out his entire family and a desire for his sons to receive an education in America led John Quincy to leave his sons in the care of his father, mother, and brother in Boston. Needless to say his wife, Louisa, was heartbroken over this decision.
Though living on the other side of the world in Russia, John Quincy frequently thought about his sons’ education.
“I write to you both together to assure you that although far distant from you, I always bear you both in my thoughts with tender affection,” he wrote George and John.
In a letter to his brother Thomas, John Quincy asked him to be a father to his sons and make sure that George learned French, improved his handwriting, and developed athletic skills in skating and horseback riding.
He also wanted George to learn the proper way to handle a musket. Yet, that was not the only sport on John Quincy’s mind.
“I wish, indeed, he could have an opportunity to take lessons of drawing and of fencing, of both of which I learnt a little at his age, or soon after, and of which I always regret that I did not learn more.”
Drawing developed coordination skills, but fencing was even better.
“The second [fencing] is a very good exercise, and besides its tendency to invigorate the constitution, contributes to quicken the operations of the eye, and to give firmness and pliancy to those of the hand.”
John Quincy also bought decks of cards, similar to trading cards today, and sent them by ship to his sons. Letters would often take six months to reach America from Russia. Though not a game like today’s Pokemon, these cards were designed to teach children French and the history of Rome, Greece, and France.
We may not be able to relate to teaching our kids fencing or the agony of communicating only by letters every six months, but we can understand the desire to give children a great education and help them get back to school. Technology changes, but the human heart and the love of parents for their children doesn’t change.
Discover more about this story in American Phoenix.
Author Jane Hampton Cook is known for making history memorable and relevant to today’s news, current events, and modern-day life. A frequent guest on the Fox News Channel and other outlets, Jane is the author of eight books, including American Phoenix, America’s Star-Spangled Story, and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War. Jane is also a former White House webmaster. She lives with her husband and three sons in Fairfax, Virginia.
August 11, 2015
Political Outsiders vs. Senators vs. Governors for President
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4413574989001/look-whos-talking-jane-hampton-cook/
World War II launched a surge of American pride and patriotism. We chose presidents from national leadership positions. Dwight Eisenhower was a national war hero. Presidents Truman, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon all found their national platform in the U.S. Senate before becoming president or vice president and then president.
After Nixon’s Watergate, Americans were turned off by Washington politics. What did they do? They turned to governors for presidential talent. Except for George H.W. Bush, the path to the Presidency from 1976 to 2000 started in a governor’s office with Governors-turned Presidents Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and George W. Bush.
Where are we now in this post-9-11 and post-Obama election cycle? The answer won’t be known until November 2016. However, the NBC-Survey Monkey snap poll after last week’s Fox News Channel Republican primary debate showed improved numbers for two political outsiders, Carly Fiorina and Ben Carson, as well as fresh face Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz, who frequently opposes the “Washington cartel.” Leading the pack but without a jump after the first debate, as of this writing, is political outsider Donald Trump.
Here’s a clip from my O’Reilly Factor segment on this topic: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4413574989...
May 25, 2015
What did Providence mean in 1776? What will it mean on TURN tonight?
Providence is the name of Episode 8 in Season 2 of AMC’s TURN, airing tonight, Memorial Day.
Today, Providence often means good luck. During the American Revolution, Providence was “a firm belief of God’s universal presence, and a constant attention to the influence and operation of his providence,” as explained by John Witherspoon, a minister and signer of the Declaration of Independence. To Witherspoon and others, Providence meant “. . . to walk with God, and to endure as seeing him who is invisible.”
Below is an excerpt of a future patriot’s close call with death and his belief in Providence, based on his original letter and adapted from my book: Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War.
1. Angels Watching Over Me
The news was false. He was not dead.
“Dear Jack,” he began his urgent letter, dated July 18, 1755, to his brother.
Fatigue swept over this English soldier, but rumors of his death drove him to write no matter how weary his hand or heavy his heart. Explaining the truth was the only way to prevent the smoke of misinformation from needlessly suffocating his family.
“I take this early opportunity of contradicting both [my death and final words] and of assuring you that I now exist and appear in the land of the living by the miraculous care of Providence, that protected me beyond all human expectation,” he explained.
After the indescribable battle in the Ohio Valley, this young colonel fell into the warm embrace of Maryland’s Fort Cumberland. The terror he had just experienced plagued him worse than any nightmare. He couldn’t shake the sight of his bullet-pierced coat.
“I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, and yet escaped unhurt,” he recounted to Jack of how Providence had protected him.
Although he felt no physical injuries, the battle left his heart wounded. This new war was partially his responsibility. His earlier expedition for the British had resulted in the death of a French diplomat. The incident had caused England’s problems with the French and native tribes to escalate faster than a ship could carry British soldiers to the American colonies. When the war came, he dutifully joined General Edward Braddock and his Virginia regiment. Their mission had been to protect America’s boundaries against the trespassing French and Indians in the Ohio Valley. But they had failed.
“We have been most scandalously beaten by a trifling body of men; but fatigue and want of time prevents me from giving any of the details till I have the happiness of seeing you at home; which I now most ardently wish for,” he wrote, knowing he would need a few days to regain his strength before traveling again.
Fort Cumberland’s position along the Potomac River likely reminded him of another estate, a place he considered home. Located one hundred and fifty miles down the same river in Virginia was the house and farm of his deceased brother Lawrence. He had no idea how important that place would one day become to him.
“I may thereby be enabled to proceed homewards with more ease; You may expect to see me there on Saturday or Sunday,” he wrote.
“I am Dr. Jack, y’r most Affect. Broth’r.”
And with that, twenty-two-year-old George Washington closed his letter, dated July 18, 1755. The awe of Providence’s protection had sparked something inside him. Why had he survived? What was the meaning behind the four bullet holes in his coat and the horses shot from under him? What was his purpose in life to come? While he recovered, he reveled in the mystery and meaning behind the miracle, evidence of the fingerprints of angels.
“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them” (Psalm 34:7).
Prayer: Lord, be my shield and protector. May I live today knowing you have given my life purpose and meaning.
George Washington, “Letter to John Augustine Washington, July 18, 1755,” in The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745–1799. ed. John C. Fitzpatrick. Library of Congress. Printed from http://memory.loc.gov/ [accessed June 2006].
Author Jane Hampton Cook is known for making history memorable and relevant to today’s news, current events, and modern-day life. A frequent guest on the Fox News Channel and other outlets, Jane is the author of eight books, including American Phoenix, America’s Star-Spangled Story, and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War. Jane is also a former White House webmaster. She lives with her husband and three sons in Fairfax, Virginia.
May 18, 2015
What is a revolution? The heart of AMC’s TURN
“You don’t really believe in the king, you just believe the king is the safest bet. You need to choose between your pride and your family,” Mary Woodhull recently said in a confrontation with her father-in-law, Richard Woodhull, on AMC’s Turn, which first aired May 11, 2015.
Her lines strike at what is emerging as the heart of AMC’S Turn and what was the core of the American Revolution. Everyone had to make a choice. Some came to their decision quickly, instantly. For others, the turn or “revolution” was slow and incremental.
Below is the introduction to my published book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War, which asks this simple question, revealing the “turn” within “Turn.” Enjoy.
What is a revolution?
Is it a year, the earth’s 365-day orbital jig around the sun? Every time it passes through four seasons, the earth comes back altered, aged—changed. Is a revolution a day? Can a revolution take place with a simple rotation? Ancient astronomers considered a rotation a revolution. Each time the earth rotates on its axis it makes a mini-revolution.
The Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines revolution as “a sudden, complete or marked change in something.” Whether you measure a revolution by a day or a year, something happens during a revolution—a revolution means change.
One of the American Revolution’s most esteemed patriots asked a similar question. “What do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war?” John Adams asked in a letter to a friend nearly forty years after the war’s final shot was fired.
Adams knew the answer. He was an eyewitness to it. He understood that the American Revolution was not merely overthrowing the king’s government by force. The American Revolution began long before the first musket flared.
“The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people; a change in their religious sentiments, of their duties and obligations,” Adams explained.
The American Revolution was not simply a war. It was a transformation of the colonists’ hearts and souls. For a few, the change was instant, a twenty-four hour transformation.
For most, the change came more slowly, after a long-time wrestling in their hearts over their allegiances, beliefs, and capabilities. Ultimately, those who couldn’t change their allegiance escaped to England or Canada. But those who could change were forever transformed.
“This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people was the real American Revolution,” Adams wrote.
To skeptics this radical change was merely a rebellion. Those who would rebel against one government would always rebel, no matter who was in charge. But to true believers, this was not a rebellion. It was a revolution, one that would transform a monarchy into a republic, colonies into states, English men and English women into American patriots. A nation ruled by a king emerged as a nation governed by a constitution of the people.
What does revolution mean to you? Perhaps it’s a sudden change. Maybe it’s a simple but noticeable change. Perhaps it’s a more complete change, an obvious overthrow. As you discover the stories, sparks, and spirit of the American Revolution in this book, perhaps they will ignite a revolution in your heart, one that inspires your patriotism and nurtures your soul, one rotation at a time.
“Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises,” (Ecclesiastes 1:4–5).
Prayer: God, revolutionize my heart as you desire, one day at a time.
End Notes
[i] “Revolution.” Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/revolution (accessed: May 17, 2007); and John Adams, “Letter to H. Niles, Feb. 13, 1818,” Printed from http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_adams.
Author Jane Hampton Cook is known for making history memorable and relevant to today’s news, current events, and modern-day life. A frequent guest on the Fox News Channel and other outlets, Jane is the author of eight books, including American Phoenix, America’s Star-Spangled Story, and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War. Jane is also a former White House webmaster. She lives with her husband and three sons in Fairfax, Virginia.
Why is Simcoe’s desire for love a secret behind AMC Turn’s Success?
“I’m a warrior, yes, but I am not a monster. There’s a heart beating inside me that wants the same thing you do. To love. To be loved,” British Captain John Simcoe said to Anna Strong on a recent episode of AMC’s hit Revolutionary War spy show Turn.
This precise sentiment is what makes history relevant to us today. Though fans of Turn are fascinated by spies and the Revolutionary War, we live in an advanced technological age. We can’t relate easily to what it’s like to only be able to ride in a carriage or on horseback. We receive text messages in a blink instead of waiting weeks for an important letter to arrive. However, we can relate to the desire to love and be loved and to make our lives count.
The writers of AMC’s Turn have smartly tapped universal themes that transcend generations and help viewers to relate to these characters as humans, not as mere actors in tricorn hats and mob caps.
Below is the introduction to my Pulitzer-nominated book, American Phoenix, which brings to life the story of a son and daughter of the American Revolution, John Quincy and Louisa Adams and their experience during the War of 1812. This introduction taps the same need that Simcoe recently expressed in Turn, the desire to love and be loved, to be remembered and fulfill a purpose in life. Earlier this month, American Phoenix made the top 100 books on Kindle. Buy your print or ebook copy today. Also, I recently was a guest on The O’Reilly Factor talking about the importance of kids discovering history.
Recalling the Ones Who Were, from American Phoenix.
“The phoenix riddle hath more wit. By us, we two being one, are it.” —John Donne, English poet, circa 1631
Though he often concealed his true feelings from polite society, President John Quincy Adams kept detailed diaries throughout his life. Dipping a pen into his inkwell was as natural to him as breathing. In contrast his letters—particularly to his parents, brother, and wife—revealed this reserved man’s deeper passions of love, justice, and a valiant quest for honor.
An avid reader, John also understood the value of eyewitness accounts to historians. If his life proved influential at all—something he longed for—he suspected scholars just might collect his diaries and correspondence. He was right. Researchers throughout the years have published his writings in many volumes.
His wife, Louisa, also loved the written word. She, too, dared to dream that someone just might take an interest in her life. In her own Jane Austen–like way, she kept a diary and even dabbled in drafting fiction. When she wrote about one of the most dramatic times in her life, she hoped that one day, maybe—just maybe—her story could make a difference in someone else’s life too.
“It may perhaps at some future day serve to recall the memory of one who was—and show that many undertakings which appear very difficult and arduous to my sex, are by no means so trying as imagination forever depicts them.”
Writing was the key to being remembered in their generation. Photography didn’t exist in their heyday, much less the concept of video. They understood the sentiment behind Benjamin Franklin’s quip: “If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.” John Quincy and Louisa Adams did both.
Through this book I hope to bring to life the story of their honorable exile for you—a modern-day reader—in a way that resonates with your mind, heart, and soul. In scouring their diaries for main conflicts and combining their viewpoints, I sought to write a nonfiction book that also leverages the age-old fiction structure of conflict-setback-conflict-setback-climax-resolution. Their quotations come from their diaries and letters, updated only through modern spellings, corrected punctuation, and other essential editing elements required for modern publication standards. My desire is to portray the Adamses as they were—and as we all are—flawed human beings longing for love and respect.
Their journey also awakened me to the significance of the lesser-known War of 1812. Back then America was a country in name only and in desperate need of honor—much like John Quincy himself. We were a country whose national sovereignty was laughed at, spit upon, and joked about around the world. In 1776 independence depended, in part, on the senior John Adams. By 1812 independence depended again on an Adams—on two of them. John and Louisa Adams’s sacrifices for their nation and the cause of liberty are as inspiring as those made during the American Revolution decades earlier.
Communication changes. Technology transforms time, but the human heart doesn’t change. The need for honor, family, acceptance, justice, reunion, faith, hope, and love is as real today as it was from 1809 to 1815. From being down on your luck to rising stronger than before, American Phoenix shows “the ones who were” and the triumph that can come when anyone’s life—yours, mine, or theirs—takes an unexpected journey.
Warmly,
Jane Hampton Cook
Author Jane Hampton Cook is known for making history memorable and relevant to today’s news, current events, and modern-day life. A frequent guest on the Fox News Channel and other outlets, Jane is the author of eight books, including American Phoenix, America’s Star-Spangled Story, and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War. Jane is also a former White House webmaster. She lives with her husband and three sons in Fairfax, Virginia.
May 5, 2015
Valley Forge on AMC’s TURN. Where is Waldo?
Valley Forge is one of the settings of this season’s AMC’s hit show, TURN. A recent episode featured a scheme involving a threat against George Washington to take place in December 1777 before New Year’s Day in 1778. The timing of New Year’s Day reminded me of stories about Valley Forge that I included in my book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War (AMG, Battlefields & Blessings).Below are excerpts that show not only “where is Waldo” (at Valley Forge) but also how Dr. Albigence Waldo came to be grateful for something as tasteless as fire cake at Valley Forge. Buy Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War to discover more.
1. Marching from the Marsh to the Valley
Dr. Albigence Waldo was a surgeon in George Washington’s army. He was one of the medics who complied with the general’s order to gather the sick, march out of the marsh, and advance into the valley.
“We are order’d to march over the river—It snows—I’m sick—eat nothing—No whiskey—No baggage—Lord Lord—Lord. The army were ’till sunrise crossing the river—some at the wagon bridge, & some at the raft bridge below. Cold & uncomfortable,” Waldo wrote in his journal on December 12th.
“Dec. 13th.— The army march’d three miles from the west side the river and encamp’d near a place call’d the gulph and not an improper name neither—For this gulph seems well adapted by its situation to keep us from the pleasure & enjoyments of this world, or being conversant with any body in it,” he recalled of his first impressions.
Valley Forge was a remote place. Waldo thought it was better suited to a retreat for philosophers than a camp for soldiers. He knew Washington had not brought them there to turn them into Epicureans. After a little thinking, Doctor Waldo decided to evaluate the place’s merits.
“No—it is, upon consideration, for many good purposes since we are to winter here—1st There is plenty of wood & water. 2dly There are but few families for the soldiery to steal from—tho’ far be it from a soldier to steal,” he wrote.
Valley Forge’s velvety forests provided forage. The area’s topography was more solid than the marsh, making it a better place to build shelters. “4ly There are warm sides of hills to erect huts on,” Doctor Waldo wrote.
He also thought the place’s isolation would turn some soldiers into saints. “5ly They will be heavenly minded like Jonah when in the belly of a great fish.”
But Doctor Waldo also recognized the benefits of the valley’s quietness. Twenty-three miles from Philadelphia, Valley Forge was an ideal place to watch the British movements. Its creeks and rivers provided the army with natural fortifications. He concluded that life in the valley might provide some inspiration.
“6ly. They will not become homesick as is sometimes the case when men live in the open world—since the reflections which must naturally arise from their present habitation, will lead them to the more noble thoughts of employing their leisure hours in filling their knapsacks with such materials as may be necessary on the journey to another home,” Albigence Waldo continued.
More importantly Valley Forge’s remoteness might just turn the army into a fighting force. And that was what George Washington had in mind when he selected Valley Forge.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: . . . a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7).
Prayer: God, I take a moment to quietly reflect before you and to count my blessings no matter where my life may be today.
2. Giving Thanks
While General Washington prepared to march his army to Valley Forge in December 1777, the Continental Congress also counted their markers of success. It was time to call on the patriots to give thanks for the blessings of 1777 and pray for “the greatest of all human blessings, INDEPENDENCE and PEACE.”
“It is therefore recommended by congress, that Thursday the 18th. day of December next be set apart for solemn Thanksgiving and praise,” the Continental Congress wrote in a Thanksgiving declaration. They believed it was “the indispensable duty of all men, to adore the superintending providence of Almighty God.”
As the year drew to a close, Congress decided it was time to thank God and implore him for his further blessings. “And it having pleased him in his abundant mercy, not only to continue to us the innumerable bounties of his common providence, but also, to smile upon us in the prosecution of a just and necessary war, for the defense of our unalienable rights and liberties,” the proclamation reminded the citizens.
Congress sent their declaration through General Washington to the army. Washington included the announcement in his general orders. Congress’s proclamation overflowed with a cornucopia of requests. It called on the patriots to give thanks for their harvest of victories while asking them to submit their hearts to God.
“[T]hat at one time, and with one voice, the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor,” the proclamation heralded.
Congress also asked for guidance for America’s sea captains, prosperity for traders, blessing on farmers, and wisdom for educators.
Saratoga topped their list of blessings. Brandywine, however, revealed this was an incremental war. It was not a neat chain of victories with each link leading directly to success. The Revolution was a tug of a war, a pushing-and-pulling, progress and regression. To the patriots, victory sometimes seemed as unreachable as the clouds. This was not the quick and easy victory they had hoped for in 1775. This war was a slog.
Resolutions of thanks such as this one reminded the patriots to count their blessings and to pray for the ability to live another day in their efforts to secure liberty from the English lion’s lair.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: . . . a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 8).
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the blessings you have given me. Thank you for the times of peace, the times for enjoying food and reflecting on your goodness.
George Washington, “Headquarters, White Marsh, Nov. 30, 1777,” Writings Washington Original, 1745–1799, ed. John C. Fitzpatrick; and Samuel Adams, “Resolution of the Continental Congress, Nov. 1, 1777,” in Gutenberg Writings Samuel Adams.
3. Building a City on Fire cake
What was for dinner at Valley Forge? Smoked fire cake.
Dr. Albigence Waldo probably wasn’t sure which was more deplorable: fire cake or campfire smoke. The soldiers had to build their own huts and roads at Valley Forge. As a result, the only way to keep warm in the camp’s early days was to continually burn campfires. Waldo’s skin was so sore from the smoke that he feared his eyes were “spoiled.”
And while they labored on their huts, the men relied on fire cake for sustenance. But this manna was far from heaven to Waldo. “A general cry through the camp this evening among the soldiers—‘No Meat!—No Meat!’—the distant vales echoed back the melancholy sound . . . What have you for our dinners, boys? ‘Nothing but fire cake and water, Sir,’ At night—‘Gentlemen, the supper is ready.’ What is your supper, lads? ‘Fire cake and water, Sir,’” Waldo wrote.
Fire cake was a tasteless pancake, a mixture of a little flour and water cooked over a fire. Waldo preferred quail but he knew any kind of meat was as precious a commodity as money.
“Our division is under marching orders this morning. I am ashamed to say it, but I am tempted to steal fowls if I could find them—or even a whole hog—for I feel as if I could eat one. But the impoverished country about us, affords but little matter to employ a thief—or keep a clever fellow in good humor.”
About this time the Continental Congress issued a proclamation calling for a time of giving thanks (see entry above), especially for the victory of Saratoga and other blessings from the year 1777. General Washington made sure his men were aware of the call for giving thanks.
Though Dr. Waldo doesn’t directly refer to this time of Thanksgiving, his entries suddenly turn, as if something inspired him to count his blessings despite the hardships of building Valley Forge.
Even though he complained for the thousandth time about fire cake and water, this doctor cheered himself with a common antidote.
“But why do I talk of hunger and hard usage, when so many in the world have not even fire cake and water to eat,” he wrote, counting his blessings as best he could.
“Huts go on slowly—cold and smoke make us fret . . . But man kind are always fretting, even if they have more than their proportion of the blessings of life. We are never easy—always repining at the Providence of an all wise and benevolent being—blaming our country—or faulting our friends,” he wrote, knowing that somewhere, somebody else lived under worse conditions.
Waldo spent Christmas in an uncompleted shelter and mourned the “sweet felicities” he left at home. But he learned to survive by way of distractions. A friend taught him to darn socks. Another taught him how to lay bricks for a chimney. The doctor also treated the sick. The New Year brought him hope.
“1778. January 1st.—New Year. I am alive. I am well. Huts go on briskly and our camp begins to appear like a spacious city,” he wrote.
Valley Forge eventually reached a third the size of Philadelphia. Through fire cake and excessive cold, Albigence Waldo and the army built Washington a city.
“It is man’s fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread” (Isaiah 44:15).
Prayer: God, thank you for providing the necessities in my life. Thank you that I am alive and have food to eat.
Doctor Albigence Waldo, “Washington at Valley Forge—Conditions Described by Doctor Albigence Waldo,” in America, Vol. 3, 235–43.
Jackman, Patton, and Johnson. History American Nation, 609–31.
Author Jane Hampton Cook is known for making history memorable and relevant to today’s news, current events, and modern-day life. A frequent guest on the Fox News Channel and other outlets, Jane is the author of eight books, including American Phoenix, America’s Star-Spangled Story, and Stories of Faith and Courage from the Revolutionary War. Jane is also a former White House webmaster. She lives with her husband and three sons in Fairfax, Virginia.
May 4, 2015
A name of distinction: Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana
When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, announced today the name of their infant daughter: Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, I immediately thought of another Princess Charlotte, the one who would have been queen instead of Queen Victoria.
I first came across the Princess Charlotte of 200 years ago when doing research on costumes for a potential film version of my book, American Phoenix. In American Phoenix, I describe a silver tissue dress worn in 1809 by Louisa Adams. (American Phoenix is on sale for 99 cents today on Kindle on Amazon.)
Princess Charlotte wore a silver dress for her marriage to Prince Leopold in 1816. Though far more sparkly than Louisa’s, Charlotte’s dress gives a potential costume designer an example of what Louisa’s dress style and color might have looked like.
Princess Charlotte was the eye of England. She was the only legitimate heir to the Prince Regent and future King George IV, the oldest son of King George III, who was king when America declared Independence from England in 1776. Charlotte was well on the path to become Queen Charlotte after her father’s death.
As a royal princess and direct heir, Charlotte was expected to provide a future heir to the throne. All of England waited in expectation during her pregnancy in 1817. Maternal and infant mortality rates were high back then. Charlotte died after giving birth to a stillborn. When a baby dies inside the womb, the mother is at a higher risk of developing an infection. With the lack of antibiotics, the mother often died. Such was the case with Princess Charlotte.
King George IV died in 1830. His brother became King William IV, who died in 1837. Because all of William’s brothers had passed away, the crown transferred to another strong woman, his niece, Victoria, Charlotte’s cousin. Queen Victoria ruled England for 63 years. She was married to Princess Charlotte’s nephew, Albert, the nephew of Prince Leopold of Belgium.
The new princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana has two other family names. She is the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II. Like her great, great grandmother Queen Victoria. Queen Elizabeth has ruled for 63 years. Princess Diana was Princess Charlotte’s grandmother.
Because so many decades have passed since Princess Charlotte of the Regency era, Britain’s new Princess Charlotte enjoys the blessing of family names while having a distinctive first name without modern comparisons. She has the freedom to blaze her own trail. Blessings to her.
