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| Podcast title | US History Travelcast
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| Description | Your weekly passport to US History. Each episode focuses on an event, location, person or object related to US History. Not only will you learn all about it you’ll also find out where it is and how you can see it for yourself. All that and more on US History Travelcast. Send your comments and suggestions to feedback[at]ushistorytravelcast.com | |
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| Category | Society & Culture |
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1. #017 - Jamestown http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 8.96Mb) Description: In 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, but managed to endure, earning the distinction of being America's first permanent English colony. Late in 1606, English entrepreneurs set sail with a charter from the Virginia Company of London to establish a colony in the New World. After a voyage of five months duration, the three ships, named Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed, landed in May 1607 at a place they named Cape Henry. On April 26, 1607, Jamestown Island on the James River, 40 miles inland, was selected as the ideal location for a settlement. The island was surrounded by deep water, making it easy to navigate and ease to defend. Unfortunately, the island was swampy, isolated, offered limited space and teeming with mosquitoes and surrounded by brackish tidal river water unsuitable for drinking. On top of all of that they arrived too late in the year to get crops planted. Many in the group were “gentlemen” and not sued to manual work and hard labor that would be required to build a viable settlement from scratch. Within a few months fifty-one of the settlers were dead. About the only thing that was in their favor was that no Indians inhabited the immediate area around the settlement. While not close by, there were an estimated 14,000 Algonquian Indians in the surrounding Chesapeake area. They came to be known as the Powhatan Confederacy, after the name the colonists called their powerful chief, Wahunsenacawh. They lived in several dozen self-governing communities. Wahunsenacawh or Powhatan as the colonists called him, initially welcomed the settlers and attempted to form an alliance with them to take over some of the surrounding communities which he did not yet control, and to obtain new supplies of metal tools and weapons. However, relations quickly deteriorated and led to conflict. The resulting war lasted until the English captured his daughter Matoaka, later nicknamed Pocahontas, after which the chief accepted a treaty of peace. Despite the early leadership of Captain John Smith, most of the colonists and their replacements died within the first five years. Two-thirds of the settlers died before arriving ships brought supplies and experts from Poland and Germany in the next year, 1608,[7] who would help to establish the first factories in the colony. As a result, glassware became the first American product to be exported to Europe. After Smith was forced to return to England due to an explosion during a trading expedition, the colony was led by George Percy, who proved inept at negotiating with the Indians. During what became called the "Starving Time" in 1609–1610, over 80% colonists perished, only 61 of the 500 settlers survived and the island was briefly abandoned that spring. However, on June 10, 1610 retreating settlers were intercepted a few miles down river by a supply mission from London headed by a new governor, Lord De La Warr, who brought much-needed supplies and more settlers. Lord De La Warr's ship was named The Deliverance. The settlers called this The Day of Providence, and the state of Delaware was eventually named after Lord De La Warr. John Rolfe was among the colonists inspired to stay. He carried with him a supply tobacco seeds from the Caribbean. Due to the aristocratic backgrounds of many of the new colonists, a historic drought and the communal nature of their work load, progress through the first few years was inconsistent, at best. By 1613, six years after Jamestown's founding, the organizers and shareholders of the Virginia Land Company were desperate to increase the efficiency and profitability of the struggling colony. The following year, 1614, John Rolfe began to successfully harvest tobacco. Prosperous and wealthy, he married Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powhatan, bringing several years of peace between the settlers and natives. However, at the end of a public relations trip to England, Pocahontas became sick and died in 1617. The following year, her father also died. As the settlers continued to take more land for tobacco farming, relations with the natives worsened. Powhatan's brother, a fierce warrior named Opechancanough, became head of the Powhatan Confederacy. After several years of strained coexistence, Chief Opechancanough, and his Powhatan Confederacy attempted to eliminate the English colony once and for all. On the morning of March 22, 1622, they attacked outlying plantations and communities up and down the James River in what became known as the Indian Massacre of 1622. Even though a last minute warning spared Jamestown, the attack on the colony and mismanagement of the Virginia Company at home convinced the King that he should revoke the Virginia Company Charter. Virginia became a crown colony in 1624. The fort seems to have existed into the middle of the 1620s, but as Jamestown grew into a "New Town" to the east, written reference to the original fort disappear. Another large-scale "Indian attack" occurred in 1644. In 1646 Opechancanough, was captured and while in custody an English guard shot him in the back-against orders-and killed him, and the Powhatan Confederacy began to decline. Opechancanough's successor then signed the first peace treaties between the Powhatan Indians and the English. The treaties required the Powhatan to pay yearly tribute payment to the English and confined them to reservations. Jamestown remained the capital of Virginia until its major statehouse burned in 1698. The capital was moved to Williamsburg that year and Jamestown began to slowly disappear above ground. By the 1750s the land was owned and heavily cultivated primarily by the Travis and Ambler families. A military post was located on the island during the American Revolution, and American and British prisoners were exchanged there. In 1861 the island was occupied by Confederate soldiers who built an earth fort near the church as part of the defense system to block the Union advance up the James River. Late in the 19th century, Jamestown became the focus of renewed historical interest and efforts at preservation. In 1893, a portion of the island was donated to the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) for that purpose. A seawall was constructed, which preserved the site where the remains of the original "James Fort" were to be discovered by archaeologists of the Jamestown Rediscovery project beginning in 1994, a century later. Today the site is administered by the National Park Service and Preservation Virginia. Other sites in the area are the Yorktown Victory Center and Colonial Williamsburg. See the show notes for information. Historic Jamestowne http://www.historicjamestowne.org/index.php Jamestown Settlement http://historyisfun.org/Jamestown-Settlement.htm Yorktown Victory Center http://historyisfun.org/Yorktown-Victory-Center.htm Colonial Williamsburg http://www.history.org/ US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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2. #016 - Plymouth Rock http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 6.25Mb) Description: Another short episode this week, as you can probably hear I’m still not quiet over my cold from last week. Also, another episode about a rock – in honor of Thanksgiving this week’s episode is about Plymouth Rock. We all grew up and learned about the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock in 1620, but actually the first reference to a Plymouth Rock wasn’t until 1741…121 years after the Pilgrims landed. As the story goes, the location of the rock upon which the Pilgrims landed was handed down from generation to generation until 1741. Plans were being made by the town of Plymouth to erect a wharf near the site was believe to be where the Pilgrims landed. A 94 church elder named Thomas Faunce, who had been the town record keeper almost all of his adult life, identified a rock that his father told him was the first solid land the Pilgrims set foot on. Never mind that the Pilgrims didn’t actually land at Plymouth first. The actually landed on the tip of Cape Cod and didn’t move to Plymouth until several months later. Although I guess at the time if a 94 year old church elder who’s been the town record keeper for almost 80 years tells you that’s where the Pilgrims landed you’d probably believe him…plus it’s a good story! The townspeople decided to go ahead with the wharf. They split the rock into two pieces. They left bottom piece at the wharf site and the top half was taken to the town meeting house. In 1834 the top part of the rock was moved again, this time to Pilgrim Hall Museum. A side-note about Pilgrim Hall Museum – it was established by the Pilgrim Society and opened in 1824. It is the oldest museum in continuous operation in the United States. The Pilgrim Society began building a Victorian Style canopy at the wharf in 1859 to cover the lower portion of the rock. It was completed in 1867. In 1880 the top part of the rock was moved from Pilgrim Hall Museum back to it’s original location by the wharf. At this time the 1620 was carved into the rock. In 1920, for the 300th anniversary of the Pilgrim’s landing, a new structure was built to house the rock by famed architectural firm McKim, Mead and White. Among their many other famous commissions were the east and west wing of The White House completed in 1903 and many buildings, now considered landmarks in New York City. Plymouth Rock is still housed in this structure today. It is estimated that the original size of the rocks weighed around 20,000 pounds. Over the years and with the many relocations souvenir seekers and tourists have chipped it down some. It is estimated that the top portion is about 1/3 or its original size. Today there are pieces in Pilgrim Hall Museum and in the Patent Building in the Smithsonian. The rock can be visited today near the corner of Water and North Street in Plymouth, Ma. Plymouth is located about about 40 miles south of Boston. Of course the rock isn’t the only thing to see in Plymouth. As already mention the Pilgrim Hall Museum is worth a stop. It is located at 75 Court Street. Also, up the hill from Plymouth Rock is Burial Hill were Pilgrim graves can be seen. Among them, Pilgrim leader William Bradford and the last surviving passenger of the Mayflower, Mary Allerton. Though not one of the Pilgrims, writer Mercy Otis Warren is buried. Warren was a writer during the revolutionary war period. Her circle of friends and those she regularly corresponded with were George and Martha Washington, John and Abigal Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, Sam Adams, and Patrick Henry to name a few. Also buried on Plymouth’s Burial Hill is Thomas Faunce the church elder that identified Plymouth Rock in 1741. Also in Plymouth is The National Monument to the Forefathers, Plymouth Plantation a recreation of the 1627 settlement and a replica of the Mayflower. From the Plymouth Guide Website, in addition to what I’ve already mentioned, there is also, “a reconstructed 1636 grist mill and six historic houses. Since many sites are within easy walking distance of each other, you may enjoy the leisurely pace of a do-it-yourself walking tour.” Plymouth Guide http://www.plymouthguide.com/history Plimoth Plantation (including Mayflower II) http://www.plimoth.org/ Pilgrim Hall Museum http://www.pilgrimhall.org/ Plymouth Burial Hill http://www.findagrave.com/php/famous.php?page=cem&FScemeteryid=310849 US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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3. #015 - Independence Rock http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 4.82Mb) Description: Independence Rock came to be one of the most famous landmarks on the Oregon Trail. Thousands of travelers carved their names in the rock to document they had been there. It is believed the rock got it’s name from William Sublette. Sublette held an Independence Day celebration there on July 4th, 1830. Many also believe that is was named Independence Rock because if you were travelling west on the trail you needed to reach the rock by July 4th to ensure you had enough time to get through the mountains ahead before winter. It is fitting that today the rock is now part of a site that includes a modern highway rest area. During the Oregon Trail days travelers, in addition to celebrating the 4th of July, used the site to rest themselves and their livestock for a few days before moving along. The majority of the names carved on the rock have been obliterated by erosion and time. However there are still many that are visible today. Among them are Hanna Snow, 1844, G. Gingham, 1846, J. Bower, 1847, Milo Ayer, 1849, W. H. Collins, July 4, 1862 and V.D. Moody, July 24, 1849. During the great migration, lasting from around 1840 to 1869 when the transcontinental railroad was completed hundreds of thousands of people passed by Independence Rock on their way west. I can only imagine what these pioneers must have felt as this gigantic rock came into site. To know that they had made it and to be met by other’s also making the journey. To first witness the thousands of names carved on the rock and then to add their own must have been exhilarating. The sense of freedom, new beginnings and unlimited possibilities must have been overwhelming. Independence Rock is located about 35 miles south of Casper, WY along Wyoming State Highway 220. See the show notes for some websites with information about Independence Rock. Also along Highway 220 about 10-15 miles further south remnants of the trail can be seen. The ruts of the Oregon Trail are etched into the rock on the north side of the highway. Another location along Highway 220 is Sun Ranch. The Sun Ranch is a historic ranch that was owned and operated by the Sun family for 100 years. It has recently been purchased by the Mormon Church as an interpretive center. Historic markers for the Pony Express, Oregon, California and Mormon trails are located there and another trail rut can be seen. Independence Rock http://wyoparks.state.wy.us/Site/SiteInfo.asp?siteID=19 More info from Ultimate Wyoming http://www.ultimatewyoming.com/sectionpages/sec5/extras/independencerock.html Tom Sun Ranch http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/NationalRegister/Site.asp?id=298 US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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4. #014 - California Gold Rush http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 9.80Mb) Description: In March of 1848 the announcement heard around the world was “Gold, Gold, Gold from the American River”. Those seven words set into motion a mass migration toward California. Thousands came from all over the world, including a chocolatier from Italy and a dry goods wholesaler from Germany. The California Gold Rush – Today on US History Travelcast. The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848 when James Marshall, working for John Sutter’s sawmill, found gold along the American River in Coloma, California. Most people would probably be overjoyed to find gold on their property, however Sutter was anything but. He was there to build an agricultural empire and feared that gold seekers would destroy that dream. He tried to keep the news a secret but word got around and soon “forty niners” from all over the world began flooding into California. By August word reached the east and articles about the gold rush began appearing in eastern newspapers. In December President of the United States James Polk confirmed the discovery in a speech before Congress. There was no stopping it now. The rush for gold was on and so was the rush to statehood for California, which had just been ceded to the US from Mexico by they Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in February of 1848. Sutter’s fears came true, his employees left in search of gold and squatters invaded his land and stole cattle and crops. Sutter wanted no part of the gold rush and ceded the land to his son. His son prospered and founded the town of Sacramento, which later became the California State Capital. The elder Sutter died almost poor in Pennsylvania in 1880 while trying to get restitution from Congress as payment for his land claim that was over run by the miners of forty nine. See the show notes for information on visiting Sutter’s Mill near Sacramento, California. San Francisco went from a sleepy village of around 1,000 people in 1848 to over 25,000 residents by 1850. It is estimated that 90,000 people came to California in 1849 alone to seek their fortune in gold. This is a significant influx of people considering there were only two ways to get there 1849 one was overland, by foot, horse or wagon, since a railroad had not been built that far west yet and the other way was by sea. For Americans coming by sea it was a long journey, either leaving the east coast and sailing around the tip of South America, a journey that lasted five to six months. There was no Panama Canal yet but some did sail to the isthmus of Panama in the Atlantic and embark on a week long journey by canoe and overland to the to the Pacific where they would catch a ship bound for San Francisco. Either way, by land or by sea it was a long hard and dangerous journey. The gold rush was indeed the birth of California; the catalyst that would turn a largely unsettled wilderness in 1848 into the population center and economic powerhouse that it is today. The gold rush led to the construction of significantly improved transportation systems between California and east coast. It also fueled what might be called California’s second Gold Rush…the rise of widespread agricultural enterprise in California. Indeed, starting with the miners, California has lured a string of fortune seekers resulting in boom times through the years - oil drillers, movie makers, airplane builders and dot-com entrepreneurs have all made their fortunes in California. Like much of American history immigrants also played a large part in the story of California. An Italian immigrant heard of the gold strike and headed to California. He spent a few months mining gold before deciding to open a store. In 1852 he moved to San Francisco and started a chocolate company that still exists today. His name is Domingo Ghirardelli. Ghirardelli opened Ghirardelli and Girard on the corner of Washington and Kearney Streets in San Francisco in 1852. By 1855 they need more room and a manufacturing facility was built at Greenwich and Powell Streets. By 1866 they were importing 1000 pounds of cocoa beans a year. By 1885 they would be importing 450,000 pounds. In addition to chocolate they also sold coffee and spices. They continued to grow over the next 80 years. In 1965 San Francisco declared Ghirardelli Square an official city landmark. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Today tourists flock to the square for shopping and restaurants, and of course chocolate. Another immigrant, this time from Germany, was also lured to California by the gold rush. He wasn’t interested in mining but rather selling supplies to the miners. Levi Strauss came to California in 1853. He opened Levi Strauss & Company in San Francisco as part of a family business. In San Francisco Levi sold clothing, bedding, combs, purses, etc. that he imported from a company in New York that was owned by his brothers Jonas and Louis. Today the name Levi Strauss is associated with jeans. Jeans were actually the creation of a tailor named Jacob Davis who bought denim from Levi Strauss’ store in San Francisco. Davis noticed that one his customers kept buying extra cloth to reinforce torn pants. He had the idea of using copper rivets to reinforce the strain points, like pocket corners. Davis thought he might be on to something but didn’t have the money needed to purchase a patent. He wrote to Strauss and suggested they go into business together. Levi accepted the offer and on May 20, 1873 they received their patent. Jeans started out largely as the dress of working folks in the west, like cowboys, lumberjacks and railroad workers. In the 1930’s jeans began appearing in the east due to vacationers coming west during the “dude ranch” craze. By World War II jeans were considered an essential commodity and only sold to defense workers. The popularity of the durable and long last pants soared. In 1946 the company only had 15 salesmen and was practically not even heard of east of the Mississippi. Over the next 30 years they would grow to 22,000 salesmen, and 50 plants in 35 countries. In the 1950’s and 60’s jeans were not longer confined to workingmen and became everyday wear for many particularly young people. The company is still headquartered in San Francisco at 1155 Battery Street. Stop at the visitor’s center located in the lobby to get a glimpse at unique artifacts from their archives, including the oldest pair of 501 jeans in the world dating back to 1879 also on display is a pair of jeans used to tow a car in 1938 and a denim tuxedo jacket made for Bing Crosby in 1951. Chocolate and Jeans…just two legacies from the California Gold Rush. Sutter’s Mill http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=484 Ghirardelli Chocolate http://www.ghirardelli.com/ Ghirardelli Square http://www.ghirardellisq.com/ghirardellisq/index.htm Levi Strauss Headquarters http://www.levistrauss.com/Heritage/OurArchives.aspx US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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5. #013 - First Presidential Election http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 13.48Mb) Description: Upon his death in 1799 he was remembered by fellow Virginian Henry Lee as, “First in war, first in peace and first in the heart of his countrymen.” He was the first president under the Constitution of the United States of America. The election of George Washington – today on US History Travelcast. This episode is being recorded on Monday November 2nd. Since this episode is being released a few days after Halloween and just one day before election day in the United States I thought we’d talk a little bit about both today with George Washington serving as the common denominator. I hope everyone had a festive and fun Halloween. I’m sure many of you carved pumpkins and so did I. According to the History Channel people in Europe began carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them near windows or doors to keep away evil spirits. When people start immigrating to America they found that pumpkins, a native fruit of America, made perfect jack o’lanterns. In case you missed the pictures of our pumpkins on the Facebook fan page, here they are again. First we have Benjamin Franklin. If you are listening on a device that supports video you should see a picture on your screen, if not they are still on the Facebook page. The next one is George Washington. Both pumpkins were carved the night before Halloween but due to the intricate cuts that left some areas of the pumpkin really thin Ben Franklin did not hold up long enough to be displayed Halloween night. George Washington, after a small repair, still looked good enough to put out to greet the trick or treaters. He was a big hit!! Speaking of George Washington tomorrow is Election Day so; I thought it would be fitting to talk about the first presidential election under the US Constitution. I want to issue a small disclaimer here: A podcast about George Washington could be hours in length. Rather than a complete history of the life and accomplishments of George Washington, which I’m sure will unfold as part of numerous other episodes, this particular episode only focuses on the first presidential election and his inauguration. On we go! We consider George Washington to be the first President of the United States, but there were actually 10 other men that held the title of president. As we all know the original 13 colonies declared their independence from Britain in 1776 and would engage in the war for independence until 1783. The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 and granted independence to The United States of America, but Washington wasn’t elected until 1789. So who was in charge during the six-years between independence and his election? In November of 1777 the Second Continental Congress sent the Articles of Confederation to the states for ratification. They articles were ratified and enacted in 1781 creating The United States of America. This would be the governing document of the United States until the US Constitution replaced it in 1788. As mentioned, in the six years between the Articles of Confederation and the ratification of the Constitution, which would set up the first election of the president, ten men held the title of “President of the United States in Congress Assembled”. The first was Samuel Huntington and the last was Cyrus Griffin who resigned just prior to the polls opening for the first election under the new Constitution. While these men held the title of President the position was not comparable to the duties and responsibilities afforded the office of the President under the Constitution. The role of President of the United States in Congress Assembled was largely a ceremonial one. They did little other than to preside over meetings of Congress and serve as a moderator in debates. To answer the question of who was in charge for those six years…the Congress was in charge. All decisions, treaties, legislation and day-to-day business went through Congress. The polls for the first presidential election under the US Constitution opened December 15th, 1788 and closed January 10th, 1789. The election differs in many ways from elections today. For one it was a much slower process. People had to travel to the polls in order to vote. The polls were open much longer because travel was much slower in those days and people had to have adequate time to get to polls. Once the votes were cast the results had to be tallied and then delivered to New York, which was the national capital at the time. While the polls closed in January the results weren’t announced until March when the 1st Congress convened and the winner didn’t find out until April. Their first order of business was to tabulate the results. Another difference was that there were no political parties yet, no conventions and no campaigning, also there were no running mates. There were simply candidates for President. The person that received the highest number of Electoral College votes was the winner and the runner up was the Vice President. In the first Presidential election there were twelve candidates. John Adams, James Armstrong, George Clinton, Robert H. Harrison, John Hancock, Samuel Huntington, John Jay, Benjamin Lincoln, John Milton, John Rutledge, Edward Telfair and George Washington. Yes there were 12 candidates but the contest was really only for Vice President. Since he had one the Revolutionary War and presided over the Constitutional Convention the only choice for President was George Washington. There were 69 members of the Electoral College. Each cast two votes, presumably one vote for president and one vote for Vice President. As predicted Washington received all 69 votes for president and with 34 votes John Adams became the Vice President. Washington received the news around 1pm on April 14th 1789 that he had been unanimously elected as President. Inauguration day was set for April 30th in New York. Washington began his journey to New York on April 16th. Washington was meet by cheering crowds in Alexandria, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Trenton and many other towns along the way to New York. He arrived in New York by barge, landing at the foot of Wall Street, on the lower eastern side of Manhattan Island. Today a small plaque marks the spot. The inauguration ceremony was held at Federal Hall in New York City - then the capital of the nation. He was introduced to both chambers of Congress. The inauguration took place on the second-floor balcony. The oath of office was given by Chancellor of New York Robert Livingston and was observed by a crowd of thousands. After the ceremony Washington delivered a speech to Congress. Unlike today there were no inaugural parties or parades. Though a week later a ball was held to honor the first president. George Washington would go on to serve 2 terms as US President choosing to retire at the end of his second term, thus setting a precedent of a 2 term limit which would not be broken until 1940 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to third term. Roosevelt was also elected to a 4th term but died shortly after being inaugurated. The two- term limit would be written into law as the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution. Today when we elect a new president they take over leadership of an already established system of government. Sure they make changes and have created new cabinet positions and Presidential Commissions, but Washington started with nothing. With the help of the US Congress he had to create a working government. He created and organized the first Cabinet, including a Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of War, Postmaster General and Attorney General. He appointed all of the original justices of the United States Supreme Court and established the federal judiciary. He oversaw the ratification of the Bill of Rights and the establishment, location and planning of the future national capital called the District of Columbia, later known as Washington, DC. Also established under his presidency – the first Bank of the United States, the United States Mint and United States Navy to name a few. Washington’s presidency set the standard for every president to succeed him. He truly was “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen”. In the show notes will be links to his first inaugural address and well as what is commonly referred to as his “Farewell Address” though it was not give as a speech but rather published in every newspaper in the country. It is considered to be one of the most important documents in American History. In 1790, during Washington’s first term, the federal capital was moved from New York to Philadelphia. Once the federal government left New York, Federal Hall reverted to its original use as New York City Hall. The building was torn down in 1812. The current structure that stands on the site of Federal Hall, at 26 Wall Street, opened in 1842 as the country’s first Customs House. In 1862 Customs moved to a different building and one of the six United States Sub-Treasuries took over the building. Millions of dollars in gold were kept in the vaults until the Federal Reserve Bank replaced the Sub-Treasury in 1920. The building was designated as Federal Hall Memorial National Historic Site in 1939. Today the National Park Service operates Federal Hall as a Museum. On display at the museum are the Bible on which George Washington placed his hand while being sworn in, the railing of the original balcony and the stone floor of the balcony on which the inauguration took place are also on display. The museum, again, is located at 26 Wall Street in New York City and is open Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm. The museum is closed on federal holidays. Check the show notes for a link to their website. If you visit the museum don’t forget to check out the plaque a few blocks east of Federal Hall at the foot of Wall Street that marks the site where George Washington arrived in New York for the inauguration. Though it is not the focus of this episode, George Washington’s home, Mt. Vernon, is also open to the public. The home is located in Virginia just outside Washington, DC. I have had the privilege to visit and it is truly a must see. They have a great visitor and interpretive center on the site that recreates the inauguration. More importantly you can, literally, walk in the footsteps of George Washington. You can walk through the rooms in which he lived, including where he entertained guests and his private office, and you can see the room where he died and also visit his tomb. Federal Hall http://www.nps.gov/feha/index.htm Mt. Vernon http://www.mountvernon.org/ Wall Street Plaque Commemorating Washington’s Arrival http://murrayhill.gc.cuny.edu/cold/ Washington’s First Inaugural Address http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/gw-inauguration/ Washington’s Farewell Speech http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/farewell.html US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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6. #012 - RTS 6 - Monuments http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 11.75Mb) Description: In addition to the great history found in the Black Hills of South Dakota there are also some great monuments. Of course I’m speaking of Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. The monuments in the Black Hills – Today on US History Travelcast. Today is the sixth and final episode in the road trip series based on locations I visited last month (which would be September 2009 in case you are listening to this at a later date). In the previous episodes we talked about events or people in history. Today we are going to deviate a little for our standard format and talk about monuments. The two major monuments in South Dakota are Mount Rushmore and The Crazy Horse Monument. While both monuments are carved out of mountains they are very different in scope and purpose. Mount Rushmore began in 1923 as the dream of the superintendent of the South Dakota State Historical Society Doane Robinson. He envisioned a massive memorial carved out the mountainside that would boost tourism and put South Dakota on the map. His original for the monument was to memorialize figures of importance in the West like, Chief Red Cloud, Buffalo Bill Cody, Lewis and Clark and legendary Sioux warriors. Robinson reached out and found an advocate for his dream in the senior US Senator for South Dakota – Peter Norbeck. Senator Norbeck was enthusiastic about the idea and urged Robinson to find a sculptor. In August 1924 Robinson sent a letter proposing the project to Gutzon Borglum who was finishing up work on a Stone Mountain commemorating famous men of the Confederacy near Atlanta. Borglum accepted the offer but upon his arrival in September advised Robinson that rather than immortalizing regional heroes this work should be of national importance. Senator Norbeck and Representative William Williamson set about drafting state and federal legislation to allow a mountain carving in Harney National Forest. The legislation passed easily in 1925. Not so easy was securing funding for the project. All that changed in the spring of 1927 when President Calvin Coolidge decided to spend his three week summer vacation in the Black Hills. So taken with the area the three week vacation turned into three months. During this time Borglum and Senator Norbeck convinced President Coolidge to participate in a formal dedication ceremony. During the ceremony President Coolidge was first to refer to Mount Rushmore as a “national shrine” and promised to secure federal funding. Construction began on August 10, 1927 and would last until work ceased on October 31, 1941. The original design was to sculpt the figures head to waist, but due to the high cost only the heads were completed. In the exhibits and the studio facilities at Mt. Rushmore you can see the original models. George Washington’s head was started first. Due to the onset of the Great Depression it took 7 years to complete. It was dedicated on July 4, 1934. Thomas Jefferson came next. Originally Jefferson was to be on Washington’s left. However, after carving began it was determined that the rock quality in that area of the mountain would not be sufficient to finish the carving. The face was placed off and begun again, this time in it’s present location, to the right of Washington. Jefferson’s head was dedicated in 1936. Even though Lincoln’s head appears on the far right end of the sculpture he was started next and unveiled on September 17th, 1937, the 150th anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution. The last head to be completed was Theodore Roosevelt on July 2, 1939. The original plan also included an 80 foot by 100 foot inscription in the shape of the Louisiana Purchase. However, due to Jefferson having to be moved to the right of Washington that pushed the other figures further to the right also. The face of Abraham Lincoln now occupies the space where the inscription of the Louisiana purchase was to go. To replace the inscription Borglum designed a Hall of Records carved into the granite face of a small canyon behind Lincoln’s head. Also part of the plan were to be 80 granite steps leading from the studio, near the present day visitor’s center, to the entrance of the Hall of Records. In 1938 the Hall of Records was begun, but due to a number of factors, including unexpectedly hard granite, war looming in Europe and lack of funding the hall was not completely finished. Borglum died in March of 1941 and the monument was deemed complete and work ceased in October of that year. In 1998 the National Park Service and the Borglum family finally put the finishes touched on the Hall of Records. A titanium vault was installed inside and filled with sixteen porcelain enamel panels that include the text of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, a history of the United States, the significance of the men carved on Mt. Rushmore and other historic documents. The Hall of Records is not open to the public but can be seen from aerial photographs. Today, more than two million people visit Mt. Rushmore each year. Scientific data indicates that Mt. Rushmore erodes at 1 inch per 10,000 years so it will be around for people to enjoy for a long, long time to come. In contrast to Mt. Rushmore’s federal funding and completion in only 14 years The Crazy Horse Monument is in it’s 61st year of construction and has received no federal money toward it’s completion. The Crazy Horse Monument is located just a few miles from Mt. Rushmore, but unlike Rushmore, which is run by the National Park Service, Crazy Horse is completely private. The carving for Crazy Horse was begun in 1948 by sculptor Korczak Jewel-cuff-ski. Ziolkowsi had also worked on Mt. Rushmore. In 1939 he received a letter from Chief Henry Standing Bear, which stated, “My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man has great heroes, too.” Ziolkowski would dedicate the rest of his life to this sculpture. When complete, though it still has a long way to go, it will be the largest sculpture in the world. The finished design will show Crazy Horse sitting atop his horse, pointing his left hand out over his land. He is said to be responding to the white man's question "Where are your lands now?" by saying "My lands are where my dead lie buried." Ziolkowski died in 1982 and today the work continues overseen by his wife Ruth and seven of their 10 children. The monument is to be just one part of a huge educational and cultural center that will include a Medical Training Center for the North American Indian and the Indian Museum of North America. The memorial is a completely non-profit endeavor and receives not state or federal money. They rely solely on revenue from admissions to the visitor center and donations. The face of Crazy Horse was completed and dedicated in 1998, but a completion date for the monument as a whole has not been established. Both Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse are open year round. Hours vary by the season. Both sites offer visitor and interpretive centers and evening programs in the summer. I highly recommend a visit to both sites if you are in the area. Mount Rushmore National Memorial http://www.nps.gov/moru/index.htm Crazy Horse Memorial http://www.crazyhorsememorial.org/ US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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7. #011 - RTS 5 - 1959 Montana Prison Riot http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 22.29Mb) Description: Nineteen fifty-nine was a tumultuous year for the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, Montana. In April of that year, control of the prison was seized by inmates for 36 hours in what would be the longest and bloodiest riot in the prison’s history. In August an earthquake severely damaged one of the cell blocks and lead to it’s destruction. The 1959 Montana State Prison riot – today on US History Travelcast. This is the 5th show in the six-part road trip series that is based on locations I visited last month. Like the other road trip series episodes this one is an enhanced podcast. Be sure to watch your screen as you are listening because the pictures will change. Let’s start out with a little background information on the prison. The US Congress budgeted $40,000 to build the Montana Territorial Prison in 1867. The original plan was to construct a facility with three tiers of 14 cells each for a total of 42 cells. However, due to high labor prices and the difficulty of getting and shipping materials only one teir of 14 cells was completed by 1871. On July 2nd the prison opened its doors and accept nine inmates. With only five remaining cells it only took a month before the prison was over crowded. Another tier was constructed in 1874 but it wouldn’t be until 1886 until the facilities would be completed to the original specifications of 42 cells. Though the buildings were complete the conditions were sub-standard. The double occupancy cells were 6ft by 8ft. There was no running water, the prison operated on the bucket system. Each cell had two buckets, one for fresh water and one for waste. There was also no heating or ventilation system. Temperatures in the region would often be well below freezing in the winter and could be as high as 100 in the summer. Woodstoves were used to heat the facility in the winter, but nothing could be done about the summer heat. Though the woodstoves provided some heat they also posed a great risk for fire. Though the walls of the facility were made of brick the roof was made of wood. Each cell door had to be locked or unlocked individually so you can imagine what kind of nightmare scenario that would create should a fire breakout. Other concerns included medical care. The prison hired a physician to treat the prisoners but did not provide any medications. If the doctor prescribed medication to a prisoner, the prisoner would have to pay for the medications from his own pocket. In 1873 the doctor reported an average of 3 illnesses per inmate. This was largely due to the cramped, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions as well as dietary issues. The inmate’s diet mostly consisted of meats and starches, there were very few fruits and vegetables. Montana became a state in November of 1889 and took over control of the Territorial Prison in 1890 thus making it The Montana State Prison. Montana, rather than run the prison itself, like many other states at the time, contracted out the running of the facility. The contract went to Thomas McTague and Frank Conley who had already been wardens at the facility since 1885. Under the contract Conley would hold the position of Warden and oversee the day-to-day running of the prison while McTague would handle administration and financial affairs behind the scenes. The contract paid the men $0.70 cents a day per inmate up to 100 inmates and then $1.00 a day per inmate after that. By contrast, before the contract with McTague and Conley, the state of Montana was spending over $2.00 a day per inmate. With all of the issues facing the prison, overcrowding, sanitation, health, etc. Conley launched a series of projects using inmate labor to not only improve the prison but to provide services and labor to the state. The first project was the construction of another cellblock to remedy the overcrowding problem. The building held 150 inmates in one large room on two tiers of bunk beds. His next project was to replace the twelve-foot high wood fence that has surrounded the prison since 1875 with a 20-foot high wall. The wall was entirely constructed with prison labor. The wall was made of sandstone that was mined and cut by prisoners. The wall extended underground for four feet and was 3 ½ feet thick underground and tapered to 2 feet thick at the top. There were six towers, a gate to admit vehicles and a smaller portal to admit people. In 1896 Conley concluded that, even after the extensive remodeling to accommodate 164 inmates, the old prison was insufficient and he ordered the construction of new cellblocks. The new cellblocks bordered the original cellblock’s southern side and could house 256 inmates. Once again the cells did not have running water so the bucket systems was still in use…one for fresh water, one for human waste. In 1908 a women’s facility was built and would house Montana’s female inmates until 1959 when a new separate facility would be built. After 1959 the old women’s facility would be used as a maximum-security facility. In 1911 the original perimeter walls would be expanded to include an additional 48,000 square feet and a seventh tower would be built that would become the main entrance to the prison until the facility closed in 1979. Anther cellblock was built in 1912 that could house 400 inmates. This was the first cellblock on the grounds that included indoor plumbing, each cell had a sink and a flushing toilet. Other improvements included a ventilation system and a door-locking system that could lock or unlock any combination of doors simultaneously. In 1919 William A. Clark, one of America’s richest citizens and personal friend of Conley, donated $10,000 to build a theater on the prison grounds. The 1,000-seat theater with leather-covered seats was home to concerts, plays, movies and other shows that were attended by inmates and the community as well. Conley also employed inmates in other jobs, such as ranches and farms that grew livestock and produce used to make meals in the prison cafeteria. He also used inmate labor to build state facilities and roads. Conley would run the prison for a total of 31 years, from 1890 to 1921. Unfortunately, in addition to all the good things Conley did he wasn’t perfect and the community began to complain about his use of prisoners for his own personal gain. An investigation and audit was launched in 1921. The audit revealed that between 1908 and 1921 Conley skimmed crops and meat from the prison ranches and farms for his own use to the tune of over $8,300. He used over 500,000 tons of coal meant to heat the prison for his own private residence. He maintained 13 cars for personal use at state expense costing $12,000 per year. He used prison labor on the ranch he owned and used feed from the prison ranch to feed his own livestock, which he would then turn around and sell back to the prison at full market prices. Though he was ousted as Warden of the prison in 1921 he would continue to be Mayor of Deer Lodge until 1929, a post he had held since 1907. Upon Conley’s departure as warden the prison began a slow and steady decline. Rather than being replaced by another contractor, following Conley’s retirement, the post of warden would be appointed by the Governor. In contrast to the numerous and almost continuous construction projects under Conley’s leadership only three construction projects happened between 1921 and 1959. There had been a couple of other minor riots before 1959, but the 1959 riot was by far the longest and bloodiest in the prison’s 100 plus year history. The mastermind of the riot was career inmate Jerry Myles. In 1959 Myles was 44 years old and had been in and out of prison since he as 16. He had been imprisoned in the federal prisons in Atlanta, Leavenworth and even spent 7 years at Alcatraz before coming to Montana in 1958. He was arrested in Butte, Montana for burglary and arrived in Deer Lodge in June. Myles was placed in solitary for threatening the life of Deputy Warden Rothe. As soon as he was released back into the general population he began plotting the riot. He studied the movement of the guards and found a whole in their routine. Every day during the dinnertime shift change the ratio of guards to prisoners decreased in cellblock one. The plan was to seize a rifle from one of the guards when he was isolated. He couldn’t do it alone so he had to enlist fellow inmates. He confided in Lee Smart, luring him with promises of freedom and adventure. George Alton wasn’t so easily convinced but a workable escape plan enticed him. They needed Alton because of his rapport with the inmate population. Alton also worked in the prison garage and had access to gasoline, a big part of the plan. Myles, Smart, and Alton built a reservoir in one of the shelves in Smart's cell, and Alton regularly filled that space with gasoline he smuggled out of the garage. They waited until the reservoir was full before launching the plan. On April 16, 1959 around 3:30pm, guard Gus Byars was alone on the catwalk of cellblock 1. He turned to open a window when he heard someone call his name. He turned and Smart splashed him with gasoline and Myles lit a torch he had made from a mop and threatened the gasoline soaked guard with it. Byars for fear of being lit on fire quickly gave up his keys and rifle and was led to one of the solitary confinement cells known as the hole. At the same time other inmates rushed the two remaining guards on the cellblock and threatened them with knives. These two guards also surrendered and were relieved of their keys. Now the inmates were in complete control of cellblock 1, a rifle, and keys to the facility. They quickly moved to cellblock 2, were the ammunition was stored, and had control of that cellblock within minutes. Now they had two rifles, seventeen rounds of ammo and control of both cellblocks. By 4:00, just a ½ hour after they started, the inmates would have the entire facility under their control, except for the women’s facility and the upper floor of the administration building that housed the warden’s office and other administrative offices. As it would happen both the warden and the deputy warden were across the street from the prison at the warden’s residence discussing building plans for a new facility that Warden Powell wanted to build. Deputy Warden Ted Rothe returned to the prison just before 4:00pm completely oblivious to the fact that it was now under inmate control. Shortly after Rothe returned to his office Myles, Smart and a third inmate entered the administration area that also included the doctor’s office. Myles asked to receive some medicine for a headache. As one guard opened the door to let another guard out with the medicine Myles rushed the guards waiving a meat cleaver he’d gotten from the kitchen. The third inmate also had a knife and joined Myles. They herded the guards into the lavatory. Myles, perhaps wanting revenge for being put in the hole, burst into Deputy Warden Rothe’s office and attacked Rothe with the cleaver. The struggled and one of the guards tried to come to the Deputy Warden’s aide but Lee Smart revealed the rifle he had been carrying and shot The Deputy Warden in the chest, killing him instantly. Myles turned and slashed the guard’s arm. The guards and civilian mail sorter were herded back in the lavatory and locked in. Just then another guard, Simonsen, had entered the building and was coming up the stairs to the administration area, he was immediately taken hostage. Once take hostage Simonsen was then told to call Warden Powell who was still across the street. Simonsen told the warden that there has been a disturbance and that someone had been knifed. Powell came across the street with two guards. As soon as they come through tower 7 Powell as taken hostage and told to call the Governor. Unfortunately the Governor was out of town and not due to return until 6:30pm. Powell left a message for the Governor to return his call at Number 8. Number 8 was a pre-arranged warning that something was wrong at the prison. Following the phone call Powell was able to convince the inmates that Rothe and Cox, the guard who’s arm had been slashed, needed medical attention. Myles consented and an ambulance came and picked up Cox and Deputy Warden Rothe. While they waited for the Governor’s call they went about securing the rest of the guards and administator’s. By 4:30 they had about 20 men locked in the hole. Myles and Smart left he Warden under the watch of an inmate named Walter Trotchie. They told Trotchie that if the Governer hadn’t called by 8:00pm to kill the Warden with a kitchen knife. Eight o’clock came and went and the call never came. Rather than killing the Warden Trotchie surrendered and freed the Warden who had offered amnesty to any prisoner willing to surrender. Six other inmates agreed to surrender. Warden Powell led the inmates to the minimum-security facility just outside the walls and then escaped himself and began managing the riot from the outside. Just after sunset Powell snuck back into the prison through a series of tunnels that the prisoners had failed to get the keys to gain access to. Powell made his way through the tunnels and to the mess hall and called out the Myles and Smart. They approached the portal in the mess hall wall with Dr. Walter Jones, the prison sociologist and now that the warden escaped their most valuable hostage, at knife- point. Powell asked what the prisoner’s demands were. They wanted at least 30 members of the press to come inside the prison and take pictures and speak to the inmates about the deplorable conditions. Powell’s counteroffer was to get three reporters inside with the stipulation that they would not print a single word or photograph of what they learned until all the hostages were released. The prisoners agreed. While all this was happening the Montana National Guard was assembling four blocks away and members of the media were descending on Deer Lodge. It wouldn’t be long before the story went national, if not global. By the next day reporters from Time and Life Magazine were in town. At mid-morning the next day Dr. Jones was allowed outside the prison walls to escort the three reporters in. There was one reporter from the Associated Press, one from United Press International and the third was from KREM of Spokane, Washington. Jones was only allowed eight minutes to return with the reporters before Myles and Smart started killing hostages. Seven inmates met with the reporters, Myles and Smart did not take part in the interviews. Among the complaints of the prisoners were sanitation and the use of the hole as a disciplinary tool but the biggest complaint was the parole system. The inmates demanded the resignation of the head of the parole board, Benjamin Wright, the same man that prisoners had asked to be fired during a smaller riot in 1957. The reporters were allowed to leave. It was expected the hostages would then also be allowed to leave per the agreement. However, Myles demanded that more reporters be allowed in and that no one would be allowed to leave until he saw the story in print. These were not the terms of the deal and Powell would not re-negotiate. This led to a twenty-four hour plus stand off. The hostages were repeatedly threatened, but remained unharmed. Around 4:45am on April 18th, about 36 hours from the riot’s beginning the national guard fired a WWII bazooka at the southwest tower of cellblock 1 while a Highway patrolman fired a Thompson sub-machine gun through a window believed to be where Myles and Smart were hiding. As soon as the bazooka round hit the tower a contingent of seven teams of the National Guard rushed cellblock 1, cellblock 2 and the administration building. The guards rushing into cellblock 1 found the hostage and escorted them to safety, all of them escaped unharmed. Another team entered the tower where Myles and Smart were hiding. As they were ascending the tower Myles got a shot off injuring one of the guardsman in the arm. Just then another bazooka blast rocked the tower and tear gas canisters were lobbed in. Moments later the riot ended with Myles and Smart committing murder-suicide. In the aftermath of the riot there was a severe crackdown. All 428 inmates were locked inside their cells and the guards began a systematic search of the entire facility. Tier by tier prisoners were removed from their cells, stripped naked and led to the prison yard while the guards removed all their personal effects from the cells. The prisoners were subject to cavity searches and many had the dead bodies of Myles and Smart paraded in front of them as an example. In the search of the cells the guards found 382 knives and other contraband that had to be hauled out of the prison in several 2 ½ ton truck loads. For the next twenty years the prison would struggle with many of the same problems that had been persistent troubles throughout the facilities 108 year history: overcrowding, underfunding and substandard living conditions. Finally in 1973 funds were allocated and in 1974 construction began on a new facility three miles outside of town. Ironically, the new prison would sit on 33,000 acres that had once been part of former Warden Frank Conley’s ranch. It took five years to build the new prison. On September 5, 1979 the last inmates were moved from the old facility to the new one. The Old Montana State Prison was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The city of Deer Lodge purchased the prison and turned over its care to the Powell County Museum and Arts Foundation. Today the museum is open for public tours. Guided tours are offered during the summer season and self-guided tours are available during the off-season. The museum not only offers a glimpse into the past but you also get a feel for what conditions were like and what prison life may have been like. There are great exhibits that include prisoner artwork and homemade knives and tattoo machines. It really is fascinating. The Old Montana State Prison is located in Deer Lodge, Montana. Deer Lodge is in the southwestern part of the state, about an hour’s drive southwest of Montana’s state capitol, Helena. Old Montana State Prison Museum http://www.pcmaf.org/prison.htm US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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8. #010 - RTS 4 - Custer's Last Stand http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 14.86Mb) Description: George Armstrong Custer graduated last in his class at West Point in 1861. A lackluster student he would win fame and recognition in the Civil War. His fame and notoriety were not enough to protect him. On June 25, 1876, along with 257 cavalrymen and 10 civilian scouts, he would meet his end near the Little Bighorn River in Montana. Custer’s Last Stand – Today on US History Travelcast. This is the fourth in a six-part road trip series all about place I visited last month. Last week we talked about Wild Bill Hickok, who following the Civil War scouted for Custer in 1867 and 1868. Today’s episode is all about Custer. George Armstrong Custer was born December 5, 1839 in New Rumley, Ohio. He spent most of childhood living with his half-sister and brother-in-law in Monroe Michigan. He graduated the Hopedale Normal College for teachers in 1856 and taught school in Ohio before entering the US Military Academy at West Point. As mentioned in the introduction Custer was a poor student graduating 34th out 34 students. It is also reported that he was almost expelled numerous times for pulling pranks on his fellow cadets. His record normally would have resulted in an equally lackluster career. Fortunately for Custer the Civil War broke out and the Army found itself in need of soldiers and new officers. He entered the war a second lieutenant in the 2nd US Cavalry. His regiment was involved in the first Battle of Bull Run. His commander, Winfield Scott, tasked him to carry messages to Maj. Gen. McDowell. After the first Battle of Bull Run he was re-assigned to the 5th US Calvary and was a staff officer under Maj. Gen. McClellan. In this period he would gain some recognition during the pursuit of Confederate General Joseph Johnston. On May 24, 1862 Custer was with General Barnard and a group of men scouting a crossing point on the Chickahominy River in southeastern Virginia. Custer reportedly overheard the General mutter, “I wish I knew how deep it was”. Custer galloped forward on his horse out into the middle of the river and called back, “That’s how deep it is, Mr. General”. Following this incident Custer was chosen to lead an attack with four companies of the 4th Michigan Infantry across the river. The attack was a success and resulted in the capture of 50 Confederate soldiers and the first Confederate battle flag of the war. Maj. Gen. McClellan was so impressed he congratulated Custer personally, promoted him to the rank of Captain, and brought him onto his own staff. In November 1862 McClellan was relieved of his command and Custer’s rank was demoted to first lieutenant. His new commander was Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton. Pleasonton took a liking to Custer and soon the young lieutenant became his protégé. Custer is quoted as saying, “no father could love his son more than General Pleasonton loves me”. In the time leading up to the Gettysburg campaign Custer began alienating men under his command by his showy uniform style that he personalized himself. However, he did eventually win them over by his eagerness to lead attacks. Many officers would hang back to avoid injury, Custer’s willingness to lead the charge earned the respect of his men and they began copying some of his flashy uniform especially his red neckerchief. Three days prior to the Battle of Gettysburg, despite the fact that Custer had no direct command experience, General Pleasonton promoted Custer to Brigadier General of volunteers. At 23, he was one of the youngest generals in the Union Army. Custer gained a reputation as an aggressive commander willing to take personal risks. Custer continued his aggressive style and distinguished himself in several battles. After the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864 he ascended to division command. In April 1865 the Confederate lines were broken and Robert E. Lee was retreating to Appomattox Court House. It was Custer’s division that blocked Lee’s retreat and Custer received the first flag of truce from Confederate forces. He was later present at the surrender ceremony. The table on which the surrender was signed by Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant was given to Custer, as a gift for his wife by General Sheridan. General Sheridan also included a note to Mrs. Custer praising her husband’s gallantry. In 1873 he was assigned to protect a railroad survey party against Indian attack in the Dakota Territory. In 1874 he led an expedition into the Black Hills and discovered gold in French Creek near what would become the small town of Custer, South Dakota. This discovery triggered the Black Hills Gold Rush and with it the settling of other towns like Deadwood. By 1874, relations between the US Government and the Plains Indians, including the Lakota, Sioux and Cheyenne, were already strained to say the least. The Laramie Treaty of 1868 gave the Black Hills to the Native population. Despite the treaty white settlers continued to move into the region. Once gold was discovered any hopes of reconciliation were forgotten. In order to claim the Black Hills and more importantly the gold deposits they contained President Grant set a deadline of January 31, 1876 for all Native People in the area to report to reservations. Any native failing to report by January 31st would be considered hostile. In May 1876 Custer’s 7th Cavalry left Fort Lincoln as part of a larger troop movement deployed to round up the remaining Indians that had not reported to a reservation. What the troops didn’t know was that at the same time, in the spring and summer of 1876, Sitting Bull had called together the largest ever gathering of plains natives to discuss what to do about the white settlers. It was this force, the largest united encampment of natives in the area up to that time, that Custer’s forces would encounter at the Little Bighorn River barely a month later. On June 25, 1876 Custer’s scouts came upon the large Indian encampment along the Little Bighorn River. Of course in retrospect we know that the encampment was not a single tribe, but at the time Custer and his forces did not. They were operating from estimates provided to them that the “hostile’ forces numbered somewhere around 800. If that number would have proven to be true the outcome may have been different as Custer’s forces numbered just over 600. Unfortunately the number of native warriors was not 800 but closer to 2,000, some estimates say as high as 3,000. Custer was also operating under the assumption that the Indian warriors would not engage in battle. Custer expected there to be a skirmish but that all would end with the troops, in essence, herding the Indians back to the reservation. Upon the discovery of the camp Custer divided his forces into three groups, on led by Major Marcus Reno, one by Captain Fredrick Benteen and one by himself. Again operating under the assumption that he would be rounding up the Indians rather than really fighting with them he sent Benteen south and west to cut off any attempt at escape. Reno went north to attack the southern end of the encampment and Custer also north but a litter further east so as to be hidden by bluffs. The idea was to pass the camp and circle back and attack from the north while Reno was attacking from the south. Reno halted several hundred yards short of the camp and ordered his men to dismount and form a skirmish line. They were soon overwhelmed as Lakota and Cheyenne warriors charged their positioned. Outnumbered Reno’s men sought cover in the trees by the river. They were soon overwhelmed there and retreated to the bluffs above the river where they were able to finally take a stand. Between the start of this first battle and the time they retreated to the bluffs a quarter of Reno’s men had been killed. Once on the bluffs Reno’s forces were joined by Captians Benteen’s troops. Benteen had received word from Custer’s messenger to “Come on…big village, be quick…bring pacs” pacs referring to ammunition. Benteens arrival and reinforcement of Reno’s troops was just in time to save Reno’s battalion from annihilation. Shortly thereafter the pack train that brought up the rear reached the bluffs where Reno, Benteen and their men were. They dug in and created defensive positions and rifle pits. Despite hearing rifle fire to the north, including a distinct pattern of volleys indicating Custer’s troops to the north needed reinforcements, Benteen, Reno and the pack train held their position. At 5pm, about 40 minutes after hearing the volley, Captain Thomas Weir and Company D moved out, against orders, to try and make contact with Custer’s group. At about 5:25pm they reached a ridge and in the distance could see Indian warriors firing at objects on the ground. It is believed, though still a subject of debate, that what Weir witnessed was the conclusion of Custer’s battle and the warriors killing the wounded soldiers on the ground. In the meantime Reno, Benteen and the pack had moved up to join Weir’s group on the ridge. However increasing attacks by the Indians caused the troops to retreat back to the defenses on the bluff where they came from. From there they were able to hold off further Indian attack. What actually happened during Custer’s fight is all conjecture since neither he nor any of his men survived and the accounts of surviving Indians are conflicting. According to archeological work at the site, it appears that skirmish lines were organized as a defense as were breastworks made of dead horses. The Indian dead had pretty much been removed from the battlefield. The dead soldiers of the 7th Cavalry were identified as best they could be and buried where they fell. Custer was found shot in the left chest and left temple, although he only appeared to have bled from the chest wound. It would appear then that his head wound may have been delivered after he was already dead. Many of the bodies were mutilated and already in an advance state of decomposition. The total body count on Last Stand Hill was 268. After Custer and his forces were destroyed the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne regrouped and attacked Reno and Benteen’s forces. The fight continued until dark and then for much of the next day. Reinforcements arrived from the north on June 26th and forced the Indians to retreat. It wasn’t until this time that Reno and Benteen were able to see the aftermath of Custer’s battle. News would make its way east just after the centennial celebration in Philadelphia on July 5th 1876. Approximately a year later Custer's remains and many of his officer's remains were recovered and sent back east for proper burial. Custer was reinterred with full military honors at West Point Cemetery on October 10, 1877. The battle site was designated a National Cemetery in 1879. The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Park is located about 65 miles south east of Billings, Montana. There will be a link to the National Park Website in the show notes on the website. The visitor’s center contains many wonderful exhibits as well as artifacts from the archeological digs that have been conducted. They also have some personal items that belonged to soldiers, including a buckskin coat belonging to Custer. You can see another buckskin coat belong to Custer, along with the table the Civil War surrender was signed on at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. The towns of New Rumley, Ohio and Monroe, Michigan have erected statues to Custer to memorialize his early years. Little Bighorn Battlefield http://www.nps.gov/libi/index.htm Smithsonian Institute http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/exhibition/flash.html West Point Cemetery http://www.usma.edu/cemetery/ US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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9. #009 - RTS 3 - Wild Bill Hickok http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 13.29Mb) Description: Born in Troy Grove, IL, James Butler Hickok would become an icon of The Old West. He was a scout for Custer, rode for the Pony Express, performed with Buffalo Bill Cody, and was a lawman in Abilene, KS. Though his life was colorful he is probably more known for his death in Deadwood, SD. Wild Bill Hickok – Today on US History Travelcast. This is the third episode in the six-part road trip series based on locations I visited last month. Like the other two road trip episodes this one is also an enhanced podcast so the pictures on your screen will change as the episode goes along. Let’s get to it. James Butler Hickok was born in Troy Grove, IL on May 27th, 1837. Hickok is a descendent of Frances Cooke who came to America in 1620 on The Mayflower! His parents were farmers and srtong abolitionists. In fact, their farm as a stop on the underground railroad. According his book, “The Real Deadwood”, John Ames writes that Hickok “took an active had in helping and hiding runaway slaves”. It was also during he younger years that he purchased his first gun and began to practice and hone his marksmanship. In 1857, at age 20, he left Illinois and claimed a 160-acre tract of land in Johnson County, Kansas. A year later he was one of the first four constables elected to Monticello Township. In 1859 he joined the Pony Express. While in the service of the Pony Express in 1860 he was badly mauled by a grizzly bear. While recovering he worked as a stable hand in Rock Creek Station, Nebraska. It was here in Rock Creek Station that Wild Bill claimed his first life in a gunfight. The details of the fight are sketchy at best and it’s not even known whether it was Wild Bill’s bullet that killed the man, regardless Wild Bill got the credit. Hickok joined the Union forces when the Civil War broke out. He served mainly in Kansas and Missouri and earned a good reputation as a scout. The two gunmen facing off on main street in a quick draw showdown has been made famous in countless tales from the Old West and Hollywood movies. However it was just such a showdown involving Wild Bill in July of 1865 that is the first ever recorded gun fight of that sort. It was in Springfield, Missouri where Wild Bill and Davis Tutt, Jr faced off over a gambling debt. Also, following the war he continued to scout for the US Army, sometimes for Custer’s 7th Calvary, along with his friend Buffalo Bill Cody and two other men. The four also hunted buffalo for a time. The group went there separate ways and Hickok was elected sheriff and city marshal of Ellis County, Kansas in August 1869. His first month on the job he killed two men in gunfights. In July 1870 he was involved in a gunfight with two unruly US Calvarymen, he wounded one and killed the other. He failed to win reelection the following year and went to Abilene, Kansas to assume the marshal position from Tom “Bear River” Smith who had been killed the year before. During his time in Abilene in which he was involved in shootout with local business owner Phil Coe. Coe drew first but Wild Bill shot first and killed Coe, then he caught a glimpse of movement he mistook for another assailant. He whirled and fired mistakenly shooting and killing one of his deputies, Mike Williams. It is said that this haunted Wild Bill for the rest of his life and turned him off of law enforcement. In 1873 Hickok took a turn at being an actor when invited by Buffalo Bill Cody and Texas Jack Omohundro to appear in a play with them called “Scouts of the Plains”. Wild Bill may have been a great gunfighter but reports say he was a lousy actor. In 1876 Hickok joined Charlie Utter’s wagon train to Deadwood, South Dakota. Also joining the train was a woman named Martha Jane Cannery, better known as Calamity Jane. The wagon train arrived in Deadwood in July of 1876. It was evident that Wild Bill’s fame as a legendary gunfighter had preceded him. He was rumored to have remarked to Charlie Utter, “Charlie, I feel this is to be my last camp, and I won’t leave it alive.” Wild Bill would be correct. On August 2, 1876 he would be shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall at Nuttal and Man’s No. 10 Saloon. Again, apparently sensing something was coming, Wild Bill wrote a letter to his wife the day before he was shot, “…if such should be that we may never meet again, while firing my last shot, I will gently breathe the name of my wife – Agnes – and with wishes even for my enemies I will make the plunge and try to swim to the other shore”. McCall fled down the street but quickly caught and brought to trial by a miner’s jury. His defense was that he was avenging the death of his brother who had been killed by Wild Bill. Later it would be found that he didn’t have a brother, but the jury didn’t know it at the time. He was acquitted. Probably not so much based on his story but because the town itself, being on Indian land, was illegal itself they didn’t want to call further attention by hanging a man. McCall was set free and believed that he had escaped punishment. He wasted no time telling almost anyone he met that he had killed the famous Wild Bill Hickok. It wasn’t long before his big mouth got him into trouble and he was overheard by a US Marshal in Wyoming. He was again charged with murder and taken to the Dakota Territorial Capital in Yankton. There authorities determined that any trial held in Deadwood was invalid because Deadwood didn’t have any legal authority since was not part of the territory. At his new trial he was found guilty and sentenced to death. On the morning of March 1, 1877 he became the first man ever legally executed by hanging in the Dakota Territory. Following Wild Bill’s death he was buried in Deadwood’s original cemetery, Ingelside Cemetery, the next day August 3rd, 1876. However, in 1879, downtown Deadwood needed more space so it was decided to move the cemetery to the current location of Mt. Moriah overlooking the town. Charlie Utter returned to Deadwood and personally oversaw the relocation of Wild Bill’s remains. It was reported that due to improper embalming of his remains, over the years calcium carbonate from surrounding soil had leached into the body and hardened petrifying the remains. The original grave marker was also moved to the site. However, being made of wood, by 1891 it had all but been destroyed by souvenir takers. It was replaced with a statue was destroyed by souvenir seekers by 1902 and was replaced with a sandstone sculpture. Unfortunately it was also was removed by souvenir hunters in the 1950’s. Today, Hickok’s burial plot is surrounded by a cast iron fence and in the plot next to him rests Calamity Jane. Though she survived him by 27 years, it was supposedly her dying wish to be buried next to him. She claimed they were lovers and at one point even claimed they had a child together but no such relationship has ever been proven. It’s also been said that rather than her dying wish it was the committee that planned her funeral that is responsible for placing her next to Wild Bill. According to the story a self-appoint committee of four men planned Jane’s funeral and they stated that since Bill had “absolutely no use” for Jane in his life they decided to play a posthumous joke on Wild Bill by burying her to rest for all eternity nest to him. While Wild Bill and Calamity Jane’s gravesites are visited by thousand and thousands each year the same can not be said of Jack McCall. Following his hanging in 1877 McCall was buried in Yankton’s Catholic Cemetery. In 1881 the cemetery was moved to make room for the Territorial Insane Hospital. It is said that when his body was dug up he had been buried with the hangman’s noose still around his neck. His remains were moved a short distance to the Yankton City Cemetery and placed in an unmarked grave. Unfortunately, the exact location has been lost over time and a remains a mystery today. A side note on the Territorial Insane Hospital that was built on the land that originally was the cemetery. It’s official name was the Dakota Hospital for the Insane, latter changed to Yankton State Hospital in 1918 and then changed to South Dakota Human Services Center in 1974. In the early 1990’s these buildings were abandoned and a new hospital was built. Note that the buildings were abandoned – they weren’t destroyed. Today these buildings on the Human Services Center campus, built between 1882 and 1942, featured neoclassical, Art Deco, Italianate, Prairie and Neo-Renaissance buildings. Many feature gorgeous architectural features like Carrara marble and granite staircases, beautiful columned porches. If you have been following along on Facebook you’ll recall a series of post about The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2009 list of the 11 most endangered historic places. The Yankton Human Services Campus is on that list. On the website I’ll have a link to information about this site. You can see pictures of the buildings and also find out how you can sign a petition to save these historic buildings. Wild Bill Hickok’s Birthplace (Mechanic & Ottawa St, Troy Grove, IL) http://www.illinoishistory.gov/hs/bill_hickok.htm City of Deadwood http://www.cityofdeadwood.com/ Adams Museum and House (Wild Bill’s guns) http://www.adamsmuseumandhouse.org/adamsmuseum.php City of Yankton http://www.cityofyankton.org/recreation/cemetery/history.php National Trust for Historic Preservation http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/mountains-plains-region/human-services-center.html US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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10. #008 - RTS 2 - Seth Bullock http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 13.45Mb) Description: His grandson said, “he could out stare a mad cobra or rogue elephant.” He was a successful businessman, pillar of the community and a friend to Theodore Roosevelt. He was also instrumental in establishing Yellowstone National Park, America’s first National Park. Deadwood lawman Seth Bullock – today on US History Travelcast. Today’s episode is the second in a six-part road trip series based on locations I visited a few weeks ago. Today Deadwood, South Dakota is small town of around 1,400 residents. However, the mystique and legend that surrounds the town draws an astounding 2 million visitors every year. People come from all over the world to see the place where Wild Bill Hikcock, Calamity Jane, Al Swearengen and Seth Bullock used to walk the streets. Though Deadwood has always been associated with the Old West and the gold rush days of the late 19th century a lot of the allure today can probably be traced to the HBO series Deadwood. The TV Show introduced Deadwood’s real-life characters to a whole new generation. While the series is based on actual history it does take a lot of dramatic license and mixes characters and events based on real-life and those that are entirely fictional. Seth Bullock is one of those characters that is based on a real person and played excellently by actor Timothy Olyphant. Okay, enough about the show and on with the history! The real Seth Bullock was born in 1847 in Sandwich, Ontario, which is now part of the town of Windsor, Ontario, just across the Detroit River from Detroit, Michigan. Unfortunately, little is known about is childhood other than he and his father constantly butted heads and Seth attempted to, unsuccessfully, runaway a few times in his early teens. At the age of 16 he ran away to Montana were his older sister lived. Once he arrived she promptly sent him back home. He left home for good when he was 18 and two years later in 1867 he was back in Montana. Settling in Helena, Montana he unsuccessfully ran for the Territorial Legislature but was later elected to the Territorial Senate and served in 1871 and 1872. It was in 1872 that he proposed a resolution that would lead to the creation of Yellowstone National Park. In 1873 he was elected Sheriff of Lewis and Clark County. It was also around this time that he would begin a partnership in a hardware business with Sol Star. He married his childhood sweetheart Martha Eccles in 1874. By 1876 word of gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota had spread across the country and countless miners and businessmen were flooding into the Black Hills. Camps like Deadwood were cropping up literally over night. The white population near what was then known as Deadwood Gulch in the early part of 1876 was estimated to be around 800, due to the discovery of gold in a nearby stream, by summer the population would be close to 10,000. Seth and Sol saw an opportunity for wealth selling supplies and equipment to miners. Knowing that a mining camp was no place for his wife and child, Bullock sent them back to Michigan to live with family while he and Sol struck out for the Black Hills. They arrived in Deadwood in August 1, 1876 with wagons filled with hardware goods, including picks, pans, shovels, dynamite, cooking utensils, and more. They immediately set up shop in a make shift tent and began selling the night they arrived. The very next day on August 2, 1876 at around 3pm, Wild Bill Hikock is killed by Jack McCall in Nuttal and Man’s number 10 Saloon. We’ll have more about Wild Bill in next week’s episode. Unlike in the HBO series, which depicts Wild Bill and Seth Bullock as friends, in real life they probably never even met. Though Bullock is probably Deadwood’s most well known marshal he was not, contrary to popular belief, Deadwood’s first marshal. Two men preceded him before Governor of the Dakota Territory would appoint him to be county sheriff in March 1877. He would appoint a number of fearless deputies and in no time would establish some sort of order in the hell-raising town. In an era of gunfights and shoot-outs he did not kill a single man while sheriff of Lawrence County. Now that Deadwood was a little more safe and respectable he sent for his family to join him. Following his success in the hardware business he and Sol Star would start a ranch on a section of land they purchased at the confluence of the Belle Fourche River and Redwater Creek. They offered the Freemont, Elk Horn and Missouri Valley Railway to build tracks across their ranch land for free when a deal from the nearby town of Minnesela fell through because of speculators. When the Railway built a station nearby Bullock and Star founded the town of Bell Fourche and offered free lots to anyone moving from Minnesela. They continued to grow the ranching business and Belle Fourche became the largest railhead for livestock in the United States. So successful they were able to lure the county seat from Minnesela to Belle Frouche. Bullock is also credited as being the first to grow alfalfa in the state. In 1884 Bullock encountered four suspicious horsemen near his ranch. He soon discovered that one of the men was, a Deputy Sheriff from Medora, North Dakota named Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was bringing an accused horse thief named Crazy Steve into Deadwood for trial. The two lawmen struck up a conversation over coffee and beans on the tailgate of a chuck wagon and became life-long friends. In 1894 Bullock and Star’s hardware store in Deadwood burned down. They decided not to rebuild the store and instead Bullock built the Bullock Hotel. Built for $40,000 it had 64 rooms, steam heat and a bathroom on every floor. Construction was completed in 1896 and the Bullock Hotel was the height of luxury accommodations in Deadwood. The hotel has been in continuous operation since 1896 and is still open and taking reservations today. When the Spanish-American war broke out in 1898 Bullock volunteered for Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and was named Captain of Group A in Grigsby’s Cowboy Regiment. They never saw combat but ever after Bullock was known as “Captain”. Theodore Roosevelt was elected president in 1905 and it was Bullock who organized a group of 50 cowboys including the famous Tom Mix to ride in the inauguration parade. It was later in 1905 that Roosevelt appointed Bullock United States Marshall for South Dakota, a position he held for the next nine years. When Roosevelt died in January of 1919 it was a deep blow to Bullock. He enlisted the help of the Society of Black Hills Pioneers and they built a monument to Roosevelt. It is located on Sheep Mountain, renamed Mount Roosevelt north of Deadwood. It was dedicated July 4, 1919 and was the first monument to Roosevelt in the country. Later that same year on September 23, 1919 Bullock succumbed to cancer. He was 72 years old. If you are a fan of US History Travelcast on Facebook you may recall that I posted last week that he died in room 211 of the Bullock Hotel. In doing research for this episode I have learned that there is debate about his place of death. Some reports indicate that he died at the hotel while others indicate that he died on his ranch in Belle Fourche. I seem to find an equal number sources claiming truth to both stories. Not in doubt is where he is buried. He is buried at Mt. Moriah cemetery in Deadwood. Also resting at Mt. Moriah are many other Deadwood notables including Wild Bill Hikcock and Calamity Jane among others. Seth Bullock’s grave-site however is 750 feet away from the main part of the cemetery and sits by itself on a solitary point over looking Mt. Roosevelt. Deadwood has long been a town of destruction and rebirth, fires and floods have destroyed the town and it has been rebuilt a number times. Therefore many of the wood frame buildings, including the saloon in which Wild Bill was shot and Star and Bullock Hardware no longer exist having been replaced with brick and mortar buildings. Many of the brick and mortar buildings that make up Deadwood’s main street today can be dated back to 1882. As mentioned earlier the 1896 Bullock Hotel still stands on the corner of Main and Wall Streets. Today, a sign marking original the location of Nuttal and Man’s number 10 Saloon hangs on Main Street. Inside is a display and photos describing the events that took place there in 1876. Bullock Hotel http://www.historicbullock.com/ City of Deadwood http://www.cityofdeadwood.com/ US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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11. #007 - RTS 1 - Pompey's Pillar http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 11.24Mb) Description: After 2,300 miles, over 400 pictures and 5 days on the road US History Travelcast is back! Today not only marks the first episode after the trip but today’s episode is the 1st in a six part road-trip series that will be rolling out over the next several weeks based on places I visited during my trip last week. Without further ado this is Road-Trip Series #1 – Pompey’s Pillar today on US History Travelcast. It is good to be back home and good to be podcasting again. For those of you that followed me on Facebook during the trip I hope you enjoyed the posts. I will admit they are fewer than I had originally planned on. This mostly had to do with spotty or nonexistent cell service in the Black Hills of South Dakota and the internet service in all but one of the rooms I stayed in was pretty much dial up speed. Okay enough about that…moving on. Just to give you a little recap on the trip. I left Spokane, WA on Friday September 11th and made it to Billings, MT. On Saturday visited the subject of today’s episode Pompey’s Pillar which is located about 25 miles east of Billings. Then headed south and stopped at the Little Bighorn Battlefield, Sheridan, WY and finally Custer, SD. Custer was the home base for three days during which I visited Wind Cave, The National Presidential Wax Museum, Mt. Rushmore, President’s Park, Deadwood, and The Crazy Horse Monument. On Tuesday the 15th headed to Helena, MT on the way stopped at Devils Tower in Wyoming. In Helena – went to the Montana State Capitol Building, The Montana Historical Society and the Old Governor’s Mansion and that was all before lunch. After lunch started back home. Stopped at the Old Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge for a self-guided tour. Very interesting and glad I stopped! Got home about 7:30pm Wednesday the 16th. Glad I had a few days to rest and recoup before going back to my 8 to 5 job. Every place I stopped won’t be an episode but a lot of them will. The six episodes in the Road-Trip Series will be enhanced podcasts. If you are listening on a device that can display video, such as, iPhone, any iPod (except the nano), Zune, etc be sure keep your eye on the screen as you listen. The picture on the screen will change to display photos of what I’m talking about. Let’s get started with the first episode in the Road-Trip Series – Pompey’s Pillar. In 1803, with the completion of the Louisiana Purchase, the size of the United States increased over 828,000 square miles and now included land west of the Mississippi River all the way to foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Once the purchase was finalized President Jefferson wasted no time putting together an expedition party to explore the new land. Jefferson selected Meriwether Lewis to lead the expedition and Lewis chose William Clark as his partner. Preparation for the journey continued through the winter of 1803 and on May 14, 1804 they left Camp Dubois, near present day Hartford, IL and began their now famous journey. In the winter of 1804 and 1805 they built Fort Mandan in North Dakota. It is here that they met and came to employ a French Canadian fur trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau. You may not recognize Charbonneau’s name but you will certainly know that of he is Shoshone Indian wife. Her name was, of course, Sacagawea or Sah-cah-ha-whea. She would serve as translator and sometime guide for the expedition. After the winter of 1804-1805 the Corps of Discovery continued west and arrived at the Pacific Ocean on November 20th 1805. They built Fort Clatsop on the south side of the Columbia River near present day Astoria, OR. They wintered at Fort Clatsop until the end of March 1806. On March 23, 1806 they started their return trip back east. On July 3rd they split into 2 groups. Lewis’s group heads up the Blackfoot River and Clark’s group heads up the Bitterroot River. Here we will leave Lewis’ group and continue on with Clark’s group. On July 6th Clark’s group crossed the continental divide. Travelling down the Yellowstone River on July 25 Clark’s group spots a large rock tower. The following is from Clark’s journal dated July 25, 1806, “…at 4pm arrived at a remarkable rock situated in an extensive bottom on the starboard side of the river and 250 paces from it. This rock I ascended and from it’s top had a most extensive view in every direction. This rock which I shall call Pompy’s Tower is 200 feet high and 400 paces in circumference and only accessible on one side which is the northeast the other parts of it being a perpendicular cliff of lightish colored gritty rock on the top there is a tolerable soil of about 5 or 6 feet thick covered with short grass. The Indians have made 2 piles of stone on the top of the tower. The natives have engraved on the face of this rock the figures of animals, and such, near which I marked my name and the day of the month and year.” As you can see from the photo it says W. Clark, July 25, 1806. All along the journey both Lewis and Clark marked their passage. Their marks were more than just a way to say “I was here”. In the fifteenth century, the Doctrine of Discovery was created, primarily by, Spain, Portugal, England and the Church, as a way to prevent wars of conflicting claims. In order to document and validate your claim of newly discovered land you had to mark it in some way. Lewis and Clark understood this and built forts, distributed tokens and flags, created maps with new names for geographic features and left marks. Clark is reported to have left marks in red paint at least 13 times and Lewis is said to have left his mark on trees using a branding iron specifically crafted for this purpose. The significance of the Clark’s mark on what is now known as Pompey’s Pillar is that is the ONLY remaining physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark expedition. No other marks are known to have survived. The forts they built like Fort Mandan and Fort Clatsop both were completely destroyed by fire. Today replicas have been built on the sites but they are not the original structures. This carving by William Clark is the only remaining evidence of the trip. It is a very powerful experience to view this historic piece of American History. A note on the name Pompey’s Pillar, in his journals Clark refers to it as Pompy’s Tower. Clark actually named the tower after Sacagawea’s child Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, which Clark nicknamed Pomp, P-O-M-P, he called the rock Pompy’s Tower, spelled P-O-M-P-Y. In 1809 when Clark hired an editor to transcribe the journals is when the first reference to Pompey’s Pillar show up on the journals, spelled P-O-M-P-E-Y. During this time, in the early 1800’s, there was much interest in ancient Egypt. A group of scholar’s accompanying Napoleon on his conquests had made amazing discoveries in ancient Egypt. One of the discoveries was a 90 foot red granite tower found in Alexandria, Egypt that they called Pompey’s Pillar. The theory is that the editor of the journals thought that Clark knew about this pillar when naming the rock and just got the name wrong so the editor changed it from Pompy’s Tower to Pompey’s Pillar. Pompey’s Pillar is located about 25 miles east of Billings, MT on Interstate 94. At the site is a visitor’s center which as some great interpretive exhibits about the Lewis and Clark expedition. A trail and boardwalk lead up the spot where Clark left his signature. You can also climb up to the top of the pillar and the view is spectacular! Coming down off the rock take a left and the trail leads down to the Yellowstone River and there is a replica of a dug out canoe. If you are in the area it is definitely worth stopping! Pompey’s Pillar Historical Association http://www.pompeyspillar.org/ US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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12. #006 - The Haymarket Affair http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 9.87Mb) Description: On May 4, 1886 a rally was held in Chicago to advocate an 8-hour workday. Near the end of the rally the police showed up to disperse the crowd. An unknown assailant threw a pipe bomb at the police line killing an officer. Eight policemen and an undetermined number of demonstrators would loose their life in the resulting melee. Labor day was first celebrated in the United States in 1882 in New York City. However, it did not become a national holiday until 1894. This was a result of the Pullman Strike, which left a number of strikers dead at the hands of the US military and US Marshalls. Following the incident President Grover Cleveland made reconciliation with labor a top priority and the legislation officially making the first Monday in September a national holiday was rushed through Congress and unanimously passed and signed by Cleveland just six days after the incident. It is believed that September was chosen to distance the holiday from international labor observances on May 1 and also, to distance it from the commemoration of the subject of today’s episode – the 1886 Haymarket Affair. At a convention of the Federation of Organized Trade and Labor Unions held in October of 1884 it was unanimously voted that May 1, 1886 would be the date that an eight-hour workday would be become standard. As the date approached US labor unions began preparing to strike in support of the eight-hour day. It is estimated that the total number of US workers on strike was somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000. In Chicago alone it is estimated the 40,000 workers went on strike. Chicago was definitely the center of the movement while demonstrations drew crowds as large as 10,000 in New York some 80,000 people demonstrated in Chicago. The day before the Haymarket Square rally striking workers gathered near McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. Workers at the plant had been in labor disputes with management before the May 1 general strike. As a result, the company had locked out workers and hired strikebreakers. The rally at McCormick was largely peaceful until the end-of-the-workday bell rang. Strikers moved forward to harass and confront the strikebreakers. Speaking at the rally, well-known anarchist labor activist, August Spies called for calm. Police fired into the crowd killing two people. In response to this incident a rally was called for the next day at Haymarket Square. Fliers distributed to advertise the event were printed in both German and English. The fliers flat out accused the policy of murdering the workers on behalf of business interests. Two versions of the fliers were printed. The first version included the line “Working Men Arm Yourselves and Appear in Full Force!” Seeing the flier, August Spies said the he would not speak at such an event unless those words were removed. A new flier was printed without the inflammatory words and more than 20,000 copies were distributed. The rally was peaceful. In addition to August Spies there were several other speakers. As the final speaker was finishing his speech around 10:30pm police ordered the rally to disperse. They began marching in formation toward the crowd. A pipe bomb was thrown at the police-line killing policemen Mathias J. Degan. Immediately the police opened fire. Though it is believe the some of the workers were also armed it is not clear, due to widely varying accounts, how many returned fire. The incident lasted less than five minutes, but when it was over eight policemen and at least four workers were dead. The majority of the police deaths are reported to have been from friendly fire. It isn’t exactly clear how many civilians were injured as many were afraid to seek medical attention for fear of arrest. In addition to Spies, seven others were arrested for involvement in the rally, Albert Parsons, Adolph Fishcer, George Engel, Louis Lingg, Michael Schwab, Samuel Fielden and Oscar Neebe. The trial started on June 21st. Though, the bomber was never identified, prosecutors argued that even though none of the eight on trial threw the bomb they did nothing to discourage it from being thrown and therefore, as conspirators, were equally responsible. The jury convicted all eight men and other than Oscar Neebe who received a 15-year prison sentence they were sentenced to death. Labor and worker’s movements called the sentence an outrage and protests around the world made the defendants heroes of the labor movement. In the US the Chicago Tribune, New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly and other papers made villains of the men. The case was appealed in 1887, first to the Supreme Court of Illinois and then to the United State Supreme Court. The appeals were denied. After the appeals were exhausted Illinois Governor Richard Oglesby commuted the sentences of Samuel Fielden and Michael Schwab to life on November 10, 1887. The rest of the defendants would be hanged the next day. That night Louis Lingg committed suicide. The next morning Spies, Parson, Fischer and Engle were taken to the gallows and hung. Witnesses reported that they did not die right away but strangled to death slowly the sight of which left the audience visibly shaken. In later years the trial was seen as a huge miscarriage of justice. In 1893 Illinois Governor John Altgeld pardoned Fielden, Neebe and Schwab and they were released from prison. Even with the exoneration of those involved, this was a setback for the labor movement and though the eight-hour workday would again be called for in 1890 only incremental success would be achieved. Some industries began adopting the eight-hour day, the United Mine workers in 1898, the Building Trades Council in 1900, the printing trade in 1905, autoworkers in 1914 and railroad workers in 1916. It would not be until 1938 with the passage of the Fair Labor Standards Act that the eight-hour workday would become law throughout the nation. Seven of the eight defendants are buried at Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, IL. Located on the grounds is the Haymarket Martyrs’ Monument. The monument was erected in 1893. The monument is the only cemetery memorial to be designated a National Historic Landmark. In 1992 the site of the Haymarket Affair was marked with a bronze plaque set in the sidewalk and on September 14, 2004 a monument was erected near the site of the Haymarket Riot. It is located on North Des Plaines Street between W. Randolph Street and W. Lake Street. The monument commemorating police officers has a much more tumultuous history. In 1889 a nine-foot bronze statue of a Chicago policeman was erected in the middle of Haymarket Square with private funds. In 1927 a streetcar crashed into the statue. In 1928 it was restored and moved to Union Park. In the 1950’s the statue was again moved and placed near it’s original location on a special platform overlooking the newly completed Kennedy Expressway. In May of 1968 the statue was vandalized by black paint after a confrontation with police and Vietnam War protestors. The statue was blown-up by the Weathermen in 1969, it was rebuilt in 1970 but was again destroyed by the Weathermen. The statue was again rebuilt and placed under 24-hour guard. In 1972 the statue was moved to the lobby of the Central Police Headquarters. It was moved again moved in 1976 to the enclosed courtyard of the Chicago policy academy. Finally, on June 1, 2007, the statue was rededicated at Chicago Police Headquarters at 3510 S Michigan Avenue. Haymarket Martyrs’ Monument http://graveyards.com/IL/Cook/foresthome/ne-haymarket3.html Haymarket Memorial http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11545.html Police Monument http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/3774.html More information about the Haymarket Affair http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/571.html US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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13. #005 - Ezra Meeker http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 11.67Mb) Description: Last week we talked about a group of people who helped blaze the Oregon Trail. This week we’re talking about a man whose mission would be to preserve it. He came west on the trail in 1852 and once settled he would make a fortune and found a town. Ezra Meeker – today on US History Travelcast. Ezra Meeker was born in 1830 in a log cabin near Huntsville, Ohio. He had only six months of formal education but would become a life-long avid reader and go on to found to libraries in the Pacific Northwest. In 1851 he married Eliza Jane Sumner. In early 1852, along with their seven-week old son Marion, Ezra and Eliza loaded a covered wagon and headed out on the Oregon Trail. At the Missouri River they were joined by Ezra’s older brother Oliver. Arriving in the Oregon Territory in September of 1852 the Meeker’s settled in the St. Helens/Kalama area north of present day Portland. In the spring of 1853 they ventured further north and settled on McNeil Island in the Puget Sound near present day Tacoma, Washington. In August of 1854 Oliver, Ezra’s brother, went back to Ohio to help their parents make the trip west. Unfortunately Ezra’s mother and a younger brother Clark did not survive the journey. During the Indian Wars of 1855 they sought shelter at Steilacoom with other white settlers in the area. In Steilacoom, Ezra, his father Jacob and brother Oliver opened a general store called J.R. Meeker and Sons. In 1858 gold was discovered in the Fraser River valley in Canada, they opened a second store in Whatcom and profited greatly selling supplies to the miners. Also in 1858, Ezra served on a jury at the trial of Nisqually Chief Leschi who was accused of killing a militiaman, Abram Moses, during the Indian Wars. Meeker was one of two who voted for acquittal. This trial resulted in a hung jury, but the subsequent trial convicted Chief Leschi and sentenced him to death. In 2004 both houses of the Washington State Legislature passed resolutions stating the Chief Leschi was wrongly convicted and executed. On December 10, 2004 Chief Leschi was exonerated of all charges by unanimous vote. In 1862 the Meeker’s again relocated, this time settling in the Puyallup valley, they took over a small cabin on a claim that had been abandoned. In 1865 Meeker and his father planted hops. The climate proved to be perfect for growing hops and their business flourished. So successful was the hop business he opened a branch office in London to facilitate sales to the world market. In 1870 Meeker wrote a pamphlet titled, “Washington Territory West of the Cascades”. In December 1870 he traveled to New York to promote Puget Sound. During this trip he met with famed New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley, of “go west young man fame”, and financier Jay Cooke. Cooke was selling Northern Pacific Railroad bonds and he bought all 2,500 copies of Meeker’s pamphlet to use as a sales tool. He even hired Meeker to tour New England to promote the Pacific Northwest and to advertise the Northern Pacific Railroad. Back home, in 1877, Meeker platted the town of Puyallup, later in 1890 when the town incorporated Meeker was elected the first mayor. The hops continued their success and in 1884, 1885, 1886 and 1887 the Meeker’s spent four months out of each year in London. During their 1885 stay Meeker’s wife Eliza was presented to Queen Victoria. Not to shabby for a lady from a dirt floor cabin in the Washington Territory. Ever the Puget Sound promoter Ezra served as commissioner of the Washington Territory exhibit at the American Exposition in New Orleans held in the fall of 1885 and spring of 1886. In May of 1886 he again represented Washington Territory in London at the Colonial and Indian Exposition. Returning home Eliza hired Tacoma architects Ferrell and Darmer to design a 17-room Victorian Mansion few blocks from their log cabin. Plans were drawn up and construction began in 1887. The Meeker’s moved in to the house in 1890. They would live in the house until Eliza’s death in 1909. Ezra couldn’t bear to live in the house and sold it quickly after her death. In 1889 Washington Territory became Washington State and in 1891 Ezra founded the Washington State Historical Society. Also in 1891 Meeker was elected Executive Commissioner of the Washington State Exposition Association, which was planning Washington’s participation in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair. In 1906 Meeker would what would become he most famous endeavor. At age 76, Ezra began retracing the route he traveled on the Oregon Trail in 1852. Upon the completed of the first transcontinental railroads in 1869 the trails was largely abandoned and forgotten. His goal was identify the trail’s path and place historical markers along the route, which by now had been obscured by time. Preserving the honoring the memory of those that travelled the Oregon Trail would not only be Ezra’s legacy it would make him a household name. With long white hair and flowing beard he looked every bit the part of the aged pioneer. To complete the picture he made the trip from Washington State to Independence, Missouri with a wagon pulled by two oxen. Continuing east from Missouri Ezra first went to New York where he literally stopped traffic as his wagon and oxen crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. In Washington, DC he parked the wagon right in front of the White House where he talked with President Theodore Roosevelt. As you would imagine major newspapers had a field day and would keep him and the Oregon Trail in the news for the next 20 years. He made four official trips on the Oregon Trail between 1906 and 1924. The first two trips were made by wagon and during these two trips Meeker placed 150 markers along the trail. Including one at South Pass, Wyoming. Today there are two markers there, the one that Meeker placed honoring all travelers of the Oregon Trail and another marker that honors the subject of last week’s episode Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Spalding for being the first white women to reach the pass in 1836. During his third trip he travelled in a touring car with a covered wagon type canvas shell on top that was specially made for Meeker by Henry Ford. It was during this third trip that Meeker began advocating and promoting a national highway to be constructed. He even visited President Wilson who endorsed the idea. His final trip was in 1924 and made in an open cockpit, single engine plane. By the end of these four trips he had traveled the Oregon Trail by wagon, automobile, train and airplane. Along with trips along the trail Meeker was active in other endeavors during this period. In 1909 he operated a memorabilia display and concession stand at the Alaska-Yukon Pacific Exposition in Seattle. In 1915 he represented Washington State at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. He also travelled throughout the Pacific Northwest speaking to school groups and published several books, both fiction and non-fiction. In 1925 and 26 he appeared in the J.C. Miller Wild West shows and, at age 95, was billed as the only living person who crossed the Oregon Trail as an adult. He appeared on the radio in 1926 to “spread farther the story of the pioneers”. Also in 1926 he founded and was president of the Oregon Trail Memorial Association. He travelled to Washington, DC to lobby Congress to create a commemorative Oregon Trail coin. The coin was a 50-cent piece but sold for a dollar, the profits going to fund more trail monuments. Congress passed the act and President Calvin Coolidge signed it into law. Sadly, in the summer of 1928, while visiting Henry Ford, Meeker became ill. He spent several months at the Ford Hospital before returning home by train. By this time Meeker was a national figure and probably internationally known as well. The New York Times published frequent bulletins about his conditions in the days leading up to his death on December 3, 1928. He died in room 412 of the Frye Hotel in Seattle. During the last 20 years of his life Meeker had become the very embodiment of the American pioneer. He was a symbol and spokesman for all those who had travelled the Oregon Trail and maybe more importantly a voice for those that didn’t make it and are buried along the trail. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that as he lay dying two chartered airplanes loaded with coastal rhododendrons, Washington’s state flower, flew over the Frye hotel, dipped their wings in tribute and released their cargo of blossoms. The blossoms floated down - showering the hotel and the crowds that lined the streets below. Meeker’s famous covered wagon, loaded with flowers, and pulled by a prize pair of oxen transported his body from Seattle 40 miles south to Hamilton Mortuary in Puyallup. Meeker was buried next to his wife Eliza, who had preceded him in death in 1909, at Woodbine Cemetery. In 1939 the Oregon Trail Memorial Association installed a marker engraved with a covered wagon drawn by two oxen over their graves. As a result of Meeker’s efforts, today the Oregon Trail is a National Historic Trail under the protection of the National Park Service. Marker and route signs can be found along the trail in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon. The National Park Service website has a ton of information about the trail, the link will be in the show notes. Be sure to visit South Pass, Wyoming to see the marker’s left by Meeker and the one honoring Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Spalding. The house that Eliza had built for the Meeker’s is today known as the Meeker Mansion. It is located 312 Spring Street in Puyallup. The house is open for tours Wednesday thru Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Also be sure to visit Pioneer Park a few blocks away on the corner of Pioneer Way and S Meridian Street. Pioneer park is now a city park but it was the original site of Meeker’s cabin until they built the Mansion. The cabin is long gone but ivy Eliza planted near the front door of the cabin is still there. It’s now trained over a pergola that marks the site of the cabin. See Ezra Meeker’s Wagon at The Washington State History Museum - November 11, 2009 thru July 3, 2010 http://www.wshs.org/wshm/featuredexhibits/icons.aspx National Historic Trail http://www.nps.gov/oreg/index.htm The Oregon Trail Map http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/trails/natltrails.pdf South Pass, Wyoming http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/trailsdemo/southpass.htm Meeker Mansion http://www.meekermansion.org Woodbine Cemetery http://www.cityofpuyallup.org/page.php?id=417 US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistora-20 |
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14. #004 - The Whitman Mission http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 19.85Mb) Description: In 1836 five missionaries left Liberty, Missouri and successfully crossed the North American continent to the Pacific Northwest. Their purpose was to establish missions among the native people. The two women among them, Narcissa Prentiss Whitman and Eliza Spalding, became the first two white women to cross the continent and lay eyes on the Columbia River. Eleven years later their efforts would end in tragedy. The Whitman Mission – today on US History Travelcast. I’m very excited about this episode. If you’ve listened to the first three episodes of the podcast you know that the events and locations are all in the eastern part of the United States. Today’s episode takes place in the Pacific Northwest, specifically in my home state, Washington state. As mentioned in the introduction five people left Missouri and headed west in the spring of 1836. Those five people were Dr. Marcus Whitman, his wife Narcissa, Henry Spalding, his wife Eliza and William H. Gray. They were headed to what was then called “The Oregon Country”. This land had been explored about 30 years earlier, by the famous Lewis and Clark expedition. In the years since Lewis and Clark discovered the Columbia River the area had been further explored and some areas settled by fur traders and Hudson’s Bay Company had several forts established. Among these were Fort Vancouver and Fort Walla Walla. In 1831 a delegation of Native Americans arrived in St. Louis and met with William Clark, yes the same Clark of Lewis and Clark fame, he was now the superintendent of Indian Affairs. The facts aren’t really known but it is believed that the Native American delegation expressed some interest in learning about Christianity during their stay in St. Louis. At least this is what a man named William Walker believed after being told about the delegation when he visited Clark in 1832. Walker relayed this story to friends back east and several missionary organizations quickly began looking or men and women to become missionaries in the Pacific Northwest. In 1834 the first group departed and settled in, what is today, western Oregon state where they began ministering to the coastal tribes. This brings us back to the Whitmans, Spaldings and Mr. Gray. Their mission was to minister to the inland tribes of the Nez Perce and Cayuse in, what is today, eastern Washington and western Idaho. As you can probably imagine the journey was long and hard. On April 28, 1836. Spalding and Gray left Liberty Missouri and travelled overland with the livestock. Whitman and the two wives were to catch a steamboat headed up river where they would meet up with Spalding and Gray and also the American Fur Company caravan that was also heading west that spring. Meeting up with the caravan was an absolute necessity. Small parties could be easily “picked off” by raiding bands of Indians. Unfortunately, the steamboat was already full when it reached Liberty and passed Whitman and the wives by. Whitman hired a wagon and a driver, but by this time they were 2 days behind the rest of the their party. They would spend the next several weeks playing catch up, first with the other members of their party and then with the fur-trading caravan. They finally caught up and joined the caravan near the Platte River in Nebraska on May 26th. On July 4th they crossed the Continental Divide at South Pass, Wyoming. Narcissa and Eliza became the first white women to do so. This would be the first of several firsts on their journey. On July 6th they reached the fur trappers rendezvous near Daniel, Wyoming. Here the missionaries, along with two guides departed for the 700 mile journey to the Columbia. Along the way their wagon broke down and they converted it to a two-wheel cart. On August 19th they reached Fort Boise. This would be another first for the party, no wagon or cart had ever made it as far as Fort Boise, there’s was the first. However, that was as far as the cart would make it. They abandoned it at Fort Boise as they continued into the wilder country to the west. On September 1st, 1836 they finally reached Fort Walla Walla, a Hudson’s Bay Company fort on the Columbia River. Once again, another first, Narcissa and Eliza became the first white woman to travel to the Oregon Country and lay eyes on the Columbia River. Needing supplies they decided to head downriver to the Hudson’s Bay Company’s western headquarters at Fort Vancouver. They were warmly received by Dr. John McLoughlin, the Chief Factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company in Oregon. They found a wide variety of goods they needed at Fort Vancouver. Furniture, books, building supplies, clothing and provisions were all available for purchase there. While Narcissa and Eliza stayed at the fort to square away the supplies they would need, Whitman, Spalding and Gray headed back east up the river to select the mission sites. On November 3rd Henry Spalding returned to the Fort to escort the ladies to their new homes. For his site Whitman chose a spot near Fort Walla Walla among the Cayuse people. The site would come to be known as “Waiilatpu”, which means “the place of the rye grass”. In addition to being close to Fort Walla Walla it was also on the main trail that in later years would be the main travelling route for settlers heading west. The trail that passed by the mission would come to be known as The Oregon Trail. Spalding chose a spot 110 miles further to the east among the Nez Perce people. Though their goal was to minister to the native peoples the Spaldings were far more successful. The Whitmans had little success converting the Indians. They did enjoy some success in teaching them farming practices and education. Due to it’s location on The Oregon Trail Waiilatpu became a way station for the, at first hundreds and later thousands of settlers heading west. This would cause much tension between the white’s at the mission and the Cayuse people. In that first winter at Waiilatpu they relied mostly on supplies and provisions from the nearby forts. Once spring came they would begin planting their first crops and constructing their first real house. The next few years they continued to grow the mission, planting more crops and constructing more buildings. Dissatisfied with his position at the mission and wanting to become a missionary himself William Gray left Waiilatpu and headed back east. While back east we attended medical college briefly and met and married Mary August Dix. He and his wife joined another group of missionaries heading west in March of 1838. These reinforcements from the American Board of Missions were heading to The Oregon Country. In addition to Gray and his wife, Elkanah Walker, his wife Mary, Cushing Eells, his wife Myra, Asa Smith and his wife Sarah and bachelor Cornelius Rogers all made the trip. There were strong personalities that often clashed in this group. About the only thing they all agreed on was that once they arrived none of them wanted to be assigned the same station as William Gray. Once they arrived at Waiilatpu it was decided that the Gray’s were to join the Spaldings in Idaho, the Smiths and Cornelius Rogers were to stay at Waiilatpu and Walkers and the Eells were to going to head north to establish another mission among the Spokan Indians near Fort Colville. However, since winter was approaching it was decided that they stay at Waiiltpu until the spring. Four couples and a bachelor made for pretty crowded conditions. This would lead to a winter of irritations and arguments among the group. The Grays and Spaldings didn’t fair much better. However, once spring came differences were put aside and a renewed sense of cooperation prevailed. The Walkers and the Eells left to set up their mission. Though Asa Smith and Whitman had patched up their differences they soon realized they would not be able to work together so Smith’s left Waiilatpu and started a new mission on their own about 50 miles from the Spaldings also, among the Nez Perce. That spring of 1837 would also bring another first to Waiilatpu. Narcissa gave birth to Alice Clarissa, her first and only child. Alice is also the first child born to US citizens in the Pacific Northwest. Alice was not only a joy to her parents and all of the people at the mission she was a joy to the Cayuse people as well. They called her temi, which meant Cayuse girl. Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived. On June 23, 1839, shortly after he second birthday, while unattended for a few minutes she wandered toward the river. She fell in and drowned. She was buried just north of the mission house. Though she was the first she was not the last child a Waiilaptu. Though Marcus and Narcissa would not have any other children of their own many children came to stay under the care of the Whitmans. The first was Helen Mar, her father was mountain man Joe Meek and her mother was Nez Perce. The following year another mountain man, Jim Bridger, sent his daughter Mary Ann to live with the Whitmans. In 1842 another half white half Indian child was brought to Waiilatpu by two Indian women. In September 1842 a letter reached the mission from the American Board of Missions that ordered the closing of Waiilatpu and the Lapwai mission that the Spaldings started. It believed that the decision was made largely due to letters written back home and reports sent to mission board from William Gray, Asa Smith, and Cornelius Rogers. These letters and reports described the arguments, squabbles and personality clashes that plagued the missionaries early efforts. As we know, by this point, most if not all of the issues had been resolved. However, since the mail was so slow their reports didn’t reach the east until long after and word from the Board took equally long getting to the mission. Confident in the work they were doing and the success of the missions, determined to keep the missions going Whitman left the mission on October 3rd, 1842 to make the dangerous journey back east with winter on the way. He arrived in Boston on March 30th, 1843. He was not well received at the office of the Board. However, they agreed to listen and Whitman was able to convince them to change their mind. The Board rescinded their orders. Overjoyed with the good news Whitman began his return trip home. He joined a caravan of almost 1,000 people in Independence, Missouri who were also preparing for the trip west. The wagon train of 1843 was, to date, the largest group to make the trip. The group split in two – one group leading the advance and the other, slower group, leading the livestock. Whitman stayed with the slower group until they reached the Rockies. He then moved into the advance party and then went ahead to mark the best route. When they reached Fort Hall in what is now eastern Idaho a trader advised them to abandon their wagons and continue on foot. On hearing this advice Whitman was sure the wagons could go further since he himself had already proven it possible. His enthusiasm convinced the rest of the wagon train and they formally hired him to lead the rest of the way. Right before they reached the Blue Mountains, their last hurdle to the Columbia, Whitman received news that he was urgently needed at the Lapwai mission. Mr. and Mrs. Spalding were gravely ill. He left the group in the capable hands of a trusted Cayuse guide and hurried on the Lapwai. After treating the Spaldings he returned home to Waiilatpu only to discover that up north at the mission they started, among the Spokane, Myra Eells was about to deliver a baby. So off he went to deliver her son. When he returned to Waiilatpu the wagon train he had led over the Oregon Trail and had already stopped and moved on from Waiilatpu to points further west along the Columbia. From this point on Waiilatpu would be a important stop along the Oregon Trail – a place were travelers could stop and rest, replenish supplies and get treatment if they were ill. Whitman brought with him from the east his nephew, Perrin Whitman, this would bring the number of mission children to four. In 1844 Henry and Naomi Sager left Missouri with their six children. On the trail Naomi gave birth to a seventh child. Tragically both Henry and Naomi would die of illness before reaching the west. The other women of the wagon train cared for the children until the arrived at Waiilatpu. The Whitmans now found themselves responsible for 11 children at the mission. The next few years were successful ones for the mission. They built new buildings, there was a blacksmith shop and a small house used by travelers in addition the multi-room main mission house. As the success of the mission grew so did the fear and doubt of the native Cayuse people. They saw the increasing numbers of white travelers as a threat to their land and their way of life. Unfortunately, with the increase of people came the increase of disease. Specifically measles for which the Cayuse had no immunity. Everything came to crisis point in the fall of 1847. With the wagon train that year came an epidemic of measles. Within 2 months the Cayuse lost almost half of their tribe. Unlike the Cayuse the white’s that got sick recovered. Among the travelers that arrived that fall was Joe Lewis. Reports from other travelers seemed to indicate he hadn’t won any friends along the way. Almost all described him as a troublemaker. Not wanting any trouble, after feeding him and allowing him to rest, Whitman sent him on his way. However, he returned a few days later and refused to leave. He took up residence in the small house not far from the main house. It is believed that, along with Nicholas Finley, another troublemaker, a plot was hatched – a plot that would lead to tragedy. His motives are unclear but it is believed that Joe Lewis and Nicholas Finely began spreading lies to the Cayuse. They told the Indians that the reason so many of their people were dying was because Whitman was poisening them so he could take their lands for himself. In addition, it was Cayuse custom that if a medicine man treated a patient and the patient should die then the patient’s relatives could seek revenge by killing the medicine man. By November of 1847 the Whitmans were aware that tensions were high and were on the look out for danger. They were both acutely aware of the possibility that they could be harmed. They discussed trying to leave, but Whitman thought that if anything was going to happen it would just be to him and everyone else would be fine. The afternoon of November 29, 1847 things were going quite normally at the mission. Dr. and Mrs. Whitman were in the main room of the mission house. Dr. Whitman was relaxing and reading after lunch and Narcissa was bathing one of the children. Elsewhere in the mission things were also normal, the other mission children were attending class at the mission school, a new set of clothes was being made for Whitman by a tailor in one of the lodging houses, in another part of the mission house a new floor was being laid, the gristmill was operating and four men were dressing a beef in the yard. There was a large Indian presence in camp that day but many thought it was the butchering of the beef that drew their attention. Two Cayuse chiefs, Tiloukaikt and Tomahas, entered camp and went to the mission kitchen. They knocked on the door to main living area, which was locked, and asked to be let in because they needed medicine. Already wary, Whitman refused to the let them in, but agreed to give them medicine. Whitman retrieved the medicine and instructed Narcissa that as soon as he went into the kitchen to lock the door behind him. Also in the kitchen were Mary Ann Bridger and John Sager, the oldest of the Sager children. Once Whitman entered the kitchen Tiloukaikt provoked him into an argument and Tomahas struck him from behind with a tomahawk. Whitman collapsed from the blows. Mary Ann dashed from the kitchen and ran around the side of the mission house to the front door screaming, “They’ve killed father”. John, still in the kitchen and weak from having just recovered from measles attempted to reach a pistol but wasn’t quick enough and was fatally shot. Hearing the gunshot the other Cayuse in camp dropped the blankets that were wrapped around them to reveal concealed weapons. They began killing the others in the camp. The school teacher, the tailor and one of the men butchering the beef were killed. The man working the grist mill, Marsh, was killed. The children in the schoolhouse hid. Frances Sager, the second oldest of the Sager children, was discovered by Joe Lewis and killed. Two wounded men made it to the mission house, Andrew Rogers and Kimball, Narcissa let them in. Soon after she saw Joe Lewis in the yard and called out to him asking if he was to blame for all this. He didn’t reply, but a Cayuse hearing Mrs. Whitman’s voice turned and shot her through the window. The bullet hit her left breast. She fell to the ground but quickly staggered to her feet and rounded up the children and the wounded men and they all barricaded themselves in the upstairs room just before the Indians burst into the living room. Terrified they waited and waited for it to be over. Finally, an old Indian that Whitman’s had long trusted called up the stairs and told them they needed to get out of the house because it was about to be set on fire. Narcissa and Andrew Rogers agreed to come downstairs. Weak from loss of blood and the sight of her husband’s mutilated body Mrs. Whitman sat down on the small settee. Joe Lewis came in and lifted on end of the settee and Rogers lifted the other. Together they carried Mrs. Whitman out of the house, presumably to one of the other building in camp. Suddenly, just a little way outside the door, Joe Lewis dropped his end. The Indians in the yard opened fire on Mrs. Whitman and Andrew Rogers. Narcissa’s body fell off the settee into the mud, one Indian lifted her head by grabbing a handful of her hair and struck her face with a riding whip. It is believed she died quickly but Rogers lasted the night and didn’t die until the next afternoon. Kimball stayed through the night with the children in the attic. At dawn he slipped down to the river to get water, he was discovered and killed. All told a total of 13 people were killed. Of those that escaped, probably the most dramatic was that of the Osborne family. Earlier I mentioned that a floor was being laid in one of the mission rooms. The Osborne’s hid under the loose floorboards when the attack began and all through the night. They finally slipped out and made it to Fort Walla Walla. Back at Waiilatpu the Cayuse saw themselves as victorious and believed they had solved the problem of the white man. Once again they would be able to live in peace. Unfortunately this was not to be the case. Early in December news of the attacks was getting around. A group of nearly 500 men volunteered to hunt down the Cayuse. The Cayuse fled north. The volunteers did not give pursuit but decided to station 50 men at Waiilatpu. The rest returned home. More than helping themselves the Cayuse probably quickened the advance of white settlement in the west. Once news of the massacre reached the east the Whitmans were seen as martyrs. It was a direct result of the massacre that led congress to act in 1848 to officially create the Oregon Territory. Today the mission buildings no longer stand but the outlines of their foundations have been marked with cement pavers at the site. The site is operated by the National Park System and is designated a National Historic Site. In addition to the mission site there is also a restored portion of the Oregon Trail. On a hill overlooking the site is a large obelisk monument to those who died there. Just north of the main mission site is the Great Grave where the remains of the 13 people killed are buried. Also not far is a grave marker for Alice Clarissa Whitman, the Whitman’s only child that drowned in the river in 1839. Also on the site is a visitor’s center full of artifacts and exhibits, as well as a small bookstore. Check the show notes for a link to the site. Also, on the website I’ll post some pictures of the site that I took on a visit there a few weeks ago. Today, a statue of Marcus Whitman stands in the Washington State Capitol Building in Olympia, WA. Another identical statue stands in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol building in Washington, DC. The Whitman Mission National Historic Site http://www.nps.gov/whmi/index.htm Washington State Capitol http://www.ga.wa.gov/visitor/VirtualTour/tour.html United State Capitol http://www.aoc.gov/cc/art/nsh/whitman.cfm Photos of the Mission http://www.ushistorytravelcast.com/_/Pictures/Pictures.html US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistra-20 |
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15. #003 - Burr-Hamilton Duel http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 10.73Mb) Description: The current Vice President, under Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr and former Secretary of the Treasury, under George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, crossed the Hudson River in the early morning hours of July 11, 1804. One would return to Manhattan in disgrace, the other mortally wounded. The Burr-Hamilton Duel – today on US History Travelcast. The duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr started as a war of words 15 years prior to shots being fired on the cliffs of Weehawken, New Jersey that killed Hamilton and would cause Burr to flee to the west in disgrace. The animosity began in 1791 when Burr ran against Hamilton’s father-in-law Philip Schuyler for the Senate. Burr won. Then in the election of 1800 there was a tie between Presidential candidates Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr that resulted in the election being determined by the House of Representatives. The House voted 36 times before the election was awarded to Jefferson. It is believed the Hamilton worked behind the scenes to convince Representatives to vote for Jefferson. Though Hamilton was no fan of Jefferson, he was even less of a fan of Burr’s, and considered Jefferson the lesser of two evils. In those days the candidate with the most Electoral College votes was the president and the runner-up was the vice president, so Burr became Vice President in 1801. As the election of 1804 approached it became clear that Jefferson wanted to drop Burr as part of his candidacy for a second term and Burr set his sites on being elected Governor of New York. Hamilton once again sprang into action and campaigned relentlessly against Burr. It worked and Burr lost to the candidate endorsed by Hamilton, Morgan Lewis. The final straw came on April 24, 1804 when a letter sent from Charles Cooper to Hamilton’s father-in-law was published in the Albany Register. In the letter Cooper described, “a still more despicable opinion which General Hamilton has expressed of Mr. Burr.” Burr demanded a prompt apology and denial from Hamilton. Hamilton wouldn’t play ball. He claimed innocence by saying that he couldn’t be held responsible for Mr. Cooper’s interpretation of what he said. According to the customs of the day, really not much different than today, it was basically okay to attack someone based on differences of political opinion but when the attacks became personal then that was another matter all together. Burr viewed Mr. Hamilton’s attack, this time, as personal and would accept no less than a full and public apology. There were several weeks of writing back and forth in which Burr persisted in demanding an apology and Hamilton refused or only offered the most vague and non-incriminating statement. Finally Burr issued the challenge for a duel and Hamilton accepted. The night before the duel Hamilton made out his will and wrote personal statement in which he hoped to avoid the “interview” (interview was a code word because dueling was illegal) and that he had no ill will toward Burr. In the early morning of July 11, Burr and his second William Van Ness and an oarsman rowed across the Hudson River to New Jersey. They arrived before Hamilton and began clearing brush from the dueling site. Shortly before 7am Hamilton, his second Nathaniel Pendleton and physician Dr. David Hosack arrived. Since Hamilton had been the one challenged he got to choose the weapons. He chose a pair elaborately decorated pistols that were owned by his brother-in-law John Church. Ironically, these same pistols were used in a 1799 duel between Church and Burr. Neither man was injured. Then in 1801 the same pistols were used at the very same site in a duel involving Hamilton’s son Philip. Philip died as a result of that duel. Many times these duels were just for show. Participants would throw away their shot but firing in the air. The notion that both participants had fired at each other, nevermind that they both intentionally missed, was enough to protect their honor and resolve the conflict. Indeed, according to the statement he wrote the night before, this is what Hamilton intended to do. Also elaborate procedures and customs were followed to give everyone involved a level of deniability. For instance the oarsman that rowed them across the river had to stay with the boats, they couldn’t be at the dueling site. Even the pistols were transported in a bag and not taken out until right before so the oarsman and other people present but not actually at the dueling site could deny having seen pistols truthfully. There is some debate as to exactly how the duel went down. All first hand accounts agree that two shots were fired but there is some disagreement as to the interval between first and second shot and who shot first. One account has it that Hamilton fired first, deliberately missing Burr, and hitting a tree above and the right of Burr. Burr then took aim and fired at Hamilton hitting him above the right hip. Another account says that Burr fired first hitting Hamilton and the impact of Hamilton falling jarred his hand causing his pistol to discharge. The accounts are conflicting due to the fact that, according to the customs of duel to ensure deniability, both of the seconds had their back to Hamilton and Burr so if they had to testify later they could honestly say they saw no fire. Either way Hamilton was hit. The ball entered his abdomen just above the right hip fracturing and then ricocheting off a rib then passing through his liver and then his diaphragm and finally lodging in the first or second lumbar vertebrae. According to Dr. Hosack when he was called to attend to Hamilton, Hamilton was on the ground supported by Pendleton. Hamilton is to have said, “This is a mortal wound, doctor.” He then lost consciousness. The doctor did what he could and Hamilton was rowed back across the river to Manhattan. He died at 2pm the next afternoon. Burr was charged with murder in both New Jersey and New York but neither case reached trial. Burr went to South Carolina where his daughter lived but soon returned to Washington, D.C. to finish his term as Vice President. His farewell address was said to have brought even his most vehement critics to tears. Burr then headed west where he leased 40,000 acres of land. His plan was to have the land settled by a large group of armed farmers. If war broke out between Spain and the US, which many thought was going to happen, he and the farmers could defend the land and then he could claim it for himself. Learning of the plan Jefferson issued a warrant for his arrest under charges of treason and labeled him a traitor. He was later acquitted of all charges. Hamilton’s legacy is more stellar that that of Burr’s. There are several statues of him including on in front of the US Treasury building. Probably more than any other founding father he is a true American success story. He was born, an illegitimate child, on an island in the Caribbean. He rose to great prominence in the Revolutionary War and in President Washington’s Cabinet not only as the Secretary of the Treasury but has speechwriter for Washington. He, along with John Jay and James Madison were the authors of the Federalist Papers that supported the ratification of the US Constitution. Today he is probably most well known for being the face on the ten-dollar bill. Sites to visit related to this episode are the dueling site in Weehawken New Jersey, Hamilton’s home, The Grange, in New York City, Hamilton’s grave at Trinity Church at Wall Street and Broadway in lower Manhattan and Burr’s grave in Princeton, New Jersey. You can also see the pistols that were used in the duel. They are now owned by JPMorgan Chase and are on display at the Executive Conference center at 277 Park Avenue in Manhattan. That concludes this episode of US History Travelcast. Be sure to visit the website at www.ushistorytravelcast.com to get the show notes which include all the links the locations mentioned in this episode. The site in Weehawken http://www.duel2004.weehawkenhistory.org/dedication.php The Grange http://www.nps.gov/hagr/ Hamilton’s Grave http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/congregation/cemetery Burr’s Grave http://www.nassauchurch.org/cemetery/index.html US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistra-20 |
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16. #002 - Boston Tea Party http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 9.23Mb) Description: A cold winter night, shiploads of tea, colonists dressed as Indians, and 'No taxation without representation.' The Boston Tea Party - today on US History Travelcast. On December 16, 1773 approximately 130 colonists, some disguised as Mohawk Indians, board three ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. This even became known at The Boston Tea Party. The tea party was a response to several years of grievances against the colonists by the British government. In order to understand these grievances we have to go back about 10 years to the end of the French and Indian war. War is very expensive and it was Britain’s contention that they protected the colonists from France and Native Americans so it was only just that the colonists help pay for the war. This was to be accomplished by new taxes levied against the colonists. Among these were the 1764 Sugar Act which put a tax on sugar, wine and coffee, the 1765 Stamp Act that taxed printed matter like newspapers, playing cards, and legal contracts, the 1767 Townshend Acts and the Tea Act of 1773. The colonists didn’t take these new taxes lying down. Their anger was not with the amount of the tax but with the tax itself. It was their position that even though they were colonists they were British citizens and as British citizens, they had the right to be represented in Parliament. Since they had no elected representatives in Parliament they felt that Parliament did not have the right to tax them. This is where the old slogan “no taxation without representation” comes from. It was really this principle that the colonists were demonstrating for. It wasn’t the tax itself and this wasn’t the first time they had protested. In fact most of the previous acts – stamp act, Townshend acts, etc. had been either partially or entirely repealed. By 1773 there was only the tea tax, however, even with the tax imposed the tea would actually be cheaper after the Tea Act went into effect. Their rational was, yes the tea was cheaper, but by accepting the tea they were also accepting and acknowledging Parliament’s right to tax them. The Tea Act was issued in May of 1773. In September and October of 1773 seven ships carrying tea headed for the colonies. One ship was bound for New York, one for Philadelphia, one for Charleston and four for Boston. All told the seven ships were carrying about 2,000 chests of tea. Under the Tea Act the East India Company appointed consignees in the colonies to accept the tea shipments, in turn the consignees would sell the tea for a commission. Hearing that the ships were on the way the Sons of Liberty began a campaign to raise awareness about the Tea Act and to convince the consignees to resign. In New York, Philadelphia and Charleston the campaign worked. The demonstrators were successful in getting the consignees to resign. In Charleston the tea was seized by customs officials and would sit in warehouses for years, in New York and Philadelphia, with the no consignees to accept the tea the ships returned to England. Of the four ships bound for Boston on three made it; the Dartmouth, the Beaver and the Eleanor. The fourth ship, the William encountered a storm and was destroyed. The first ship to arrive in Boston Harbor was the Dartmouth. It sailed into the harbor on November 28, 1773. The following day, on the 29th, a printed handbill or flyer, was posted all over town that read, "Friends! Brethren! Countrymen!--That worst of plagues, the detested tea, shipped for this port by the East India Company, is now arrived in the harbor; the hour of destruction, or manly opposition to the machinations of tyranny, stares you in the face. Every friend to his country, to himself and to posterity, is now called upon to meet at Faneuil Hall, at nine o'clock THIS DAY (at which time the bells will ring), to make united and successful resistance to this last, worst, and most destructive measure of administration.” The response was overwhelming and the crowd became so large they had to change the meeting place to the Old South Meeting house. It said that as many as 6,000 colonist from Boston and the surrounding towns showed up for the meeting. At the meeting the crowd voted that the tea should not be accepted and it should be returned to England. They also instructed the ship to moor at Griffin’s Wharf and when the other ships arrived they should moor there as well. At this time 25 men were appointed to watch the ships to make sure that the tea was not unloaded. For the next several weeks meetings were held to reach some sort of an agreement. In the meantime the other two ships arrived in Boston. The Eleanor and Beaver arrived in early December. Though it was decided that the ships leave Boston without unloading the tea the colonial Governor Hutchinson refused to let the ships leave without paying the tax. Incidentally, two the tea consignees were his sons, so naturally he had a vested interest in seeing that the tea was sold. It was upon hearing that ships would not be allowed to leave the decision was made to dump the tea in the harbor. On the morning of December 16th a final plea was sent to Governor Hutchinson. It was refused. Upon hearing that the Governor’s refusal it is reported that Sam Adams declared, “This meeting can do nothing more to save the country.” That evening a group of men boarded the ships and threw 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. The next day, hearing of the event, future president John Adams wrote in his journal, “This destruction of the tea is so bold, so daring, so intrepid and so inflexible, and it must have so important consequences and so lasting that I can’t but consider it an epoch in history.” Today Griffin’s Wharf no longer exists due to massive landfill projects that pushed out Boston’s coastline over the years. However, based on accounts popular opinion is that the location is probably near the intersection of Pearl and Purchase streets in Boston. The official marker is at the corner of Congress and Purchase a block or so away. Other locations to visit in relation to the Boston Tea Party are the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum located on the Congress street bridge. The museum is currently closed for renovation. It is set to reopen in summer 2010. Once re-open you will be able to see full size replicas of the three ships, the Dartmouth, Beaver and Eleanor. Also, of great significance is an actual tea chest from the Boston Tea Party. The chest was retrieved the morning after the tea party by John Robinson. The chest had been passed down for over 200 years before it was finally put on public display at the museum. Also visit the Old South Meeting House at 310 Washington Street. This site was not only used for meetings relating to the tea party but many meetings in the course of the US History. Old South Meeting House - http://www.oldsouthmeetinghouse.org Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum - http://www.bostonteapartyship.com US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistra-20 |
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17. #001 - The Star-Spangled Banner http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 10.92Mb) Description: Perhaps no other words evoke such national pride and love of country than those last few words of our national anthem, “O say does that star spangled banner yet waive, o’re the land of the free and the home of the brave?” The Star-Spangled Banner – today on US History Travecast. Whether that star-spangle banner still waived over Fort McHenry - that was the question. The answer is what inspired is what inspired Francis Scott Key to put pen to paper on the morning of September 14, 1814. The result was a poem, later set to music, that would become our national anthem. The Star Spangled Banner; what is it? Is it a flag? Is it a song? The answer is yes, it is also a national icon. We have to go back a couple of years to understand what led up to Francis Scott Key writing the national anthem. In June of 1812 Congress declared war on Great Britain. The reasons are varied but mostly had to do with the ongoing war between Britain and France. The first three US presidents, Washington, Adams and Jefferson kept the US out of the conflict by maintaining neutrality. Of course Britain thought we should side with them and France thought we should side with them, especially since France had helped during the Revolutionary War, but we remained neutral. Napoleon had barred all trade between Britain and the European continent. In response British ships began seizing US ship to prevent the US from trading with France. Not only did the British seize our ships but they also seized the crews of the US ships and forced them to work on British Navy ships. This impressment of US citizens and the trade restrictions were seen as a violation of the US’ right of neutrality and led to the US declaration of war on June 18, 1812. By the fall of 1814 the war had been going on over 2 years. On August 24, 1814 British troops marched into Washington, D.C. and burned The White House, Library of Congress and the buildings that housed the United States Congress. Now that the nation’s capital had been dealt with the British set their sites on Baltimore. The British planned to attack Baltimore on both land and sea. However, the land attack was halted when US forces killed the commander of the land forces British General Robert Ross. Baltimore now had only to worry about an attack from the sea. Of course at the time the British Navy was the most powerful navy in the world. Baltimore’s defense against a sea attack was Fort McHenry. Preparing for the attack were around 1,000 American soldiers under the command of Major George Armistead. Here’s where the story of the Star-Spangled Banner really starts. In the days leading up to the attack an order was placed for two flags to be made for the fort. A large garrison flag and a smaller storm flag. The flags were made of a combination of cotton and dyed English wool bunting. The flag had 15 horizontal red and white stripes and 15 white stars in a field of blue. At this time in history both a star and a stripe were added when a new state joined the union. It wasn’t until 1818 that only a new star would be added and the stripes were reduced to 13 in honor of the original 13 colonies. The larger flag that would become the now famous Star-Spangled Banner measured 30 feet by 42 feet. This is in the day before sewing machines. This huge flag was sewn by hand. While preparations were underway at Fort McHenry. On September 3, 1814, on a mission approved by President Madison, Francis Scott Key and John S. Skinner set sail from Baltimore on the ship HMS Minden waiving a white flag of truce. Their mission was to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes, a popular Baltimore physician, who had been captured by the British. On September 7th Key and Skinner boarded the HMS Tonnant and were able to secure the release of Beanes. However, plans for the Battle of Baltimore were already under way and Key and Skinner had undoubtedly overhead such plans and they would not be allowed to leave until after the battle was over. This how Key came to be in a ship in Baltimore Harbor and eyewitness to the battle. It was from this vantage point, on the night of September 13, 1814, that Key watched as the British ships rained down Congreve rockets and mortar shells on Fort McHenry. For 25 hours the bombardment continued. While, it is estimated that 1500 to 1800 cannonballs were launched at the fort, damage was minor and there were only 4 American casualties and 24 injured. On the morning of September 14, 1814, from his vantage point on the truce ship, Francis Scott Key saw that “our flag was still there.” So inspired by what he saw Key started writing a poem, originally titled “Defence of Fort McHenry”, that would become our national anthem. It was first published on September 17th, September 20th two newspapers printed the poem with a note “Tune: Anacreon in Heaven”. The song gained popularity and soon it had been printed in over a dozen papers across the country. Though the song remained popular throughout the 19th century and was pretty much the default national anthem it wasn’t until 1931 that it became the official national anthem of the United States of America. That explains the poem and the anthem but what about the flag? The actual flag that flew over Fort McHenry that day became the possession of Major Armistead, though it is known exactly how he came to posses the flag. Though the national anthem had gain national recognition the actual flag was largely unknown outside of Baltimore. Between the War of 1812 and the Civil War the Armistead family allowed the flag to be displayed occasionally for patriotic ceremonies. One such event was the return of the Marquis de LaFayette in 1824. Also, as was customary at the time, pieces of the flag were often given to veterans and other important people. During the Civil War the flag was hidden by the Armistead family and wasn’t seen again by the American public until 1873. It was at this display, in 1873, that the flag was photographed for the first time. It is believed that additional cuttings were given away at this time. In 1878 Major Armistead’s grandson inherited the flag. In 1907 he loaned the flag to the Smithsonian. The loan was largely due to the overwhelming responsibility and care of the historic relic as well as increased requests from people to display it at local events and festivals. In 1912 he made the loan a permanent gift with the condition that the flag always be on display for the public to see and that it never leave the Smithsonian or be loaned out. At this time the flag was almost 100 years old and because of the cuttings, 8 feet shorter and missing one star. In 1914 the Smithsonian took the first step at preserving the flag by having it sewn onto a linen backing. In 1999 a second restoration and cleaning was conducted in full view of the public. In 2008 the flag became the center piece of the National Museum of American History’s remodel. You can see the flag for yourself at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. they are located on the National Mall at 14th Street NW and Madison Drive. They are open everyday except Christmas day from 10am to 7:30pm in the summer and 10am to 6:30pm the rest of the year. Check out their website for specific hours. That link will be in the show notes. You can also visit Fort McHenry, a short drive from Washington, at 2400 E. Fort Ave in Baltimore. The fort is generally open daily, except some holidays, from 8am to 5pm, however there are extended summer hours. While in Baltimore also visit the Flag House and Star-Spangled Banner Museum. This is a 12,600 square feet museum built next to the house, built in 1793, that Mary Pickersgill sewed the flag. On display here is the original receipt Pickersgill received showing she was paid 574.44 for both flags. The museum is located at 844 East Pratt Street in Baltimore. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Finally visit the Maryland Historical Society at 201 W. Monument Street in Baltimore. The original hand-written lyrics to the Star-Spangled Banner are on display there. They are open Wed thru Sat from 10am to 5pm. There is great book, The Star-Spangled Banner: The Making of an American Icon, published in 2008, to mark the re-opening of the National Museum of American History that details the history of the flag and the extraordinary measure the museum has taken to preserve what is arguably the greatest piece of US History. There is a great line in that book I’d like to share with you, “…the Star-Spangled Banner was not a mythical creation of Francis Scott Key’s mind nor was it something of the past that had faded from memory. Instead, visitors can see first hand that the flag described in the national anthem is a real artifact that can still be seen, studied, pondered and appreciated. To me that is the essence of this podcast to talk about all the places and things in American History that can still be seen, studied, pondered and most of all appreciated. National Museum of American History http://americanhistory.si.edu/ Fort McHenry http://www.nps.gov/fomc/ The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House and Museum http://www.flaghouse.org/ Maryland Historical Society http://www.mdhs.org/ Book: The Star-Spangled Banner: The Making of an American Icon http://astore.amazon.com/ushistra-20/detail/0060885629 US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistra-20 |
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18. USHT - Introduction http://www.ushistorytravelcast... download (audio/mp4, 4.73Mb) Description: A quick introduction to the show and what listeners can expect. US History Travelcast Feedback feedback@ushistorytravelcast.com The US History Travelcast Store http://astore.amazon.com/ushistra-20 Podcast Alley Link My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-b6c91451f1d4c6d08f6111aa50d63e4b} |
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