Professor Joanne Freeman Speaks on the History of Violence in American

THE η ρωμη και το καλον Vol. CXXXIX No. 16 AWRENCENovember 8, 2019 thelawrence.org L Professor Joanne Freeman Speaks on the School Holds Annual Run for Color to Support WSA History of Violence in American Politics ISABELLE LEE ’21 was certainly to incentivize stu- OPINIONS ASSOCIATE dents to become more aware of the cause, Jason Larson added that Students and faculty members another aim was to “introduce Ella gathered to participate in or vol- to the Lawrenceville community unteer to help run the sixth annual and inspire some of the brightest Run for Color last Sunday. The young minds to work in the field event was organized by Head Ath- of medicine, particularly pediatric letic Trainer Jason Larson H’03 ’19, genetics or pediatric cardiopulmo- Assistant Dean of Students Emilie nary in the future.” He hopes that Kosoff H’88 ’96 ’00 ’18 P’19, and someday, a Lawrentian will invest Student Council Community Ser- in the branch of scientific research vice Representative Lauren Recto to help discover a cure to Williams ’20. Due to inclement weather, the Syndrome. course of the run was changed to The event began with a speech the Green Field, with participants given by Jason Larson, who then gathering in the Irwin Dining handed over the podium to Monk- Center. Runners were still invited aba. She spoke on behalf of her son, to enjoy a variety of refreshments who is also diagnosed with Wil- and could purchase merchandise, liams Syndrome, and shared his Freeman addressed the School community, discussing her findings on the history Courtesy of The Lawrenceville School including socks, shirts, sweatshirts, story with the community. Follow- of violence in the United States government through the Weeden lecture series. and more. ing her address, runners gathered at the start of the course as student CHRISTINE CHENG ’21 multiple different primary sources to the House and Senate.” “I think the event is a way for volunteers prepared to throw color. NEWS ASSOCIATE uncover the untold stories. Freeman Drawing from Hamilton’s first Lawrentians to come together and support a very special member of Ella, who had always sat on her fa- Joanne Freeman, author and a attributes the lack of publicized vio- Federalist essay, Freeman added, our community. A lot of times what ther’s shoulders in previous years, professor of history and American lence during that time period to the “Most nations are founded based on we do in community service—both participated in the run for the first studies at Yale University, addressed partisan press. According to Freeman, accident and force, but the Americans in direct service and fundraising— time. members of the Lawrenceville com- writers would “check their notes with were trying something different. They is to help organizations and people Reflecting on the event, par- munity at 7:00 PM last Thursday as congressmen before publishing them were trying very deliberately to create outside the gates of Lawrenceville; ticularly regarding the last-minute part of the annual Weeden Lecture in partisan newspapers. Objective a government through a process of so, this is a way to help someone changes as a result of the weather, series. As a leading scholar on Al- news was not a goal at this point in reflection and choice, and they as- within our community,” Direc- Recto said. “I think that the Com- exander Hamilton and the political time because it was in the interest sumed that during moments of crisis tor of Community Service Rachel munity Service Council and the culture of the early national periods in of the reporter to make their party’s the constitutional process, grounded Cantlay P’07 ’09 ’11 said. Housemasters were really an inte- American history, Freeman focused congressmen look good.” on debate and compromise, would be The Run for Color was initially gral part of making this year’s event her lecture on her 2018 book, The When researching, the most valu- the key to national survival.” Hence, started in honor of Ella Larson, a success because being in commu- Field of Blood: Violence in Congress able sources of information for Free- for many politicians, this violence who is the daughter of Jason Lar- nication with them allowed us to and the Road to Civil War, which tells man were letters written by congress- came from the anxiety from the son and Director of Nursing Amy reach underclassmen and encour- the previously largely untold story of men to their wives, through which she desperate desire for this “experiment” Larson, with the proceeds of the age students to attend.” physical violence in Congress in the learned about the power dynamics in to succeed. event going towards The Williams Reflecting on her first Run for decades leading up to the Civil War. Congress. She found that the House After struggling to find a format Syndrome Association (WSA). Color at Lawrenceville, Quincy Freeman began her lecture by was often much more violent than to convey her story, Freeman finally Over the past few years, the School Leung ’22 said, “I thought it was a introducing one commonly known the Senate. While Senators typically decided to use documents from Ben- has raised over $30,000, a contribu- very unique experience, especially incident of violence in Congress, challenged one another to duels, there jamin Brown French, a clerk in the tion that has inspired the Executive because we did the run in the rain. the caning of abolitionist senator were cases of knives and pistols drawn House, allowing readers to track con- Director of WSA, Terry Monkaba, Since this is supporting a good Charles Sumner in 1856. Freeman in the House. gressional violence through his eyes. to travel from the association’s cause, I wanted to show that our received the inspiration of her book’s Freeman went on to discuss two An acquaintance of 12 consecutive headquarters in Michigan and at- community cares for Ella and those title—The Field of Blood: Violence groups of newcomers in Congress: presidents, French had kept a diligent tend this year’s run. who are diagnosed with Williams in Congress and the Road to Civil fighting men and noncombatants. diary and had personally witnessed While one purpose of the event Syndrome.” War—from one of Sumner’s friends’ “These fighting men tended to be many famous events throughout description of the event: “Blood armed Southerners, who favored American history. would flow—somebody’s blood, man-to-man combat, while the Freeman used French’s recount- before the expiration of your present noncombatants tended to be North- ings of these events to “explore session on that field of blood, the floor erners… As a result, Southerners the emotional logic of disunion, of Congress.” bullied Northerners in Congress to the ground level process by which Continuing to expand on the protect the instituation of slavery Americans turn on each other to the prevalent violence within the House through insults, assualts, and threats point of violence.” of Representatives and the Senate, to intimidate them into complicance Reflecting on the importance of Freeman revealed that there had or silence,” she explained. her findings, Freeman concluded, “It’s been more than 70 violent incidents As the debate over slavery and po- a story about extreme polarization, between congressmen from 1830 to litical polarization heightened in the conflicting visions the kind of nation 1860. She guessed that around 10 1850s, the invention of the telegraph the United States will be, splintering percent of a given House was likely changed American politics by con- political parties, new technologies to be physically violent, including necting politicians and the American complicating the conversation of pol- instances of “canes, shoving, fist fights, public in new ways. itics, and about widespread distrust in people pulling knives and guns on Rallied on by the American pub- national political institutions.” each other, duels, wild melees, and lic, both Northern and Southern On Freeman’s lecture, Chelsea street fights.” congressmen engaged in violence, Wang ’21 said, “[Freeman] had very Most of the violence was censored creating “an endless loop of sectional good stage presence, and I found it Students participate in Run for Courtesy of The Lawrenceville School strife as congressmen rallied cries to really interesting how she was able to out of the period’s congressional Color in honor of Ella Larson. record, so Freeman investigated their constituents from the floor of animate the history she talked about.” By Listening We A New Take on Lawrenceville Learn Cubism Defeats Hun Panos Vandris ’17 reflects Angel Zhang ’22 analyzes Jack Hallinan ’21 outlines on his journey to humil- Jean Metzinger’s Tea Time. Varsity Girls and Boys ity through Harkness. soccer’s performance against Hun. Page 2 Page 6 Page 7 The Lawrence - Page 2 Opinions November 8, 2019 TClass of HE1968 Fund in Honor L of EdwardAWRENCE A. Robbins H’68 ’69 ’71 - Nicholas G. Ifft ’ 44 Fund - The Princeton Packet Fund (Denise L. and James B. Kilgore ’66) - Michael S. Chae ’86 Editorial Jefferey Cai Editor-in-Chief Fake News Around the Harkness Table his past Tuesday, Novem- with and disregard contrary infor- stalemates between two obstinate Shriya Annamaneni ber 5th, was Election Day mation. This new flood of informa- student groups, as participants re- Managing Editor in New Jersey. As IV and V tion has made it easier for people fused to recognize the validity of Gabriel Gaw Formers register to vote in the 2020 to select and believe the “news” they viewpoints other than their own. Anika Bagaria Eric Zhu Eric Morais primariesT and general election, they News Editor Opinions Editor Sports Editors agree with. Today, we find ourselves Around the table, the implications have a civic duty to vote based on in a situation where not only do of campus “fake news” become anal- Deven Kinney Shreya Kumar well-informed opinion.

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