Revolt, Religion, and Dissent in the Dutch-American Atlantic: Francis

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ASU Digital Repository Revolt, Religion, and Dissent in the Dutch-American Atlantic: Francis Adrian van der Kemp's Pursuit of Civil and Religious Liberty by Peter Van Cleave A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Approved April 2014 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: Catherine O'Donnell, Chair Jack Schermerhorn Johnson Wright ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY May 2014 ABSTRACT This project explores the histories of the Dutch Republic and the United States during the Age of Revolutions, using as a lens the life of Francis Adrian van der Kemp. Connections between the Netherlands and the United States have been understudied in histories of the Revolutionary Atlantic. Yet the nations’ political and religious histories are entwined both thematically and practically. Van der Kemp’s life makes it possible to examine republicanism and liberal religion anew, as they developed and changed during the era of Atlantic revolutions. The project draws on numerous archival collections that house van der Kemp’s voluminous correspondence, political and religious writings, his autobiography, and the unpublished records of the Reformed Christian Church, now the Unitarian Church of Barneveld. With his activity in both countries, van der Kemp offers a unique perspective into the continued role of the Dutch in the development of the United States. The dissertation argues that the political divisions and incomplete religious freedom that frustrated van der Kemp in the Dutch Republic similarly manifested in America. Politically, the partisanship that became the hallmark of the early American republic echoed the experiences van der Kemp had during the Patriot Revolt. While parties would eventually stabilize radical politics, the collapse of the Dutch Republic in the Atlantic world and the divisiveness of American politics in those early decades, led van der Kemp to blunt his once radically democratic opinions. Heavily influenced by John Adams, he adopted a more conservative politics of balance that guaranteed religious and civil liberty regardless of governmental structure. i In the realm of religion, van der Kemp discovered that American religious freedom reflected the same begrudging acceptance that constituted Dutch religious tolerance. Van der Kemp found that even in one of the most pluralistic states, New York, his belief in the unlimited liberty of conscience remained a dissenting opinion. The democracy and individualism celebrated in early American politics were controversial in religion, given the growing authority of denominations and hierarchical church institutions. ii DEDICATION To Kacie iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of my advisor, Catherine O’Donnell. Though she probably does not remember, she supported my studies when I was contemplating a dissertation on the literature and the history of the American Southwest. Always possessing a deep interest in early American history and the Atlantic world, I decided it would be better for both of us if I moved away from Western history and have been infinitely better for it. Dr. O’Donnell’s kindness and generous support are notorious qualities in the department as testified by the constant visitors, both faculty and students, to her office. I am grateful for her guidance and judicious editing. I would also like to thank the other members of my committee, Kent Wright and Calvin Schermerhorn. Both Dr. Wright and Dr. Schermerhorn have constantly been supportive of the project, often envisioning consequences of van der Kemp’s life that had not occurred to me. I thank them not only for their comments of my project, but also for being exemplary historians and providing examples of the historian I wish to be. The dissertation benefitted from several grants and fellowships. The Wallace Adams Travel Award allowed an initial trip to the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society and helped convince me that van der Kemp was indeed a subject worthy of study. I want to issue special thanks to Cynthia Van Ness for directing me to the microfilmed Van der Kemp Papers held by the Society. The History Doctoral Summer Research Fellowship from the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies funded the majority of my research and one busy summer visiting the New York State Library, New York State Archives, Oneida County Historical Society, Herkimer County iv Historical Society, Lorenzo State Historic Site, Barneveld Free Library, Columbia University Rare Books and Manuscript Library, New York Public Library, New-York Historical Society, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. I am deeply indebted to the staffs and research librarians at all of these institutions. In particular, I want to thank Brian Howard and Gerry Showalter at Oneida for graciously working with my copy requests and making it a manageable process. Central to the chapters on van der Kemp’s religion activities in the United States were the records of the Unitarian Church of Barneveld. The Church was gracious in their support of my project. Discussing the project with members of the Church from the earliest stages of the project helped focus the chapters on the Church. Importantly, it also helped me to see the ways that what I was writing about still mattered a great deal. Nadine Thomas not only housed me for a week to look through the documents, but she also shared her love of history and interest in van der Kemp and the life of the Church. I am only writing a brief history of the Church, but Nadine has kept the history of the Church alive through her care and passion. I am forever indebted to all of her assistance. Much of my research came from the Microfilm Edition of the Adams Papers, so I must thank the Massachusetts Historical Society for their diligent work in the Adams Papers. My access to those papers, however, would not have been possible without the saving help of Arizona State University’s Interlibrary Loan Staff, specifically William Fiscus, Roberta Rosenberg, and Danielle Schumacher, who helped me navigate the surprisingly treacherous adventure of getting the microfilm out of Tucson and to Tempe. The completion of this dissertation would have been less likely without the benefit of the Graduate College Completion Fellowship. v The ability to take a leave from teaching and spend the year reading and writing gave me the necessary time to complete the dissertation. My graduate career has been enriched by the supportive faculty as well as the congenial community created by the graduate students. The initial support for graduate school came from my professors at Culver-Stockton College. Patrick Hotle, Jeff Crane, Steven Long, Scott Giltner, Ron Stormer, and Lee Hammer first instilled my passion for history and scholarship. At Arizona State, all of my interactions with the faculty have been positive, but I want to single out the efforts of Brian Gratton, Arturo Rosales, Peter Iverson, Victoria Thompson, and James Rush. Also the work of staff members such as Norma Villa and Martha McDowell has made navigating the nonacademic portions of graduate school manageable. Blake Jones, Lance and Lauren Ingwersen, Adam Tompkins, Cody Ferguson, Paul Kuenker, Morgan Hoodenpyle, Karl Snyder, Rio Hartwell, and Aaron Bae have all made my work better, and a special thanks to Yan Mann and his family for housing me during my research trip to New York. For all of her efforts in discussing scholarship and commiserating about our apparently singular trepidation about our teaching, Brianna Theobald deserves particular thanks. Finally, I must give unending thanks to my family. No fellow graduate student and early Americanist has been more influential on my scholarship and graduate career than Royce Gildersleeve. Our discussions about historical matters and otherwise have been one of the best additions to my life after moving to Arizona. I thank him and his wife Lindsey for first welcoming me to Tempe and for always being hospitable and gracious with their time. I am honored to be Michael’s godfather and forever place the Gildersleeves in my extended family. Also in that number are the members of my vi Arizona family. Shannon and Delaney Mann, Sara and Randy Aguiar, Dustin Long, Alyson Bill, Josiah Martin, and Jonathan Gorter have made nonacademic life in Arizona a terrific experience. The text messages from Jay Hammel, Rob Hammel, and Brice Cox, though surprising in frequency, always bring a smile. Brendan Mann and Kellen Craig are my lifelong friends and forever will hold a singular place in any list of acknowledgements. Incredibly supportive of this project while not always understanding its contours have been all of the Van Cleaves and Stouts. Thanks to Kelli, Shawn, and Mason Alexander for giving us a reprieve from the heat of Phoenix and for many other things, to Sean, Tiffany, Jesse, and Jake Stephens always offering encouragement and inspiration, and to Roger, Rhonda, Kelsey, and Michael Stout for all that they do. Of course, I must set apart appreciation for my parents, Harold and Brenda, for providing unending support for my career and for always offering their concern. My wife, Kacie, has always deserved her own paragraph. No carefully selected words can express the depth of my love and thanks. But that will never stop me from trying. As we began multiple new paths in our life, I treasure the fact that we begin them together.

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