DOCSLIB.ORG

The Image of the American Revolution in the United States, 1815-1860

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Image of the American Revolution in the United States, 1815-1860 Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1972 The mI age of the American Revolution in the United States, 1815-1860. Carolyn Sue Weddington Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Weddington, Carolyn Sue, "The mI age of the American Revolution in the United States, 1815-1860." (1972). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 2257. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/2257 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This dissertation was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections w ith a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation. Silver prints of "photographs" may be ordered at additional charge by writing the Order Department, giving the catalog number, title, author and specific pages you wish reproduced. University Microfilms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor. Michigan 48106 A Xerox Education Company 72 - 28,392 WEDDINGTON, Carolyn Sue, 1941- THE IMAGE OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, 1815-1860. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1972 History, general University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED THE IMAGE OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, 1815-1860 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State university and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of History by Carolyn Sue Weddington B.A., University of Houston, 1963 M.A., University of Houston, 1965 May, 1972 PLEASE NOTE: Some pages may have i nd i st inet print. Filmed as received. University Microfilms, A Xerox Education Company ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to thank Professor R. D. Higginbotham and Professor John L. Loos for their encourage­ ment and cooperation in completing this thesis. The writer is especially grateful for the constructive criticism and cheerful assistance provided by Professor Anne C. Loveland. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................ ii ABSTRACT .............................................. iv Chapter 1. SYMBOL OF UNITY: THE NATIONALIST VIEW OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION................... 1 2. PARAGONS OF VIRTUE: THE HEROES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION........................... 35 3. STRUGGLES FOR LIBERTY: FOREIGN REVOLTS AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION................... 60 4. SECTIONALISM, FACTIONALISM, AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION DURING THE JACKSONIAN ERA ........ 93 5. LUXURY, DISSIPATION, AND EXTRAVAGANCE: THE ^GENERATION OF ANTE-BELLUM SOCIETY........... 124 6. THE QUEST FOR LIBERTY AND EQUALITY: ANTE-BELLUM REFORM AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.................................... 147 7. FALLIBLE HEROES: THE MYTH OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION RECONSIDERED....................... 170 8. J MBOL OF DISUNITY: SECTIONAL VIEWS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1847-1860 ............... 200 BIBLIOGRAPHY.......................................... 242 VITA ................................................... 294 iii ABSTRACT From 1815 to 1860 Americans believed that their goals were to assure the success of their republican experiment and to encourage other countries to adopt governments similar to that of the United States. Furthermore, citizens contended that perpetuation of the republic depended upon preservation of the Union, maintenance of a virtuous popula­ tion, and demonstration of gratitude toward the Founding Fathers. While attempting to accomplish these objectives, Americans were controlled by the nineteenth-century theory of history— philosophy teaching by example. The primary function of history was didactic; a study of the past would inculcate loyalty and patriotism to the nation. On the personal level, historical figures should be emulated in order to instill in individuals the virtues of self-reliance, perseverance, industry, piety, consistency, benevolence, and disinterestedness. A virtuous population would put the good of the nation above all other considerations thereby assuring the perpetuation of the Union. When other nations saw how prosperous and happy Americans were, they would more readily imitate the government of the United States. Given the goals of Americans and the prevailing philosophy of history, it is not surprising that citizens turned to their Revolutionary history, for the War of iv Independence was the first common experience of the American people. According to nineteenth-century citizens, the Revo­ lution proved that the Union was essential for overcoming adversity, and the Constitution represented the written foundation of the Union. A generation that produced the cornerstones of American government— the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution— consisted of heroes who were certainly worthy of emulation. Venerating their fathers, citizens believed that they were contributing to their own patriotism by imitating the virtues of their ancestors. To most Americans of the nineteenth century, the Revolution represented the ideal by which they judged them­ selves as well as others. Though they became disillusioned when foreign upheavals failed to produce republican govern­ ments, Americans felt even more determined to carry on the work of the Founding Fathers. Constantly looking to the past for guidance, most citizens began to wonder if they themselves were living up to the standards of the Revolu­ tionary generation. Other Americans, however, began to question the popular image of the Revolutionary heroes by emphasizing unsavory aspects of the War of Independence. At the time that citizens were looking to the past, the United States itself was undergoing a transition from a simple agrarian nation to an economically complex one. Despite the changes in economics, politics, attitudes, and values, most Americans continued to use the Revolutionary v generation as the standard of measurement. When problems of tariff, banking, reforms, slavery, and territorial expansion were discussed, both opponents and supporters of particular policies used some aspect of Revolutionary history to justify their positions. Because the Revolution itself was a complex event, the War of Independence ironically became another sectional issue that widened the gulf between North and South. Rather than discussing the validity of the views of the war, this study analyzes the image of the Revolution found in histories, biographies, fiction, orations, journals, and congressional debates. An attempt is made to relate the image of the Revolution to contemporary events and issues between 1815, a year that marked a resurgence of nationalism, and 1860 when the Union divided along sectional lines. vi Chapter 1 SYMBOL OF UNITY: THE NATIONALIST VIEW OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION During the first half of the nineteenth century, Americans devoted much attention to the Revolution, and especially to the reasons for that conflict. Living in a new republic still on trial and concerned about their national identity, citizens believed that they must justify their nation to themselves as well as others. A sense of self-justification could be found by reciting the causes of the American Revolution, an event that resulted in the birth of the nation.^- Furthermore, Americans maintained that perpetuation of the Union depended in part upon loyalty to the nation; in turn, allegiance to the nation could not exist until citizens were familiar with the origin of their country. Because Americans believed that a knowledge of the War of Independence was essential for preserving the republic, orators,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • New York Chamber of Commerce, Members 1768-75, and 1779-83
    1 New York chamber of commerce, Members 1768-75, and 1779-83. Sources: Directories; Stevens, J. A. (1867), Colonial records of the New York chamber of commerce 1768-1784 (New York: John Trow), 2 vols.; Bishop, J. B. (1918) A chronicle of one hundred and fifty years: the chamber of commerce of the State of New York (New York: Charles Scribner). • Membership was 69 in the first year, about 109 in 1773, of which about 104 were still active in 1774. Directories state the membership was ‘about 90’ in 1775 and 1776 (Gaine’s Register). See R. J. Bennett (2011) Local Business Voice, pp. 132-43, 683-5. • Business details in period 1768-83; ptnr = formal business partner. • Note there are many vendue masters (an American term, from Dutch); these have been rephrased as auctioneers, though it seems likely that many were dealers in used goods as much as auctioneers. Officers - P: President; VP: Vice President; T: Treasurer; S: Secretary. Members 1768-74: names in italics are those elected in the first year of the chamber 1768-9. Name Office Birth/death Business Alexander, Robert c. 1745- Ptnr with Thompson; Importers beer, Irish beef, wine Allicocke, Joseph c. 1733- Merchant, wine spirits Alsop, John T: 1773-4 c. 1720-94 General imports VP: 1774-6 Amiel, John General groceries Bache, Theophylacte T: 1770-1 1735-1807 Imports Europe and India, shipowner, owned land VP: 1771-3 with Chas. McEvers and Young P: 1773-4 VP: 1788-92 Bayard, Samuel Imports Europe and India Bayard, William 1729- Sugar refiner, distilling; govt.
    [Show full text]
  • Information to Users
    INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University M crct. rrs it'terrjt onai A Be" 4 Howe1 ir”?r'"a! Cor"ear-, J00 Norte CeeD Road App Artjor mi 4 6 ‘Og ' 346 USA 3 13 761-4’00 600 sC -0600 Order Number 9238197 Selected literary letters of Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, 1842-1853 Hurst, Nancy Luanne Jenkins, Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Alexander Hill Everett, Ou L'artisan Américain D'une Identité Cubaine
    Alexander Hill Everett, ou l’artisan américain d’une identité cubaine. (Axe IV, Symposium 16) Rahma Jerad To cite this version: Rahma Jerad. Alexander Hill Everett, ou l’artisan américain d’une identité cubaine. (Axe IV, Sympo- sium 16). Independencias - Dependencias - Interdependencias, VI Congreso CEISAL 2010, Jun 2010, Toulouse, France. halshs-00502328 HAL Id: halshs-00502328 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-00502328 Submitted on 20 Jul 2010 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Rahma Jerad Université Paris I – Panthéon Sorbonne/ LARCA CEISAL « Dépendances, Indépendances, Interdépendances » Alexander Hill Everett, ou l'artisan américain d'une identité cubaine Résumé: A partir du dix-huitième siècle, pour des raisons idéologiques, stratégiques et économiques, l'île de Cuba était dans la ligne de mire de la jeune république américaine, dont les dirigeants et la population rêvaient d'étendre le territoire sur le continent et au-delà. Les Etats-Unis ont usé nombre de stratagèmes pour devenir les heureux propriétaires de ce splendide joyau, des propositions d'achat aux pressions diplomatiques pour en éloigner les grandes puissances européennes en passant par les campagnes de propagande dans la presse.
    [Show full text]
  • (1826-1846) / Salvador García
    Salvador García Castañeda Presencia de Washington Irving y otros norteamericanos en la España Romántica (1826-1846) Boletín de la Biblioteca de Menéndez Pelayo. LXXXVII, 2011, 113-126 PRESENCIA DE WASHINGTON IRVING Y OTROS NORTEAMERICANOS EN LA ESPAÑA ROMÁNTICA (1826-1846)* ashington Irving es el representante más destacado, y el más conocido entre nos- otros, de la atracción que ejerció España sobre un considerable grupo de norte- Wamericanos quienes a lo largo del siglo XIX dejaron profunda huella de sus experiencias en la cultura de su país. Una huella manifiesta en libros de viajes, en traba- jos históricos y literarios, en la creación de bibliotecas y de colecciones de obras de arte, en el extraordinario auge de los estudios universitarios de la lengua, la cultura y la litera- tura españolas en los Estados Unidos y, finalmente, en difundir el conocimiento de España en aquel país. Esta conferencia tiene el carácter de una visión de conjunto pues me pro- pongo referirme a temas tan amplios como el magisterio y huella de Washington Irving y otros hispanófilos norteamericanos de la primera mitad del XIX sobre la literatura de su país en el momento de transición de la Ilustración al Romanticismo, así como a su deci- siva influencia sobre la difusión de los estudios universitarios del español en los Estados Unidos. Me he marcado tentativamente las fechas de 1826 a 1846 por ser respectivamente la de la primera visita a España del Washington Irving autor de Los cuentos de la Alham- bra, y la de la última como representante diplomático de su país. En aquellos años la vida cultural, política y económica norteamericana estaba con- centrada principalmente en Nueva Inglaterra, al Este del país, y principalmente en Fila- delfia, que fue la primera capital de los Estados Unidos, en Boston y en Nueva York.
    [Show full text]
  • The Invisible Woman and the Silent University
    The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Dissertations Spring 5-2012 The Invisible Woman and the Silent University Elizabeth Robinson Cole University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations Part of the Adult and Continuing Education Administration Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, History of Gender Commons, Online and Distance Education Commons, Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons, United States History Commons, and the Women's History Commons Recommended Citation Cole, Elizabeth Robinson, "The Invisible Woman and the Silent University" (2012). Dissertations. 538. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/538 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The University of Southern Mississippi THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AND THE SILENT UNIVERSITY by Elizabeth Robinson Cole Abstract of a Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2012 ABSTRACT THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AND THE SILENT UNIVERSITY by Elizabeth Robinson Cole May 2012 Anna Eliot Ticknor (1823 – 1896) founded the first correspondence school in the United States, the Society to Encourage Studies at Home. In the fall of 1873 an educational movement was quietly initiated from her home in Boston, Massachusetts. A politically and socially sophisticated leader, she recognized the need that women felt for continuing education and understood how to offer the opportunity within the parameters afforded women of nineteenth century America.
    [Show full text]
  • Wedge-Issue Dynamics and Party Position Shifts: Chinese Exclusion
    Article Party Politics 17(6) 823–847 Wedge-issue dynamics ª The Author(s) 2010 Reprints and permission: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav and party position shifts: DOI: 10.1177/1354068810376184 Chinese exclusion ppq.sagepub.com debates in the post-Reconstruction US Congress, 1879–1882 Jungkun Seo University of North Carolina, Wilmington, USA Abstract Even when the stakes of party-building are high, political parties often find their members divided over a key policy position. In post-Reconstruction America, the hot-button issue of excluding Chinese immigrant workers strengthened Democratic cohesion while splitting the ‘party of Lincoln’. Previous research has not completely investigated the role of party competition and cohesiveness in paving the way for passage of the Chinese exclusion laws. In this investigation of the legislative politics of banning the Chinese from 1879 to 1882, it is found that cross-pressured members sometimes facilitate party transformation. The evidence demonstrates that partisan responses to potential wedge issues are a previously unnoticed source of explanation of eventual party position changes. Keywords Chinese exclusion laws, party position change, rank-and-file members, wedge issue Paper submitted 4 June 2009; accepted for publication 15 September 2009 Corresponding author: Jungkun Seo, Department of Public and International Affairs, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA. Email: [email protected] 823 824 Party Politics 17(6) ‘Ought we to exclude them? The question lies in my mind thus; either the Anglo Saxon race will possess the Pacific slope or the Mongolians will possess it. We have this day to choose ... whether our legislation shall be in the interest of the American free laborer or for the servile laborer from China.’ Senator James G.
    [Show full text]
  • About Women/Loyalists/Patriot
    CK_4_TH_HG_P087_242.QXD 10/6/05 9:02 AM Page 183 Teaching Idea Encourage students to practice read- ing parts of the Declaration of Independence and possibly even Women in the Revolution memorize the famous second section. “Remember the ladies,” wrote Abigail Adams to her husband, John, who was attending the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. While the delegates did not name women in the Declaration of Independence, the “ladies” worked hard for independence. The Daughters of Liberty wove cloth and sewed clothing for the Continental army. Before the war, they had boycotted British imports, including Teaching Idea tea and cloth. The success of these boycotts depended on the support of women, Some women acted as spies during who were responsible for producing most of the household goods. the Revolutionary War. Have students Phillis Wheatley was born in Africa, kidnapped by slavers when she was make invisible ink for getting mes- about seven or eight, and brought to North America. John Wheatley, a rich Boston sages back and forth across enemy merchant, bought her as a servant. His wife, Susannah, taught Wheatley to read lines. For each student, you will need: and write, and she began composing poems as a teenager. Her first book of poet- 4 drops of onion juice, 4 drops of ry was published in London in 1773. The Revolution moved her deeply because lemon juice, a pinch of sugar in a of her own position as a slave, and she composed several poems with patriotic plastic cup, a toothpick to be used as themes, such as “On the Affray [Fighting] in King Street on the Evening of the a writing instrument, and a lamp with 5th of March 1770,” which commemorates the Boston Massacre, and one about an exposed lightbulb.
    [Show full text]
  • Anson Burlingame: Diplomat, Orator
    Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research Volume 7 Number 2 JAAER Winter 1997 Article 4 Winter 1997 Anson Burlingame: Diplomat, Orator Tim Brady [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.erau.edu/jaaer Scholarly Commons Citation Brady, T. (1997). Anson Burlingame: Diplomat, Orator. Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research, 7(2). Retrieved from https://commons.erau.edu/jaaer/vol7/iss2/4 This Forum is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Brady: Anson Burlingame: Diplomat, Orator FORUM ANSON BURLINGAME: DIPLOMAT, ORATOR Tim Brady Like a previous article titled "Cross-Cultural Underpinnings of the Taiping Rebellion: Potential Modem Applications" (Brady, 1993), this article too is somewhat out of step with the mainstream of information normally presented in JAAER, but in this author's opinion it is an important deviation. Why? Because it looks into the essential character of an important civilization that we know very little about, the Chinese, and it provides a glimpse of what happened in the past when our two cultures came into significant contact. The relevance of this paper to aviation is that it posts warning signs as to what can happen if we are not properly prepared to deal with that great civilization on terms that are mutually beneficial. As reported in Aviation Week and Space Technology, China is expected to have the highest growth in air traffic of all Asian countries in the firsthalf of the next decade (Mecham, 1993).
    [Show full text]
  • Who Has the 2 President of the United States?
    I have Benjamin Franklin. I have Paul Revere. I have the first card. Who has a prominent member of the Continental Congress Benjamin Franklin was a prominent that helped with the member of the Continental Declaration of Congress, who helped with the Paul Revere was a Patriot who Declaration of Independence. warned the British were coming. Independence? Who has a patriot who made a daring ride to warn Who has the ruler who colonists of British soldier’s taxed on the colonies? arriving? I have King George III I have the Daughters of Liberty. I have Loyalist. Loyalists were colonists who remained loyal to England King George III taxed the during the Revolutionary The Daughters of Liberty spun colonies. period. Who has the group that cloth in support or the boycott of English goods. Who has the group formed included Martha Washington Who has the term for a in response to the Stamp that spun cloth to support colonist that remained loyal to Act, which is responsible for the boycott of English England? the Boston Tea Party? goods? I have the Sons of Liberty. I have Nathan Hale. I have Patriot. The Sons of Liberty were formed in response to the Stamp Act. Nathan Hale was a Patriot spy that Patriots were in favor of They were responsible for the was hung by the British. independence from England. Boston Tea Party. Who has the American Who has the term for a nd colonist in favor of Who has the 2 spy who was hung by independence from president of the the British? England? United States? I have the John Adams.
    [Show full text]
  • Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
    M ARTIN VAN BUREN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY, 1974-2006 SUZANNE JULIN NATIONAL PARK SERVICE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NORTHEAST REGION HISTORY PROGRAM JULY 2011 i Cover Illustration: Exterior Restoration of Lindenwald, c. 1980. Source: Martin Van Buren National Historic Site ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations vii Acknowledgements ix Introduction 1 Chapter One: Recognizing Lindenwald: The Establishment Of Martin Van Buren National Historic Site 5 Chapter Two: Toward 1982: The Race To The Van Buren Bicentennial 27 Chapter Three: Saving Lindenwald: Restoration, Preservation, Collections, and Planning, 1982-1987 55 Chapter Four: Finding Space: Facilities And Boundaries, 1982-1991 73 Chapter Five: Interpreting Martin Van Buren And Lindenwald, 1980-2000 93 Chapter Six: Finding Compromises: New Facilities And The Protection of Lindenwald, 1992-2006 111 Chapter Seven: New Possibilities: Planning, Interpretation and Boundary Expansion 2000-2006 127 Conclusion: Martin Van Buren National Historic Site Administrative History 143 Appendixes: Appendix A: Martin Van Buren National Historic Site Visitation, 1977-2005 145 Appendix B: Martin Van Buren National Historic Site Staffi ng 147 Appendix C: Martin Van Buren National Historic Site Studies, Reports, And Planning Documents 1936-2006 151 Bibliography 153 Index 159 v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1.1. Location of MAVA on Route 9H in Kinderhook, NY Figure 1.2. Portrait of the young Martin Van Buren by Henry Inman, circa 1840 Library of Congress Figure 1.3. Photograph of the elderly Martin Van Buren, between 1840 and 1862 Library of Congress Figure 1.4. James Leath and John Watson of the Columbia County Historical Society Photograph MAVA Collection Figure 2.1.
    [Show full text]
  • The British Surrender Their Armies to General Washington After Their Defeat at Your Town in Virginia, Octorber 1781
    Library of Congress Figure 1: The British surrender their Armies to General Washington after their defeat at Your Town in Virginia, Octorber 1781. 48 ARLINGTON 1-IISTORICA L MAGAZINE The Arlington House Engravings of the British Surrender at Yorktown: Too Often Overlooked? BY DEAN A. DEROSA In the morning room and in the second-floor hall ofArlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial (the US National Park Service historical site on the grounds ofArlington National Cemetery), hang two framed engravings, entitled "The British Surrendering their Arms to Gen. Washington after their Defeat at Yorktown in Virginia, October 1781." The two art pieces, first published in 1819, are drawn by John Francis Renault and engraved by Tanner, Vallance, Kearny & Co. The morning room engraving is in color, while the second floor engraving is inscribed in black ink (Figure 1). The caption at the base of the two engravings reads, "To the defenders of American independence, this print is most respectfully inscribed by their fellow citizen, Jn. Fcis. Renault, assistant secretary to the Count de Grass, and engineer to the French Army, at the siege of York." Thus, the twin engravings are drawn by a participant in the Siege of Yorktown, if not also a witness to the historic British surrender and subsequent surrender ceremony, which for all intents and purposes ended major hostilities during the American Revolution. The allegorical background of the engravings depicts not only the field upon which the British, Continental, and French armies stood during the sur­ render ceremony, but also a number of classical images and symbols of human discord, victory, and liberty, described in an 1804 prospectus apparently in reference to an early, circa 1810-1815 version of the Renault drawing (Figure 2) upon which the published engraving would eventually be based, that are largely lost upon us today.
    [Show full text]
  • Original Guide to the Collection
    This document is from the Cornell University Library's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections located in the Carl A. Kroch Library. If you have questions regarding this document or the information it contains, contact us at the phone number or e-mail listed below. Our website also contains research information and answers to frequently asked questions. http://rmc.library.cornell.edu Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 Phone: (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524 E-mail: [email protected] Arc. SHTZT FOR P.':?EES DESCRlqED IN i958-1962 R~~ort. .# 4 N. Y. S. Canal Gomlisaioner, 1 P21-18'+0; Governor, 18b3-1844, liest? papers pertah largely to William Bouckk poLitical career and include appointment papers and other official documents concernjng his senrice as sheriff, assemblyman, ~ndpostmaster; letters ( 1812-1819) concerning his duties as sheriff and the revision of regulations governing thF) militia; also, considerahre corres&oondenceand related papers dealing with flew Pork State canals, especially ~5th respect to Bouckts position on the Canal ComA.ssion, and '.WE-Democratic party struggles as they related to the canal system (1839-181cO). Also, incoming correspondence and copies of %ouckls letters concerning local, state, and national walit;5cs (1812-189), and prfson and meat fnspection regulation in Hew York State; considerable material pertaining to the sale of lands in Schoharie Cmtyand adjacent areas (1727-1858); and papers relating to &uckfs Wisconsin land investments (184-1) , his position as Assistant V.S. Treasurer at New York City (184G1849); 2nd psrscnal and family busj~ess.
    [Show full text]