University of Mississippi eGrove Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 1-1-2017 Revolutionary fathers: Republican fatherhood and the American Revolution and early republic 1763-1814 Travis Jaquess Jaquess University of Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Jaquess, Travis Jaquess, "Revolutionary fathers: Republican fatherhood and the American Revolution and early republic 1763-1814" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1423. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1423 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at eGrove. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of eGrove. For more information, please contact [email protected]. REVOLUTIONARY FATHERS: REPUBLICAN FATHERHOOD AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND EARLY REPUBLIC 1763-1814 A Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in the Arch Dalrymple III Department of History The University of Mississippi by TRAVIS DON JAQUESS May 2017 Dissertation Committee John Neff, Chair of the Committee Sheila Skemp Ted Ownby Elise S. Lake Copyright Travis D. Jaquess 2017 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT This dissertation examines American fathers in the eighteenth century and argues that the American Revolution, both the war itself and the ideology it created, affected attitudes towards and practices of fatherhood. Historians have characterized the father/son relationship in the Revolutionary period as one of filial rebellion against their patriarchal fathers. My work finds, conversely, that because of their experience in the Revolution, ideas such as liberty and equality which spread throughout the colonies, and additional opportunities available to industrious young men due to national independence, fathers actively prepared their sons for an independent life free from patronage, massive inheritances, and the paternal protection which pre- Revolutionary fathers had offered their sons. Fathers throughout the thirteen colonies instilled into their children republican virtues such as self-sacrifice, independence, the value of education, and a sense of the public good, so that their sons could perform their duties as male citizens of a republic. I contend, moreover, that these values radically changed the way fathers and sons understood their relationship and their view of the world. These changes in fatherhood did not originate with the Revolution but were part of a longer historical movement which included the writings of John Locke, desacralization, subtle changes in the family economy, and a rise in individualism. It is my assertion, however, that the Revolution highlighted and accelerated these forces of change. ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my grandmother, Ann Kelley who first taught me to love history. I have been forever changed by her passion for American History and her gift for storytelling. For one who was never able to become the teacher she wanted to be, this dissertation is yours. iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS AEDM Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland CHS Connecticut Historical Society HLUA Harvard Library University Archives HSP Historical Society of Pennsylvania LCP Library Company of Philadelphia MA Mississippi Archives MHS Massachusetts Historical Society RL Rubenstein Library at Duke University SHC Southern Historical Collection at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I owe a massive debt of appreciate to my mentor, Dr. Shelia Skemp, whose work on the relationship between Benjamin and William Franklin drew me to the University of Mississippi. Despite her recent retirement from the University, Dr. Skemp read every word, every footnote, and every jot and tittle. More importantly, she did the tiresome work of a mentor in her retirement. In 2014, Dr. Skemp announced her retirement from full time teaching at the University of Mississippi. She graciously offered to continue to work with me and see this project through to its completion. I am exceedingly grateful to her careful attention to detail. I could not have completed this manuscript without her study direction, guidance, and tireless correction and advice. Thank you so much. I hope you can now, finally, enjoy your retirement. I would also like to thank Julie Willet, in whose class I first discovered masculinity as a category of analysis. I would like to thank the late Ethan Schmidt who steered me towards early American history. Thank you, Dean Joseph Ward, former chair of the Arch Dalrymple III Department of History, for believing in my project and provided much needed travel funding. Thank you to the Arch Dalrymple III fellowship committee granting me a summer writing fellowship and research grant. I am also grateful to the North Carolinian Historical Society for the Archie K. Davis Fellowship. Thank you to the staffs at the Southern Historical Collection in Chapel Hill and the Rubenstein Library at Duke University for your generosity and assistance. I would like to especially thank the Andrew W. Mellen Foundation and the Massachusetts Historical Society for their generous funding. At the MHS, I would like to thank v Conrad Wright, Sarah Martin, and Kate Viens for their kindness and insightful conversations. I would like to thank Paige Roberts for allowing me access to the Philip Academy Archives. I appreciate the staffs at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Library Company of Philadelphia, especially James Green, who arranged for me to stay in the beautiful Cassett House. Thanks to Connie King in the reading room for her kindness, patience, and willingness to share her vast knowledge with me. Also, a special thanks for the print collection staff at the Library Company of Philadelphia namely Sarah Weatherwax and Erika Piola for showing the Prodigal Son engravings. Thank you to Mary Klein, archivist of the Archives of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland who mailed me photocopies of sermons on the Prodigal Son. I would like my committee John Neff (chair), Sheila Skemp, Ted Ownby, and Elise Lake for their helpful comments and careful reading. Also to thank you Dr. John Fiorini, Ken McCabe, and Dr. Marc Lerner for reading large portions of the manuscript and offering valuable advice. Dr. Lerner, even though he was not on my committee, took an interest in my work and offered lots of encouragement and suggestions. I am so honored that a historian of Dr. Lerner’s caliber and accomplishments found my project interesting, important, and worthy of his investment. The mistakes that remain are examples of when I did not heed their sage corrections. Finally, a special thanks to my wife Rebecca, without whom this project would not have been possible. She, more than anyone in our family, made the biggest adjustment when I enrolled in graduate school full time. She transitioned smoothly from a stay-at-home mom attending tirelessly to our two toddler children to full time employee and breadwinner. I will never forgot nor fail to appreciate the fact that she worked at a fast-food job for a year just so our vi family could have rent, bills, and food. Through her industrious spirit, she ascended very quickly to become the store manager for a high-end furniture store utilizing her expert skills both in sales and in design. Thank you so much for your steadfast faithfulness to our family and to our goals which come to fruition through this dissertation. I love you so much! vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT …………………………..……………………………………………………… ii DEDICATION………………………………………………………………………………… iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS……………….…….…………………………………………… iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS………………………………………………………………….…... v LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………………….. ix I. INTRODUCTION……………….………………………………………………………....… 1 II. BECOMING A FATHER ………………….……………………………………………..... 27 III. MOLDING THE MINDS AND MANNERS OF CHILDREN …………………………... 94 IV. PRODUCING MEN OF SENSE ………………………………………………………… 152 V. A STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE: MANHOOD ……………………………….…. 213 VI. EPILOGUE ……………………………………………………………………………..….277 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………….. 288 VITA………………………………………………………………………………….………. 308 viii LIST OF FIGURES 1. Prodigal Son in Excess ……………….……………………………………………..…284 2. The Prodigal Son in Misery ………...………………………………………………….285 3. The Prodigal Son returns Reclaimed ……………………………………………….….286 ix I. INTRODUCTION “Mine shall be the pleasing Task to Foster and feed with Advice the tender root, while on you must depend the bringing forth the Fruit.” —Gabriel Johonnot to Samuel Cooper Johonnot on the role of a father, 1781 “I beg you will carefully observe this in your present and future Studies, Memory may fail you, but when an impression is made by Reason it will last as long [as] You retain your Understanding.” —Charles Carroll of Annapolis to Charles Carroll This dissertation examines American fathers in the eighteenth century and argues that the American Revolution, both the war itself and the ideologies it created, affected attitudes towards and practices of fatherhood. The traditional historiography of this field argues that sons used the Revolution as an opportunity to rebel against their patriarchal fathers.1 My work finds, instead, that because of their experience in the Revolution, ideas such as liberty and equality spreading throughout the colonies, and additional opportunities available to industrious young men due to national independence, fathers