St. John's University St. John's Scholar Theses and Dissertations 2021 TESTING THE ELITE: YALE COLLEGE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA, 1740-1815 David Andrew Wilock Saint John's University, Jamaica New York Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.stjohns.edu/theses_dissertations Recommended Citation Wilock, David Andrew, "TESTING THE ELITE: YALE COLLEGE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA, 1740-1815" (2021). Theses and Dissertations. 255. https://scholar.stjohns.edu/theses_dissertations/255 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by St. John's Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of St. John's Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TESTING THE ELITE: YALE COLLEGE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA, 1740- 1815 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY to the faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY of ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES at ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY New York by David A. Wilock Date Submitted ____________ Date Approved________ ____________ ________________ David Wilock Timothy Milford, Ph.D. © Copyright by David A. Wilock 2021 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT TESTING THE ELITE: YALE COLLEGE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA, 1740- 1815 David A. Wilock It is the goal of this dissertation to investigate the institution of Yale College and those who called it home during the Revolutionary Period in America. In so doing, it is hoped that this study will inform a much larger debate about the very nature of the American Revolution itself. The role of various rectors and presidents will be considered, as well as those who worked for the institution and those who studied there. It will be demonstrated that while at various times the aforementioned groups helped propel the school to make changes, in the end, all constituencies tended towards a conservative course so as not to jeopardize the future of the institution or their individual prospects. ii DEDICATION For my family, whose support throughout these past nine years made this dissertation possible. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would never have been completed without the support of numerous people. To begin with, I am indebted to the Sterling Library, Yale University, Library Manuscripts and Archives Division. The professionalism and courtesy of their staff made my time spent there a true pleasure. I am also extraordinarily grateful for the assistance of Charlotte Rowell of the Seymour Public Library who was willing to go above and beyond to acquire book upon book via interlibrary loan, for years, even in the midst of a pandemic. The support of my classmates was also a crucial element in my ability to bring this work to a successful conclusion. Thanks to John Ronzino and David Gachingo, whose pre-seminar chats served to make me feel as though I was part of a community of learners. I must single out Dean Guarnaschelli who entered the program the same year I did. His willingness to listen my ideas, proofread my work and commiserate over the process helped me immensely. I also am grateful for my colleagues, Michelle Cota, Kristina Harvey, Donald Schels and Marc Feeley who were willing to listen to my ideas or proofread my work. Any mistakes in pages that follow are my own. The St. John’s Department of History also deserves recognition for without their generous financial support of my studies through the University Doctoral Fellowship I might never have been able to complete the program. Fran Balla has been instrumental in helping me navigate the complexities of the doctoral process iv from day one. In particular I would like to thank my committee members Professor Lara Vapnek and Professor Alejandro Quintana whose suggestions during the defense of my prospectus set me on a path for success. Words cannot do justice to the role that Professor Timothy Milford had in the creation and nurturing of this dissertation. His steady hand throughout the entire dissertation process from my initial topic selection to defense preparation was instrumental. His thoughtful and gentle nudges to develop my ideas further have led to a far greater product than I otherwise could have hoped for. Lastly I would like to thank my family. Their willingness to support my work, in particular my frequent sojourns eighty miles south to New York City has not gone unnoticed. My parents’ generous offer to watch my children while I was attending classes relieved a tremendous amount of pressure. I will never be able to adequately express my appreciation to my wife, Beth, for her patience and love during the past nine years, thank you. To my sons, Sean and Ryan: I hope that this project serves as an example that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you both. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION .................................................................................... II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................. III INTRODUCTION ................................................................................ 1 The State of Colleges in the Revolutionary Era……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11 CHAPTER ONE: THE PRESIDENCY OF YALE COLLEGE: SAILING THROUGH UNCHARTED WATERS ................................................. 19 Apostasy in New Haven……………………………………………………………………………………………………………19 The Office of President………………………………………………………………………………………….............. 23 Relations Between Yale and the State……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 28 Managing the Staff………………………………………………………………………………………..36 Managing the Library…………………………………………………………………………………… 41 Buildings and Equipment……………………………………………………………………………….43 On Religion………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 45 Slavery………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 60 Discipline…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 63 CHAPTER TWO: THE BACKBONE OF YALE: STAFF, FACULTY, AND IMPLEMENTING CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION ...................... 71 Daggett’s Day……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 71 Professors and Tutors…………………………………………………………………………………… 72 The Butler & Steward…………………………………………………………………………………….80 The Curriculum……………………………………………………………………………………………..83 Divinity………………………………………………………………………………………………………..85 Enlightenment Thinking………………………………………………………………………………..88 Mathematics ............................................................................................................................................... 88 vii New Thinking and Natural Philosophy .................................................................................................. 89 The Humanities .......................................................................................................................................... 93 Instruction…………………………………………………………………………………………………... 95 Increasing Expectations……………………………………………………………………………….102 CHAPTER THREE: RESISTING REGIMENTATION: THE YALE COLLEGE STUDENT EXPERIENCE ............................................... 105 Challenging Institutional Power………………………………………………………………….. 105 Impact of the Revolution……………………………………………………………………………… 106 Study and Instruction………………………………………………………………………………….. 113 The Colonial College Student…………………………………………………………………………119 Distinctions within the College……………………………………………………………………… 121 Daily Life……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 123 College Rules………………………………………………………………………………………………. 132 Student Protest……….……………………………………………………………………………………136 Faculty-Student Relationships.……………………………………………………………………..142 Student Societies………………………………………………….……………………………………… 144 Commencement……………………………………………………………………………………….….149 CONCLUSION: YALE AT THE DAWN OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY ....................................................................................... 152 ILLUSTRATIONS ........................................................................... 159 APPENDIX 1 LETTER TO WEBSTER FROM YALE CLASSMATES....164 APPENDIX 2 LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR DISPUTATIONS …..……….166 APPENDIX 3 LIBRARY CATALOGUE SUBJECTS………………………..169 APPENDIX 4 COLLEGES CHARTERED PRIOR TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION……………………………………………………………..…………..171 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................. 173 Primary Source Books………………………………………………………………………..…………173 vii Primary Sources…………………………………………………………………..………………………176 Secondary Source Articles……………………………………………………………..……………..182 Secondary Source Books……………………………………………………………………………….185 1 INTRODUCTION On Monday morning, July 5, 1779, at 11 AM, residents and Yale College students alike were roused by the thunder of alarm guns being fired as British troops approached New Haven.1 General Henry Clinton had ordered General William Tryon and his three thousand soldiers to attack the town.2 With the redcoats advancing from Long Island Sound, President Ezra Stiles dismissed the college then departed himself. Some students set off for home upon dismissal while around seventy or so more stayed to fight under the leadership of senior George Wells.3 Meanwhile, other Yale College students and town volunteers tried to retard the advance of British troops by destroying a bridge that led from West Haven into New Haven.4 In the end, however, American resistance was insufficient to prevent the temporary British occupation of the town. While these events were certainly dramatic, they were not fundamentally transformative for Yale College or for many of the young men who studied there. Indeed, life