Founding Fathers and Mothers---American Authors Challenge July 2019

Here it is (almost) July, 2019, time for celebrating the 243rd anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by reading the words of the men who promoted it, wrote it, fought for it and then forged a new nation under a new Constitution. But we’re calling this challenge “Founding Fathers and Mothers”, and I consider the term “Founders” to include pioneers, preachers and pilgrims; frontiersmen, firebrands, framers of the Constitution (all 55 of them); natives, immigrants and slaves...a legion of men and women with a multitude of hopes, fears and dreams. My hope is that the July AAC will encourage reading beyond the homogenized versions of early American History taught (at least to my generation) in school, to get a fuller picture of what went into the creation of the United States of America both before and after that revolutionary event we use as a landmark. This country didn’t just pop into existence on July 4, 1776. It wasn’t created exclusively by white men, although for most people who were not white men the struggle for independence and self-governance continued for centuries, and for too many of them it hasn’t been fully realized yet.

When was the last time you read the Declaration of Independence in its entirety? You can find it, along with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights (three documents collectively known as the Charters of Freedom), and the Federalist Papers, on the National Archives website, https://www.archives.gov. In fact, you might want to fulfill this month’s challenge simply by spending some time browsing through the amazing collection of documents available there. Founders Online has nearly 200,000 searchable documents from the Magnificent Seven: Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton (THAT guy!) and James Madison. The Federalist Papers can still get your blood racing.

If you want to branch out a bit from the formal writings that established the groundwork for the United States of America, biographies and journals of the frontiersmen, scouts and pioneers (Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, Lewis & Clark, Kit Carson) who cleared the way westward toward the Pacific Ocean during the 18th and 19th centuries ought to do it. Or you might want to explore the early history of the U. S. Supreme Court, or the War of 1812. And let's not forget Noah Webster, Benjamin Rush, Roger Williams, James Smithson (not an American, but founder of that most American institution, The Smithsonian) and others whose contributions were outside of the political arena.

And the women---aside from Dolly Madison and Abigail Adams, who were the women behind and beside the men who fomented the American Revolution and created the United States of America? You’ve heard about Molly Pitcher, maybe, but do you know of the “female Paul Revere”? Are you aware that two women received Federal pensions for their military service in the Revolutionary War? Check out some other women whose names probably weren’t in your grade school history books.

Reading about some of the Founding Mothers may be easier than reading anything they wrote. But the literature is out there...Mercy Otis Warren wrote political dramas and satires during the colonial period, and her History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution was one of the first non-fiction works by a woman published in America; America’s first poet was arguably Anne Bradstreet; America’s first published African American female poet was inarguably Phyllis Wheatley. Letters of many of these women have been collected in various anthologies.

Here are a few titles that may be of interest in fulfilling this challenge:

Common Sense by Thomas Paine
The Trial of Peter Zenger (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54836)
The Loyal Son: The War in Ben Franklin’s House
John Jay: Founding Father by Walter Stahr
The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster’s Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture
Mistress Bradstreet: The Untold Life of America’s First Poet by Charlotte Gordon
Patriot Hero: The Life and Ride of Sybil Ludington
Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
Deborah Sampson: The Girl Who Went to War by Marilyn Gilbert Komechak
The Great Decision by Cliff Sloan and David McKean
Daniel Boone by John Mack Faragher
The Journals of Lewis and Clark
John Adams and The Pioneers by David McCullough
Water to my Soul; The Story of Eliza Lucas Pinckney
Abigail Adams: A Biography by Phyllis Lee Levin
Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts
The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed
Letters of John and Abigail Adams (Library of America)
American Dialogue: The Founders and Us by Joseph Ellis
American Gospel by Jon Meacham

Inside The Museum of the American Revolution. Thanks for the timely feature, CBS Sunday Morning!

Thanks for the help on this one Linda. Not sure what I'll read yet, but I'll try and get something in. I'm sure I've got something on the Adams's on my Kindle.

At the beginning of he year I thought this would be my excuse to finally tackle McCullough's John Adams. However I don't think I'm quite up for that task. Instead I'm going for Washington. My 4th great grandfather Mark Mitchell was in the Continental army from February 1777 until discharge in Feb 1780. He wintered at Valley Forge with Washington (and may have been a member of W's personal guard per a cousin's research). So Washington it will be. I picked out a recent book by Nathaniel Philbrick Valiant Ambition which is subtitled George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution.

For those interested in early colonial life from a woman's point of view, I would recommend A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, based on her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

This is a detailed study by a serious 20th century historian of a midwife's diary from colonial times. Ulrich matches up the events in Martha Ballard's diary to vital records, census records and newspapers of the time to provide a social history of women in colonial America. Each chapter begins with a quote from the diary, and then Ulrich fills in the gaps with customs of the time, outside events and other known research to provide a fuller picture of a woman's daily life.

This is not an "easy" read, as it is very detailed (and sometimes gets a bit tedious in the details), but if you are interested in historical research, genealogy, or the like, you will enjoy and appreciate the work and effort that Ulrich pulls out of a "common" woman's diary.

Three Founding books started, with the novel The Tubman Command finished:

The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters,

The Works of Anne Bradstreet,

and

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, giving an alternative Founders message.

(Touchstone gave up.)

>3 Caroline_McElwee: You should enjoy the John and Abigail letters, Caroline. Hope you have those available.

>4 RBeffa: John Adams is truly an undertaking...I thought it was well worth it, but I understand why the time has to be right. I didn't know about Philbrick's Valiant Ambition, so thanks for mentioning that.

>5 kac522: Iiiinteresting...another title for my wishlist!

>6 m.belljackson: Excellent! I mean to get around to the Zinn. I have so many unread books that fit this challenge. I should just read FF & M all month long.

>6 m.belljackson: book bullet on the Adams letter book!

It's NOT non-fiction, but I highly recommend Those Who Love, a biographical novel of Abigail and John Adams.

>4 RBeffa: I've read about 50 pages of Valiant Ambition including a long preface. So far the best bit is in the preface and I wonder if this book can live up to what it might be. My initial takeaway is that the British Generals and Admirals sent to quell the uprising viewed the colonists as countrymen and did not really want to fight the colonists. They put on a show of force and could have wiped out Washington and his militia but didn't because they wanted a peaceful resolution. When they fought they seem to have constantly held back. Here's the part that intrigued me:

We all know the story: how a defiant and undisciplined collection of citizen soldiers banded together to defeat the mightiest army on earth. But as those who lived through the nearly decade-long saga of the American Revolution were well aware, that was not how it actually happened.

The real Revolution was so troubling and strange that once the struggle was over, a generation did its best to remove all traces of the truth. No one wanted to remember how after boldly declaring their independence they had so quickly lost their way; how patriotic zeal had lapsed into cynicism and self-interest; and how, just when all seemed lost, a traitor had saved them from themselves.

Charles Thomson was uniquely qualified to write a history of his times. As secretary of the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1789, he had functioned as what one historian has described as the "prime minister" of the Congress. While delegates came and went over the course of the War of Independence, Secretary Thomson was always there to bear witness to the behind-the-scenes workings of the nation's legislative body during its earliest and most critical period. According to his friend John Jay, "no person in the world is so perfectly acquainted with the rise, conduct, and conclusion of the American Revolution as yourself."

Soon after his retirement in July 1789, Thomson set to work on a memoir of his tenure as secretary to the Congress, eventually completing a manuscript of more than a thousand pages. But as time went on and the story of the Revolution became enshrined in myth, Thomson realized that his account, titled "Notes of the Intrigues and Severe Altercations or Quarrels in the Congress," would "contradict all the histories of the great events of the Revolution." Around 1816 he finally decided that it was not for him "to tear away the veil that hides our weaknesses," and he destroyed the manuscript. "Let the world admire the supposed wisdom and valor of our great men," he wrote. "Perhaps they may adopt the qualities that have been ascribed to them, and thus good may be done. I shall not undeceive future generations.""

>6 m.belljackson: Howard Zinn's book also appealed to me as a possible for this thread and it is a book i have been intending to read. We have a copy of it.

>9 RBeffa:

John and Abigail's Letters expose a lot of the hidden "Intrigues" in a very real and highly emotional way.

I also ordered McCullough's John Adams, which I'll read more carefully after seeing a not favorable review of his Pioneers.

I think this is a fantastic idea, Linda. Good job. It looks like I will finally get to Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, which I have had sitting on shelf for eons.

I also have Boone: A biography, sitting on shelf. It looks really good, but not sure I'll get to it. Maybe later in the year?

I'm think I'm going to read Before the Revolution: America's Ancient Pasts by Daniel Richter. I'll be interested in hearing about what everyone is reading!

Great job on the introduction, Linda! Some great resources there! Thank you.

Karen O.

>11 msf59:, >12 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen and Mark. I see lots of good suggestions coming from everyone. Glad there's enthusiasm for this subject!

>10 m.belljackson:, >6 m.belljackson: The Adams's letters are also available in a Library of America edition. I just noticed that my touchstone for McCullough's The Pioneers was wrong, and fixed it. Yours goes to Willa Cather's O! Pioneers. Too many popular books with that word in the title!

>8 fuzzi: Nothing wrong with sticking a little fiction in here.

Of the first twelve presidents, only John Adams and John Quincy Adams did not own slaves.

Thomas Paine is on my reading agenda. I jotted down three founding-father type books months ago, when Linda first revealed the year's challenge line-up. The Federalist isn't what I feel like wading into. Paine's Rights of Man feels right for this moment. If it works for me, I might reread Common Sense. Might also reread Howard Fast's Citizen Tom Paine.

I've started to delve into A History of the Supreme Court by Bernard Schwartz. It's a subject that has fascinated me for years, and I've already learned a surprising thing or two.

4th of July

1776

The Declaration of Independence is adopted.

A section written by slave owner Thomas Jefferson denouncing slavery is removed.

2nd of July

1777

Vermont, a U.S. territory and not one of the original of the 13 states, abolishes slavery.

Tonight I should finish up Valiant Ambition that I mentioned above in >9 RBeffa:. I'm nearly done with the book proper but there are a gazillion (slight exaggeration) footnotes and references to browse through at the end. My quick summary: What a mess the American Revolution was. A battle of egos within each army. A battle between the egos of the states' representatives. It is hard for me to think of Benedict Arnold as a traitor. If that was Philbrick's intention, well he has succeeded. It can easily be argued that Arnold won the revolution through his strategic skills even if he lost faith (and I do not blame him). Maybe not the easiest guy to get along with. Overall maybe 3 1/2 - 4 stars. I'll think about it for a while.

I'm going to start with Common Sense, contrary to what I said in >15 weird_O:. Rights of Man second. Browsing through the intro to the edition of CS I have, I'm intrigued by Paine's passage from England to the Colonies, then on to France and back to England and on to the U.S. Denied sanctuary in any graveyard in the U.S., his bones allegedly were smuggled out of America by William Cobbett only to be lost. Being a revolutionary is no easy thing.

>19 weird_O: "being a revolutionary is no easy thing"....the lines at the airport alone....

>20 laytonwoman3rd: - *snerk*

It's AWFULLY quiet in here... Somebody must be reading something, no?

I get that these guys are slow-going and not exactly beach reads. I'm managing a small section of The History of the Supreme Court most days, and hope to finish with the Marshall Court by month's end. That's the "founding" part, anyway. I will continue, as it's great stuff, but must be taken in small doses. I'd also like to finish Jon Meacham's American Gospel, which I started some time ago (pre-challenge).

>22 laytonwoman3rd: I've been listening to The Federalist Papers but find my mind wandering, a lot.

I do better with print. Maybe I can find a copy at the library?

>23 fuzzi: I should think every library in the US would have a copy. You can also read it online or download a Kindle version from Project Gutenberg.

I tried reading Gore Vidal's Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson from the library but gave up on it, even though it is a short book. I got tired quickly of re-reading his clever sentences. I've never cared for his writing. He thinks he's too clever by far, or however that expression goes. I just don't like his style. Others might like this, which I think can be described as myth-busting.

John and Abigail's Letters gave an insightful rendering of the rigors of creating a Revolution.

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson 3.8 stars

Franklin has always fascinated me and has always been my favorite Founding Father, just ahead of Jefferson, so I am glad I finally pulled this bio off the shelf and dug in. It is quite mind-blowing what Franklin jammed into his eighty-four years- as a scientist, inventor, diplomat, writer and practical/political thinker. He was also the Forrest Gump of his time, inserting himself into many historical milestones, in America and abroad. The author also shines a light on Franklin's flaws, which make him even more human. He was not a very good father or husband, which I found very surprising and his adoration for young girls was borderline creepy.
I like the tone of this jaunty narrative, but, for me, it bogged down a bit in the details, especially in the use of extensive quotes, which can be overwhelming. It is still a very solid biography.

**Thanks to Linda, for finally getting me to read this one.

Franklin is such a fascinating character, isn't he, Mark? I've been dipping into his early writings and his autobiography...mostly non-political stuff---city planning, fire prevention, postal service. A year or so ago I read The War in Ben Franklin's House, which was absolutely eye-opening regarding the pre-revolutionary climate. I highly recommend it, if you haven't had enough of Ben yet.

>27 msf59: >28 laytonwoman3rd:

John and Abigail give an eye-opening view of old Ben!

Is there an August thread up yet?

The Ernest J. Gaines thread is up and ready. Here is where you'll find it.

Meanwhile, there are hours and hours left for the Founders. I am reading furiously for the rest of the afternoon, to finish American Gospel, which I cannot recommend highly enough.

I completely missed this thread, which is a shame because my most favorite reading is in this area. FWIW, I have a list of highly recommended books I have read and loved.

Anything by David McCullough is worth your time. I loved his John Adams.
Revolutionary Mothers
My Dearest Friend
The Quartet - Joseph J. Ellis is also a great historian for this time period.
Founding Brothers
John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger - JQA might not be exactly a founding Father, but as a Founding Son, he is worth more time than he gets. Especially for his undying support for abolition in the House after his presidency.
History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution - particularly awesome as the only history of the Revolutionary War written by a woman.
I just listened to the audio of In the Hurricane's Eye and that was also excellent.

I will stop now. *grin*

>32 nittnut: Sorry you missed the thread, Jenn! I usually post an announcement of new threads on the AAC General Discussion thread, so if you star that one you should catch them. But thankfully you did get here in time to participate by sharing that list. There are some very interesting titles there that I'll be adding to my virtual TBR stacks.

I finished Revolutionary Brothers last night. I say finished, but it's more like I read all of the available text. I have a NetGalley ARC that seems to be missing several chapters at the end of the book. It ended at what felt like mid-chapter with Jefferson setting out on a trip around the Mediterranean. The publication date is November, but I'm not sure that I'll try to read any more of it after it hits the shelves. It's more of a parallel biography than an account of the relationship between the two men. (Unless the missing section is what ties it all together.)

>34 cbl_tn: That's too bad, Carrie. An unsatisfactory "ending", for sure. I guess I'd pick up a physical copy in the bookstore or library when it comes out and just see what those missing pages look like...usually I find what's missing from ARC's is photos, acknowledgements, notes....not actual text.

A fascinating closing thought: The author of this book, coming out Tuesday, August 6th, asserts that the mosquito is one of the "Founding Mothers" of the US, because malaria afflicted the British to such an extent that only 35% of their troops were fit for battle at the time of their surrender at Yorktown.

>36 laytonwoman3rd:

How lovely to find humor in this predator!

>36 laytonwoman3rd: Interesting. In the book I read this past month it was mentioned several times soldiers being sick and incapacitated by malaria, on both sides. My book didn't go as far as Yorktown.

>37 m.belljackson:, >38 RBeffa: It really wasn't clear why the British were more troubled than the Colonists...

>33 laytonwoman3rd: Not your fault! I missed it because I am rarely on LT these days. Too much RL going on. :)

Just wanted to note here the passing of Cokie Roberts, whose Founding Mothers and Ladies of Liberty are excellent reads.