Categories: Articles

Women Who Shaped History

This month is Women’s History month — an excellent time to remember and celebrate some historically important women.

Abigail Adams

women-who-shaped-history-1Though her poor health kept her from receiving a formal education, Abigail rose above this, teaching herself to master several areas of study, including even learning a foreign language. She was the close confidant of her husband John Adams, who trusted her counsel and relied on her for sound military intelligence information as well as political guidance. She was an excellent business woman, a faithful wife, and a devoted mother. The first woman to live in the White House, she was the wife of one U. S. President and the mother of another. She was also a strong and outspoken Christian, leaving behind a rich legacy in her extensive personal writings.1

Florence Nightingale

women-who-shaped-history-2Born into a wealthy English family, Florence Nightingale went against society’s expectations to fulfill God’s divine call of service on her life2.  Famous for her nursing work on the battlefield, she left a legacy transforming the health standards not only in England but elsewhere. In fact, the President of the United States consulted her for advice during the Civil War. Author of 17 books and numerous articles, she worked relentlessly to better the hospital industry and health care, and to train nurses to care for the sick.3

Susanna Wesley

women-who-shaped-history-3“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”  From her post as the mother of a busy household in the Epworth rectory, Susanna Wesley trained up a generation that would change the world.  She provided the well-regulated primary education for her 10 children that lived past infancy.4  Two of these children, John and Charles, would become influential even across the Atlantic, helping found the Methodist movement in America. She is known as the Mother of Methodism.

Endnotes

1 See for example Letters of Abigail Adams, the Wife of John Adams with an Introductory Memoir by her Grandson Charles Francis Adams, ed. Charles Francis Adams (Boston: Wilkins, Carter, and Company, 1848); Charles Francis Adams, Familiar Letters of John Adams and His Wife Abigail Adams, During the Revolution (New York: Hurd and Houghton, 1876).
2 Louise Selanders. “Florence Nightingale,” Encyclopedia Britannica Online, accessed March 11, 2021.
3 “The Faith Behind the Famous: Florence Nightingale: Christian History Sampler,” Christianity Today, January 1, 1990.
4 Abel Stevens, The Women of Methodism (New York: Carlton & Porter, 1866), 13, 24-28.

*Originally published March 2016.

Religious Freedom Sunday

religious-freedom-sunday-1January 16, 1786, was the day that the Virginia Assembly adopted the Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, finally ending the official state-established church in Virginia. It provided that (1) all individuals would be free from any punishment for not conforming to state-established religious mandates, and (2) one’s religious affiliation would no longer affect the civil privileges he could enjoy 1. In short, in Virginia it legally secured religious toleration and protection for the right of religious conscience.

The Virginia Act, drafted by Thomas Jefferson in 1777, originally failed to pass when brought before the State Assembly in religious-freedom-sunday-21779 2. James Madison later reintroduced the measure, and it was finally enacted in 1786. Jefferson considered it one of his three greatest achievements, ranking it along with penning the Declaration of Independence and establishing the University of Virginia.

This act was reflective of the attitude that had developed across much of America toward securing full religious liberty for all — an attitude later embodied in the federal Bill of Rights’ 1st Amendment to the Constitution.

Each year, in commemoration of religious freedom (one of the most important of our freedoms), the President proclaims January 16th to be Religious Freedom Day 3. Religious Freedom Sunday is commemorated the Sunday before Religious Freedom Day, and this year, Religious Freedom Sunday falls on January 11th.

Gateways to Better Education have teamed up to provide ways for Christians and churches to celebrate this important day and to participate in encouraging the free exercise of religion. But don’t stop with just celebrating Religious Freedom Day at your church, make sure the schools in your area also recognize this special holiday. (Gateways to Better Education has a guidebook to help you enlighten those in the education system about this important day.)

Happy Religious Freedom Sunday!

Endnotes

1 https://www.virginiamemory.com/docs/ReligiousFree.pdf
2 https://www.virginiamemory.com/online_classroom/shaping_the_constitution/doc/religious_freedom
3 https://religiousfreedomday.com/. See, for example, proclamations by George H.W. Bush in 1992 (https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/268664); William Clinton in 1996 (https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/222064); George W. Bush in 2003 (https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/212361); and Barack Obama in 2011 (https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/289040).

Who Led the Plymouth Pilgrims?

And thus they found the Lord to be with them in all their
ways, and to bless their outgoings & incomings, for which
let his holy name have the praise for ever, to all posterity.
-William Bradford

The first officially-celebrated federal holiday was that of Thanksgiving, declared by President George Washington within a few months after his inauguration. 1 Thanksgiving, a long-cherished holiday celebration of rejoicing and giving thanks to God, has a long history in America from both before and after that 1789 proclamation.

Out of many historic celebrations of Thanksgiving, the most well known and closely emulated was the feast of the pilgrims as they celebrated the goodness of God in keeping them alive through a hard season, and providing them with food and shelter to face the coming winter. One of those attending what is known as the first thanksgiving was the Pilgrim’s newly chosen governor, William Bradford.

who-led-the-plymouth-pilgrims-1

As a young orphan, William Bradford sought revelation through the Bible. 2 Living near Scrooby, England, he became acquainted with the Puritans and the separatist movement.  Drawn by the simplicity of their services, and their commitment to both religious and political reforms, he joined the congregation, despite his family’s disapproval. 3

When the English threatened permanent imprisonment for those who criticized the corrupt practices of both the state and the church, the Scrooby church fled to Amsterdam to take refuge from the growing persecution. 4 Following a decade of relative peace in Holland, the religious climate became volatile due to a potential looming war with Spain and the secular behavior of the Dutch, 5 so the Pilgrims therefore decided to start a new English colony in America. 6
who-led-the-plymouth-pilgrims-2At 30 years of age, William Bradford and his wife Dorothy left  behind their 4 year-old son to make the perilous journey, along with 100 other congregation members. 7 While anchored off the coast of the New World, Dorothy fell overboard and drowned. 8

Over the following winter, one half of the 102 colonists died from hunger, exposure, or disease. 9  In 1621 following that brutal winter, William Bradford was chosen governor of the colony to replace John Carver, one of those who died.  With the exception of a few years, he continued to serve in that capacity for virtually the rest of his life. 10

The University of Kentucky highlights William Bradford and his account of the first years of the colony in their online course, American Literature from 1600-1865.  Throughout this course the reading assignments go back to the original documents, and you can read about the early years of America in the very words of those who lived then.

Endnotes

1 George Washington, Thanksgiving Proclamation, November 26, 1789; as published in The Providence Gazette and Country Journal on October 17, 1789.
2 Jeremy Belknap, American Biography (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1855), Vol. III, p. 7, “William Bradford.”  See also, Caleb Johnson, “William Bradford,” Mayflower History (at: https://mayflowerhistory.com/bradford-william/) (accessed on November 26, 2014).
3 Caleb Johnson, “William Bradford,” Mayflower History (at: https://mayflowerhistory.com/bradford-william/) (accessed on November 26, 2014).< 4 William Allen, The American Biographical Dictionary, (Boston: J.P. Jewett and Company, 1857), p. 117, “Bradford, William“; Dorothy Honiss Kelso, “Beyond the Pilgrim Story: William Bradford,” Pilgrim Hall Museum (at: https://www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org/william_bradford.htm) (accessed November 18, 2014); Jeremy Belknap, American Biography (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1855), Vol. III, pp. 17-52, “William Bradford.”
5 Emma Willard, History of the United States, Or, Republic of America (Philadelphia: A.S. Barnes & Company, 1843), p. 33. See also,  William Bradford and Valerian Paget, Bradford’s History of the Plymouth Settlement 1608-1650: Rendered into Modern English (New York: John McBride Company, 1909), pg. 21.
6 Dorothy Honiss Kelso, “Beyond the Pilgrim Story: William Bradford,” Pilgrim Hall Museum (at: https://www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org/william_bradford.htm) (accessed November 18, 2014). See also, Emma Willard, History of the United States, Or, Republic of America (Philadelphia: A.S. Barnes & Company, 1843), p. 33.
7 Dorothy Honiss Kelso, “Beyond the Pilgrim Story: William Bradford,” Pilgrim Hall Museum (at: https://www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org/william_bradford.htm) (accessed November 18, 2014).
8 Jacob Bailey Moore, Lives of the Governors of New Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay (Boston: C.D. Strong, 1851), p. 88.
9 William Bradford and Valerian Paget, Bradford’s History of the Plymouth Settlement 1608-1650: Rendered into Modern English (New York: John McBride Company, 1909), pp. 74-76.
10 William Allen, The American Biographical Dictionary,  (Boston : J.P. Jewett and Company, 1857), pp. 117-121, “Bradford, William.” See also, Dorothy Honiss Kelso, “Beyond the Pilgrim Story: William Bradford,” Pilgrim Hall Museum (at: https://www.pilgrimhallmuseum.org/william_bradford.htm) (accessed November 18, 2014); Caleb Johnson, “William Bradford,” Mayflower History (at: https://mayflowerhistory.com/bradford-william/) (accessed on November 26, 2014).

The Constitution and a Duel – What do they have in Common?

September 17th is Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution. Our Constitution secures our God-given freedoms that were set forth in the Declaration of Independence, and today we add yet another year to our unsurpassed record as the longest ongoing constitutional republic in the world.

the-constitution-and-a-duel-what-do-they-have-in-common-2 A Founding Father who exerted great influence in our constitutional government was Alexander Hamilton. As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and one of its thirty-nine signers, he played what would be considered a minor role in the debates of the Convention itself. However he (along with John Jay and James Madison) became one of the three men most responsible for the adoption and ratification of the Constitution through the writing and publication of a series of articles which became known as The Federalist Papers.

Hamilton’s career was distinguished, including his service not only as a military aide to General George Washington and his own rise to a military general under Washington, but also as America’s first Secretary of the Treasury under President Washington. But notwithstanding such achievements, he is perhaps best known today today for his duel with Aaron Burr.

In the election of 1800, Hamilton worked against the re-election of incumbent president John Adams. When Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson tied in the vote for president, as required by the Constitution, the contest was sent to the House of Representatives for them to choose a winner. Hamilton strongly supported Jefferson over his fellow-New-Yorker Burr. 1

the-constitution-and-a-duel-what-do-they-have-in-common-4(By the way, during that election cycle in 1800, a number of ministers preached and published pulpit sermons against Jefferson, including Hamilton’s good friend, the Rev. John Mitchell Mason.)

In 1802, Hamilton urged the formation of a “Christian Constitutional Society” whose two-fold goal was “1st, the support of the Christian religion; 2nd, the support of the Constitution of the United States.”2 The purpose of the society was to elect to office those who supported Christianity and the Constitution. Hamilton saw an intrinsic relation between Christianity, the Constitution, and a strong and safe America, and he never viewed the Constitution as a secular document. He openly declared:

For my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system which without the finger of God [Luke 11:20] never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests.3

Hamilton’s dream for his Christian Constitutional Society never came to pass. In 1804, he was shot down by Burr in a duel spurred by Burr’s frustration of Hamilton having thwarted so many of his political ambitions.4 (Burr was an egotistic and ambitious man who actually tried to build an empire for himself in what is now Mexico 5). The Rev. Mason attended Hamilton in the hours after he was shot. After Hamilton’s death, he released a pamphlet that included Hamilton’s personal account of the duel as well as Hamilton’s repeated affirmation of his firm personal reliance on God for his salvation.6

As we celebrate our great Constitution, let us not forget those who helped shape it and secured to us the blessings we enjoy today — leaders such as Alexander Hamilton!

Endnotes

1 Appletons’ Cyclopedia of American Biography. 6 vols. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1889, s.v. “Hamilton, Alexander.” See also, Dictionary of American Biography. 21 vols. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1932, s.v. “Hamilton, Alexander.”
2 Alexander Hamilton to James A. Bayard, April 16-21, 1802, National Archive, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-25-02-0321.
3 Alexander Hamilton to Mr. Childs, Wednesday, October 17, 1787, The Federalist and Other Contemporary Papers on the Constitution of the United States, ed. E.H. Scott (New York: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1894), 646.
4 Dictionary of American Biography. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1932), s.v. “Hamilton, Alexander;” Appletons’ Cyclopedia of American Biography. (New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1889), s.v. “Hamilton, Alexander.”
5 “Aaron Burr (1801-1805),” Miller Center, accessed October 27, 2023, https://millercenter.org/president/jefferson/essays/burr-1801-vicepresident.
6 J. M. Mason, An Oration Commemorative of the Late Major General Alexr. Hamilton (London: R. Edwards, 1804).

The Pony Express

The Pony Express & Religion

the-pony-express-1William H. Russell, Alexander Majors, and William B. Waddell founded the Pony Express in an attempt to provide faster communication between the more populated portions of America and the far West, especially California. The Pony Express was a group of young riders on horseback covering about 2,000 miles over the course of ten days, transporting mail from the East to the West, and then back.

On April 3, 1860 the first Pony Express riders departed from St. Joseph, Missouri, headed toward Sacramento, California. Along the arduous journey, each rider covered around 100 miles before handing off the route to another rider, usually covering a combined 250 miles each day.

the-pony-express-2The recruitment poster pictured on the left described the qualifications for employment: “Young, skinny, wiry fellows, not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred. Wages $25 per week.” These young riders faced all sorts of difficulties on their journey, including attacks by Indians, dangerous weather, and the general rigors of riding cross-country on horse back at a full gallop. (Find out more about the young riders for the Pony Express in the article for 1 Samuel 3:4 in The Founders’ Bible.)

Alexander Majors wanted these young men to have spiritual support along with the physical support the company provided them (i.e., horses, gear, relay stations, etc.). A Bible was therefore given to every rider and also left at each of the more than 150 stations along the trail.

the-pony-express-3Among the many items WallBuilders owns is one of these very rare Pony Express Bibles (title page pictured on the right). This particular Bible was presented to Robert James Halligan (1833-1908) who worked for Alexander Majors during the time of the Pony Express and after it was disbanded.

The Pony Express was only in existence for nineteen months and ended when the transcontinental telegraph reached California in October 1861. During the short time of its operation, some 200 riders covered 650,000 miles.

The Pony Express is another of the many famous aspects of American history with a tie to America’s Christian heritage.

Happy Easter!

Easter and America

happy-easter-1Easter is celebrated across the world as one of the most significant Christian holy days. It is when Christians pause to remember the great sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as well as the ultimate triumph of His resurrection.
happy-easter-2As Noah Webster, author in 1828 of America’s first English-language dictionary, affirmed:

A festival of the Christian church observed in commemoration of our Savior’s resurrection. It answers to the pascha or Passover of the Hebrews, and most nations still give it this name.

Across the centuries of American history, our leaders have regularly commented on the applicability of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus to various aspects of our daily life.

For example, signer of the Declaration of Independence Charles Carroll viewed Easter as the power for salvation, explaining:

happy-easter-3The approaching festival of Easter, and the merits and mercies of our Redeemer copiosa assudeum redemptio have lead me into this chain of meditation and reasoning, and have inspired me with the hope of finding mercy before my Judge, and of being happy in the life to come — a happiness I wish you to participate with me by infusing into your heart a similar hope.

Benjamin Rush, another signer of the Declaration, pointed out how that Jesus’ resurrection not only redeemed man to God but also to each other. He noted:

happy-easter-4He forgave the crime of murder on His cross; and after His resurrection, He commanded His disciples to preach the gospel of forgiveness, first at Jerusalem, where He well knew His murderers still resided. These striking facts are recorded for our imitation and seem intended to show that the Son of God died, not only to reconcile God to man but to reconcile men to each other.

President Franklin Roosevelt saw in Easter a clear message for youth. Addressing a group of young people in 1936, he told them:

happy-easter-5Yesterday, Christendom celebrated Easter—the anniversary of the Resurrection of Our Lord Who, at the beginning of His ministry was thirty years of age and at His death was only thirty-three. Christianity began with youth, and through the last two thousand years, the spirit of youth repeatedly has revitalized it.

And President Ronald Reagan reminded the nation of the hope that came to Christians through Easter:

happy-easter-6Beginning today and culminating on Sunday morning, Christians will celebrate with their families the resurrection of Christ, His victory over death. We will remember that He gave His body and His blood—washing clean the faults and the shortcomings of the world. In our rejoicing we will renew the hope that is ours through the risen Lord.

Easter is indeed a special day! So, from all of us at WallBuilders, Happy Easter

(As you celebrate this day, you may want to take a little time to read this historical Easter sermon from WallBuilders’ collection.)

Women Heroes

Courageous Women During the American Revolution

March is Women’s History Month, but the contributions of women to the Revolution are often neglected today. Many women demonstrated exemplary courage during this time. Here are a few examples.

In April, 1777, a large British force arrived in Fairfield, Connecticut. Marching through nearby Danbury, they searched for American supplies and burned property owned by patriots.1 A messenger from Danbury was sent to Col. Henry Ludington, the leader of a nearby militia, alerting him to what was happening and seeking his help. His militia was scattered throughout the countryside and  someone was needed to alert them and round them up. The Danbury messenger was exhausted from his ride and also unfamiliar with the area, so Sybil Ludington, Col. Ludington’s 16 year-old daughter, carried the message, riding throughout the night, across 40 miles of dangerous country.2 The militia gathered, and unable to save Danbury, were involved in the Battle of Ridgefield on April 27, 1777.

It was not just the men who signed the Declaration of Independence who risked death or imprisonment, or suffered personal tragedy, but their wives often did so as well — such as Elizabeth Lewis, wife of Declaration signer Francis Lewis.3 The Lewis’ home was in Long Island, and during the British occupation there, soldiers were dispatched to capture Elizabeth and destroy their property.4 As troops approached, a ship opened fire at the house (a cannonball even struck right beside where she stood) but Elizabeth refused to yield or retreat. The British captured her, holding her in dreary conditions with little food and no change of clothes. After several months, she was eventually freed through the efforts of George Washington and Congress but her health never recovered and she died in 1779.women-heroes-3

Several women worked actively as spies for the American cause, supplying the army with much needed intelligence. For example, Lydia Darrah, hosted a meeting of British officers in December, 1777. Listening in secret to their meeting, and learning of their plans to attack George Washington’s army at White Marsh, she alerted the Americans, who were able to prepare for the planned surprise attack.5 Another example is Jane Thomas. Her husband, Col. John Thomas, was a prisoner of the British for fourteen months.6 On a visit to him, she learned of plans to attack the Americans at Cedar Spring. Riding almost sixty miles, she alerted them to danger, giving them time to prepare their defense against the British.7

These and many additional examples show that women of the Revolution played key roles in America’s fight for independence and should be honored during Women’s History Month.

* Originally published: Dec. 31, 2016

Footnotes

1 Richard Buel, “The Burning of Danbury,” ConnecticutHistory.org, accessed May 8, 2025.
2 Martha J. Lamb & Mrs. Burton Harrison, History of the city of New York (New York: A.S. Barnes Company, 1896), II:159-160; Willis Fletcher Johnson, Colonel Henry Ludington: A Memoir (New York: 1907), 89-90; National Postal Museum, “Sybil Ludington,” Smithsonian, accessed May 8, 2025.
3 Benson Lossing, Biographical Sketches of the Signers of the Declaration of American Independence (New York: George F. Cooledge & Brother, 1848), 71-73.
4 “Elizabeth Annesley Lewis,” The Pioneer Mothers of America (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1912), 3:119-126; L. Carroll Judson, A Biography of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (Philadelphia: J. Dobson, 1839), 64-66.
5 Elizabeth F. Ellet, The Women of the American Revolution (New York: Baker and Scribner, 1848), 171-177
6 “Col. John and Jane Thomas,” The Historical Marker Database, accessed May 8, 2025.
7 Ellet, Women of the American Revolution (1848), 250-260.

united states flag

This Day in History: Star Spangled Banner

On March 3, 1931, an Act of Congress made the Star Spangled Banner America’s national anthem, but the history of that song goes back almost two centuries.

this-day-in-history-star-spangled-banner-2Following the American Revolution, Americans hoped to live in peace but France and England became engaged in a conflict that drew America back into war. The British captured American ships on the high seas and forced American sailors (around 10,000 of them) to fight for England. The United States declared war. Known as the War of 1812, it lasted until 1815.

During the war, in August 1814, England invaded Washington, D.C., setting fire to the Capitol, White House, and other government buildings. The British then marched to Baltimore, Maryland, and on September 13 began bombarding Fort McHenry.

this-day-in-history-star-spangled-banner-3At that time, attorney Francis Scott Key was aboard a British ship negotiating the release of a friend. Throughout the long night, he watched the attack on Fort McHenry, fearing its fall, but when morning arrived, the American flag was still flying — the fort had survived the attack.

Inspired by these events, Francis Scott Key wrote down a few lines about the attack while still on board the ship and then wrote several more lines after reaching shore. Shortly thereafter they were published as a poem titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry.” Set to music in November of that year, it was named “The Star Spangled Banner.”

The song became popular during the Civil War and remained so well into the 20th century before finally being officially made America’s national anthem. As we celebrate its anniversary, let’s remember the many blessings God has bestowed on this nation, and the corresponding duties that we and our fellow-citizens have to preserve those blessings.

You can watch David Barton’s short history of the Star Spangled Banner, or you can purchase a high-resolution copy to show to your church, school, or other group.

Black Soldiers in the Revolution

Sadly, today we are routinely taught the negatives of American history — we emphasis the bad and the ugly with nearly no mention of the good. Consequently, we hear the many ways that Americans did not always live up to the ideals of our founding, especially that black Americans were despised and enslaved. This is indeed part of the story, but there is much more. For example, on the positive side, did you know that many black Americans played key roles in the War for Independence? Consider just three.

James Armistead1 black-soldiers-in-the-revolution-1from Virginia worked closely with Marquis de Lafayette.2 He was able to infiltrate the camp of the patriot-turned-traitor, Benedict Arnold (then a British general after his defection from the Americans), and later the camp of British General Lord Cornwallis. Armistead obtained vital information about British plans and troop movements that he fed back to Lafayette and George Washington. His information allowed the American forces to initiate the Battle of Yorktown,3 which led to the end of the American Revolution. For his military services, Armistead was granted a retirement pension from Virginia.4

In December 1776, the second-in-command of the American Army, General Charles Lee, was taken prisoner by the British.5 To obtain his release, a prisoner exchange for a British general of the same rank was needed. Lt. Col. William Barton therefore undertook a daring plan to slip into the British stronghold at Newport, Rhode Island, capture British General Richard Prescott, and return him to the American side before the British learned of his capture.6 Cassell's History of the United States Barton hand-selected about forty elite soldiers, who silently slipped past the main British force and overpowered the guards protecting the general. They had only to break down the door to his room and grab Prescott. One of the black commandos on the mission, Prince Sisson – a powerful man – stepped forward and charged the door. Using his own head as a battering ram, the locked door gave way and Prince entered the quarters and seized the surprised general.7 The group safely returned with Prescott, who was subsequently exchanged for General Charles Lee. The daring act of Sisson is still celebrated to this day.

Wentworth Cheswell, black-soldiers-in-the-revolution-3grandson of a slave, had a long career in public office.7 Elected in 1768 as a town constable in New Hampshire, he became one of the first blacks elected to office in America. In 1770, he was a town selectman, considered as one of the “town fathers” in the community. Other public offices he held included that of Auditor, Assessor, Coroner, Moderator (presiding over town meetings), and Justice of the Peace.8 In the latter role, he oversaw trials, settled disputes, and executed legal documents. Altogether, Cheswell held some form of public office for 49 years. During the Revolution, he was a messenger for the Committee of Safety, carrying intelligence and messages back and forth between strategic operational centers. It was in this position that Cheswell made an all-night ride, similar to the one undertaken by Paul Revere, warning citizens of imminent British invasion. In 1777, Cheswell enlisted in a company of Light Horse Volunteers commanded by Colonel John Langdon, who later became a signer of the U.S. Constitution.9 Cheswell has a lasting legacy as a patriot, teacher, church leader, historian, archeologist, educator, judge, and elected official. He is a black patriot worthy of honoring and remembering.

In the WallBuilders library, we are blessed to have some military pay documents that were issued to various black soldiers during the Revolution10 (such as those pictured below) as well as some documents signed by Wentworth Cheswell11 (pictured above).

black-soldiers-in-the-revolution-4
black-soldiers-in-the-revolution-5

Let’s put some of the good stories back into Black History Month by acknowledging courageous black patriots in the American Revolution.

Endnotes

1 “Black History Issue 2004,” WallBuilders.
2 “Marquis de Lafayette,” National Park Service, accessed January 31, 2024.
3 “Battle of Yorktown begins,” History, updated September 2020.
4 “James Armistead,” Biography, July 2, 2020.
5 lack History Issue 2004,” WallBuilders; William Nell, The Colored Patriots of the American Revolution (Boston: Robert F. Wallcut, 1855), 127.
6 “Barton, William,” Appletons’ Cyclopaedia of American Biography, eds. James Grant Wilson & John Fiske (New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1888), I:188; Nell, Colored Patriots (1855), 127.
7 “A Black Patrioti: Wentworth Cheswell,” WallBuilders.
8 “Cheswell,” PBS, accessed January 31, 2024; “Wentworth Cheswell,” Britannica Kids, accessed January 31, 2024.
9 “John Langdon: New Hampshire,” Robert K. Wright, Jr. & Morris J. MacGregor, Jr., Solider-Statesmen of the Constitution (Washington, DC: Center of Military History United States Army, 1987), 100-102.
10 “Black Revolutionary War Soldiers Pay,” WallBuilders.
11 “Wentworth Cheswell Documents,” WallBuilders.

Presidents Day

American Exceptionalism — and Our Responsibility to Preserve It

presidents-day-1America is a blessed nation. We enjoy a level of political stability, 1 creative innovation, 2 and national prosperity 3 unknown by any other country in the world. Our uniqueness has been affirmed by presidents across the generations — as when President Thomas Jefferson said:

[T]he comparison of our government with those of Europe is like a comparison of heaven and hell.

President Calvin Coolidge identified God and His principles as the reason for the difference:

presidents-day-2[T]he authority of law, the right to equality, liberty, and property under American institutions, have for their foundation reverence for God. If we could imagine that to be swept away, these institutions of our American government could not long survive.

President Herbert Hoover acknowledged that the intangibles were the key:

Th[e] unparalleled rise of the American man and woman was not alone the result of riches in lands or forests or mines; it sprang from ideas and ideals, which liberated the mind and stimulated the exertion of a people.

Our founding documents embodied this “reverence for God” and the “ideas and ideals” that were the product of that respect. Understanding this, President Harry Truman warned:

presidents-day-4The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence can live only as long as they are enshrined in our hearts and minds. If they are not so enshrined, they would be no better than mummies in their glass cases, and they could in time become idols whose worship would be a grim mockery of the true faith. Only as these documents are reflected in the thoughts and acts of Americans can they remain symbols of a power that can move the world.

This year, we have an opportunity to preserve the great God-given ideals articulated in our nation’s founding documents. We can vote for a president (and other leaders) who fully embrace a respect for God and His principles, and the ideas that flow from Him.

The Scriptures remind us in Proverbs 14:34 that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Our Founding Fathers often repeated this verse, as did leaders across subsequent generations.1 Our first concern as a Christian voter is therefore not our pocketbook or the economy but rather whether a candidate will advance policies upholding Biblical standards of righteousness.

Make sure you keep these values foremost whenever you vote in any election. (If you need more information about voting, including registering to vote, or if you want to see voter guides, please visit Christian Voter Guide.)

presidents-day-6On Presidents Day — and with a presidential election directly in front of us — let’s remember the words of President George Washington and make sure that his concern does not become a reality in our generation:

No country upon earth ever had it more in its power to attain these blessings than United America. Wondrously strange, then, and much to be regretted indeed would it be, were we to neglect the means and to depart from the road which Providence has pointed us to so plainly; I cannot believe it will ever come to pass.

Endnotes

1 See, for example, the number of Constitutions other countries have had in the time we have had one: France (15), Brazil (7), Russia (4), Poland (7), Iraq (4), South Korea (6), China (4), and many more.

2 With only four percent of the world’s population, every year America produces more patents than the rest of the world combined. And also has won more than fifty percent of the world’s Nobel Prizes in various categories.

3 America produces an amazing twenty-eight percent of the world’s entire gross domestic product (GDP).

4 See examples in The Founders Bible article on Proverbs 14:34.

* This article concerns a historical issue and may not have updated information