ChasingHistory

The Last Signers of the Declaration

May 30, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

Founding-Documents Blog Series: Part Three

Between now and July 4th, my blog features an ongoing series related to the history and signing of the Declaration of Independence…

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Who Was Really the Last Congressman?

Since I began writing Carrying Independence—a story that hinges on the fact that not all Congressmen signed the ONE document were in the same room on the same day to affix their signatures (covered in Part One)—I’ve often been asked, “Who was the last one Delegate to sign it?” I look at two men in particular:

Matthew Thornton was the 56th Delegate

As I mentioned in Part two of this series, the first 49 Congressmen to sign the Declaration of Independence gathered August 2nd, 1776. At that time there were a total of 55 delegates in the Continental Congress. When I asked Joseph D’Agnese, co-author on the book, Signing Their Lives Away, why Thornton was added late, he said, “it was up to each state to determine how many delegates to send to Congress.”

In September, 1776, New Hampshire decided to enlist Matthew Thornton. A rather handsome, Irish-born man, with a reportedly sharp sense of humor and weakened eyes from a smallpox inoculation, Thornton finally joined Congress in Philadelphia in November, 1776, where it is assumed he signed the document.

Thomas McKean Was the Last Man to Sign It

The last man to affix his signature, date-wise, later helped the newly formed states develop a Constitution. Thomas McKean had homes in both Philadelphia and Dover, Delaware, and for the better part of 1776 and into 1777, he was literally on the run from the British.

McKean wrote to John Adams about being, “hunted like a fox by the enemy, compelled to remove my family five times in three months, and at last fixed them in a little log-house on the banks of the Susquehanna.” No small feet with five children and his second wife pregnant with number six.

Although McKean’s letters confirm he did not attend the August 2nd signing, unfortunately his letters do not indicate where or when he affixed his name. Historians speculate it was some time after March of 1777, or as late as 1781 when he was back in Philly working on the Articles of Confederation. Regardless it was his signature that united the colonies, making them unanimous states at last.

Reader Insider Notes: The “little log cabin on the Susquahanna” Thomas McKean mentions in his letter to Adams, is where I chose to have my protagonist find Thomas McKean. Confusion over where that little house actually was/is, became a plot device.

Also, there’s a joke, attributed to no one in particular that begins, “Where did the delegates sign the Declaration of Independence?” When I discovered that Matthew Thornton, due to his late addition, was forced to squish his signature into the very bottom right corner of the document, I claimed the original punchline of that joke for the jolly fellow to share:

“Now, when people ask me where the Declaration was signed, I can honestly answer,” Thornton chuckled through his punchline, “at the bottom.” – An excerpt from Carrying Independence

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For behind-the-scenes author-related news, giveaways, and to find out where I might be speaking near you, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

Cocktails in 1776

May 9, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

I’m throwing a party for my Carrying Independence, “Experience the Revolution” book launch, and what better way to imbibe on the era than to offer attendees a 1776-ish cocktail. The trouble is, there weren’t that many cocktails back then, and my book features just the classic spirits of Whisky, Madeira, and Port. I needed some advice.

Drink Historians

While there are several books about drinking in America, like the aptly named Drinking in America by Mark Lender and James Kirby Martin, there are also drink historians. First, who knew that was a thing? Second, why no person I met in college ever majored in it is beyond me—some of them seemed like they were. But I digress…

I reached out to one such historian, Philip Greene, author of a delightful book called To Have and Have Another (about the drinks featured within Hemingway’s stories). He suggested that if I wanted to “make what is considered the original cocktail,” which is like an Old Fashioned, it was defined in a newspaper from May 13, 1806 (Balance and Colombian Repository) as “spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters.”

Phil also referred me to his friend, Mark Will-Weber—journalist and author of Mint Juleps with Teddy Roosevelt—who chimed in about three revolutionary-era cocktails. “The ‘Stone Fence,’ which is rum & hard cider mixed together—an Ethan Allen favorite… Philadelphia Fish House Punch and ‘Flip,'” which is beer, rum, and sugar, heated with a red-hot iron, and over the years eggs were added. Mark admitted that when he recently served “Flip” at an event, the general consensus wasn’t “Wow!” Most just said, “Interesting…” Uhm… maybe not that one.

The Winning Revolutionary-era Cocktails

As a result of their input, my book launch will now be replete with two aptly renamed cocktails available at the cash bar:
Patriot’s Punch. Based on the “Stone Fence” recipe.
Signer’s Cocktail. Based on the “Old Fashioned,” and using (of course) 1776 Rye by James E. Pepper.

Come hoist a glass, drown your revolutionary sorrows, and while you’re at it, visit with a few founding fathers who will be there to celebrate with us at the Patrick Henry Pub & Grill. Event co-hosted with Fountain Bookstore. JUNE 11, 6–8PM. All are welcome.

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For more history nerd posts like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For behind-the-scenes author-related news, giveaways, and to find out where I might be speaking near you, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

The Real Reverend Ewing

April 25, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

While researching various aspects for my novel, Carrying Independence, now and then I discovered an historical figure (not the usual founding father) who I’d never heard of, and whose life could bring extra meaning to the story. Enter Rev. John Ewing of Philadelphia.

Doctor John Ewing, More than a Reverend

I first encountered John Ewing, on the pages of a 1953 Historic Philadelphia book, published by the American Philosophical Society and given to me by friend Bill Ochester (who is also a reenactor as Ben Franklin).

In these pages, Ewing was described not only as pastor of the First Presbyterian Church on Pine Street, but as Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, a mathematician, and scientist. He was the “Director of the Observation of the Transit of Venus in 1769 in Independence Hall Yard under the auspices of the American Philosophical Society.”

I fall hard for historic figures who illustrate how we humans have long-been nuanced. Today, we too often position scientists and the clergy as opposites. Here was a devout theologically-minded minister who also mapped the trajectory of Venus, and challenged the thoughts of the day—so much so that even Dr. Benjamin Rush was said to have “left the church because of Doctor Ewing.”

Rev. Ewing’s Own Words

A bit more investigation on Ewing, and I discovered research gold. A 444-page book of Ewing’s own words—his sermons—was published in 1812. It includes a brief biographical sketch and words spoken about him at his funeral. In the book is a footnote about how Ewing often referenced a lesson learned in his own childhood after coming upon a snake and a frightened bird.

In my novel, readers will find Ewing in his rectory, peering through a telescope borrowed from the Philosophical Society, sharing this childhood tale (paraphrased, of course), with a member of his congregation—one of my fictional characters. Hopefully I have portrayed Ewing’s “easy and affable” manner well. By his actions, I trust you’ll experience Ewing as he saw himself—a thoughtful man convinced that “his own investigation confirmed him in his belief of the doctrines of grace.”

A PDF of Rev. Ewing’s sermons can be found linked through my Carrying Independence Research Pinterest Page here.

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For more history nerd tidbits like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For behind-the-scenes author-related news, giveaways, and to find out where I might be speaking near you, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

Tuckahoe Plantation Then and Now

April 23, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

Recently, I visited Tuckahoe Plantation—about 30 minutes from my home—for the first time. For Thomas Jefferson, whose birthday we were celebrating at the estate, he first came to Tuckahoe when he was just two. According to Jefferson biographer Dumas Malone, Jefferson recorded his earliest memory of riding in a carriage, propped up on a cushion held by a slave, heading to what would be his home for the next seven years.

The History of Tuckahoe

Built by William Randolph and Maria Judith Page beginning in 1730, by 1945 it was home to their suddenly orphaned children. In his will, William declared Thomas Jefferson’s parents as guardians, and rather than uprooting the Randolph children, the Jefferson’s moved to Tuckahoe Plantation.

It is not difficult to image little T.J. running the halls of the H-frame home and being educated in a tiny one-room school house on the property. The house has been incredibly well maintained as a National Historic Landmark and that school house still stands beyond the tulip gardens.

Tuckahoe Today

It’s also easy to imagine the estate occupied by a family because it still is. Although the home is open to visitors, it is still privately owned, and rooms are filled with a mixture of then and now. Founding father portraits look upon framed family photos of weddings and graduations. Period antiques are cushioned by the occasional modern rug gracing rooms still inhabited by the current owners.

While these modern family and functional pieces keep the visitor grounded in current day, it is the gardens, outbuildings, and thankful preservation of the home, (it was nearly demolished to put in a highway—gasp) that allowed me to wander through the door and back to the 18th century. It’s a splendid example of the period—from the dark paneling to the paint colors to the perennials. (Check out the glass windows etched with signatures of visitors on their Instagram feed.)

The plantation is open daily from 9–5 with limited tours inside the home. For tour and photography information visit the Tuckahoe Plantation website.

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For more history nerd tidbits like these, subscribe to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For behind-the-scenes author-related news, giveaways, and to find out where I might be speaking near you, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

Do Author Signatures Matter? Will mine?

April 9, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

I was in a bookstore a few weeks ago, buying a book written by an author I admire. The bookseller informed me, with much enthusiasm, that they had a stack of signed copies. The author was not there at the moment, and with dozens of signed copies before me, I wondered just how valuable the signature was. To the author. To collectors. To me.

As with every part of this publishing journey, I decided to stop and ask two questions about the process. Why do we do that? Do I need to do that?

What’s in a signature?

In a world in which there are fewer reasons to sign documents, as outlined in this 2018 New York Times article, Why Signatures Matter, to some the signature has lost all meaning. It used to be that, as Steven Petro writes, “each signature was an original creation.” Now, in many cases—credit cards with chips for instance—the signature has become moot. Based on that logic, sign all the books I want, right?

However, in the last couple of years, the only documents that required my signature (and proof of it) were forms to refinance my house, my passport, banking documents, and HIPAA/medical release forms. Those are major documents where the signature becomes part of a binding agreement, and not one to lightly toss around. So is my signature more valuable than I thought?

Does an author signature have value?

An item—art, stamps, a signed book—has value for the joy it brings the owner. However, as my parents always said of stamps and art… it’s only worth money if I sell it. For book collectors, the same applies to author signatures. There are multiple variations on the way authors sign books, as outlined in this article by Denise Enck. Whether it’s inscribed, signed, or attributed, ultimately the worth of the book, “could be large, moderate, or negligible, depending upon the book in question.”

I own an illustrated edition of David McCullough’s 1776. I could buy it signed for $150 on ebay, but the copy I have is more valuable to me because it was a gift from a dear friend. Would I want McCullough to sign it if I met him? Not necessarily, because it’s not like I’m going to sell it. I’d rather ask him if he ever got the letter I wrote to him and then I hope we’d talk about George Washington in Harlem Heights, but I digress…

Perhaps popularity or whether an author is alive or dead matters. A first-edition Ann Patchett can run about $10. A first edition Hemingway, A Farewell To Arms, sold for over $18,000 in 2014. I ain’t no Hemingway.

Mine is a first edition. But it’s a paperback. But I’m kind of a nobody and alive. For now. So what am I to do? I turned back to the story within my book and to the founding fathers.

P145_Signing_the_Declaration_of_American_Independence_Cassell_KarenAChase — “Signing of the Declaration of American Independence.” *Cassell’s Illustrated History of England, Volume 5*, page 145. (1865)

This country is founded on the importance of signatures.

The whole premise of CARRYING INDEPENDENCE is based upon the simple fact that the newly-formed Congress in 1776 deemed it 100% necessary to ensure the original signatures from all 56 men in Congress were affixed to ONE copy of the Declaration of Independence. (My protagonist, Nathaniel, also struggles mightily, as many an Americans did, over whether to sign an oath to the Crown or to the colonies.)

When the last delegate, Thomas McKean, signed the Declaration (a topic for another day), Congress had a formal unanimous agreement to separate from the Crown (which they had done verbally on July 2nd), and now they had a written contract that also bound together the 13 united states. We still honor that document today. Revere it! Signatures damn-well mattered.

Limited Signed Editions of Carrying Independence.

After much thought, and in the spirit of the document, I am limiting the number of signed copies of my novel to just 76 (in honor of the year 1776, of course). I am reserving the first 20 copies for personal use and charitable endeavors, and 56 are being made available on a first-come-basis to the public during the pre-sale period, which begins this Thursday on April 11th. Each of those 76 copies will have a full signature, each will be numbered, and each will carry my personal seal (shown here).

“But how will you autograph them at book talks?” a friend asked. I will still inscribe a copy to readers with their name, but alas, my full signature will not be penned. Nor will you find my scrawl in stacks of books set upon tables for just anyone to pick up.

Is that arrogant? Maybe. Isn’t assuming everyone will want my autograph equally so? Ultimately, I believe that signatures matter. They surely did in 1776. Perhaps one day history might determine mine does, too.

Follow/watch my Author Facebook page on April 11th for details on how you might secure one of the 56 signed copies.

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Thanks for sharing in the spirit of learning about our collective American History by subscribing to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For Karen-related author research tidbits, book news and events, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

How to Garden Like Thomas Jefferson

March 28, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

Watercolor ”View of the West Front of Monticello and Garden” (1825) by Jane Braddick. Peticolas. The children are Thomas Jefferson’s grandchildren. – WikimediaCommons/PublicDomain

While planting season in Virginia usually begins around tax day, I’m anxious to get into my garden now. I live an hour or so from Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello where I frequently visit his historic gardens, which are still jaw-droppingly impressive. In three distinct garden areas, the estate sprouts flowers, fruits, and vegetables. To produce gardens, even on a small scale, that will make us equally proud, here are three simple tips:

One: Keep a Gardening Notebook

In order to be a keen observer of what works in different areas of your garden from season-to-season, you can keep notes in a brief journal or calendar. Jefferson kept track of the weather and how it affected plantings, along with sketches and other memoranda, in what he called his “Garden Kalendar.” (Which you can meander through thanks to the Massachusetts Historical Society, Thomas Jefferson Papers.)

Two: Buy Heirloom Seeds

Over 300 varieties of vegetables were produced by Monticello including beans, peppers, and tomatoes. Thanks to a long-sustained heirloom project—whereby seeds were and are harvested from plants each season—some of those original varietals can be yours. Why heirloom? According to Lynn Coulter on a post on Gardening Know How, some reasons may include better taste, pest resistent, or more fragrant flowers. With delightfully-painted new package designs, by local artist Tim O’Kane, the Monticello heirloom seeds feel even more charming.

Three: Plant Abundant Flowers Along Walkways

In a letter from 1807, Jefferson writes that a “limited number of our flower beds will too much restrain the variety of flowers in which we might wish to indulge.” The borders of his walkways—which were curved, not straight—were packed with flowers that help keep the gardener amused and enthralled.

For more information and events about the historic plantings at Monticello and in early America, connect with the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.

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Thanks for sharing in the spirit of learning about our collective American History by subscribing to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For deeper dives on book-related research, giveaways, book news, and author events, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

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Martha Washington, Aide-de-camp

March 14, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

Women in History: Telling a More Complete Story

The Martha We Learn About

I remember visiting Colonial Williamsburg when I first moved to Virginia. A reenactor spoke to our tour group about all Martha Washington accomplished during her life. Land holdings inherited from a first husband, passed via coverture to the second, George. Childbirth. Hostess to hundreds of visitors at Mount Vernon each year. During one particular hog-season, she oversaw the slaughter and smoking of 50 hams.

This five-foot-nothin’ Virginian had always been shown to me as a noble, rosy-cheeked woman who would become our first First Lady. Not once had I ever heard her being referred to as an aide-de-camp.

Martha as Aide-de-camp, No. 33

In 1776, aides-de-camp were all men—officers in the Continental Army who were General Washington’s private secretaries or couriers, who gathered intelligence, or handled Washington’s correspondence and social affairs. There were 32 in all. Until 1906.

That year, Worthington Chauncey Ford, chief of the Manuscripts Division at the Library of Congress, reviewed Martha Washington’s role in the Cause. She often traveled with her husband and stayed at headquarters during the winter months, including Valley Forge in 1777, where she did more than simply improve morale through social events. She also fulfilled the role of clerical assistant to the general, contributing so much that Ford added Martha to the list.

While this designation is well-known among Revolutionary historians, for me that her contributions had been overshadowed for over 130 years—and never were they discussed in any of my American history classes—was a revelation. The lopsided history we’re often shown about the men winning the war, while the women smoked hams… well, that’s bologna. (To be sure, it was slaves who Martha was overseeing each hog-season, and their stories are thankfully getting deeper coverage in historic places now.)

Learning through my own studies that “contribution” is not tied to race, gender, or official rank has enabled me to feel quite free, especially as a “popular historian,” to chase history about lesser known roles, people, or events.

Besides, what could I possibly add to GW’s lexicon of life stories? According to biographer Ron Chernow, there are approximately 900 biographies about George. Plus over 6000 articles with his name in the title! Yeah… that’s enough already.

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Thanks for sharing in the spirit of learning about our collective American History by subscribing to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For deeper dives on book-related research, giveaways, book news, and author events, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

Washington’s Rules of Civility, No. 55

March 7, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

Out of Season Street Food

Though George Washington had some great, and common sense thoughts, not all of his Rules of Civility pass my taste test. Take number 55: “Eat not in the Streets, nor in the House, out of Season.”

While I champion eating seasonal fruits and vegetables as they are more likely to be from local farms, a plump raspberry popped in my mouth in the dead of winter is just the burst of spring I crave.

To be fair, in George’s day, without refrigeration, smoking or salting were the primary methods to preserve food. While finding a raspberry jam might have been possible, a salted berry… I suppose not.

Reading his No. 55 maxim another way, I wonder if G.W. would frown upon the immense satisfaction I get from eating street food. The food carts in Portland, OR. The vendors in midtown Manhattan. The lunch trucks right here in Richmond. With warmer days not far off, I can’t wait to plunk down on a downtown curb with one of my favorite Boka tacos in hand.

If GW were here today and he ate a Sabretts hot dog, while watching baseball, I suspect he’d pick up a pen and strike out number 55. (Once he removed the giant foam finger from his grease-stained hand.)

What do you eat out of season or out of doors?

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Thank you for joining me and learning about our collective American History by subscribing to the blog. Guest posts are welcomed and encouraged. Contact me for details.

For Karen-related author research tidbits, book news and events, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

Kris Spisak–On American Language

January 17, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of an American Language

A Guest Post by Kris Spisak.

When people think of the American revolution, freedom comes to mind—freedom, liberty, and independence from the necessity of following rules established without any thoughtful representation. But these ideals weren’t and aren’t limited to government. The English language itself went through its own revolution, with founding fathers such as Ben Franklin at the helm here too.

It was an era when “thee” and “thou” were just starting to decline in usage. Our “unalienable rights” were discussed rather than today’s standard “inalienable rights,” and “the” was more commonly written “ye” as a stand-in because the “th” sound no longer had a single alphabet letter to represent it as it once had.

The English language has continuously evolved for hundreds of years, but because the first print dictionaries were published in the 1600s and 1700s, this was an especially turbulent time for words.

Ben Franklin himself suggested that we create a new twenty-six letter alphabet, dropping the letters C, J, Q, W, X, and Y and adding in six new ones of his own creation. His new alphabet would allow, he said, for a phonetic reading of the entire English language. Many ignored him. Many others, like Noah Webster, took Franklin’s many language thoughts into consideration. Thus, when Webster’s American English dictionary was finally published in 1828, he included Franklin’s suggestions that the “u” be removed from “color,” “favorite,” and “honor” and that the “re” in “theatre” and “centre” should be reversed, among many other ideas. The differences between American English and British English were born of this celebration of reason and independent thought, but, of course, the story hardly end there.

The fact that Thomas Jefferson used linguistic ciphers in his correspondence with Merriweather Lewis during his great expedition westward with William Clark is a story for another day.

Kris Spisak wrote her first book, Get a Grip on your Grammar: 250 Writing and Editing Reminders for the Curious or Confused (Career Press, 2017), with a goal to help writers of all kinds empower their communications. Her “Words You Should Know” podcast and “Grammartopia” events follow the same mission. A former college writing instructor, having taught at institutions including the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University, Kris now works as a freelance editor, specializing in fiction. She is on is on the board of directors of James River Writers, is the co-founder and director of creative strategy of Midlothian Web Solutions, and can’t wait for you to hear about her next book. Sign up for her monthly writing and communications newsletter for more tips and trivia like this.

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Alphabet anecdotes and language-based ciphers also play a role in my American Revolutionary novel Carrying Independence, debuting in summer of 2019.

For research related to the novel and to stay updated on Karen-related author research tidbits, book news and events, subscribe to my e-news publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

Thank you for sharing in the spirit of learning about our collective American History by subscribing to the blog. Guest posts like this one are welcomed and encouraged––by academics, historians, authors, artists, and storytellers. Contact me for details.

Rachel Pater–A Walking Tour for Justice

January 10, 2019 By Karen A. Chase

The Life and Times of Elizabeth Van Lew

A Guest Post by Rachel Pater.

After 20 years in the Midwest and 10 years in the Wild West, my partner and I landed in Richmond, Virginia in 2016. Prior to moving here, I had little knowledge about the Civil War—even less about Richmond’s role in it.

Like many others, the way I can best access history is through narratives from or about people who lived through specific periods of time. Since moving here, my portal to Civil War times has been through the life of Elizabeth Van Lew, a Unionist Spy who lived in Church Hill.

Elizabeth’s story took a hold in me, and I knew I wanted to share it. And so, in collaboration with a few musicians and the Richmond Story House, we recorded an audio narrative of her story (hear a sample here). You can now take this 70-minute, 2-mile, downloadable walking tour on your own time, by yourself or with a group. The tour starts and ends at St. John’s Church in Church Hill.

Elizabeth’s Significance Then and Now

Following the fall of Richmond, Ulysses S. Grant said that Elizabeth Van Lew provided him with “the most valuable information received from Richmond during the war.” Her lessons continue to provide us with knowledge of our city’s participation in the slave trade and the Civil War, challenging participants to make connections between this history and the insidious forms of racism still alive in our city and world today.

Proceeds from the tour go directly to expanding our work in the Richmond City Justice Center, where we run weekly personal narrative workshops. Download the Van Lew Tour and see a slideshow here.

Rachel Pater is the Founder of Richmond Story House. Visit Richmond Story House for the tour, workshops, and also information on volunteering and donations.

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Thanks for sharing in the spirit of learning about our collective American History by subscribing to the blog. Guest posts like this one are welcomed and encouraged––by academics, historians, authors, artists, and storytellers. Contact me for details.

For Karen-related author research tidbits, book news and events, subscribe to my e-publication, CHASING HISTORIES.

ChasingHistory

Founding-Documents Blog Series: Part Three

Who Was Really the Last Congressman?

Matthew Thornton was the 56th Delegate

Thomas McKean Was the Last Man to Sign It

“Now, when people ask me where the Declaration was signed, I can honestly answer,” Thornton chuckled through his punchline, “at the bottom.” – An excerpt from Carrying Independence

Drink Historians

The Winning Revolutionary-era Cocktails

Doctor John Ewing, More than a Reverend

Rev. Ewing’s Own Words

The History of Tuckahoe

Tuckahoe Today

What’s in a signature?

Does an author signature have value?

This country is founded on the importance of signatures.

Limited Signed Editions of Carrying Independence.

One: Keep a Gardening Notebook

Two: Buy Heirloom Seeds

Three: Plant Abundant Flowers Along Walkways

Women in History: Telling a More Complete Story

The Martha We Learn About

Martha as Aide-de-camp, No. 33

Out of Season Street Food

Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of an American Language

The Life and Times of Elizabeth Van Lew

Elizabeth’s Significance Then and Now