Little Things Can Change the World

We return to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for a very important stop! On the last stage of our virtual tour we remembered the pivotal battle at Trenton, New Jersey. We contemplated the inspiring words of George Washington as he motivated his exhausted, cold, and hungry troops. In addition to the strength of Washington and the courage of his men, there are other elements that made that victory possible. Today we will think of the little actions of a young widow that played a very important part.

Thomas Bond House B & B, picture from their website.

We are staying at the Thomas Bond House Bed and Breakfast.

Today, the carefully restored town house warmly welcomes its guests, with an ambiance of colonial charm. Stay in rooms carefully restored to the18th Century Federal Period. The Charming parlor invites guests to come in and relax and enjoy the ambiance and the company of other guests. ~quote from Thomas Bond House website

In addition to the sites we visited on our last stop in Philadelphia, we find that we are within walking distance of fine restaurants, theaters, museums, world-class shopping and the internationally acclaimed Academy of Music and Philadelphia Orchestra.

But we have come here for the Betsy Ross house and our hotel is only a few blocks away. You can take an awesome virtual tour from home.

Picture courtesy of ushistory.org

We’ve all heard the story about Betsy Ross sewing the first American flag.

“Sitting sewing in her shop one day with her girls around her, several gentlemen entered. She recognized one of these as the uncle of her deceased husband, Col. George Ross, a delegate from Pennsylvania to Congress. She also knew the handsome form and features of the dignified, yet graceful and polite Commander in Chief, who, while he was yet Colonel Washington had visited her shop both professionally and socially many times, (a friendship caused by her connection with the Ross family) they announced themselves as a committee of congress, and stated that they had been appointed to prepare a flag, and asked her if she thought she could make one, to which she replied, with her usual modesty and self-reliance, that “she did not know but she could try; she had never made one but if the pattern were shown to her she had not doubt of her ability to do it.”

This story is based on the testimony of Betsy’s grandson. He also said that Ross suggested they change the star to a five-pointed star. The committee members thought it looked too difficult but she said:

 “Nothing easier” was her prompt reply and folding a piece of paper in the proper manner, with one clip of her ready scissors she quickly displayed to their astonished vision the five pointed star; which accordingly took its place in the national standard.

Try it and see what you think. Here are instructions for making the five-pointed star.

Let’s take a look at Betsy Ross…

Born in 1752, she was the eighth of seventeen children. No, that’s not a typo. Only nine of the children survived childhood, so you can imagine the grief this family lived with. She grew up under the strict discipline of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and learned to sew at an early age.

After attending public school, her father apprenticed her to an upholsterer. She fell in love with fellow apprentice John Ross (nephew of George Ross Jr. who signed the Declaration of Independence). In 1773, they eloped. John was an Anglican, so her family expelled her from the Quaker congregation. The young couple started their own upholstery business. Two years later, the American Revolutionary War broke out and John, a member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Militia, was killed by a gunpowder explosion.

Twenty-four-year-old Betsy did not give in to grief or give up on her goals. She continued running the upholstery business. And she did something even more courageous. She worked secretly doing little things, helping American soldiers by repairing uniforms, making tents and blankest, and stuffing paper tube cartridges with musket balls. Can you imagine if a British soldier caught her doing all this?

The contribution of women during the Revolutionary war was significant, although often overlooked. Because men assumed they could not grasp the complexities of wary, they often spoke freely around them. This made women great spies! They also supported the cause by nursing injured soldiers, providing supplies and–like Betsy Ross–creating much needed ammunition.

“Carl Aemil Ulrich von Donop (1732-1777)” by ANKAWÜ on Wikimedia Commons

Some have speculated that Betsy Ross had another important role to play in our country’s battle for independence. While George Washington was rousing his men to cross the icy Delaware River and conquer the Hessians in Trenton, New Jersey, a beautiful young widow was detaining Hessian Colonel Carl von Donup in Mount Holly. Colonel Donup chose to remain in the company of this young widow for three days instead of traveling to Bordentown, with all his soldiers, as his officers wanted him to do. If he had taken the advice of his officers, the outcome of the Battle of Trenton would be much different. George Washington and his men would’ve been greatly outnumbered and may not have claimed the victory.

Distracting the Hessian Colonel was just a little thing. But we owe some credit to this young widow who kept Donup out of the game!  

Women in the early years of our country did many great and many little things that changed the course of history. Women today have the opportunity to do little things that can influence the direction of families, our country, even the world.

We stop at the City Tavern for dinner and I consider my own contributions, the contributions of my mother and my female friends. Women make great representatives in government, teachers, doctors, nurses, engineers, or company presidents…whatever a person is called to. But I believe the most awesome vocation is motherhood. Sometimes the impression is given that this is an inferior vocation because it revolves around endless days of hard work and little things.

I am a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom. I don’t do anything big that will be recorded in history. But I do something important to the future by caring for my family and raising my boys the best I can. Love, sacrifices, hard work, encouragement, and counsel.

Little things can change the world!

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Battle of Trenton: Finding the Strength to Go On

Our virtual tour of early America goes to Trenton, New Jersey. Even after Americans declared independence, they had a long, hard struggle to defeat the British. The Patriots would need a healthy dose of perseverance and courage.

Battle of Trenton

To really get a feel for the land, we have decided to go camping! We camp here, at Washington Crossing State Park. This park is located along the Delaware River, eight miles north of Trenton. It was right here that George Washington and the Continental Army landed after that historical crossing on Christmas night in 1776. This park has 13 miles of trails for us to hike, a Revolutionary War Museum, Nature Center, Open Air Theater, and historical buildings.

So we set up our tent and settle in for a nice long weekend!

During the Revolutionary War, even after Americans declared their independence, the British did not consider George Washington much of a challenge. They thought they could easily beat him. And for a while, this seemed true.

The British defeated Washington at the Battle of Long Island. The stats:

• Washington’s losses: 300 troops killed, 700 wounded, and nearly 1000 captured.
• The British losses: 64 killed, 31 missing, and 293 wounded.

Badly beaten, Washington retreated from New York City. British General Howe drove him farther and farther into retreat, chasing Washington across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. Fort Washington was lost, along with much artillery. Washington’s army was dwindling. Fearing the British would come to Philadelphia, Congress fled! And then General Charles Lee was captured by the British.

Everything seemed lost.

We’ve all been there. I’ve had times in my life where all my efforts fail, the world seems against me, and I’m tempted to give up. My Christian faith and American spirit give me 5 things that keep me going.

I believe these same things kept the Patriots going in the War for Independence.

1. Steadfastness – we don’t have to have all the answers. It’s okay to make mistakes. George Washington made many. But he never gave up!
2. Strive for Integrity – Washington kept his army together, despite severe obstacles, because his men trusted him. He was a man of virtue.
3. Take your goal seriously – one reason the British lost is that many of their generals, especially General Howe, did not seem to take the war seriously. Maybe they underestimated the Americans. Or maybe they just didn’t care. They certainly didn’t have the personal investment that the Patriots had.
4. Ask for help – if a goal is worthy enough, and you can’t do it alone, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The Americans could not have won without the help of the French.
5. Courage – discernment helps us choose our battles, and choose our side on the battle. But courage is what makes us stand up and fight. Otherwise known as fortitude: “The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions.” ~Catechism of the Catholic Church, Para. 1808

Life is not easy. And the pursuit of any worthy goal can be a trial.

Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine, who was traveling with the army, encouraged the soldiers to endure by writing this:

“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

On Christmas eve, 1776 the tide turned for the Americans.

George Washington saw an opportunity to end the year with victory and bolster his soldiers’ resolve.

With an army of 2,400 men, during a severe winter storm, he crossed the Delaware River near Trenton, New Jersey. Two other forces crossed at different points.

I can only imagine the sacrifice made by these soldiers. Suffering the pangs of hunger, many went barefooted or with rags wrapped around their bloody, frozen feet. Ice chunks floated all around them in a river with a dangerously rapid current. A few men died from exposure.

Courage kept the Patriots going, trudging along though the night.

Battle of Trenton, Surprise of the Hessians

Early the next morning, the Hessians, hired by the British, awoke to a surprise. They had not expected an attack on a blustery day like this. They had relaxed their guard. The Hessians suffered 100 casualties, 900 surrendered, and 500 escaped.

Four Americans were wounded, but not one was killed in the action.

Glad for the victory but exhausted by the war, many soldiers longed to return home. But Washington needed soldiers to keep the momentum going. He needed them for the Battle of Princeton. So he asked men to stay on.

No one stepped forward.

Undaunted and believing in the patriotism of these soldiers, Washington, astride his big horse, made this appeal:

General Washington

“My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than could be reasonably expected, but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses, and all that you hold dear. You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty, and to your country, which you can probably never do under any other circumstance.”

The men began to step forward, one by one, giving Washington an army of almost 7,000 soldiers who marched on to Princeton and claimed the victory. Together these victories reversed the staggering defeats up to this point and showed American courage and resolve.

Let us not give up in the face of hardships and fatigue. Let us render ourselves, as the early patriots did, to the cause of liberty and to our country and to whatever goal is worthy of pursuit.

What keeps you going when failure meets you at every turn? Please let me know, by sharing in the comments.

Thanks for checking out my blog! If you like what you see, leave a comment, share with a friend, check out my books, or sign up for my author newsletter!

Attributions:

Battle of Trenton and General Washington: Ellis, Edward S. and Charles F. Horne. The Story of the Greatest Nations. New York: Francis Niglutsch, 1906

Washington Crossing State park photos: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/washcros.html#camp

Thomas Paine, copy by Auguste Millière, after an engraving by William Sharp, after George Romney, circa 1876 (1792)

Battle of Trenton, Surprise of the Hessians: Scott, David B. A School History of the United States. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1883.