Staff Reports
Jefferson area students recently participated in the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest. Essays were submitted and judged by members of the Martha McGraw Chapter in Jefferson.
The Grade 5 winner, Lily Buckner is a Home Schooled student. The other winners are JISD students. Not present was Hannah Haynes JISD 8th grade.
Students were given the following topics:
Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 –American History Essay Contest Topic: “The Second Continental Congress met from May 10, 1775 – March 1, 1781, and included delegates from all 13 colonies. This Congress was instrumental in shaping what was to become the United States of America. Imagine that you are a delegate during 1775-1776 Second Continental Congress. Which colony are you from and what will be important for you to accomplish for your colony?”
Grades 9 – The Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay Contest topic is: “Select a figure from the era of the American Revolution (1773-1783). Discuss how he or she influenced the course of the American Revolution, who he or she was and his/her contribution to the founding of a new nation. Figures may be any person, whether a well-known figure or an everyday man, woman, or child who supported the American Revolution in ways large or small.” The title of the essay should be the name of the Patriot.
Their essays follow.
Delegate to Second Continental Congress Standing Up for Little Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins
By Lily Buckner, Homeschool 5th grade
I had always wanted to do many things for Rhode Island at a young age. I had been born and raised here in Providence so this was my life. I started really getting in to politics when I was voted governor of the colony of Rhode Island. I made a bill commanding that no slaves can be shipped into the ports of Rhode Island. I was so surprised when I was able to represent my home colony again at the Second Continental Congress. I quickly wrote a letter back saying I would honorably go and represent my colony. I quickly began planning and packing for my long trip to Independence Hall in Pennsylvania.
As my buggy jostled down the road toward Pennsylvania, I wondered what the congress would do about all the British tyranny. King George was putting taxes on stamps, tea, and paper! I had been a delegate to the First Continental Congress but never thought about being able to go again. It was a bright sunny day on March 10, 1775, as I and fifty-five other delegates walked into Independence Hall. I had spoken out against British tyranny long before this and finally people are doing things about it. I was mainly concerned that my colony would not get equal representation as all the other large colonies. Richard Henry Lee who was a delegate from Virginia said that we should have a right to be our own free country. We voted that George Washington would be the commander-in-chief of the army. Later all but three of the delegates signed the Declaration of Independence, the document that Thomas Jefferson wrote, that declared our freedom and independence to create our own free country.
It was more than just one person in charge saying let us be free from England. It was a working together project for all of the delegates. I was excited to be able to sign the Declaration of Independence and declare freedom for our country. Even though the Declaration said that we can be our own country we still have to fight for it. This is the beginning of our great country.
Delegate to Second Continental Congress
By Ali Carstens, JJHS 6th Grade
My name is Ali Carstens,I am a wealthy international trader from New Hampshire and I am here to represent my Colony at the Second Continental Congress. In New Hampshire we have a motto that our people believe in, ‘Live Free or Die’. Our colony wants to maintain a strong force and regain our independence from Great Britain. The British government is not treating us fairly. The King is robbing us of our rights and privileges. New Hampshire has many valuable ideas and assets to offer in declaring our freedom from Great Britain.
As many colonies know, our governor John Wentworth abandoned his colony, leaving New Hampshire with no leader. When John Wentworth left our town, the New Hampshire Committee of Correspondence sent around a written appeal to stop trades with the British . Every town stood with our wishes. The people of New Hampshire realized how badly they were being treated. We are being taxed for our goods and still are not allowed to vote for our leader. Our colony had to come together to create our own government, The Provincial Congress. We, as leaders of our colony, have proven that we can create a constitutional government that is fair for the people. Our colonies deserve to be treated fairly. We have also created laws that are fair to follow. Our colony has maintained order in the absence of a governor. New Hampshire has also created a tax that would be helpful to our colonies to raise funds for war.
We bring as a colony great opportunities for our people and our surrounding colonies. Having a stable economy will be important when declaring our freedom from the British. New Hampshire houses the major seaport called Portsmouth.
Portsmouth is the center for trading and will help make our economy grow larger. It will also maintain an income for all of the people from different colonies. We grow wheat, rye, com, squash and beans. We are able to trade many of those crops at the port. Our colony is most famous for our pine trees. Our pine trees can build masts and boats. That can help protect our land and help with our military. Being a large port will help support our colonies to get supplies for our military quickly.
We can supply them with food, clothing, first aid and weapons.
New Hampshire has created a strong militia and believes that creating a strong force will uphold our people’s freedom. Our leaders, John Langdon and John Sullivan, have proven the need to bear arms and ammunition. To keep order and peace we must have protection. New Hampshire is the first colony to stand up to Great Britain. Our military forces stormed Fort William and Mary took over the fort and claimed the ammunition and cannons. We proved that we will stand up and protect our people and can train our troops to do the same. We also can provide the Committee of Safety.
Every New Hampshire town has created a committee run by our townspeople. We make sure the soldiers’ families have support if we have to go to war.
In conclusion I hope you see the reasons why New Hampshire will bring great support in establishing our freedom from Great Britain. We can help create laws and a government that is for the people. We can provide a strong economy from our port and that will continue to bring income to our people. We can assist in continuing to provide a strong military to protect our land and growing our troops to protect our freedoms. We will be the first to help establish freedom or we will die trying.
Delegate to Second Continental Congress
By: Alden James Ballard, JJHS 7th Grade
Knock Knock. l heard the door and sprung up from my bed. I quickly opened the door and saw a man with a letter who was asking if I was tile delegate Therman Barber. I told him that I am Therman Barber and asked why he was here so early? First, he told me that shots had been fired at British soldiers a month ago in Concord and Lexington. Next, he told me that the Rhode Island government had sent militia to help with the Boston Tea Party, which had happened earlier in the year. It was 1775 and after the burning of the Gaspee in 1772, something like this could totally ruin our relationship with Britain. But, King George has been taxing us a lot more than he promised and people weren’t liking it at all. The mailman then proceeded to tell me that I was needed at the Independence Hall for the Second Continental Congress. I was amazed and asked him why I needed to be there. He told me that he wasn’t sure but that it had to be important. He told me that I needed to leave quickly if I wanted to reach Philadelphia by early May for the Congress. I told him thank you, said goodbye to my family, and set off on horseback. On my first night, I stopped in New York. I slept well and in the morning l continued on my trip to the Independence Hall. I saw another delegate named Robert Livingston. I asked him what the meeting was about and he told me that it has something to do with the recent events happening with the British,. That day, the final day of April, l went to bed early so that I would be very energized for the Second Continental Congress meeting in the morning. Finally. it was morning. After I ate breakfast I rode to the Independence Hall. When I got there, there were already delegates talking about what they will present during the meeting. Before long, the rest of the delegates had arrived. Once the meeting started, we presented problems like over taxation, the fact that the people were unhappy, and the people have started to take matters into their own hands, which can get messy very fast and spark a war.
Also, creating an army and finding a general for the army before a war would be great because we would be prepared for a surprise attack from the British. Somebody also presented the idea of creating a petition to try to peacefully resolve the taxation issue. Which is the cause of all the other issues with the people. After we voted, we concluded that the army was a good idea. We ended up naming the army the Continental Army and its general as George
Washington. Next, we declared Rhode Island as the first independent colony on May 4. We also agreed on the Olive Branch petition for King George. Once the petition was finished and sent to King George, he ended up not accepting it and called treason on the colonies. We also decided on other things as well during the Congress, because of this, the Second Continental Congress ended up lasting until 1776. Because of the fact that Rhode Island was one of the first to rebel by burning the Gaspee and by sending troops to help Massachusetts after the events of the Boston Tea Party, we suffered the worst with Newport being occupied by the British and Bristol being bombarded by the British. As well as being ravaged for resources by the British, we were not looking so good. Two months later, the Declaration of Independence would be signed and this was the official start of the Revolutionary War. The Declaration wasn’t so easily created though, it took two days for the Declaration to finally be agreed upon, almost every delegate made word changes to the document. Next, they voted a second time, again to approve the wording. After this, the Declaration was sent to Timothy Matlock to handwrite it. Finally, on August second, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by not all of the delegates. Only 50 out of 56 actually signed the Declaration of Independence. Rhode Island helped with the events leading up to the war, and was eager to rebel against Britain, with 9,000 out of 54,000 people volunteered to fight. In all, Rhode Island was in the Revolutionary War in 1775, all the way through 1783. Rhode Island did not suffer the whole war and was free in October of 1779 because the British needed to withdraw troops to fight in the South. Afterward, Rhode Island helped the army push Britain into Yorktown, Virginia, where the war was finally ended. Giving Rhode Island a happy ending.
Delegate to Second Continental Congress
By Hannah Haynes, JJHS 8th grade
My name is John Langdon, a senator, representing New Hampshire in the Continental Congress. I was born in 1741 around Portsmouth, New Hampshire. My father arrived in the thirteen colonies in 1659 as a child and grew up to be a successful and hardworking politician and farmer. He provided for my mother, Mary Langdon-Hall brother, Woodbury Langdon, and myself. From 1774 to now I have been involved in politics.
I have spoken at the Second Continental Congress on behalf of New Hampshire and the educated, wealthy’s decisions. The others and I decided since this is a smaller state, a stronger government would ensure we had rights and the same privileges of larger colonies. We also wanted a strong economy that gave stability and growth. Because I was a part of a militia, I had the idea to have a strong well-kept “militia force”. These were the main accomplishments I wanted to speak of at the Convention. I have spoken at the conventions but not too much. We are just starting out and everyone has a bunch on their minds. I’ve handled arguments and disagreements in an appropriate manner while speaking of my opinions.
Hopefully the delegates take my viewpoints into consideration for this country-to-be.
June 10, 1775
As you can see, I’m using this as a diary to document almost everything happening. Today we had another meeting and I had the opportunity to speak of everything I wanted to mention. They thought it was a good idea and I think my speech was very straight-forward. I spoke to the other representatives of every colony and their speeches were debatable but some had good points. The men I met were respectful and mostly had manners, however there were some who I think got lost in their opinions and decided to start fighting people. My favorite people I talked to were the main representatives of each state; Thomas McKean from Delaware, Lyman Hall from Georgia, Samuel Chase from Maryland, John Handcock from Massachusetts, Stephan Crane from New Jersey, William Ford from New York, Joseph Hughes from North Carolina, Andrew Allen from Pennsylvania, Stephen Hawkins from Rhode Island, Christopher Gastden from South Carolina, and Benjamin Harrison from Virginia. Don’t get me wrong, there were others from those colonies as well but these are the ones I happened to meet. The men selected for congress were Samuel Adams, John Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine. It was a great honor to meet them. I tried to hold my excitement back as I shook their hands because they are such an inspiration to me, thank goodness I did. Well I didn’t want to embarrass myself, what else was I supposed to do?
September 17,1787
Today I signed the Constitution and they drafted it finally! We’ve been working on it for years and I’m delighted it’s all decided and done with. The delegates took some of my ideas and placed them in the document. A strong central government and stable economic system are what they decided were best. A few others and I brought up that statement and now it’s the central part of the country and our government. For the most part, we got what we wanted but there’s still a long way to go. The United States is constantly changing and always will be. Today I also got elected as state president of New Hampshire. I’m glad to know the people of my state trust me and think of me as a good person enough to be able to put their safety in my hands.
May 29, 1790
The constitution was officially ratified today. I am thankful to everyone who has supported me and the colonies before. They are the reason I am here and making a change for the better in this country.
Margaret: The Woman Took Charge
By Kyncdi Irving, JHS 9th Grade
On November 16, 1776, the world changed forever. Many lives were taken from people who chose to fight for our country. Many lives were taken from people fighting against our country. Margaret Corbin was one of the one hundred fifty-five people who lost their lives on this day. She was one of the only females who chose to fight in this battle. She was a brave, courageous, and fearless woman who fought to the very end.
Margaret Corbin was born on November 12, 1751. She was adopted by her uncle due to her father being killed in an Indian raid, and her mother was taken and never returned. When Margaret turned twenty-one, she married her husband John Corbin. When Pennsylvania started recruiting soldiers for the Army, this left Margaret along with many other wives a very hard decision to make. She could choose to stay back and care for herself, or she could travel with John in the army. Margaret took the risk and chose to follow her husband into the Army. Along with all the other women who chose to follow their husband’s into the Army she was known as a “Camp follower”. She was paid small wages to cook for the soldiers, sew, and do the soldiers’ laundry. General George Washington did not have a desire for a lot of camp followers, but he realized his work was necessary. Eventually, he gave in and allowed them to stay. A couple of weeks later John’s regiment started to march to New York and they were stationed at Fort Washington.
On November 16, 1776, the British attacked Fort Washington. Margaret followed her husband into battle. She helped with carrying water and caring for the wounded. John was responsible for loading his cannon, otherwise known as a matross. As the British moved up the hill towards the fort, John was shot and killed. Instead of moving to a safe location, Margaret immediately takes over his cannon. Her aim was just right that it caused the Hessians to turn their focus on trying to take her down. In a blink of an eye, Margaret was on the ground fighting for her life. She was hit with three musket balls and a grapeshot. Her left arm nearly fell off her body! With all of the terrible wounds, her cannon was the last to fall. When the Hessians took over the fort Margaret was found in critical condition. Fortunately, the doctors saved her life, but her left arm was paralyzed. When she was able to travel again, Margaret was kept with the other impaired saves. Margaret sustained many injuries that now limited her abilities. For example, Margaret could no longer care for herself. Simple tasks she couldn’t even perform. She had no additional help. All of her family members were dead. A local women’s care facility rejected her because of her horrible attitude and major drinking problem. She was viewed as an offensive person.
On July sixth, 1779, Congress awarded her with a lifelong pension in acknowledgement of her service. It was the first time the government recognized the military service of a woman, but women were only awarded half of what a man would receive. Congress also awarded her with additional clothing and rum allowance. General Henry Knox, directly supplied Margaret with a personal servant to help her lave and eat. In 1800, she died at the age of 49. Margaret Corbin never received full military honors until her death. The New York State Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution confirmed Margaret Corbin’s record in 1926 that her remains were confined with full military honors at the West Point Cemetery. She was one of the two only Revolutionary war soldiers buried there.
Margaret Cochran Corbin had a tremendous impact on the Revolutionary War. She was a brave fighter with a great aim. She was one of the only women to serve in combat for our country, taking over her husband’s cannon in the Battle of Fort Washington. Margaret could have chosen to stay at home during the war, but she chose to stay by her husband’s side. There was a time she could’ve chosen to run, but instead she chose to fight. This shows how much Margaret Corbin was proud of her nation.
Today we are here because of her contributions to the Revolutionary War. Could you even imagine what life would be like if things didn’t turn out the way it did? Margaret Corbin was remembered for taking over her husband’s cannon, but what about everything else she contributed to? She was the first woman to receive a military pension, she was one of the only women to fight in the American Revolution, and most of all she was a woman of her word. “You may be a soldier John, Corbin, but I am your wife and my place is by your side!”. She did exactly what she said. She followed her husband into the army, and stayed by his side the entire time.