Historical Tidbits on Independence Day
By Derek Wang, 7/4/2017
Some tidbits about the early America on this Independence Day.
Black Slave Trade
The black slaves shipped to to new world were actually coming from the century old African slave trade, specialized by the Arab Muslims. The European slave traders only needed to come to major ports in Africa and there were ready market for the endless supply of black slaves captured and chained up by the Arabs.
There were total 10-12 million black slaves sent to America, of which only 4%, or 388,000 were sent to North America.
Indentured Servitude
Half of the white Europeans coming the new world are indentured servant, which means they had to work for many years before they were free, unless they could pay for the voyages from Europe to America, a horrible trip that took 7 weeks. When they arrived, the indentured servants, those who could not pay for the trip, would be held on the ship, waiting for people to come and pick and buy them out as labor. Children were sold too.
One third of Europeans came to America ended up returning back to Europe.
Petitions before the Declaration
Almost two years early, in October 1774, the first Continental Congress (in Philly) sent a petition to King George III, very respectfully told him that if the king could be a bit nicer to the people in the American colonials, they would stand behind the British rule. King George refused to even read the letter, but tear out the names of the signers so that he could put them all to death for the treason.
In 1775, the Second Continental Congress sent another olive branch to King George III, now the king was really upset. That's why Franklin said: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."
After the signing of the petition, someone overheard a conversation between two signers: the fat guy said to the skinny guy: "I feel sorry for you, I will be done pretty quickly, and you will be hanging up there dangling for a while!"
That's the advantage to be a bit obese as a revolutionary.
Voting the Declaration
After the two attempts of futile petitions, now it inevitably came to the Declaration of Independemce. The process of revision, also in Philly, continued through all of July 3, 1776 and into the late afternoon of July 4, when the Declaration was officially adopted. Of the 13 colonies, nine voted in favor of the Declaration, two -- Pennsylvania and South Carolina -- voted No, Delaware was undecided and New York abstained. John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence. It is said that John Hancock's signed his name "with a great flourish" so England's "King George can read that without spectacles!"
The Signers
The delegates from vote-No abstain states, PA, SC and NY, did sign.
56 signers, none of them died during the subsequent war, quite a miracle considering that the act was a capital offense to the king.
The famous signers were, the two Adams (Samuel and John), Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee. John Hancock was the president. George Washington was NOT a signer. Interestingly, Washington was appointed General over a year earlier (June 14, 1775) by the Second Continental Congress.
There were two "Morris", Lewis Morris (New York) was from hugely influential Morris family. Another Morris, Robert Morris (Pennsylvania), basically bankrolled the American Revolution and was considered the second most important American after George Washington.
Hessians and Germans
One third of the British army during the American Revolution were hessians, or German contracted soldiers for hire. While on the American side, German farmers played a key role in financial support to the American revolutionary army. There is a "Peter Wentz" farmstead historical site in my neighborhood, where Washington stayed during the war. Peter Wentz lent money and supplies to Washington's army. In return, Washington paid him in paper money which became worthless even after the war. That bankrupted poor Peter Wentz.
Here is the introduction of this historical site: The Peter Wentz Farmstead was established in 1744 by Peter and Rosanna Wentz. By 1758 they had completed the large, Georgian-style stone house with many architectural features that reflected their German heritage, including interior paint decoration throughout.
The Wentz Farm served as headquarters for General George Washington during the fall of 1777. While here, General Washington planned his attempt to keep the British forces from occupying Philadelphia, which resulted in the Battle of Germantown on October 4th. It was also here on October 18th that the news of Burgoyne's surrender to General Gates at Saratoga was received and celebrated. According to tradition, a salute was fired so close to the house, the glass in a number of windows was shattered.
Another very important German during the American Revolution was Friedrick Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian baron who trained Washington's ragtag army into an true official fight force in Valley Forge, and eventually came out and won the war.
