Finnegan Schick Photo
National pride became local pride on the Fourth of July as New Haven honored the city’s role in the American Revolution.
Flags waved and muskets fired at a Grove Street Cemetery memorial service and at the rededication of an historic plaque on Church Street.
A crowd of 80 people gathered in the morning around the grave of Roger Sherman, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
“However people choose to remember, respect, and celebrate the gift of our city, they need to take a little time out of their holiday to do it,” said Lindy Gold of the state’s Office of Business Development.
The David Humphreys Branch of the Sons of the American Revolution hosted the memorial service at the cemeter. The procession walked from Sherman’s grave to the grave of David Humphreys, where Humphreys reenactor and personal historian Dave Loda rode on horseback among the graves.
Humphreys graduated from Yale in 1771, later becoming an American Revolutionary War colonel and an aide de camp to General George Washington.
“All we wanted was to be treated fairly and equally as free-born Englishmen,” said Loda. “But the boys in Parliament had other ideas.”
Four of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were from Connecticut: Oliver Wolcott, William Williams, Samuel Huntington, and Roger Sherman.
Historian Damien Cregeau gave a narrative of Sherman’s life. He praised Sherman’s “New England puritan simplicity,” and described him as a quiet man with awkward mannerisms.
Sherman, a self-taught student of theology, walked 150 miles from his home outside Boston to New Milford. He worked as a cobbler, a lawyer, a purveyor, and the treasurer of Yale College before signing the Declaration.
Loda.
“Sherman was one of the most frequent speakers in the constitutional debate,” Cregeau said, noting that Sherman gave a total of 178 speeches. Sherman introduced the Connecticut Compromise, a measure that brought proportional representation to the U.S. legislature.
Unique among the Founding Fathers, Sherman signed all four of America’s founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation, and the Articles of Association.
Fathering 15 children from two wives, Sherman ensured his lineage would last ages after his death. SAR members are required to have ancestors with patriotic service.
“Do your picnics in the afternoon,” said Kevin Sheey, scoutmaster of the Wallingford Boy Scouts. The memorial service gives children and adults a chance to see what the holiday is all about, he said.
This was the 64th memorial of its kind in New Haven.
Returned and R‑dedicated
One hour later, the Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated a plaque to George Washington outside the new Five Guys burger joint at 91 Church St.
The plaque commemorates Washington’s 1789 visit to New Haven. Washington attended a church service in Trinity Church, which is now housed on the New Haven Green.
In December 2011 the plaque was stolen and sold by the thief to Alderman-Dow Iron & Metal Co.
Lindy Gold and developer Alex Marathas at the plaque dedication.
Within 24 hours, historian and artist Robert Greenberg notified the police, and the plaque was recovered before it was melted. The DAR thanked the police, Greenberg and Ian Alderman of Alderman-Dow, for their roles in recovering the plaque.
With the plaque covered with a cloth in the background, Alderman said with a smile that his company only buys items appropriate of recycling.
Greenberg called the plaque a piece of art, an artifact of the city’s and the nation’s history. The plaque was not cleaned of its graffiti, in order to show its “battles scars,” said Greenberg. The plaque was dedicated by the DAR in 1932 and has sat near the corner of Chapel and Church for many of New Haven’s changes.
Now,Greenberg hopes the plaque will sit there for many years to come. Reenforced with glue, the plaque is unlikely to be stolen again.
Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker thanked the DAR on behalf of Mayor Toni Harp.
George Washington reenactor Bruce Bellmore and DAR State Regent April Staley.
“This is as much about studying history as it is about the rededication of the plaque,” said Trinity Church historian Peg Chambers.
One hour later, the Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated a plaque to George Washington outside the new Five Guys burger joint at 91 Church St.
Give me a break.George Washington was a slave holder.When he was 11 years old, Washington inherited 10 slaves from his father's estate. He continued to acquire slaves — some through the death of family members and others through direct purchase. Washington's cache of enslaved people peaked in 1759 when he married the wealthy widow Martha Dandridge Custis. His new wife brought more than 80 slaves to the estate at Mount Vernon. On the eve of the American Revolution, nearly 150 souls were counted as part of the property there.In 1789, Washington became the first president of the United States, a planter president who used and sanctioned black slavery. Washington needed slave labor to maintain his wealth, his lifestyle and his reputation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/16/opinion/george-washington-slave-catcher.html?_r=0