Sunday, October 27, 2019

The Founding Mothers: Who Raised Our Nation

Book: The Founding Mothers: Who Raised Our Nation
Basic Information : Synopsis : Characters : Expectations : Thoughts : Evaluation : Book Group : New Words : Book References : Good Quotes : Table of Contents : References

Basic Information:
Author: Cokie Roberts
Edition: epub on Overdrive from Fresno County Public Library
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: (ASIN) B0024CF0GQ
Start Date: June 14, 2019
Read Date: October 27, 2019
384 pages
Genre: History, Biography,
Language Warning: None
Rated Overall: 2½ out of 5

History: 4 out of 5


Synopsis (Caution: Spoiler Alert-Jump to Thoughts):
This book is broken out into seven historical sections: root of revolution, declaring independence, the Revolutionary War, more years of war, after the war, to the making of the Constitution and election, afterwards. In each section she takes a few women and shows the parts they played during these times. Some like Abigail Adams and Martha Washington are studied more than others.


Cast of Characters:
See the section in the book called Cast of Characters where Roberts lists the characters by the males who they corresponded with.

Expectations:
  • Recommendation: OSHER Book Group
  • When: May 2019
  • Date Became Aware of Book: A year or more before
  • How come do I want to read this book: Part of the OSHER Book Group reading list for Fall 2019
  • What do I think I will get out of it? Unknown


Thoughts:

Chapter One: Before 1775: The road to revolution
Eliza Pickney-goal was to not to regard the frowns of the world, but to keep a steady upright conduct before my God, and before man, doing my duty. This should be the goal of any human. Echo’s Jesus’ thoughts on what is the greatest command and the second one. The question for each person in this world is how to carry it out?

Roberts presents the concerns about being looked at primarily as a baby producing machine. But then she also says that Esther Edwards Burr felt that marriage was the preferred state to be in.

There was twin roots in the colonists drive for independence. The first, was the British was being lax on security. New York had two canons to protect herself. Even more so, only enough gunpowder to fire a couple rounds. The second was the issue of taxing the colonists. The colonists felt more like a conquered country than full British citizens.

Politician’s children have it rough. Your slightest indiscretion will be magnified into crime, in order the more sensibly to wound and afflict me. It is therefore the more necessary for you to be extremely circumspect in all your behavior. This was written by Benjamin Franklin to his daughter.


Chapter Two: 1775-1776: Independence
Battles of Lexington and Concord-the colonist lost. But the retreat, the British lost a ratio of three soldiers to one of the colonists. A couple of months later, the Colonial Army was raised under the command of George Washington.

Mercy Warren talks about the Old South Church. We saw this when we were in Boston last October. She talks about how the church had its interior removed so that a British General’s horses could be accommodated in the church.

Abigail Adams-Pretty astute opinions, ranging from personal to political. She would take up stands against the strong for the weak. She notes to her husband, John Adams that Do not out such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could.


Chapter Three: 1776-1778: War and a nascent nation


Chapter Four: 1778-1782: Still more war and home-front activism
Esther Reed: civil war[the American Revolutionary War] with all it horrors, stains this land...the people are determined to die or be free.

Esther Reed: Is Sentiments of an American Woman a book or tract or something else?

The women made their mark by sewing shirts and clothing for the soldiers. The woman would sew their names into the shirts so that the men would know that the women were behind them and who to thank.

Roberts talks about Benedict Arnold. He pursued a woman, Peggy Shippen and married her. He had written love letters to one woman. When she rejected him, he reused the letters to Shippen.

Roberts timeline is a bit confusing. She has Cornwall surrendering. The armies would take years to disband. And then the American Army going into winter camp.

Talks about the capturing of Charlestown. After awhile, the American Army in Charlestown was viewed from being liberators to being a new occupying force.


Chapter Five: 1782-1787: Peace and diplomacy
It seems like there were several things about family relationships. Because of the small numbers of people, it seems like there was a lot of people who were related to each other. Because of the distances, many times, even semi-close relatives saw each other only a handful of times. Third, what they lacked in face to face relations, they made up in letter-writing.

Roberts says that Martha Laurens was religious-enough so she had made a covenant with God. Her husband published her journal after her death. Roberts says that she was famous in her own right. What was her married name? Her father got into the hands of the British. She wanted to rush to London to work for his release, but was convinced this was a bad idea. Later on, she learned that he was to be hanged as a traitor, if the British won the war.

Prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. Mrs John Jay.

Thomas Jefferson seemed like he was trying to create discipline in his daughter, making her able to get a suitable match. But I suspect that these days he would be considered a rotten father. The acquirements which I hope you will make under the tutors I have provided for you will render yo more worthy of my love. Sounds like she has to earn his love rather than it being given freely to his daughter.


Chapter Six: 1787-1789: Constitution and the first election
Roberts comments that there was no common thread to hold together the nation after the Revolutionary War. There was the great potential that each state would go their own separate ways. There was wide-spread discontent.

For several years, the states acted as a loose confederacy rather than a unified nation. Each state would enter into agreements with neighboring states when it suited them. It was only later when rebellion started to ferment, did the weakness of the Articles of Confederation come to a crisis to be reformed.
Alexander Hamilton was accepted because of merit as well as marrying well. He was foreign born and illegitimate.

I got a lot better understanding of how instrumental George Washington was in getting the Constitution moved forward as well as approved. While not the brains of it, he was the one who had the stature among the Fathers, and who pushed for it and made sure that it was considered.

The take on Robert Morris was interesting. He was purported to be the richest man in America. There was a push for him to be President, since he was one of the great leaders of the Revolution, financing much of it, but also being part of the group which drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence. But instead of accepting the presidency, he understood that there was a conflict with his own businesses and the business of the people. So he refused. This is so much in contrast to our current President who tries to do both and ends up intermixin the two.

Apparently Thomas Jefferson thought that a woman’s place was to soothe and calm the minds of their husbands returning ruffled from political debate.

The debate over the Constitution was done in secret. Apparently these were people of honor as they did not even discuss the debates with their wives, let alone in public with the press. This is a difference from today when you cannot trust a debate will not be reported within five minutes of something being spoken. Was this a good thing about it being done in secret? I wonder what the outcome would have been if there was the emphasis on “transparency” we have today.

Like Thomas Jeffereson writing the Declaration of Independence, Gouverneur Morris chose and wrote the words of the US Constitution. Why don’t we celebrate Morris like we do Jefferson?

Jane Mecom said: You perceive we have some quarrelsome spirits against the Constitution, but it does not appear to be those of superior judgement. This seems so appropriate today, We seem to fight, not for the sake of the country, but to fight. Definitely not of superior judgement.

The Constitution would not be signed without the understanding that the Bill of Rights would be added on soon afterwards. Virginia was particularly insistent on this.


After 1789: Raising a nation cast of characters.
See the references for Martha Washington’s cookbook/recipes. Also Harriott Horry’s cookbook.

Martha and George Washington could not accept private invitations so that there was not the appearance of favoritism. Sort of different now. When George Washington went on tours, he would stay only at public inns, not in private residences.

Eli Whitney worked for Kitty Greene, wife of the late Colonel Greene. The same inventor of the cotton gin.

Because the men were away doing things during the Revolutionary War, a need to educate women to take on responsibilities which were traditionally men was recognized. Roberts says that these responsibilities would require the participation of its citizens. But who were citizens? Would it be anybody who lived in the United States? Or only those who could vote? Roberts is unclear with this. There is a list of books, in French, Greek and Latin, which was proposed to be a circulliam by Catharinie Macaulay. The is of books seem pretty high browed, more for the upper, well educated class, not so much for the farmer or poor.

Roberts noted that both Martha Washington and Abigail Adams had a lot of parties and engagement. While both wearing on the wives and there seemed to be a bit of luxury and opulence to those who were below that class of people, they served a useful function. They were places where political foes could come together and treat their opponents with respect and courtesy. She also note that Getting together over drinks and a good dinner at the end of the day tends to tame animosities. We could use a little bit of this today.

Also Washington liked these get togethers. It is pointed out that if there was one thing which opponents needed, it was that George Washington continued to be President beyond just one term.

Then like today, there seems to be a prevalence of investigating ones political opponents. I guess the idea is if you cannot beat a person or idea in politics and thoughts, dig up dirt on them.


Evaluation:
This may be a book which I do not appreciate for a couple of reasons. First, because I was hoping for a really high quality book. When Cokie Roberts would appear on NPR, I would make sure I would listen up. That is the kind of book I was expecting. Two, the subject matter she is tackling is to show that the Founding Fathers of the United States were not the only gender which mattered in gaining the American independence. I think she is only moderately successful in the second endeavor and not successful in the first.

I have gotten spoiled in how history is told by people like Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough. Roberts presentation seemed more flat than robust. There are lots of quotes from historical figures, about equal from the men and women-that is only a guess. But the rendition reminded me more of a bad high school history book, than telling the story of the important women of the Revolution.

The purpose which Roberts was writing this book was to show the importance of the women who were associated with the Founding Fathers. She does highlight them. Some, such as Abigail Adams, were heavily leaned on by their husbands for political insight and counsel. But it seemed like a lot of the activity mentioned was: 1) taking care of the family property and fortunes while the men were gone-important enough, 2) bearing and taking care of the children, 3) taking care of the social life, when possible, and 4) being moral support for the troops.

Cokie Roberts wrote a book which allowed you to understand that it was not just the men who were involved in getting the British out of America. But I came away with the picture more of supporting players-which may have been all which was allowed at the time--rather than principal actors in this drama.

 
Notes from my book group:

OSHER Book group (Mostly My questions):
What part did religion have in the women Roberts portrays? Was their religion shared by the men in their lives? How did that affect their views on the British? On how to be governed? How does Abigail Adams statement to her husband, Do not out such unlimited power into the hands of the husbands. Remember all men would be tyrants if they could. Reflect her religious thinking? How does that tie in with John Locke’s writings?

Benjamin Franklin wrote to his children: Your slightest indiscretion will be magnified into crime, in order the more sensibly to wound and afflict me. It is therefore the more necessary for you to be extremely circumspect in all your behavior. Is that fair to the children? To the politician? Why or why not?

How do other countries view the Revolutionary War? What do they call it?

After the war was fought, Roberts notes that there was little to hold the States together. Why did they continue to hold together?

During the Constitutional Convention, which was really to update the Articles of Confederacy, the delegates were not to speak about the proceedings outside of the meeting hall. Why? How would that work in our day and age? If there was outside communication, how would that have affected the outcome? O\How would discreet deliberations affect our politics today? Is there enough trust for that today?

Who were citizens of the United States in those days? Roberts notes that there was awareness that these responsibilities [those of being part of the US] would require the participation of its citizens. Who is Roberts talking about?


Many of these questions are either from or adapted from LitLovers.
  • Why the title of Founding Mothers?
  • Does this story work as history of the Revolutionary War?
  • Did the ending seem fitting? Satisfying?
  • Which woman was the most convincing? Least?
    • Which woman did you identify with?
    • Which one did you dislike?
  • Every story has a world view. Were you able to identify this story’s world view? What was it? How did it affect the story?
  • In what context was religion talked about in this book?
  • Was there anybody you would consider religious?
    • How did they show it?
    • Was the book overtly religious?
    • How did it affect the books story?
  • Why do you think the author wrote this book?
  • What would you ask the author if you had a chance?
  • What “take aways” did you have from this book?
  • What central ideas does the author present?
    • Are they personal, sociological, global, political, economic, spiritual, medical, or scientific
    • What evidence does the author use to support the book's ideas?
      • Is the evidence convincing...definitive or...speculative?
      • Does the author depends on personal opinion, observation, and assessment? Or is the evidence factual—based on science, statistics, historical documents, or quotations from (credible) experts?
    • What implications for you, our nation or the world do these ideas have?
    • Are these ideas's controversial?
      • To whom and why?
  • Describe the culture talked about in the book.
    • How is the culture described in this book different than where we live?
    • What economic or political situations are described?
    • Does the author examine economics and politics, family traditions, the arts, religious beliefs, language or food?
  • How did this book affect your view of the world?
    • Of how God is viewed?
    • What questions did you ask yourself after reading this book?
  • Talk about specific passages that struck you as significant—or interesting, profound, amusing, illuminating, disturbing, sad...?
    • What was memorable?

Following questions found at LitLovers from the publisher:
1. What inspired you to read Founding Mothers? Why do you suppose the contributions of women in the Revolutionary era have been largely overlooked by historians? Would the founding of the nation have occurred without these women?
2. Which woman would you say had the single greatest impact during the Revolution? How about during the first years of the new government?
3. Despite a lack of legal and social rights, including the right to own property and receive a formal education, how did the women presented in Founding Mothers assert their authority and exercise their intelligence?
4. How did life differ for women depending on where they lived—the North versus the South, the city versus rural areas? How else did geographical circumstances impact their lives?
5. Women often accompanied their husbands to army camps during the war, including Martha Washington, Kitty Greene, and Lucy Knox. Were you surprised they chose to do this? How did these three women in particular contribute to the often harsh life of a military camp and foster the war efforts?
6. By telling the stories of our Founding Mothers, this book also sheds light on the men of the time. Did you learn anything new about these men, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton, seeing them from the perspective of their female contemporaries?
7. How important was the "civilizing" role that women played in the years leading up to, during, and after the Revolution? Can you reference examples from the book that show how integral it was for the women to be able to step in and "calm down the men," or even to act as intermediaries, as Abigail Adams did in the dispute between her husband and James Madison?
8. Catharine Macaulay supported the American Revolution and was a vocal proponent of democratic governments in general. Why did Macaulay, an Englishwoman, take such an interest in the American cause? How did she contribute to it?
9. How did Martha Washington define the role of First Lady? Are her influences still evident today? Her political savvy was remarkable, but is there anything that can be learned from Martha Washington on a personal level?
10. Only a limited number of women could have accomplished what Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren did — those who had access to the men shaping the future of the nation. What about the women who didn't have the advantage of providing direct counsel or publishing their discourses? How did they contribute to the Revolutionary War and the founding of the nation?
11. Cokie Roberts intersperses her thoughts and commentary throughout the book. Does this enhance the narrative? In what ways?



New Words:
  • Plenipotentiary (5): a person, especially a diplomat, invested with the full power of independent action on behalf of their government, typically in a foreign country.
  • Churn (7): a machine or container in which butter is made by agitating milk or cream. (It is used in the book as a hairdo in the form of a churn.
Book References:
  • The Women of the American Revolution by Elizabeth Ellet
  • Pioneer Women of America
  • Pamela by Richardson
  • Poor Richard's Almanac by Benjamin Franklin
  • The Adulateur by Mercy Warren
  • The Defeat by Mercy Warren
  • The History of England by Catharine Macaulay
  • The Group by Mercy Warren
  • Common Sense by Thomas Paine
  • Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
  • Defense of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America by John Adams
  • Recollections by Samuel Beck
  • The Tempest by John Dryden
  • The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison
  • The Ladies of Castile by Mercy Otis Warren
  • The Sack of Rome by Mercy Otis Warren
  • Observations on the New Constitution and on the Federal and State Conventions by Mercy Otis Warren
  • Letters on Education by Catharine Macaulay
  • Dialogues by Plato
  • The Commentaries of Caesar by Anthony Trollope (in Latin)
  • Poems, Dramatic and Miscellaneous by Mercy Otis Warren
  • History of the American Revolution by Mercy Otis Warren
  • Vindication of the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft
  • Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly
  • Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
  • Memoirs and Recollections of Washington by George Washington Parke Custis

Good Quotes:
    • First Line:All of my childhood I heard the stories of my ancestor William Clairborne, who in 1790 went to work for Congress where he met the men we think of as the Founding Fathers.
    • Last Line: A salute from the Father of the Country to its Founding Mothers.
    • You perceive we have some quarrelsome spirits against the Constitution, but it does not appear to be those of superior judgement. Jane Mecom to Benjamin Franklin, November 9, 1787.
      Table of Contents:
      • Before 1775: The road to revolution
      • 1775-1776: Independence
      • 1776-1778: War and a nascent nation
      • 1778-1782: Still more war and home-front activism
      • 1782-1787: Peace and diplomacy
      • 1787-1789: Constitution and the first election
      • After 1789: Raising a nation cast of characters.

      References:

          Posted by at
          Labels: , , , ,

          No comments:

          Post a Comment

          Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)