History fair was unfair, teen says

From the Tampa Bay Times: History fair was unfair, teen says
Jack Irvine researched, wrote and practiced for seven months.

For hours a day, six days a week he worked on crafting props for his history project on the American Revolution.

The 13-year-old had his sights set on competing in the Pinellas County History Fair and possibly heading to state.

At first, prospects looked good.

He won his school-level competition at Safety Harbor Middle. Then, at the March 10 county competition he got to the final round.

But when he got to the assigned room at University of South Florida St. Petersburg, things didn't go as he'd planned.

A judge, he says, reprimanded his parents for helping him carry some of the props down steep steps. He felt rushed and unsettled, but he tried to get through his presentation.

"I was just really stressed and it felt like a thousand degrees up there," he said.

But he finished.

He placed last among four finalists in his category. It was what it was.

"This is not about winning or losing," he said.

But then he learned something that made him feel cheated: the judge who he had reprimanded him was the wife of the history fair organizer, Alan Kay, a well-respected teacher at East Lake High. He learned that the Kays have a daughter at Dunedin Highlands Middle School, where the first-place winner in his category attended school.

And then he heard that the judge, Heidi Kay, is friends with the student she helped judge the winner.

That's when Jack's parents decided to appeal.

They met with Linda Whitley, the supervisor of social studies for Pinellas County schools, who referred the matter to the KC Smith, the Florida History Fair coordinator for the Museum of Florida History.

"In my opinion, she should not have been judging this category in the first place because of an inherent conflict of interest," Smith wrote Whitley in an email on Monday. "One of the entries being judged was from the middle school that Mrs. Kay's daughter attends. She should not have been allowed to judge any junior division category because the potential for bias, or even the perception of bias, was simply too great." [What bias???? If her daughter was in the competition, then they might have a case. As it is, seems like a sore loser looking to make trouble and playing the victim card! ed]

Despite that, Smith wrote, the outcome will stand. She determined after speaking to all three judges that their decision "ultimately was based on each judge's belief that some entries were stronger than others."

Kay, a former teacher of the year, declined to talk about the incident with the Tampa Bay Times. But, in an email to Jack's mother, Kay dismissed the notion that there was any conflict of interest there, calling his wife's "commitment to fairness above reproach."

In addition, Kay noted that the winner's family are generally well-known because they are long-time supporters of the annual history fair competition. He did not respond to an email request to speak to his wife.

At first, a disheartened Jack wanted to ask organizers allow all four contestants the chance to perform again before another panel of judges. A do-over. But after thinking about it more, he said, he wasn't sure he had it in him to perform again.

He just wanted "to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said.

So Jack went to school on Tuesday and collected 70 signatures from his classmates. Then, he went to the Pinellas School Board meeting Tuesday night, told them his story and what he learned.

"My geography teachers, Mrs. Candes Clifford, has taught us that it's not just our job to learn about injustices," Jack said. "It's our responsibility to speak up and change things to make them right for others."

Eliminate the National History Day projects from the school curriculum, he told the board. Make it an extracurricular activity. "If Mr. Kay can't guarantee that judging will be fair, we don't want to compete."

And investigate the county competition, he continued: "Make clear changes to the program so that this never happens again to another kid like me."

Board members didn't respond other than to thank Jack for speaking to them. Superintendent John Stewart said it was the first he'd heard about the incident.

Deputy superintendent Jim Madden, who was seated next to Stewart, said the incident was "unfortunate" given all the great stories that come out of the history competition each year.

"The hope is that everyone learns from this," Madden said.

America's Oldest National Political Holiday

From Huffington Post: America's Oldest National Political Holiday

Two hundred and forty-five years ago this week, celebrations of a political nature were held throughout the American colonies. The occasion, in 1767, was the first anniversary of the repeal of the hated Stamp Act. While not unique as a reason for celebration or as a piece of enduring American politics, it was likely this was the first time Americans celebrated such a thing together -- as Americans, in other words, celebrating a purely American victory.

The Stamp Act itself wasn't even all that unique, as Americans had to cope with a number of attempts by the British Parliament to tax the colonies to retire their war debt from the French and Indian Wars. The Stamp Act wasn't even the first of these attempts -- the Molasses Act (or Sugar Act) passed in 1764, a year before the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act, however, was a new tax (a molasses tax had been around for over thirty years), which taxed pretty much everything printed on paper, including newspapers, pamphlets, university diplomas, deeds, passports, and every other printed matter you can imagine, including even "every pack of playing cards, and all dice."

Historians today mark the Stamp Act as the spark which lit the fire of the American Revolution. But if the British Parliament had just ended their attempts at levying taxes on their colonies with the Stamp Act's repeal on March 18, 1766, the Revolution might never have gotten off the ground -- and we might today still celebrate the Stamp Act repeal while at the same time honoring the Queen of England's Diamond Jubilee as loyal subjects of the Commonwealth. However, Parliament continued to pass harsher and harsher laws to deal with the upstart colonies, and Act after Act (Townshend, Intolerable, Tea... ) mostly served to enrage Americans even further.

The heart of the growing rebellion was, without doubt, Boston. The patriots in Boston were continually pushing the envelope of how far the rest of the American colonies were prepared to go. And one of the best ways to do so -- in an age where a weekly newspaper was pretty much it when it came to mass communications -- was to stage an event or party, to allow the populace to hear fiery speeches and consume lots of alcohol to put everyone in the proper revolutionary mood.

Boston held anniversary parties for the founding date of the Sons of Liberty, for instance, but this didn't spread much beyond New England. The Stamp Act repeal, however, was celebrated much further afield. The first anniversary was celebrated in New York City with "Joy and Festivity" (as reported by the Pennsylvania Chronicle), "and a Number of Fireworks were exhibited, to the general Satisfaction of all the Inhabitants."

[Note: All quotes are from original sources, but regrettably I can provide no links to online versions. Also, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling are all from the originals, with the sole exception that I updated all the odd "s" characters ("f") to make the quotes readable to a modern audience.]

By the second anniversary, the celebration got bigger. One has to wonder at the many protestations about how well-behaved the participants were, especially when one considers the number of toasts offered up (printing all the toasts at gatherings was a common thing for newspapers to do, back then). From the Boston Gazette of March 21, 1768:

Friday the 18th Instant being the Anniversary of the Repeal of the Stamp-Act, the same was celebrated with the greatest Demonstrations of Joy and Satisfaction, by People of all Ranks. Flaggs were hoisted, and Cannon fired in most of the capital Streets in the Town. The Houses of a Number of Gentlemen most remarkable for their Attention to the Welfare of the Community, were decorated with Streamers, and crouded with the noble Friends of Liberty, who testified their Satisfaction on this Occasion, by a temperate, but joyous Indulgence -- a select Company of truly respectable Gentlemen, upwards of Fifty in Number, assembled at the British Coffee-House, and devoted the happy Day to Mirth and Festivity, where a liberal Entertainment was provided. The whole Conduct of the Day was a compleat Exhibition of decent and rational Joy; and the Evening concluded without Riot or RUMPUS.

There follows a list of 18 toasts, including this footnote to a toast to St. Patrick: "The preceding Day being St. Patrick's, and a Number of Irish Gentlemen present, this Toast was cheerfully drank."

New York City saw a number of different celebrations, including this one reported by the New York Journal on March 24, 1768 (these were weekly papers, hence the lag in dates):

On Friday last the 18th Instant, being the Anniversary of the Repeal of the Stamp-Act, a numerous Company of the principal Merchants and other respectable Inhabitants of this City, Friends to Constitutional Liberty and Trade, assembled at Mr. Jones's and Mr. Bardin's Taverns, which are nearly adjoining, where Union Flags were displayed and elegant Entertainments provided. When the Company had Dined, by common Consent the Remains of the Entertainment were sent to the poor Prisoners in the Gaol, with a suitable Quantity of Liquor, and some of the Company voluntarily attended, to see it properly distributed. After Dinner the following loyal and patriotic Healths were drank...

A list of 21 toasts follows, including "Prosperity to Ireland" (but not actually to St. Pat). Again, this ends with a certain flavor of "doth protest too much" statements:

A Band of Musick was provided, and in the Evening some curious Fireworks played off for the Entertainment of the Company. Every Thing was conducted with proper Decorum, Ease, and good Humor, and the Evening was spent in Harmony, Cheerfulness, and a pleasing Flow of social Affections.

With 21 toasts "drank," social affections weren't the only things flowing in a pleasing manner. To put it another way, I don't think they sent too large a percentage of their "Quantity of Liquor" over to the prisoners. Maybe "Cheerfulness" was the polite way of saying (in a more modern fashion) "drinking ourselves silly," it's hard to tell at this remove. By 1770, the number of toasts reported in the Journal had risen to 34, and this was a time when the truest of patriots quaffed a full 45 toasts, in honor of John Wilkes.

Prodigious quantities of liquor aside, however, the revelry on Stamp Act Repeal Day was notable for one reason: it was the first truly "national" political holiday Americans celebrated together, on a widespread scale (the word "national" must remain in quotes, for the American nation did not, in fact, exist yet).

Washington's birthday wouldn't be celebrated until after the Revolutionary War was won. Independence Day wouldn't be celebrated until after it happened in 1776. Even the Stamp Act Repeal Day celebrations did not survive for long. For a short period of time after the Stamp Act was repealed, it looked like Parliament had come to their senses and reconciliation was possible.

As the years went on, though, this seemed less and less likely -- diminishing the importance of the Stamp Act's repeal. But the real reason Stamp Act Repeal Day was quickly forgotten as a holiday to celebrate is that soon much more provocative events were happening which deserved a different sort of celebration. A few weeks before the fourth anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre occurred, which was used in subsequent years as a rallying date. Later, the Boston Tea Party would also be an occasion to remember. Finally, on July 4, 1776, our true national political holiday would emerge, and earlier commemorative dates would be eclipsed forever.

Stamp Act Repeal Day wasn't celebrated everywhere in the colonies. But it was celebrated in every single colony. Some towns even declared it an official holiday, and footed the bill for the celebrations.

The American colonies, ten years before the Declaration of Independence, were only very loosely aligned. People thought of themselves as a "citizen of New York" or a "Virginian" rather than as first and foremost an "American." Even after the war was won, our first attempt at self-government failed miserably because the states would not give up enough power to a federal government. But, on March 18, 1766, for the very first time America celebrated a political event together -- and they continued to do so for years afterwards. Together. As Americans -- celebrating a purely American national political holiday.

And so I close with a belated "Happy 246th Stamp Act Repeal Day!" to everyone.

NJ: Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Announces New Leadership

From Webwire: Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area Announces New Leadership
Trenton, NJ – The Crossroads of the American Revolution Association announced today that former New Jersey state tourism director Noreen Bodman has joined the organization as executive director.

Ms. Bodman has been involved with preservation and conservation issues through her work in tourism and the Jersey Shore Partnership. Her tenure in Atlantic City included branding, marketing, partnership programs and community outreach. She has been involved in strategic planning and fundraising in the public and private sectors, including higher education and non-profits.

“Noreen’s experience with hospitality, our historic organizations, cultural resources and elected officials is critical as we implement our new management plan to promote greater awareness, enjoyment and preservation of New Jersey’s Revolutionary War legacy" said Kevin Tremble, president President of the Association. "Her track record of development and collaborative partnerships will enable us to tell the story of New Jersey’s crucial role to our nation.” In 2006 the Association which was designated by Congress to manage the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area.

Ms. Bodman’s appointment was the result of a national search launched after the retirement of Cate Litvack, who led the organization for more than six years. “Cate was instrumental in launching the National Heritage Area and developing its new management plan. I look forward to building upon that solid foundation by engaging our partners, our citizens and our visitors in celebrating and taking pride in the history that has made New Jersey a great place to live, to work, to learn and to visit” said Noreen Bodman.

New Jersey played a crucial role in the American Revolution, including key turning points in the war, the largest land artillery battle, and as a strategic base. Positioned between the new nation’s capital in Philadelphia and the British stronghold in New York, no place in New Jersey was spared the ravages of war. During six years of war, General George Washington and the Continental Army spent more days in New Jersey than in any other state. By the time victory was won, the fight for American independence touched every community in New Jersey. Residents felt the brunt of the conflict in their daily lives as well as on the battlefield. More than just a crossroads on the map, New Jersey became the crossroads in the birth of a nation.

In 2006, Congress and the President of the United States recognized New Jersey’s pivotal role in the founding of our nation by establishing the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, comprising 213 cities and towns in 14 counties. The mission of the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area is to foster the conservation, improvement and interpretation of New Jersey’s Revolutionary War natural and historic resources to enhance public understanding about how the people, places and events in New Jersey transformed the course of American history.

A management plan to guide National Heritage Area activities over the next several years was recently approved by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

“The National Park Service welcomes Noreen to the National Heritage Area team. We look forward to working with her in our continued partnership to tell the Crossroads of the American Revolution story, which is as important today as it was at the founding of our nation,” said Jill Hawk, superintendent of the Morristown and Thomas Edison National Historical Parks.

The Crossroads of the American Revolution also announces that Michael Skelly and Nicholas Ciotola have joined the board of trustees.

Mike Skelly is Executive Director of Bordentown Heritage, a non-profit organization celebrating Bordentown’s pivotal role in American arts, history, and natural heritage. He is also Chairman of Hydro Blue Power, developer of community hydroelectricity power utility projects and clean-tech ventures. Dr. Skelly is a retired attorney and has earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Seton Hall University Law School and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Rutgers University.

Nick Ciotola is curator of the cultural history collection, the branch of the multi-disciplinary New Jersey State Museum that addresses New Jersey’s cultural, social, military, economic, and industrial history, as well as its decorative arts traditions, from the colonial period to the present day. Mr. Ciotola has more than fifteen years of experience in the museum profession, having worked in museums including the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the National Hispanic Cultural Center of New Mexico, and the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh. He has received fellowships from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums for his work in public history and institutional exhibition awards from the American Association for State and Local History and Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations.

Visit wj.org for more information on New Jersey’s role in American history and asww.revolutionaryn the Crossroads of the American Revolution.

Underground Railroad ran south to Florida for a century

From HeraldOnline: Underground Railroad ran south to Florida for a century
CHARLESTON -- While most Americans are familiar with the Underground Railroad that helped Southern slaves escape north before the Civil War, the nation’s first clandestine path to freedom ran for more than a century in the opposite direction.

Stories of that lesser-known “railroad” will be shared June 20 through 24 at the National Underground Railroad Conference in St. Augustine, Fla. The network of sympathizers gave refuge to those fleeing their masters, including many American Indians who helped slaves escape to what was then the Spanish territory of Florida. That lasted from shortly after the founding of Carolina Colony in 1670 to after the American Revolution.

They escaped not only to the South but to Mexico, the Caribbean and the American West.

And the “railroad” helps explain at least in part why the lasting culture of slave descendants – known as Gullah in South Carolina and Geechee in Florida and Georgia – exists along the northeastern Florida coast.

“It’s a fascinating story and most people in America are stuck – they are either stuck on 1964 and the Civil Rights Act or they are stuck on the Civil War,” said Derek Hankerson, who is a Gullah descendant and a small business owner in St. Augustine, Fla.

“We have been hankering to share these stories.”

Because there are few records, it’s unknown how many African slaves may have escaped along the railroad. But the dream of freedom in Florida did play a role in the 1739 Stono Rebellion outside Charleston, the largest slave revolt in British North America.

Slaves likely started fleeing toward Florida when South Carolina was established in 1670, said Jane Landers, a Vanderbilt University historian who has researched the subject extensively.

The first mention of escaped slaves in Spanish records was in 1687 when eight slaves, including a nursing baby, showed up in St. Augustine.

Spain refused to return them and instead gave them religious sanctuary, and that policy was formalized in 1693.

The only condition was that those seeking sanctuary convert to Catholicism.

“It was a total shift in the geopolitics of the Caribbean and after that anyone who leaves a Protestant area to request sanctuary gets it,” Landers said.

That promise of freedom played an important role in the Stono Rebellion, when a group of about 20 slaves raided a store, collecting guns and other weapons, in September 1739.

Mark Smith, a historian at the University of South Carolina, said the slave leaders were from what is now Angola in Africa. They were Catholic because their homeland was at the time a Portuguese outpost. And they are thought to have been soldiers in their native land.

They would have known about the rumor of freedom in Spanish Florida and decided to start the revolt on Sept. 9, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“They have a white flag, which is not a flag of surrender. It’s a flag of celebrating Mary, and they shout ‘Liberty.’ They are not revolting just as slaves, but as Catholic slaves,” Smith said.

At least 20 whites were killed in the rebellion. The militia later caught up with the slaves, and 34 of them were killed.

Some who escaped were found and executed later, although some apparently made it to safety in Florida because there are reports of more slaves arriving in St. Augustine in the ensuing days, Landers said.

Gullah creole is still spoken in churches in northeastern Florida, Landers said.

Hankerson, who grew up with stories of the Underground Railroad, said escaped slaves got help from American Indian tribes including the Creeks, the Cherokees and the Yemassee.

They also advanced deeper into Florida and found refuge with the Seminoles.

Except for about 20 years when the British held St. Augustine between the end of the French and Indian War and the end of the American Revolution, the Spanish policy of sanctuary remained in effect until 1790 when Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson convinced the Spanish crown to end it.

Many runaways escaped amid the chaos and violence of the revolution, and keeping that corridor open could have drained the Southern colonies of slaves, Landers said.

Unlike the Underground Railroad going north, the early network was more informal: Neither the slaves nor the indigenous tribes that helped them left written records, and there was no church structure like the Quakers organizing the effort, Landers said.

It’s unknown exactly how many stayed among the American Indians or how many died.

The British saw slaves as property and labor for their plantations and offered rewards for their return.

By contrast, Landers said, “the Spanish believe the indigenous people and Africans could be converted and as such were humans and had families and souls to save.”

Utopias, rights, freedom, and big government

From Washington Times, "Social Journalism section": Utopias, rights, freedom, and big government
WASHINGTON, March 17, 2012 —The debate over the size and role of government is about to reach a crescendo in America. The arguments are not new or unique to this country. They are the same ones that led to the American Revolution and at root every revolution. Deciding where you stand is important to our future.

The American formula is unique: big society, small government.

The formula that led to the only real free country to ever exist, hinges on checks and balances distributed among three branches of government with regularly elected representation of the people by the people. The technical form is constitutional republic. James Madison, primary author of the Constitution, explained in Federalist #51 that only this structure could preserve a free society because human nature will not change. By nature, humans are both bad and good. People that are smart enough to run government will inherently be ambitious. Ambition leads to power seeking.

Madison said, "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place." It is through the constitutionally created checks and balances and relative autonomy of each branch that ambition counteracts ambition.

"It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself," Madison explained.

What is the role of government?

People cannot live in society without government. John Locke, the most quoted political theorist of the 1700s, argued this point in his Second Treatise of Government. Government is good when managed properly.

Milton Friedman, the great American economist, summarized government's role in American society as preserving the rules of the game, "enforcing contracts, preventing coercion, and keeping markets free."

In general, government in a free society exists to protect rights.

What rights should be protected and does government create rights?

The Declaration of Independence summed up rights appropriately in describing what free people believe: "...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

People have an equal right to live, work, worship, have a family, etc. without fear of being hindered by individuals or the government (king, bureaucrat, etc). These are the rights assigned by the Declaration. They are the rights given to all humans by God, the Creator.

Government in a free society cannot create rights. There is no right to work, health care, recreation or anything else. Government cannot give equal things. It can only give equal protection to all in their pursuit of things.

Creating rights puts power in the hands of a few and steals freedom.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt asserted in a 1944 State of the Union Address that the rights guaranteed by the Constitution were inadequate to assure equality in the pursuit of happiness. He believed government should guarantee employment, elimination of unfair competition and monopolies, housing, medical care, education and money for retirement represented by social security. He called it a Second Bill of Rights. Many administrations following Roosevelt's have taken up this false belief and carried it forward, including the current one.

Why do government leaders want to create new rights?

The simple answer is that if government creates rights it must fulfill them, leading to intoxicating power for the individuals who get to determine who profits from these new rights and who does not.

On the surface it appears noble to give people the "right" to things and then to provide those things with the idea that they will become better people and thus more productive members of a utopian-like society.

Unfortunately, the utopian visionaries share a flawed belief that human nature can be changed. They believe that the change can occur through government regulation and programs. This core belief underpins the ideologies of Karl Marx, Adolph Hitler, Woodrow Wilson, FDR and Barack Obama.

Society can and has improved by leaps and bounds. America has been the source of more inventions, abundance, and humanitarian aid in all forms than any other society. This did not happen because government created new rights and then used regulation and programs to reshape the flaws in human nature. It happened in spite of government's efforts to control behavior and the flawed nature of humans.

In places where attempts have been made to reshape humankind and provide equality without the burden of checks and balances, nasty consequences result: Communist Russia, North Korea, Eastern Europe; Nazi Germany; modern-day Greece, Spain, and other European social democracies.

Striving for a better society and helping people is a good thing. The pursuit of these goals must occur in the context of balanced principles. Earl Taylor Jr., Director of the National Center for Constitutional Studies, describes this balance using the two wings of the American eagle as an analogy. One wing is compassion and represents the philosophy that government should solve all people's problems. The other wing represents conservation of resources and the philosophy that government should do very little.

"If either of these wings fails to do its part, the eagle will soar to one direction or the other. But as long as both wings are operative and work in conjunction with each other, the American Eagle will fly straight upward," writes Taylor.

The American Eagle will fly straight again but we must have leadership in every branch of government, beginning with the president, that yearns for integrity and is willing to put their own ideology aside and fly the eagle.

WJHS Students Honored for Essay Writing

From Patch.com: WJHS Students Honored for Essay Writing
Six students from Wilmette Junior High were recognized for their outstanding essays related to the War of 1812 at the Feb. 27 District 39 Board of Education meeting.

Students have the opportunity to participate in the Daughters of the American Revolution American History Essay Contest, and each year the topic changes. This year, on the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, students were invited to submit an essay about a significant person from that war, written from the perspective of a friend or relative.

Essays were selected for the first, second, and third place in both seventh and eighth grade. The two first place essays continue on to the DAR District Essay Competition.

The winners from Wilmette Junior High, along with their essay topics are:

Seventh grade:
•First place: Anne Pinkerton writing about Andrew Jackson
•Second place: Madeline Hultquist writing about Captain Lawrence of the USS Chesapeake
•Third place: Jason Yang writing about Dolley Madison

Eighth grade:
•First place: Oona Jung-Beeman writing about Francis Scott Key
•Second place: Haley Wint writing about Captain Isaac Hull and the sea battle between Guerriere and Constitution
•Third place: Claire Nusekabel writing about Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie

Your View: Remember Revolutionary War hero Peter Francisco

From SouthCoast.com: Your View: Remember Revolutionary War hero Peter Francisco
If you come to downtown New Bedford tomorrow and happen to see the flag of Portugal flying in front of City Hall, it is because March 15 is recognized in Massachusetts as Peter Francisco Day, commemorating the Hercules of the American Revolution immortalized by the U.S. Post Office in 1975 with an 18-cent commemorative stamp: "Contributors to the Cause ... Peter Francisco, fighter extraordinary."

Peter Francisco lived in Virginia since age 5, when he was found abandoned at City Point, now Hopewell, on June 23, 1765. Left there by Moorish pirates, he was kidnapped from his parents' backyard on a Sunday of Pentecost, while playing with his sister Angela in the town of Porto Judeu, Terceira, Azores. In 1960, Dr. John Manahan of the University of Virginia visited the Azores and came across the birth record of Peter Francisco at St. Antonio's Church in Porto Judeu. He found that a boy named Pedro Francisco was born there on July 9, 1760, and that no other records of marriage or death about him could be found, although they existed for Francisco's sister and an older brother. Dr. Manahan also found that Francisco came from an affluent family, matching the description about Peter Francisco's appearance when he was found at City Point, including the letters "PF'" on the silver buckles of his shoes.

Judge Anthony Winston of Buckingham County, uncle of Patrick Henry, who said "Give me liberty or give me death," took in Francisco, and he lived at Hunting Tower, where he worked on the plantation and as a blacksmith until December 1776, when he enlisted in the 10th Virginia Regiment of the Continental Army. At age 16, he stood 6½ feet and 260 pounds. His baptism of war was at Brandywine on Sept. 11, 1777, where he fought and was wounded along with the Marquis de Lafayette, and they became friends while hospitalized. Less than a month later, on Oct. 4, Francisco saw action at Germantown, and in early 1778 was hospitalized at Valley Forge, where he suffered due to the harsh winter and lack of food and equipment.

On June 28, 1778, Francisco fought at the battle of Monmouth, where he was hit by a musket ball while reconnoitering. Then came the attack on Stony Point, on July 15, 1779, under orders from George Washington, and Francisco was one of 20 commandos who volunteered for the assault under Lt. Gibbon who, under the cover of the night and under heavy fire, was first to climb the fortress walls, immediately followed by Francisco, who was seriously wounded by a bayonet, but he killed his attacker and two other Englishmen. Of the 20 commandos, 17 were wounded or killed, but this was a great victory for the Colonists, which boosted their morale, and Francisco went to Fishkill, N.Y. to recuperate. On Aug. 18, 1779, Francisco was again on active duty, and until the end of that year, when his three-year enlistment expired, he participated in several skirmishes.

On Aug. 16, 1780, after Francisco re-enlisted, he took part in the battle of Camden, S.C., which turned out to be a disaster for the Continental forces. Francisco is credited with saving the life of his commanding officer, Col. Mayo, and carrying to safety a 1,100-pound cannon after noticing that the horses that had been pulling it had been killed by the British.

Upset by the defeat at Camden, Francisco returned to Cumberland County, Va. Disturbed by the advance of the British forces, he again re-enlisted, this time in the cavalry unit of Col. William Washington, and with his horse Victory saw action on Jan. 17, 1781, at Cowpens, S.C., where the British cavalrymen under Col. Tarleton were badly defeated.

But the bloodiest battle of the American Revolution came at Guilford Courthouse, near Greensboro, N.C. on March 15, 1781. The British wanted to avenge their defeat at Cowpens, and won the battle, but lost the war, because the Americans fought like demons and inflicted heavy casualties upon the English. Francisco fought without parallel, cutting down 11 British soldiers with his terrible 6-foot broadsword, which, with its 5-foot blade and the heaviest of the entire army, was made under special orders from Gen. George Washington because Francisco complained the one he had was like a toothpick. Francisco was seriously wounded and left for dead on the battlefield next to four corpses, but a Quaker by the name of John Robinson found Francisco alive and took him to his home, nursing him to full recovery. Some eight weeks later, he returned to his home in Cumberland County. By then, news of Peter Francisco's feats of heroism had spread across the colonies and he was acclaimed wherever he went.

Francisco once more fought alongside his friend, the Marquis de Lafayette, at Yorktown and witnessed English Gen. Cornwallis surrender on Oct. 19, 1781. After almost two years of negotiations between France, America and England, the treaties for independence were signed on Sept. 3, 1783, in Paris, the war ended and Francisco became a civilian and went home to marry Susannah Anderson. At the age of 52, Francisco re-enlisted one more time for the War of 1812.

So, on the 231st anniversary of "the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, if you pass by Peter Francisco Square downtown, where Mill and Kempton Streets come together, near the Octopus, where you can see a huge boulder on a pedestal, please take a moment to say a prayer in memory of this great man and all those who heroically fought in the American Revolution and helped in paving the way for America as a free nation.