American Stories: When in the Course of human events – Part 2

Before we go farther, I want to inform readers about the sourcing of my information, which should have been done in the opening story. All of the content is in the public record and accessible via the internet. As a result I am not listing the individual sources in my stories with one exception. I am also utilizing a special edition insert from The Sun newspaper of the Conway/Myrtle Beach area of SC from the 1990’s titled “The 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence”. While on vacation there about 30 years ago I picked up this wonderful supplement to that newspaper and retained it in my files. It has been very helpful.

Our first three American patriot heroes were from the colonies of Massachusetts, New York and South Carolina. In our minds we can picture them in the assembly of many others from the colonies who were there to discuss their situations and the possible path forward. As they gathered there would be small group breakouts and much discussion, laughter, contentiousness, toasting, yawns, speech making, anger, joking, and even prayer. We tend to forget they were people just like us. Some slept well and others did not. Some were constipated, had colds, were stroke victims, walked with canes and so on. Some were healthy, near death, or somewhere in between. Some had alcohol addictions or drank socially while others abstained. Some had personality disorders. Some were loud braggarts and others were humble in spirit. Some were hawks and others were doves. They were all adult ages. There were the wealthy and those of more modest means. Some were reconciliatory toward the Brits and others could not rest until the last one on American soil was dead or back in England. Most missed their families, friends and life’s work at home while doing the work of We the People. They all had concerns and fears.

Most importantly, they all knew the magnitude of what they were doing.

When it came time for making decisions on the direction of the colonies and the formation of the new nation they all were all focused on the task at hand to achieve consensus. As you will learn, many times the votes were split between the representatives within a state. These votes had consequences back home and some lost reelection for voting in ways that were against the will of the people. For the Declaration and Constitution that followed the war’s conclusion to come to fruition required divine inspiration and a guiding hand. As a result, God’s wisdom is interwoven into the document intentionally. The participants knew they were dependent upon God’s providence to succeed as they were going against the most formidable opponent in the world that they knew all too well. They demonstrated that understanding by referencing God multiple times in the documents.

Americans – Who Are We?

It is such a basic question, yet, I am afraid most people cannot answer adequately. For this part and those to come we need to review a foundational truth about America and being an American citizen. In my opinion it is most accurately reflected in something written by the great, great grandson of the next patriot I will feature. You may or may not be familiar with it, although it should be something imprinted in our heads and hearts as Americans. It was presented and accepted by the U. S. House of Representatives in 1917. As you read the words that follow, you will sense the passion and commitment. The statements may appear familiar, similar to those you see and hear that are associated with the America First MAGA movement today. Anybody or anything that seeks to change the definition of the following must do so within Constitutionally provided confines. Which is why the globalist criminals and other enemies of our nation work to corrupt and circumvent the Constitution at every opportunity. So as you read transport yourself back in time to the origin of it and understand the words contained within are in their purest form, uncorrupted by current times.

The American’s Creed

I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.

I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies.

God Save the United States

William Tyler Page

https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.americanscreed00morr/

Beginning at age 13 in the role of a page in the U. S. Capitol, Page had a 61 year career in public service. In the middle of that career at age 49 he entered the above Creed in a nationwide patriotism contest and won. He drew his inspiration and wording from a wide variety of documents including the Declaration, the preamble to the Constitution, and Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.

Patriot William Tyler Page probably did not know at that time that some political and business globalist leaders had taken steps to completely undermine the very foundation of America and its Constitution four years previous to his Creed being accepted by the House. We can only speculate on how many of those elected representatives were in on that treason and sedition that ensued over the next century. The Creed is inscribed on a bronze tablet and displayed in the Capitol. How many of our current elected officials and administrative staffers even know it exists, much less believe the foundational truths it states?

What if those words that were written over a century ago by a descendent of a patriot signer of the Declaration of Independence have become the current marching orders for our America First MAGA movement that is led by President Donald J. Trump? We know our roles are to restore the republic and the American Way. The Creed is representative of the American Way. It is with it in mind that we turn to learning more about other Declaration signers.

Mr. Page descended from…

Carter Braxton

Carter Braxton was born into wealth on the Newington Plantation in King and Queen County, VA, east of Richmond in 1736. His maternal grandfather, King Carter, was the wealthiest man in VA at the time. Carter went to the College of William & Mary in the state and returned to be a planter. He married into wealth as well, wedding first the niece, Judith Robinson, of the Speaker of the House of Burgesses in the state. She later died during the birth of their second child. After she passed away he journeyed to England for two years before returning and later marrying his second wife, Elizabeth Corbin, who was also from a family of wealth and governance in VA. He is known to have a minimum of 16 children from the two marriages.

When his older brother died in 1761, Braxton became the wealthiest man in Virginia and of all of the signers of the Declaration. His holdings were so large that even after selling off large amounts of land for the war effort he still owned over 12,000 acres of farmland and 165 slaves after the Revolutionary War ended. With more land than cash to fund operations, he sold off 3500 acres over the next half dozen years and gave away many of his slaves to other family members and farmers. By the time of his death he had sold off or gave away more land to the point he only owned about 3900 acres. He differed from the other grandsons of his maternal grandfather as he wanted to continue slavery while they did not.

During his life he became very involved in politics and served in various roles from The House of Burgesses to county sheriff to colonel of a local militia. Considered a moderate to conservative in politics he was personally conflicted about independence and the war. Prior to the Declaration he served as intermediary when the Brits stole gunpowder owned by the colonists in VA. He negotiated a compromise financial settlement between Patrick Henry and his father in law who was a loyalist in government, Corbin, to settle it without conflict. For many years he could work in both worlds of the colonists and Brits while trying to bring compromise and mediate disputes.

However, the time came when he had to choose.

When Peyton Randolph of VA died in 1775 and John Hancock stepped into his role as President of the Continental Congress, Braxton was chosen to replace Randolph. It was in that role in 1776 that he signed the Declaration. It was an act that he took despite misgivings. He felt it was premature and had issued a pamphlet of his views to counter those of John Adams in his “Thoughts on Government”. However, he valued the unity of the colonists and agreed in consensus with the other signers. He then returned to his home soon afterwards and resumed roles in VA government, politics and with his plantation holdings.

No serious historian would question his commitment to the war efforts after signing. He gave and loaned a large amount of his wealth to the effort. During the war he lost half of his shipping interests and racked up large war debts that he struggled to repay. At one point he was even censured by the Continental Congress when his men illegally seized a neutral Portuguese vessel. He was constantly involved in business disputes and lawsuits. He basically was a royal pain in the azz from life’s challenges. The Brits inflicted great damage to many of his plantation holdings. His own business operations practices also created hardships as he made many mistakes. After the war he eventually moved to Richmond and more modest housing as he worked through his many financial mishaps. It is there where he is believed to have died after suffering a stroke that paralyzed him in 1797 at the age of 61. He was buried at his beloved Chericoke Plantation that is still owned by his descendants today.

He had outlived all five of his sons. However, there were many grandchildren that were produced from his children. A number of his descendants fought in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. A great grandson, John W. Stevenson served terms in the U. S House of Representatives, as a Senator, and as Governor of KY.

The years that followed his death have helped enhance his legacy. He is now seen as instrumental in winning the war, that his financial commitment to the cause was critical to the victory. During the gunpowder theft scandal it was his negotiation that kept Patrick Henry and men from engaging in a poorly thought out attack that would have caused the destruction of the town in the British response. In much the same manner he acted as a moderate to negotiate a resolution over unpopular duty taxes charged by the British before the war in VA.

Braxton was sympathetic toward the British and their interests often, but would never be considered a loyalist. He wanted to exhaust all avenues of compromise before resulting to more extreme measures. It is in that willingness to negotiate and seek common ground that he excelled. He became a legendary American hero despite being a large slave owner because he was willing to put all of his wealth on the line and work in government roles for the America he loved.

Thomas McKean

This one will take awhile. The historian and media focus seems to be on other founding fathers more often. But there are some real jewels for those who enjoy researching parallels and interconnections like I do. Hold on to your hats.

Thomas McKean was born in New London, PA in 1734. His father immigrated to America in 1720 and was a tavern owner. Thomas’ mother, Letitia, passed away when he was still a child in 1742. This led to his father becoming an alcoholic and incapable of raising their three children, so Thomas’ sister went to live with an uncle and aunt while he and his older brother, Robert, were taken into a school operated by Presbyterian minister Francis Alison in New Castle, DE. It was there he grew in all aspects of being a boy as well as in his studies. A noted Latin scholar, Rev. Alison was a leader of the Old Side (order and tradition) versus New Side (Great Awakening/Whitefield) struggle within the Presbyterian Church during the period. With the two sides reconciling in 1758, Rev. Alison continued to take the Old Side interpretation of theology.

At this point it is important to note that Thomas McKean is not the only signer of the Declaration of Independence that directly studied under Rev. Francis Alison in New Castle. It seems signers George Read and James Smith were his students as well. In addition the Secretary of the Continental Congress, Charles Thomson, also studied under Rev. Alison. Their foundational understanding of life and its application as well as education were rooted in the mentorship and teachings of one of the greats of the Presbyterian faith.

Funny, those truths never seem to make it into many of the historical accounts, publications and media reports about the clear interconnections of many of our patriot founders and their adherence to Christian principles in how they led and governed our nation. Rev. Alison was also a noted leader in the Philadelphia Synod of the American Presbyterian Church. He was a close friend of Benjamin Franklin who took a special assignment from same to assist in teaching and the development of the College of Philadelphia, which is now known as Ivy League school Penn. This is the school that educated eight future signers of the Declaration and twelve future signers of the Constitution, including Gouvenor Morris, the brother of Lewis Morris we discussed in the previous part. See link below.

Rev. Alison was a defender of Presbyterian theology in opposition to the influence of the Church of England. He stood with both feet firmly planted with American patriots. Finally, he was the founder of New Ark Academy that eventually merged into the institution that later became the University of Delaware. It is clear that Rev. Alison was a man of great accomplishment and value for the kingdom of God as well as this nation.

Among other connections through the years there is a major current connection, Donald J. Trump. The same Donald Trump that attended Penn University and graduated from its Wharton School of Business in 1968. The same Donald Trump whose mother was a Gaelic speaking Scottish Presbyterian who had immigrated to the States in 1930 and married Donald’s father, Fred, in 1936 at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church with its Old Side theology and connections decades before to member, Andrew Carnegie.

Fred Trump was already established as a real estate developer in the Queens area. Mary Anne MacLeod Trump became a naturalized citizen in 1942. Donald and all of his siblings were raised in the Old Side Presbyterian faith. A Christian worldview that has been expanded with his political career as POTUS that has introduced him to more evangelical elements of Christianity that would have common interests with the Presbyterian New Side and George Whitefield. Benjamin Franklin had commissioned a great preaching hall at the school where he wanted his close friend Whitefield to preach while there at Penn. Until 2020, Penn displayed a statute of Whitefield on its grounds. They placed it in storage to accommodate the woke cancel culture at that point.

Is it any wonder that Donald J. Trump is a flag loving American patriot with a historically rich Christian background? What Rev. Alison helped start at the behest of the American patriot great, Benjamin Franklin, is flowing through his veins. We see our heritage unfolding before us and why Donald Trump is willing to take a bullet for all of us. I dare say that no POTUS has ever worked harder for his country with more focus and dedication to American values than him.

Knowing this history, it is then no surprise that Thomas McKean was known to work harder and in more positions of service than any other signer of the Declaration. He learned at the feet of a master, which continued into the practice of law. After he finished school with Rev. Alison in 1750 he left and moved in with his uncle, John Finney, a wealthy attorney. He studied law there and passed the Delaware bar four years later. In 1753 he married his first wife, Mary Borden of Bordentown. Once again we find connections to the Revolutionary War era with local Bordentown resident Francis Hopkinson signing the Declaration along with Thomas Paine living there. Thomas McKean and his wife had six children together in the years that followed until her passing in 1763. A year later Thomas reconnected with a woman from his youth, Sarah Armitage, who was a toddler friend before he had been taken in by Rev. Alison. They married and moved to Philadelphia where they had four children together.

McKean was active in many roles throughout the region that ranged from law to holding government offices as well as in the military. He identified as a Country Party member in Delaware that supported independence from the British. The Court Party were loyalists. McKean’s family arrived from Britain as Irish Presbyterian refugees known as Scotch-Irish (Scots-Irish). The slogan “no taxation without representation ” originated with northern Irish Presbyterians and Catholics who were not allowed to vote in Parliament. McKean became a noted leader and represented Delaware in the Stamp Act Congress of 1765 along with Caesar Rodney. This work eventually led to the Continental Congress accepting the recommendation of McKean on voting procedures. The Congress of the Articles of Confederation adopted the practice and as a result, the young nation established the value of the equality of states in the composition of the U. S. Senate.

Despite living in Philadelphia, McKean remained a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congress representing Delaware. When it came time to vote for independence, the vote was split with McKean for it and George Read against it, which meant a tie for the state and no agreement. This led to McKean sending word to Caesar Rodney, the third DE delegate, to ride all night to come vote and break the tie. He did so and Delaware voted for independence. A few days later McKean joined the Fourth Battalion militia of the Philadelphia Associators that had been created by Benjamin Franklin, rising to the rank of colonel. The battalion joined in Gen. Washington’s defense in battles in New York and New Jersey. Having left soon after the vote to join the military, McKean did not sign the Declaration initially. It is speculated he signed after certification, possibly as late as 1781.

Not all went well in Delaware when other officials learned of the independence vote as the Court Party stood in direct opposition and all citizens were wary. McKean and Rodney were not reelected to their roles in the Congress as many sided with the loyalists or were fearful. That is until the Brits occupation of the colony/state after the Battle of Brandywine. Moods and attitudes changed quickly and McKean was reelected back to Congress in 1777. However, McKean and his family remained on the move as he was a top target of British forces. He and his family relocated five times in just a few years to stay out of their reach.

He served in Congress throughout the war and drafted The Articles of Confederation in 1783. He served in Delaware’s House of Assembly for several years beginning in 1776. For a brief period he was chosen as President of the Congress for an interim period. He also worked on keeping civic order and recruiting militia in Delaware during the period.

While all that was going on in the Congress and Delaware, McKean was also Chief Justice in Pennsylvania. Yup, he served in that capacity for 22 years. This service led to him being elected Governor of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1808. He was noted for expanding free education and leading the local war effort in the War of 1812 at age 80. He spent his retirement in Philadelphia writing, talking politics, and enjoying the wealth he had gained with business and real estate investments. He passed away in 1817 at age 83 and is buried in Philadelphia. He was honored by many and there were probably just as many detractors at various points in his productive life. He had served an Assemblyman, Judge, Delegate, President of Congress, State Representative, Chief Justice, and Governor for a total of 36 terms over 42 years in three states (PA, DE, NJ), often holding office or acting in an official capacity in more than one state at the same time.

During his time as Chief Justice of PA, his decisions became part of the basis of the future ruling of Chief Justice John Marshall in Marbury vs. Madison that freed the way for SCOTUS to overturn an unconstitutional law. It is a basic legal principle that applies to this day.

It is mind boggling that he survived all of his experiences and had time to be married and have ten children. I have linked a bullet point style summary of the man, events and his many accomplishments for those who want to know more.

Our government and judiciary today use principles and conduct business using practices that Thomas McKean established prior to, during and after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary War. He is a legendary American patriot.

Conclusion

There is only time to discuss two signers and the great grandson of one to keep this part from running too long. As we read we need to think about their actual lives. For example, we can clearly see that Thomas McKean was a workaholic that operated at a furious pace with a quick, highly intelligent mind that could accomplish many great things. We also see that he did so with zero concern for the potential personal repercussions. He did what he thought was right and damn the consequences. He seem to have developed this disciplined approach to life as a child and young adult from the mentorship of Rev. Alison and his uncle.

With Carter Braxton we see a man of great wealth and historical standing in the colonies with loyalist friends. He felt pulled between two worlds, yet, knew that what the King and Brits were doing was wrong and harmful to the colonists and their families. He saw the need to act as an intermediary attempting to find compromise to help prevent harm to either side, but in the end chose the way of freedom for the nation even if he did see that as something his slaves might be worthy of as well. When he committed, it was all in and the treasury of America was the beneficiary when they needed it most to battle the oppressors. He died with far less than he had, having given away much to the war effort as well as to family members during the last years of his life.

Both of these signers were larger than life figures. They had many people who thought highly of them as well as many detractors. However, the war results hung in the balance and may never have tipped in the colonists favor without them.

There is ample history to write about concerning the signers’ achievements and failures. Whereas the great, great grandson of Carter Braxton, William Tyler Page, served as a humble civil servant in a support role of a government apparatus that grew into the one we MAGA types abhor today. He worked most of his career as a clerk in the House of Representatives with involvement in the U. S. Flag Association. He married, had five children and passed away at age 74 in 1942. Yet, he left Americans with something we should all ascribe to believe and be for as long as America exists. He is also an America patriot, just like so many people who serve America without fanfare today.

God bless America.