St Bernards High School - Bernardian Yearbook (Fitchburg, MA)

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1776—At was hoped that if anything could drive away the 100 British ships blockading New York Harbor, it might be a trange new weapon of maritime warfare called a ‘‘sub-marine vessel” by its inventor, David Bushnell, 35. It was also known is the Turtle as it could dive under water and attack by surprise. It struck with an explosive device which its creator named a orpedo. Franklin inspected the Turtle and praised it to Washington who later described -as “an effort of genius.” 1776—With General Howe threatening New York, a great engineering project was »9pardized—a plan to provide a public water system for all of the 22,000 inhabitants of Jew York City. Except for a few wealthy citizens who had had wells dug in their back ardens, New Yorkers got their water from public pumps. But this water was so yrackish, that even horses of out-of-town strangers would not drink it. 1776—The small pox, a dread disease extremely contagious and often fatal, deterred Vashington from trying to fight his way into Boston. He said: “If we escape the small Ox in this camp it will be miraculous.” And John Adams remarked, ‘’The small pox is 2n times more terrible than Britons, Canadians, and Indians together. This was the cause f our retreat from Quebec; this the cause of our disgraces.” But now there appeared a highly dangerous treatment, inoculation. Puss from a blister n an infected person was placed directly into the blood stream of a healthy one. For ver 50 years the Turks had resisted small pox by such inoculation but in Boston, the ity’s leading physician denounced inoculation as a heathen practice. That this treat- rent was effective was proven when only 6 out of 286 people inoculated died in an pidemic. 1776—Questions about electricity were much in the air and reports of experiments ere published such as Franklin demonstrating with his kite that electricity could be rawn from the sky. But what was electricity and what caused it? Would electricity ever ave any useful purpose? 1776—On the distant coast of the Pacific, 193 Spanish colonists from Mexico pitched Neir tents at a large bay, which they named San Francisco. To the American colonists far way California was a rough and desolate place, hardly worth settling, as there was no old there. 1776—Caught short without an aide, Colonel Champion asked his daughter Deborah, 3, to ride the 100-plus miles from New London through enemy lines to Washington’s eadquarters in Cambridge. After some anxious moments and experiences, Deborah got irough to Washington and delivered the payroll and dispatches. 1776—America’s first WAC was Deborah Sampson, a husky farm worker. Hearing the ews of the battles of Lexington and Concord, she made herself a set of men’s clothes and nlisted. Her army service was distinguished by her courage and despite two wounds, it yas not until she fell seriously ill that her secret was revealed. Congress later gave her a yidier’s pension. 1776—Delegate John Adams was by no means pleased when his spirited wife, Abigail, r ote him in terms less than dutiful: “In the new code of laws ... I desire you would 2member the ladies. If particular care and attention is not paid us, we are determined to yment a rebellion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any laws in which we have no pice.” John responded to his wife’s “saucy” request with his usual firmness: “As to your ex- ordinary code of laws, I cannot but laugh ...... The delegates know better than to peal our masculine systems and would fight the despotism of the petticoat.”

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Leading the three horsemen riding into the little college town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, on July 7, 1775, was Georg Washington, the Virginian, now in charge of the Continental army. Washington, from the very beginning, set about to discipline his little army of about fourteen thousand. His was no easy tas) and during his first few weeks in Cambridge, he did not hide his dislike for the New Englanders with their blunt, arrogant, in| dependent, argumentative ways. But Minister Emerson who daily visited the cam) could soon write: “There is great overturning in camp as to order and regularity .. Everyone is made to know his place and keep it.” In a few months Washington was better disposed toward the New Englanders Working together, the man from Virginia and the men from New England had bi their combined efforts and deft maneuvers driven the British out of Boston wit! almost no bloodshed. : What won New England’s heart, was not only Washington’s manly, military ap pearance and leadership qualities but especially his utter devotion to the Cause. Thi devot ion is best summed up ina letter he wrote to a general having trouble with can tankerous New Englanders and on the verge of resigning: ‘When is the time for bray men to exert themselves in the cause of liberty and their country, if this is not? Shouk any difficulties ... deter them? ... We must bear up against them, and make the bes of mankind as they are; since we cannot have them as we wish.” | During the cold winter of 1775-76, Henry Knox of Boston, succeeded in transport ing 60 tons of the most useable artillery captured from the British at Fort Ticonderog by Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys. | The cannon that had traveled over 300 miles of snow-covered moutains, frozei rivers,and muddy forests finally came to rest on the hills surrounding Boston Harbor Unable to reach the American’s position from land or sea, Howe and his Britis! troops quietly boarded the ships on March 17, 1776, ready to sail from the harbor, Knox and his men had often been discouraged by the challenges that faced them é almost every turn of the road. Crossing the Berkshire Mountains proved the mos hazardous. Another big opponent was the weather. Warm winds caused the snow t melt and mud and slush beneath the runners of the sleighs made the going slow an) difficult. When the oxen drivers from New York became homesick, Knox let ther return home. But the local citizens came to his aid with a fresh supply of animals an) hired drivers to continue the journey. When the time came for Washington to choose officers for the United State government, Henry Knox was his choice for Secretary of War. July 2, 1776 was hot and sultry in Philadelphia. In spite of a sudden deluge, nearl) fifty delegates already filled the meeting room. The day before showed only nine © the colonies in favor of independence. Congress was out for a unanimous vote as an} disunity could weaken the enterprise. Hopes were high when the vote rose to twelv: in favor. Delaware alone was undecided. Then came a rattle of horse’s hoofs over thi cobblestones and Delaware’s third delegate entered, soaking wet, mud-spattered, an¢ fatigued after having ridden all night. A handkerchief covered the lower part of hii face, afflicted by cancer. “The thunder and rain delayed me,” he said mater-of-factly After his vote in favor, the colonies took the step that severed their 169-year-old po litical ties with England, proclaiming that they are, “and of right ought to be, free and independent states.” On July 4, the Congress endorsed a Declaration that stated the colonies’ many reasons for leaving the mother country. John Hancock, the man from Massachusetts, was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. The other members of Congress would sign later. It was a big risk as those who signed could be hanged for treason. In CONGRESS, Juty 4. 1776 She unantmrons Declarattort 46 au wun StOfes of SHianerica W Gert asl Lane o domon mas macy fe spat eae he bind bond, whe hancement he whe anethe, wn ry Ar rds trary icra 0 are ory lor Take palit, detapeds ge WOT BS 2 ity wl nin wralisabe Highs, Meat among get ome fb, alibady and the fuss of Mapooals — Tcb-be fase ve tights, fmmononti mi institards ammoney Merv, darving tarp . :

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[wo hundred years ago in 1776 our nation took a most momentous step. So, it was with us, four years ago, when we wer the entering FROSH.