Author Archives: Brooke Diemart

Shays’ Rebellion and the Constitutional Convention

By: Brooke Diemart

Unlike my first post, this is not my first rodeo looking into the Digital Public Library of America. However, I did find this particular task a little daunting since I had checked out other sites and there was so much. DPLA seemed to be easier to access information. Upon getting that information, I had looked at a couple things during this time period that related to the Revolution. I scrolled down and saw Shays’ Rebellion. This actually was very enticing to me because once it was mentioned in class from our reading of The Contrast (which I enjoyed very much – one of my favorite readings in class), I was drawn to it! 

A portrait of Major General Benjamin Lincoln, a supporter of the Constitution who led a militia to suppress Shays’ Rebellion.

This illustration of Benjamin Lincoln pulled me in. So, I want to mention what I saw in the photo that intrigued me. To the left of Lincoln in the photo (right to Lincoln), it is very small, but there are soldiers who are holding up an American flag. It almost looks as if they are celebrating. I cannot help but notice the cannon that Lincoln is leaning on in the picture. He has a piece of blank paper in his hand and (I think) a glove in his other. He stands wearing a uniform that has stars at the top, representing America. I would also say that he is standing like he is distinguished. He has his arm on his hip (which seems to me confident) and his face slightly turned. That is not to say he is just posing because he very well could be.  He has what seems to be a satchel around his arm swinging around to his side and a sword right in front of it.  At the bottom of the picture it states, “Engraved by J.R. Smith / Major General Benjamin Lincoln/ Of the Revolutionary Army of the United States, / President of the Cincinnati of the State of Massachusetts…”. This is all I could really get from it since the type face is cursive and very hard to read. 

I, a natural curious being, wanted to find out more about him. Why put these pieces particularly inside the illustration? So, I went to do research. Born on January 24, 1733, he was a Major General and very important to the Revolutionary War. This explains the American Flag and soldiers. It also explains the cannons! He played a role in Shays’ Rebellion too. Just for short review, in New England, farmers and merchants were trying to keep their businesses maintained without European trade or credit lines. In August 1786, an uprising was led by Daniel Shays in Massachusetts started from the rise of tension and lasted until 1787. This uprising was for what they thought was an oppressive tax system, political corruption, and the focus on the elites that were ignoring the issues of the lower class. Benjamin Lincoln plays a role in this, because in 1787, he led a force of militia to put an end to these uprisings. 

This rebellion was one of the major influences for the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia that took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia.

An illustration of the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

This is another image/illustration I was looking at. This illustration had a bunch of men, who were delegates helping ratify the constitution. At the table are the Committee of Detail. They were in charge of drafting. I believe that it is George Washington who is standing and holding his hand up to the crowd of delegates. This was to decide how America was governed and for the revising of the Constitution. Benjamin Lincoln had been chosen to be a delegate here and vote to ratify the Constitution (thanks to his stance in the rebellion). Overall, this entire meeting helped shape the United States Constitution! I found all this super interesting and important to know! I have gained a better understanding of both Shays’ Rebellion and the Constitutional Convention. 

The Charleston Museum: Finding the History

By: Brooke Diemart

My visit to Charleston Museum was very interesting. This was my very first time going to any museum (like ever) in my life. However, just like Elsa (from the Disney movie Frozen 2), I was beckoned into the unknown. I took on the challenge, bringing my three young children with me so they could too, in search of an experience to learn something new. I remember looking at things that we had discussed so many times in class. The very first thing that caught my eye was a bronze cannon (1775) placed exactly in front, manufactured by James Byers, from the War of Independence. Then turning to my right, there was a “charity” statue, resembling the Lady of Liberty. This brought me back to all the pictures we saw of her during class. But just like Elsa (again), I was craving for an item between my time period to “show yourself” (or itself in this case) to me. That’s when we saw the revolutionary period nicely displayed. Just like that, Elsa’s mothers song popped into my head, “When all is lost, then all is found” (Disney Frozen 2). 

The thing that stood out to me the most was remnants of a revolutionary war musket. Why a musket you may ask? I did not exactly know what a musket was, and it piqued my curiosity. I found out that the musket was a firearm that when the trigger was pulled, a piece of rock (flint) would discharge from it. Yes, it is an old time gun! Muskets were the main weapon during the Revolutionary War, specifically the flintlock musket. But it was even more interesting that this musket, in particular, was said to have been carried by a man named “Levy” who was a free person of color serving with the patriot forces during the Battle of Camden. The bio stated that he returned to the battlefield to recover it in 1819. So, I read about the Battle of Camden to find out why go back for a musket, and what happened there?

The Battle of Camden was one of the most devastating defeats suffered by the American army to the British. In August 1780, an American General Horatio Gates charged to Camden, South Carolina, to capture it from British control. When British General Charles Cornwallis learned of this, he marched with British regulars and loyalist to confront the Americans. Gates ended up accidently feeding his men a meal of molasses and cornmeal that gave them diarrhea on August 15 (a day before the battle). Despite this, he still ordered the march toward Camden. Both armies waited until daylight to fight. The troops ended up being placed in a way that British could easily defeat, and Gates and his army ended up losing. Some troop members (American) even ran off from the battle. There were over 1,000 deaths among the Americans and only 324 British wounded or killed. They also lost control over wagons full of their equipment. This left the British in temporary control of the southern colonies. This victory led to the British invasion of North Carolina. I never found out why Levy went back for his musket, or whether he retrieved it or not, sadly. 

However, after learning about the Battle of Camden and the part it played in the Revolutionary war it was obvious that this was preserved and displayed because of this battle. This specific piece tells us about what was going on during the time of the Revolutionary War and particularly, how South Carolina was involved. It also focuses on the British’s fight for control over the south and the resistance in the backcountry. We get a piece of history that may seem like a small little thing but has a huge story behind it. Proving the saying that indeed the small things do matter.