Archive for October, 2009

Why do these teachers from Yukon Central Elementary have vampire teeth?  Although Halloween will be celebrated in a few days, these lovely ladies had donned these “pearly whites” for a lesson about George Washington.  Everyone erroneously assumes that George Washington had wooden teeth—He did not.  It was worse.  He starting losing his teeth in his twenties and by the time he was President he had only one tooth in his mouth.  “A French dentist named Jean Pierre Le Moyer (or Le Mayeur) immigrated to America in 1780 and treated patients between New York and Richmond over the next decade.  Specializing in tooth transplants, he found that transplantable teeth were hard to come by and went so far as to advertise in the newspaper for ‘persons disposed to sell their front teeth, or any of them.’  The Frenchman first treated Washington in 1783.  The following year, the General paid several unnamed “Negroes,” presumably Mount Vernon slaves, 122 shillings for nine teeth, slightly less than one third the going rate advertised in the papers, ‘on acct. of the French Dentis.’  Whether the teeth provided by the slaves were simply being sold to the dentist for any patient who needed them or were intended for Washington is unknown at this point, although the fact that the General paid for the teeth suggests that they were for his own use (*Mary  V. Thompson).”  He did have several different sets of dentures.  The ones on display at Mount Vernon are made of animal teeth, some of Washington’s own incisors, and other people’s teeth.  The material for the outer part of the dentures was lead with springs on both sides.  This uncomfortable apparatus is why the President kept in his mouth.  When Gilbert Stuart painted his famous portrait of Washington, he actually added stuffing to make his mouth fuller!  By studying the painting, one will notice that the General’s mouth looks exactly like a person  who has the Halloween “vampire” teeth in their mouth with their lips sealed.  This is a great way to demonstrate to students and adults why Washington’s mouth and lips look “pursed” on the dollar bill.  Now that is something to sink your teeth into!

*Taken from Mary V. Thompson’s article, They Appear to Live Comfortable Together in Slavery at the Home of George Washington edited by Philip J. Schwarz.

It was one of those crisp autumn mornings where the air had a little “snap” to it and the leaden sky appeared as a backdrop to the theatrical splashes of colorful fall foliage.  I traveled to Peters Elementary to present the George Washington Portrait to their school.  Their friendly librarian, Kay Leslie, greeted me with enthusiasm.  Kay attended the George Washington Summer Institute this past summer.  Her Mount Vernon photographs and Washington memorabilia were evident throughout her office.  Mrs. Leslie is planning on rearranging part of the library, so our first president will take center stage.  The General always had a stage presence!

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis)!  Oklahoma students and teachers had a rare opportunity this week to listen and learn from colonial music expert Dr. David Hildebrand.  The George Washington’s Mount Vernon Ladies Association and the Kirkpatrick Foundation brought David to Tulsa and Oklahoma City for performances and a teacher workshop.  He gave three performances in the Connor’s Cove Auditorium located at the Hardesty Library of Tulsa.  Later that afternoon we took The Long and Winding Road (Beatles) to Oklahoma City.  All the Leaves were Brown and the Sky was Gray (Mamas and Papas, paraphrased) early Tuesday morning when we got into the car to head to the Oklahoma History Center for another round of presentations.  With the shadow of the Oklahoma State Capitol dome behind him, Dr. Hildebrand gave a show-stopping concert that caused Good Vibrations (Beach Boys) throughout the audience. 

Teach Your Children Well (Crosby Stills & Nash).  Dr. Hildebrand certainly did teach the children and educators about the music of Washington’s period.  He explained that the General “could not lift a note” but loved to listen (and dance) to music.  Keep on Dancin’, Yeah (Bee Gees)!  The Colonial expert explained that General James Wolfe, the British officer who died while taking Quebec, was the early American hero.  As the Revolution broke out, Washington slowly took over the role as the great American Idol.  Washington was well aware of the importance of music in civic moments—Born in the USA (Bruce Springsteen). 

Everything old is new again (Peter Allen).  One major theme that ran through all of David’s seminars was how the colonials took old tunes and wrote new words.  Since, throughout the period, Americans had a fairly low literacy rate “music and lyrics gained power and meaning through repetition and recycling.”  I Believe in Yesterday (The Beatles).

I’d Rather be a Hammer than a Quill (Simon and Garfunkel, paraphrased).  As Dr. Hildebrand created his melodious magic on the harpsichord, he enlightened the audience about the inner workings of the instrument.  Whereas a piano uses hammers, a harpsichord plucks quills.  The harpsichord that George Washington bought his stepdaughter, Patsy, had louvers on the lid to help make sounds soft and loud (trying to compete with the new piano).  The louvers were activated by foot pedals.  This unique feature plus the harpsichord double manual was the instrument’s last gasp in the battle of the ivories.  Dr. Hildebrand also demonstrated the English Flute, the German Flute, and he Could Play the Guitar Like Ringing a Bell (Chuck Berry).

Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey Goodbye (Dave Clark Five).  After two days of multiple performances and one workshop at the History Center, my thoughts were, “I Fe-e-e-el Good, I Knew that I Would (James Brown)!”  We returned David to the airport because he was Homeward Bound (Simon and Garfunkel)—Ain’t that a Shame (Fats Domino)! 

Thanks for the Memories (Shep Fields, Bob Hope’s theme song). Mount Vernon and the Kirkpatrick Foundation deserve a BIG thank you for bringing this educational and entertaining musical adventure to Oklahoma.  It can be best summed up by George Jellinek, “The history of a people is found in its songs.”

October is one of my favorite months.  Why?  It is my birthday month, but it is also a month of momentous proportions in the life of George Washington.  It was in October of 1781 that the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown took place.  Today most Americans do not realize the ominous situation that surrounded the Continental Army prior to Yorktown.  In July of that year Rochambeau’s army had “moved beside Washington’s some twelve miles north of Manhattan.  Social problems excruciating to the Americans instantly arose.  Officers in faded and torn uniforms or no uniforms at all had to hold up their heads in the presence of the French officers’ spotless, gold-braided, brightly colored, bemedaled, beplumed ones.  Using their hard money to buy plentiful supplies, the French entertained sumptuously, but when the Americans entertained back, they could hardly scratch up enough food to postpone hunger.   One French man, Von Closen ,wrote, ‘It is incredible that soldiers composed of men of every age, even of children of fifteen, of whites and blacks, almost naked, unpaid, and rather poorly fed, can march so well and stand fire so steadfastly.’  He credited ‘the calm and calculated measures of General Washington, in whom I daily discover some new and eminent qualities…He is certainly admirable as the leader of his army, in which everyone regards him as his father and friend’ (Flexner).”

“Things were so dire for the Continental Army that the current campaign had to be the last.  In the absence of a decisive outcome the most likely development was a negotiated settlement the following year (Ellis).”  If Washington and Rochambeau’s troops were going to corner Cornwallis “they had to march 450 miles to the Chesapeake to meet de Grasse and the French Navy.  If the arduous march ended in disaster or even just frustration, patriot morale might collapse irrevocably (Flexner).”  It was essential that de Grasse, who was currently in the Caribbean, meet them.  Would he be able to make it?

“On September 5, Rochambeau and his staff were drifting down the Delaware when they saw on the waterfront at Chester, Pennsylvania a tall man in blue and buff regimentals dancing up and down, waving a hat and a handkerchief.  It looked from a distance as if this jumping jack were his Excellency, George Washington.  Indeed it was.  He was yelling that de Grasse’s fleet had actually arrived.  According to the Duke de Lauzun, ‘I never saw a man overcome with more great and sincere joy.’  Washington even went so far as to embrace Rochambeau warmly (Flexner).”

Everything fell into place.  Cornwallis did not move away from the coast and the French fleet from Newport sailed in bringing cannon and ships of shallow enough draft to ferry troops down the Chesapeake.  When the engineering feat of creating trenches at Yorktown was complete, George Washington was given the honor of firing the first shot.    

On October 17, the day before my birthday, Cornwallis sent a message to Washington proposing a twenty-four hour truce “to settle terms for the surrender.”   The day after my special day, on October 19, the “people of the neighborhood were to be allowed to witness the ceremonies; the French were to be on one side of the road down which the British marched; the Americans on the other in two lines, the Continental in front, the militia behind them (Freeman).   Washington, astride his favorite mount Nelson, rode up between the lines that had formed for a distance of about half a mile. The march of the British was slow and labored.  Cornwallis was TOO SICK to attend the surrender ceremony so he sent Brigadier General Charles O’Hara.  “When the British leader reached the waiting commanders, he turned to his left and started to address Rochambeau but the Count pointed to Washington (Freeman);” However, “if Cornwallis was to be represented by a deputy, so would he (Ellis).”  O’Hara was forced to surrender to General Lincoln (Washington and Lincoln?  Wow! That sounds familiar!)

At the end of the day, GW wrote a draft to be sent to congress, “’Sir, I have the Honor to inform the Congress, that a Reduction of the British Army under the Command of Lord Cornwallis is most happily effected.  The unremitting Ardor which actuated every Officer and Soldier in the combined Army in their Occasion, has principally led to this Important Event, at an earlier period than my most sanguine Hope had induced me to expect.’  The rest of the dispatch was praise of others (Freeman)” so typical of Washington.
I say, “Let’s celebrate!”