Portray John Jay

PORTRAY JOHN JAY

Have you ever given serious consideration to the Christian worldview of the Founding Fathers? How about hearing it from the nation's first Chief Justice John Jay? Did they teach you in high school that he was asked by the New York Convention to address the state of New York during the trying times of December 1776 and in that address mentioned God and having faith in God 33 times? Did they teach you in college about Mr. Jay being President of the American Bible Society? Did you learn in graduate school that there was a four hour communion service to start the Supreme Court in New York City? Have you ever heard in your church that Jay, Washington, Adams, the Senate and the House of Representatives under the Constitution met at St. Paul's Chapel on April 30, 1789 to dedicate the country's new government to God?

Phil Webster has dug deeply into the primary sources of the Founding Fathers to find out where they stood. He has heard what many have heard in classrooms, books, magazines, church sermons, news stories, etc. that all the Founders were Deists and that there was no place for God in the public square. Phil Webster has taken the time to read 25 volumes of Letters of the Delegates of Congress 1774-1789 and 34 volumes of Journals of Continental Congress. Phil's research does not come from just shooting off the hip. John Jay is just the man to present the Christian worldview of the Founders. Phil graduated from Asbury College where there were chapel services three times a week. Most students in our current society have not had that opportunity. That background helps Phil relate to the Founders attending morning and evening prayers while attending college. That background helped the Founders stay married (in the huge majority of cases). Those chapel services helped the Founding Fathers and Phil be a better husband and father. Phil also attended a believing seminary (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). It is hard to fathom that people can attend and graduate from seminary but not believe in the Bible nor be a follower of Jesus Christ. Phil, like John Jay, believes in God's Word to be true and follows Jesus Christ.

Maryland and Delaware Troops Sacrificing Their Lives for the Continental Army August 27, 1776

Maryland and Delaware Troops Sacrificing Their Lives for the Continental Army August 27, 1776

On this day August 27, 1776 Continental Army soldiers from Delaware and Maryland lost over 500 men combined in an effort to let the Continental Army live to fight another day. The combined British Forces with Hessian mercenaries totalled about 30,000. The American side totalled between 15,000 to 20,000. Not only was the American side outnumbered, the British had control of the waterways around Long Island.

It is hard to visualize a battle happening at Brooklyn but it happened. Three very good resources are:
1. David McCullough's 1776 Illustrated Version.
2. The Maryland 400 in the Battle of Long Island, 1776 by Linda Davis Reno
3. The Battle of Brooklyn, 1776 by John J. Gallagher

General Washington saw the Marylanders charge the British forces six times and said: "Good God, what brave fellows we have lost this day!" Most Marylander do not know that this even happened and further do not know that Washington gave Maryland the unique priviledge of flying their flag at the same height as the United States' flag because of this.

John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Madelyn Murray O'Hare

As seen in the post of February 16, 2015, JFK had a Christian worldview. What does JFK have to do with the Founding Fathers? In our nation's history, prayer was recommended in our schools by our leaders from 1776 to 1789 to 1963. Under the Constitution, prayer had been recommended for 174 years. Ask someone who can remember when they had prayer in school and you can get some interesting responses.

174 years of prayer in public schools
174 years of prayer in public schools
174 years of prayer in public schools

now wiped off the nation's memory.

The generations that have grown up since 1963 has no remembrance in their mind about school being a place where God was welcomed. There has been a continual effort to exclude God from every part of school life. The curriculum must not mention God or Jesus or saints. Holidays (holy days) like Christmas and Easter are winter and spring vacations.

As a youth, I looked up to President Kennedy,especially his heroism on PT 109 in the Pacific. It seems that President Kennedy forgot the lesson of Alexander Hamilton who committed adultery and took the criticism and repented. During this period of the decision coming before the Supreme Court, a huge temptation was put in front of President Kennedy in the form of Marilyn Monroe.

March 24, 1962 Palm Springs FL JFK with Monroe
April 3, 1962 Engel v. Vitale argued before Supreme Court
May 19, 1962 Monroe sings “Happy Birthday Mr. President” at Madison Square Garden
June 25, 1962 Engel v. Vitale decided by Supreme Court; ruled it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools.
August 4, 1962 Marilyn Monroe’s death
Nov. 22, 1963 JFK assassinated

When the time came for JFK to give a response, he was compromised. He knew that if he made a stand against the Supreme Court decision, he could be blackmailed for his indiscretion. When he gave his response to the Supreme Court decision, keep in mind that he was compromised and dare not oppose the decision for fear of the backlash.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf0DzGlisXQ

What Would John Jay Say About the Current Supreme Court?

What Would John Jay Say About the Current Supreme Court?
People ask me quite often:”What would John Jay and the Founders think about the Supreme Court?” For starters he would be livid that the Supreme Court consisted of zero ( 0 ) Evangelical Christians.

There are ZERO Evangelical Protestants on the Supreme Court

Not even one? It is great that there are Catholic and Jewish Supreme Court justices but there is no room in the Supreme Court Inn for Evangelical Protestants. The tolerant, multi-cultural group will cut down your legs if you happen to be a WASP (How is that tolerant?). Most modern day citizens of the United States have no clue that the first Chief Justice of the United States also served as President of the American Bible Society.

Most modern day citizens of the United States have no clue that the first Chief Justice of the United States also served as President of the American Bible Society.

Founding Fathers’ View of the Historical Trustworthiness of the Bible
The Bible is the unique book in the world that can be trusted for its trustworthiness. As an author myself, I am aware of my mistakes and those of other authors. As a writer of history, I note in the back of books by other authors their mistakes. It encourages me when I see some great authors make mistakes themselves. However, God’s Word, the Bible is without error in its original writings.

Exodus 12:41 “At the end of 430 years to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions left Egypt.”

Ezekiel 40:1 “In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city, on that very day the hand of the Lord was upon me and he took me there.”

The fall of Jerusalem was on August 14, 586 BC. The Bible does not say August 14, 586 but scholars are able to place that date with the Bible and historical research. God does not miss a trick. He is in control even though at times it does not appear so.

John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States had this to say about the trustworthiness of the Bible:
“It is to be regretted, but so I believe the fact to be, that except the Bible there is not a true history of the world.” John Jay to Rev. Jedidiah Morse; Feb. 28, 1797[written while Jay served as Chief Justice to the Supreme Court]

“…The Bible is the best of all Books, for it is the word of God, and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue, therefore to read it and regulate your Life by its precepts…” John Jay to his son Peter Augustus Jay; April 8, 1784 [Peter, born in 1776, was 8 years old at the time]

“…Our Redeemer commanded his apostles to preach the Gospel to every creature: to the end it was necessary that they should be enabled to understand and to preach it correctly, and to demonstrate its Divine origin and institution by incontestable proofs. The Old Testament, which contained the promises and prophecies respecting the Messiah, was finished at a period antecedent to the coming of our Saviour, and therefore afforded no information nor proof of his advent and subsequent proceeding. To qualify the apostles for their important task, they were blessed with the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and by him were enabled to preach the Gospel with concordant accuracy, and in divers languages: they were also endued with power to prove the truth of their doctrine, and of their authority to preach it, by wonderful and supernatural signs and miracles.”
John Jay, Address to the American Bible Society; May 12, 1825 [written while he served as President of the American Bible Society]

It astounds me that because of the secular influence in our textbooks, magazines, that so much emphasis placed on Jefferson and his watered-down version of the Bible. We never hear about the first Chief Justice’s view. In the first election for president who came in third place after George Washington and John Adams? Was it Jay or Jefferson? Washington had 90 votes, Adams had 45 votes and John Jay was next with 10 votes.

Lego Independence Hall

For Lego Lovers I have an entry for Independence Hall

Treaty of Paris Signing

On March 19, 2015 I had the honor of appearing as John Jay in the illustrious company of Ben Franklin (portrayed by Chris Lowell) and John Adams (portrayed by David Smith). Mark Croatti heads up The Treaty of Paris Center in Annapolis (which you can check out on www.treatyofpariscenter.org). The Center focuses on the time period between the signing of the Treaty of Paris and the signing of the Constitution. They have a room dedicated to the Presidents of the Continental Congress. Yes, someone finally recognizes the work of John Jay and the other Presidents before George Washington.

http://www.capitalgazette.com/multimedia/photos/cg-signing-the-treaty-of-paris-pictures-20150319,0,4386173.photogallery?index=cg-signing-the-treaty-of-paris-pictures-201503-001



If you go the Capital Gazette site you can see how Chris Lowell lightened the place up with Ben Franklin. He is the best Ben Franklin I have seen. He knows his subject in and out. He speaks French and even taught in France. He is a lot of fun and you cannot leave being around him without thinking that you have spent time with Dr. Franklin.

This picture was taken at the Annapolis State Capital with John Jay (Phil Webster), John Adams (David Smith) and Dr. Ben Franklin (Chris Lowell from www.benfranklinlive.com) in September 2015.

Religious Liberty and America’s Founders
Since the 1960s we in the culture of the United States have listened to the false drumbeat of “all the Founders were deists and atheists,” “there is no place for God in the public square,” and the big daddy of the whoppers “separation of church and state= the First Amendment.” Apparently according to the post 1962 narrative, the Founding Fathers being the great secularists that they were, wanted a secular society where God only had a private place in people’s lives. John Jay, George Washington, Roger Sherman, Samuel and John Adams, William Williams, Benjamin Rush, Rev. John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, William Livingston, William Samuel Johnson, John Dickinson and other Founders that signed the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution would disagree strongly against those notions. God and having religious liberty was what they were all about. This article will show their Christian worldview and their desire for religious liberty being their highest priority (freedom of religion was the First Amendment).

Most people think that all the Founders were from English background. Not so with John Jay, whose Huguenot family came here fleeing persecution from France. There is also the Scottish aspect as seen in Rev. John Witherspoon who came here to the United States from Scotland. Scotland has made a covenant to follow God in 1650. The Scots were not allowed to meet publicly as Presbyterians (because the Church of England was the established church). Scots met outdoors (it gets cold in Scotland outdoors). Basically in 1685 the Scots were utterly defeated by the British and ceased to be a nation. Many Scots came to the United States in “slave ships” as indentured servants. Check out the historical lists of ships that came from Scotland after 1685 as slave ships. Religious liberty meant something strongly held by the Founders.

On this matter, it is good to check out one of the main sources, Rev. John Witherspoon. People in this country knew of Witherspoon’s teaching on religious liberty in Scotland. Richard Stockton and Benjamin Rush pleaded time and time again with Witherspoon’s wife in Scotland to talk her into coming to the wilderness of America. She eventually said yes to coming to America. Rev. Witherspoon taught a generation of leaders from Princeton like James Madison. Madison’s uncle taught at William and Mary but James Madison (the architect of the Constitution) travelled all the way to Princeton, New Jersey to attend college because it was known to have revival. The Christian worldview and lifestyle were strongly supported and encouraged.

In John Jay’s situation (and many other Huguenots) 1685 was a difficult year also. The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre witnessed the killing of many Huguenots in France. Many Huguenots fled the persecution and came to America. Let us start by looking at John Jay’s view of the religious liberty of the United States. Back in 1809 he stated that we must never lose sight of the great plan of Providence for the nation. I am afraid that after 50 years of the secular drumbeat, we no longer hear the music of religious liberty.

“A proper history of the United States would have much to recommend it: in some aspects it would be singular, or unlike all others; it would develop the great plan of Providence, for causing this extensive part of our world to be discovered, and these ‘uttermost parts of the earth’ to be gradually filled with civilized and Christian people and nations. The means or second causes by which this great plan has long been and still is accomplishing, are materials for history, of which the writer ought well to know the use and bearings and proper places. In my opinion, the historian, in the course of the work, is never to lose sight of that great plan.”
John Jay (1st Chief Justice) to Rev. Dr. Jedidiah Morse; August 16, 1809

The nation’s first Chief Justice under the Constitution stated that a proper history of the United States would develop the great plan of Providence and charged historians to never lose sight of that great plan.

Declaration of Independence
-54 of 56 signers had a Christian worldview; the two that did not (Franklin and Jefferson) are the ones typically studied in high schools and universities. What is the big picture? Do people study about the Christian worldview of these men?: Samuel and John Adams, Roger Sherman, Rev. John Witherspoon, Richard Stockton, Dr. Benjamin Rush, William Williams, Matthew Thornton, John Hancock, Lyman Hall, Abraham Clark, John Hart, Oliver Wolcott, Francis Hopkinson, Josiah Bartlett

www.1776faith.blogspot.com
NH, RI, CT, MA, NY, PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, NC, GA listed in 2009 entries

-laws of Nature and of Nature’s God
-We hold these things to be self evident, that all men are created equal
-appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World
-With a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence

-How about the strong Christian worldview of these Founders? George Washington, John Jay, Patrick Henry, John Dickinson, Elias Boudinot, Alexander Hamilton

-John Jay’s Christmas Address Dec. 23, 1776- John Jay mentions God 33 times

Providential Care of the United States During the American Revolution
-Battle of Brooklyn
-Washington Crossing the Delaware
-Saratoga
-Valley Forge
-Benedict Arnold’s Betrayal
-Retreat from Cowpens/ Race to the Dan River
-Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown

Days of Prayer During the American Revolution
April 15, 1775 July 20, 1775 May 17, 1776
December 18, 1777 May 3, 1779 April 29, 1780
December 7, 1780 May 3, 1781 April 25, 1782
November 28, 1782

Chaplains for Continental Congress
Chaplains for Continental Army

Treaty of Paris 1783

-‘In the name of the most Holy and undivided Trinity”

-State Constitutions of all 13 Original States Mention God

-Constitution 1787
In the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and eighty seven
During impeachment procedure, Sunday the Christian Sabbath, was to be taken off
Franklin reminded Constitutional Convention about the need for prayer
Slavery was to be abolished after 18 years
Continental Congress voted against slavery
Who voted for slavery from 1800 to 1860? Which political party consistently voted for slavery ?

-Northwest Ordinance 1787
Banned slavery from Northwest Territories
“Religion and morality… shall forever be encouraged” (until 1962)
Federal Government under the Constitution paid for Christian missionaries to native Americans

-Under the Constitution
Washington Took Oath of Office: Sworn on a Bible April 30, 1789
“So help me God”
Government leaders prayed at St. Paul’s Chapel on Broadway

Days of Prayer Recommended by First Four Presidents Under the Constitution
George Washington Oct. 3, 1789 Thursday Nov. 26, 1789
George Washington Jan. 1, 1795 Thursday Feb.19, 1795
John Adams Mar 23, 1798 Wed. May 9, 1798
John Adams Wed. April 25, 1798
Thomas Jefferson Nov. 11, 1779 Thurs. Dec. 7, 1779
James Madison July 9, 1812 3rd Thurs. August 1812
James Madison July 23, 1813 2nd Thurs. Sept. 1813
James Madison Nov. 16, 1814 Thurs. Jan. 12, 1815
James Madison March 4, 1815 2nd Thurs. April 1815

Supreme Court started with 4 hour communion service
Julia Duin,Washington Times Nov. 30, 2001 A2

Supreme Court started with prayer for guidance under John Jay

Signers of the Constitution: 36 of 39 had a Christian worldview

www.1787constitutionfaith.blogspot.com
GA, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, PA, NJ, NY, MA, CT, RI, NH entries on 2013


1st Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

IT DOES NOT SAY ‘SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE”

John Jay on Freedom of Religion and Separation of Church and State

Massachusetts Constitution 1780 Written by John Adams

Massachusetts Constitution 1780 Written by John Adams


Massachusetts Constitution 1780
Written by John Adams

We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts,
the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course
of His providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud,
violence, or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit, and solemn compact
with each other, and of forming a new constitution of civil government for
ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction

Article I. All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential, and
unalienable rights; among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and
defending their lives and liberties; that of acquiring, possessing, and protecting
property; in fine, that of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness.

Art. II. It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly and at
stated seasons, to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of
the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person,
liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable
to the dictates of his own conscience, or for his religious profession or
sentiments, provided he doth not disturb the public peace or obstruct others in
their religious worship.

Art. III. As the happiness of a people and the good order and preservation of civil
government essentially depend upon piety, religion, and morality, and as these
cannot be generally diffcused through a community but by the institution of the
public worship of God and of the public instructions in piety, religion, and
morality: Therefore, To promote their happiness and to secure the good order and
preservation of their government, the people of this commonwealth have a right
to invest their legislature with power to authorize and require, and the legislature
shall, from time to time, authorize and require, the several towns, parishes,
precincts, and other bodies politic or religious societies to make suitable
provision, at their own expense, for the institution of the public worship of God
and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety,
religion, and morality in all cases where such provision shall not be made
voluntarily.

And the people of this commonwealth have also a right to, and do, invest their
legislature with authority to enjoin upon all the subject an attendance upon the
instructions of the public teachers aforesaid, at stated times and seasons, if there
be any on whose instructions they can conscientiously and conveniently attend.
Provided, notwithstanding, That the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other
bodies politic, or religious societies, shall at all times have the exclusive right and
electing their public teachers and of contracting with them for their support and
maintenance. And all moneys paid by the subject to the support of public worship and of public teachers aforesaid shall, if he require it, be uniformly applied to the support of the public teacher or teachers of his own religious sect or denomination, provided there be any on whose instructions he attends; otherwise it may be paid toward the support of the teacher or teachers of the parish or precinct in which the said moneys are raised.

And every denomination of Christians, demeaning themselves peaceably and as
good subjects of the commonwealth, shall be equally under the protection of the
law; and no subordination of any sect or denomination to another shall ever be
established by law.

John F. Kennedy: Our Rights Come From God Not the State

Recently Chris Cuomo stated in an interview with Chief Justice (Alabama) Roy Moore that rights do not come from God but from the State. I came across this vital bit of information while reading the preface to "Naval Documents of the American Revolution." It came from a Democrat who served in the early 1960s as President, John F. Kennedy. This Memorium came at the beginning of the first volume, found on page 10 of the following blog. http://www.navalrecords.org/ "Naval Documents of the American Revolution" had some meaning to the Skipper of PT 109.


In Memorium

Having reviewed galley proofs, President Kennedy sent us this
powerful Foreword in anticipation of publication in 1964. Appropriately
he signed it on the 4th of July, a day that to all men
stands for freedom, a day that could have had no meaning in 1776,
or since, without the strength of the unchained sea. Mourned by
the world, he left this life on 22 November 1963 for the vast seas of
infinity, but his words still resound across the great waters that join
and are the hope of free men as long as the United States stays
strong on them :



"The same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears
fought are still at issue around the globe-the belief that
the rights of man come not from the generosity of the
state but from the hand of God.

I "We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that
first revolution . . .
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or
ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any
hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure
the survival and the success of liberty.

I "This much we pledge-and more . .
"In the long history of the world, only a few generations
have been granted the role of defending freedom in its
hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this re-
'sponsibility-I welcome it. I do not believe that any of
us would exchange places with any other people or any
other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion
which we bring to this endeavor will light our country
and all who serve it-and the glow from that fire can
truly light the world."

February 2, 1781 Crossing the Yadkin River

On Groundhog Day, February 2, 1781, troops from Maryland and Delaware along with militia from North Carolina, crossed the Yadkin River. The weather in Greensboro NC on February 2, 2015 had a high of 46 and a low of 29 degrees.

River Crossings
Battle of Cowpens Jan. 17
Catawba River Jan. 23
Yadkin River Feb. 2
Dan River Feb. 14

As Peter Marshall and David Manuel related in The Light and the Glory, at the crossing of each river, the Americans could cross just in time before the British arrived and then the British were unable to follow. Rain had been in the area in each instance. Conditions were right when the Americans would attempt a crossing. However due to rains providentially placed and timed when the British tried to cross the Catawba, the Yadkin and the Dan the conditions were not right for the British. Cornwallis eventually got so far away from his supply lines that he stopped pursuing once the Continental Army arrived in Virginia by crossing the Dan.

Samuel Adams, Father of the American Revolution

In light of the current television series, "Sons of Liberty," I am redoing my March 14, 2013 entry on Samuel Adams. Please check out Samuel Adams' Christian worldview

Samuel Adams Christian Worldview

An honest reader cannot come away from reading Samuel Adams without being convinced that he was a convinced Christian. The 2008 biography by Ira Stoll entitled "Samuel Adams: A Life" is highly recommended. One can see clearly the connection with Samuel Adams’ Christian worldview and his stance against slavery. The usual “all the Founders were slave holders” does not stick on Samuel Adams. The usual “all the Founders were deists and atheists and God has no place in the public arena” does not stick on Samuel Adams either.

“Samuel Adams opposed slavery. His niece recalled that in 1764 or 1766, a female slave named Surry was given to Elizabeth Adams as a gift. When she told her husband about it, Samuel Adams said immediately, “A slave cannot live in my house. If she comes, she must be free.” Ira Stoll. Samuel Adams: A Life. New York: Free Press, 2008, p. 55.

“On June 25, 1773, the [Massachusetts] House had appointed [Samuel] Adams and Hancock to a committee to consider what its journal records as ‘a petition of Felix Holbrook, and others, Negroes, praying that they may be liberated from a state of bondage, and made freemen of this community, and that this Court would give and grant to them some part of the unimproved lands belonging to the province, for a settlement, or relieve them to such other such way as shall seem good and wise upon the whole.’” Journals of the House of Representatives of Massachusetts, 1773-1774, p.85.

“…Slaves chose to approach Adams to mediate the matter speaks well of his reputation, when the petition came up again before the House on January 26, 1774, the lawmakers did not dispose of it, but again referred it to a committee of Adams, Hancock, Cushing and a few others. Later in the winter, the House did approve ‘An Act to prevent the importation of Negroes or other Persons as slaves into this Province; and the purchasing them within the same. But Governor Hutchinson refused to sign the bill into law.” Ira Stoll. Samuel Adams: A Life. p. 117

Samuel Adams’ Christian worldview impacted his view on slavery.He would not stand for it when many in his culture accepted it as okay. Samuel Adams came from the Christian worldview of New England. Let us examine
Samuel Adams, in his own words. I give you the Christian Worldview of Mr. Samuel Adams

The Christian Worldview of Samuel Adams from
Letters of the Delegates 1774-1789.

Samuel Adams to Joseph Warren (September 9, 1774) I, 55.
“After setting the Mode of voting, which is by giving each Colony an equal Voice, it was agreed to open the Business with Prayer. As many of our warmest Friends are Members of the Church of England, I thought it prudent as well on that as on some other Accounts to move that the Service should be performed by a Clergyman of that denomination. Accordingly the Lessons of the Day and Prayer were read by the Reverend Mr. Duche, who afterwards made a most excellent extemporary Prayer, by which he discovered himself to be a Gentleman of Sense and Piety, and a warm Advocate for the religious and civil Rights of America.”

Samuel Adams to the Boston Committee of Correspondence (September 16, 1774) I,71.
“I hope the Committee will continue to Act up to their Dignity and Importance. I am yet of opinion that Heaven will Honor them with a great Share of the Merit of saving the Rights of America. May God inspire them with Wisdom & Fortitude...I conclude with the warmest Prayers to the Supreme Being for the Salvation of our Country.”

Samuel Adams to Charles Chauncy (September 19, 1774) I, 82-82.
Congregational Minister of the First Church in Boston

Samuel Adams to Samuel Purviance, Jr. (May 19,1775) I, 362.
“I rejoice that my countrymen had adhered punctually to the Direction of the General Congress, and were at length driven to Resistance through Necessity. I think they may now justly claim the Support of the confederated Colonies. I was much pleased to be informed by you, that your colony had observed a Day of Fasting and Humiliation. It is upon the blessing of God alone that we must depend for a happy Issue to our virtuous Struggle.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (June 28, 1775) I, 552.
“Mr. Pitts and Dr. Church inform me that my dear Son has at length escaped from the Prison of Boston.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (July 30, 1775) I, 683.
“...I pray God that at my Return I may find you and the rest of my dear Friends in good health.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (October 3, 1775) II, 101-102.
“The Intelligence received by the July Packett which arrived at New York a few days ago, has convinced some, who could not be prevailed upon to believe it before, that it is folly to supplicate a Tyrant, and that under God, our own virtuous Efforts must save us...We are expecting every Moment important news from General Schuyler. May God prosper our Designs in that Quarter.”


Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (October 20, 1775) II, 217.
“The Affairs of our Country are at this Moment in the most Critical situation. Every Wheel seems now to be in Motion. I am so fully satisfied in the Justice of our Cause, that I can confidently as well as devoutly pray, that the righteous Disposer of all things would succeed our Enterprises. If he suffers us to be defeated in any or all of them I shall believe it to be for the most wise and gracious Purposes and shall heartily acquiesce in the Divine Proposal.”

Samuel Adams to Elbridge Gerry (November 4, 1775) II, 297.
“...May Heaven grant us further Success.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (November 4, 1775) II, 297.
“...I hope however that this want will soon be supplied and God grant that a good Use may be made of it.
“We live in a most important Age, which demands that every Moment should be improved to some serious Purpose. It is the Age of George the Third; and to do Justice to our most gracious King, I will affirm it as my opinion, that his Councils and Administration will necessarily produce the grandest Revolutions the World has ever yet seen. The Wheels of Providence seem to be in their swiftest Motion;...Nothing is more essential to the Establishment of Manners in a State, than that all Persons employed in Places of Power and Trust by Men of exemplary Characters. The Publick cannot be too curious concerning the Character of publick Men.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (November 7, 1775) II, 313.
“...Righteousness Heaven will surely smile on a Cause so righteous as ours is, and our Country, if it does its Duty will see an End to its oppressions.”

Samuel Adams to James Bowdoin, Sr. (November 16, 1775) II, .
“...For my own part, I had even buried you, though I had not forgot you. I thank God who has disappointed our Fears; and it is my ardent Prayer that your Health may be perfectly restord and your eminent Usefullness long continued.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (December 5, 1775) II, .
Lord Dunmore offered freedom to indentured servants & slaves to fight against rebels in Norfolk

Samuel Adams to John Pitts (January 12, 1776) III, 84.
“...You have seen the most gracious Speech- Most Gracious! How strangely will the Tools of a Tyrant pervert the plain Meaning of Words! It discovers, to be sure, the most benevolent & humane Feelings of its Author. I have heard that he is his own Minister- that he follows the Dictates of his own Heart. If so, why should we cast the odium of distressing Mankind upon his Minions & Flatterers only. Guilt must lie at his Door. Divine Vengeance will fall on his head; for all-gracious Heaven cannot be an indifferent Spectator of the virtuous Struggles of this people.”

Samuel Adams to John Sullivan (January 12, 1776) III, 85.
“...I have seen the Speech which is falsly & shamefully called most gracious. It breathes the most malevolent Spirit, wantonly proposes Measures calculated to distress Mankind, and determines my opinion of the Author of it as a Man of a Wicked Heart. What a pity it is, that Men are become so degenerate and servile, as to bestow Epithets which can be appropriated to the Supreme Being alone, upon Speeches & actions which will hereafter be read & spoken of by every Man who shall profess to have a spark of Virtue & Honor with the utmost Contempt and Detestation. What have we to expect from Britain, but Chains & Slavery? I hope we shall act the part which the great Law of Nature points out. It is high time that we should assume that Character, which I am sorry to find the Capital of your Colony has publickly and expressly disavowed. It is my most fervent prayer to Almighty God, that he would direct and prosper the Councils of America, inspire her Armies with true Courage, shield them in every Instance of Danger and lead them on to Victory & Triumph.”

Samuel Adams to Joseph Hawley (April 15, 1776) III, 528.
“...I scrupple not to affirm it as my Opinion that his [king] heart is more obdurate, and his Disposition towards the People of America is more unrelenting and malignant than was that of Pharaoh towards the Israelites in Egypt.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (April 16, 1776) III, 539-540.
“...It is folly for us to suffer our selves any longer to be amused. Reconciliation upon reasonable Terms is no Part of their Plan; the only Alternative is Independence or Slavery. Their Designs still are as they ever have been to subjugate us. Our unalterable Resolution should be to be free. They have attempted to subdue us by Forces but God be praisd! in vain. Their Arts may be more dangerous than their Arms. Let us then renounce all Treaty with them upon any Score but that of total Seperation, and under God trust our Cause to our Swords. One of our moderate prudent Whigs wd [would] be startled at what I now write. I do not correspond with such kind of Men- you know I never overmuch admired them. Their Moderation has brought us to this Pass, and if they were to be regarded, they would continue the Conflict a Century. There are such moderate Men here, but their Principles are daily going out of Fashion. The Child Independence is now struggling for Birth. I trust that in a short time it will be brought forth, and in Spite of Pharaoh all America shall hail the dignified Stranger.”

Samuel Adams to Samuel Cooper (April 30, 1776) III, 602.
“The burning of Norfolk & the Hostilities committed in North Carolina have kindled the Resentment of our Southern Brethren who once thought their Eastern Friends hot headed & rash; now indeed the Tone is alterd & it is said that the Coolness & Moderation of the one is necessary to ally the heat of the other.”

Samuel Adams to John Scollay
“...Our grateful Acknowledgements are due to the Supreme Being. They [Bostonians] are now restored to their Habitations & Priviliges; and as they are purgd of those Wretches a Part of whose Policy has been to corrupt the Morals of the People, I am persuaded they will improve the happy opportunity of reestablishing ancient Principles and Purity of Manners...and I have long been convincd that our Enemies have made it an Object, to eradicate from the minds of the People in general a Sense of true Religion & Virtue, in hopes thereby the more easily to carry their Point of enslaving them. Indeed my Friend, this is a Subject so important in my Mind, that I know not how to leave it. Revelation assures us that ‘Righteousness exalteth a Nation.’ Communities are dealt with in this World by the wise and just Ruler of the Universe. He rewards or punishes them according to their general Character. The diminution of publick Virtue is usually attended with that of publick Happiness, and the publick Liberty will not long survive the total Extinction of Morals.”

Samuel Adams to Joseph Hawley (July 9, 1776) IV, 416.
“...Much I am afraid has been lost by delaying to take this decisive Step. (It is my opinion that if it had been done Nine months ago, when ) we might have been justified (in doing it) in the Sight of God and Man, thos[e] Months ago. If we had done it then, in my opinion Canada woud this time have been one of the united Colonies: but ‘Much is to be endured for the hardness of Mens hearts.’”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (December 9, 1776) V, 590.
“...I do not regret the Part I have taken in a Cause so just and interesting to Mankind. I must confess it chagrins me greatly to find it so ill supported by the People of Pennsylvania and the Jerseys. They seem to me to be determined to give it up- but I trust that my dear New England will maintain it at the Expence of every thing dear to them in this Life. They know how to prize their Liberties. May Heaven bless them... My daily Prayer is for your Safety & Happiness in this Life & a better. Adieu.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (December 11, 1776) V, 596.
“...If this City should be surrendered, I should by no means despair of our Cause. It is a righteous Cause and I am fully persuaded righteous Heaven will succeed it. Congress wll adjourn to Baltimore in Maryland, about 120 miles from this place, when Necessity requires it and not before. It is agreed to appoint a Day of Prayer, & a Come [Committee] will bring in a Resolution for that purpose This day. i wish we were a more religious People. That Heaven may bless you here & hereafter is the most ardent Prayer of, my dear, most cordially yours,”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (December 12, 1776) V, 601.
“...I give up this City & State for lost until recoverd by other Americans. Our Cause however will be supported. It is the Cause of God & Men, and virtuous men by the Smiles of Heaven will bring it to a happy Issue...May God prosper them and increase their Number. Let America exert her own Strength. Let her depend upon God’s Blessing, and He who cannot be indifferent to her righteous Cause will even work Miracles if necessary to carry her thro this glorious Conflict, and establish her feet upon a Rock. Adieu my Friend, the Clock strikes Twelve.”


Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (December 19, 1776) V, 617.
“Sorry I am that the People so long refused to hearken to the repeated Calls of their Country. They have already deeply straind the Honor of America, and they must surely be as unfeeling as Rocks if they do not rise with Indignation and revenge the shocking Injuries done to their Wives and Daughters Great Britain has taught us what to expect from Submission to its Power. No People ever more tamely surrendered than of that Part of the Jerseys through which the Enemy marchd. No opposition was made- and yet the grossest Insults have been offered to them, and the rude soldiery have been sufered to perpetuate Deeds more horrid than Murder. If Heaven punishes Communities for their Vices, how sore must be the Punishment of that Community who think the Rights of human Nature not worth struggling for and patiently submit to Tyranny. I will reply upon it that New England will never incur the Curse of Heaven, for neglecting to defend her Liberties. I pray God to increase their Virtue and make them happy and quiet Possession of those Liberties they have ever so highly prizd.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (December 26, 1776) V, 670.
“...I pray God to continue your Health and protect you in these perilous times from every kind of Evil. The Name of the Lord, says the Scripture, is a strong Tower, thither the Righteous flee and are safe. Let us secure his Favor, and he will lead us through the Journey of this Life and at length receive us to a better.”

Samuel Adams to Arthur Lee (January 2, 1777) VI, 16.
“...It has afforded to the World a strong Proof that oppressed & Insulted as we were, we were willing to give Boston time to recollect herself, and correct her own Errors. We are now enduring in the sharp conflict, confiding that righteous Heaven will not look with an indifferent Eye upon a Cause so manifestly just, and so interesting to Mankind. You are now called to act in a still more enlarged Sphere. Go on my Friend in the support of Liberty Virtue. You already have the applause of virtuous man, and may be assured of the Smiles of Heaven.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (January 29, 1777) VI, 157.
“...I thank you, my dear, most cordially for the Warmth of Affection which you express on this Occasion, for your Anxiety for my Safety and your Prayers to God for my Protection. The Man who is conscientiously doing his Duty will ever be protected by that Righteous and all powerful Being, and when he has finished his Work he will receive an Ample Reward. I am not more convinced of any thing than that it is my Duty to oppose to the utmost of my Ability the Designs of those who would enslave my Country; and with Gods Assistance I am resolved to oppose them till their Designs are defeated or I am called to quit the Stage of Life.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (Febraury 1, 1777) VI, 185.
“...I pray God to preserve the Health of your Body and the vigor of your Mind. We must chearfully deny our selves Domestick Happiness and the Tranquility of private Life when our Country demands our Services.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (February 16, 1777) VI, 297.
[People letting tories go free without punishment] ...Can a man take fire in his bosom and not be burned?” [Proverbs]

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (March 10, 1777) VI, 421.
“I arrived in this City [Philadelphia] from Baltimore last Saturday. Having been indisposed there so as to be obliged to keep my Chamber ten days, I was unable to travel with my Friends, but through the Goodness of God I have got rid of my Disorder and am in good Health.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (April 17, 1777) VI, 599.
“...I have been always of opinion, that we must depend upon our own Efforts, under God for the Establishment of our Liberties.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (June 18, 1777) VII, 208.
“...I hope my countrymen have been wise in their Elections, and I pray God to bless their Endeavours for the Establishment of publick Liberty, Virtue and Happiness.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (June 30, 1777) VII, 272.
“...I find by the Newspapers that the General Assembly under the Denomination of a Convention are forming a new Constitution. This is a monentous Business; I pray God to direct you!”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (August 1, 1777) VII, 401.
“...May Heaven prosper our righteous Cause.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (August 2, 1777) VII, 404.
“...May Heaven prosper our righteous Cause, in such Way and by such Instruments as to his infinite Wisdom shall meet.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (Sept. 17, 1777) VII, 677.
“...The Enemy have gained a Patch of Ground but from all Accounts they have purchased it as dearly as Bunkers Hill. Two or three more such victories would totally ruin their Army...Our soldiers [...] eager for Action and we are every day expecting another Battle. may Heaven favor our righteous Cause and grant us compleat Victory...
“I am pleased to hear that Col. Crafts invited Mr. Thatcher to preach a Sermon to his Regiment. He discovered the true Spirit of a New England Officer. I dare say it was an animating Discourse. Religion has been & I hope will continue to be the ornament of N. England. While they place their Confidence in God- they will not fail to be an happy People.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (Sept. 17, 1777) VII, 678.
“...May Heaven favor our righteous Cause & grant us compleat Victory... If we do not beat them this Fall will not the faithful Historian record it as our own Fault. But let us depend, not upon the Arm of Flesh, but on the God of Armies. We shall be free if we deserve it. We must succeed in a Cause so manifestly just, if we are virtuous.”

Samuel Adams to Samuel P. Savage (Oct. 26, 1777) VIII, 188.
“I hastily congratulate you on the entire Victory obtained by General Gates over Burgoin. This is a Striking Instance of the Truth of the Observation in Holy Writ ‘Pride goeth before a Fall.’ Our sincere Ackowledgements of Gratitude are due to the supreme Disposer of all Events. I suppose congres will recommend that a Day be set apart through out the United States for solemn Thanksgiving.
“I rejoyce that my Friend General Gates, after what had happened, is honord by Providence as the Instrument in this great Affair...
“I fancy How is now as much in the Power of Genl. Washington as Burgoin was of Gates. God grant he may share a similar Fate!”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (Oct. 26, 1777) VIII, 189.
“...I hope our Countrymen will render the just Tribute of Praise to the Supreme Ruler for these signal Instances of his Interposition in favor of a People struggling for their Liberties. Congress will, I suppose recommend the setting apart one Day of publick Thanksgiving to be observed throughout the United States.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (Oct. 29, 1775) VIII, 2--.
“...I am determined by Gods Assistance never to forsake the great Cause in which my Country is virtuously struggling; but there are others who have greater Abilities & more adequate to this important Service, than I have...
“I believe my Country will fix their Eyes and their Choice on a Man of Religion and Piety; who will understand human Nature and the Nature and End of political Society- who will not by Corruption or Flattery be seducd to the betraying , even without being sensible of it himself, the sacred Rights of his Country...
“The Success of the present Campaign hitherto has been great beyond our most sanguine Expectation. Let us ascribe Glory to God who has graciously vouchsafd to favor the Cause of America and of Mankind.”

Samuel Adams to Samuel P. Savage (July 3, 1778) X, 2--.
“...I now begin to promise myself the Pleasure of seeing the Liberties of our Country establishd on a solid Foundation. It will then be my most earnest Wish to be releasd from all publick Cares, and sit down with my Family and a little Circle of faithful Friends in the Cottage of Obscurity. There we will give Thanks to the God of Heaven for the great Things he has done for America, and fervently pray that she may be virtuous, without which she cannot long enjoy the Blessings of Freedom.
“I am greatly concernd for my dear native Town, lest after having stood foremost in the Cause of Religion & Liberty she should lose her Glory. We may say inter Nos, Her Principles & Manners have had great Influence in securing the Liberties of America. But has she not exchanged her manly Virtue, for Levity & Luxury and a Train of ridiculous Vices which will speedily sink her in Contempt. I am afraid the Cry of too many is Quarenda Pecunia primum est!- ‘Get Money, Money still, and then let Virtue follow if she will!’ The inordinate Love of Gain, will make a shameful Alteration in the Character of those who have heretofore sacrificed every Enjoyment to the Love of their Country. He is the best Patriot who Stems the Torrent of Vice, because that is the most destructive Enemy of his Country.”

Samuel Adams to William Cooper (Sept.30, 1778) X, 716.
“...That the children of N. England may rise and serve God & their Country in the Room of their Fathers is the most ardent Prayer of, Your cordial Friend.”

Samuel Adams to Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. (Oct. 16, 1778) XI, 62.
“...Mr. Sherman was so obliging as to give me the perusal of your Letter to him, and I am happy that Congress as a Body concur with you in the Sentiment therein containd, having passd a Resolution by a great Majority expressing their Sense that true Religion & good Morals are the only solid Foundations of publick Liberty and Happiness.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (Oct. 20, 1778) XI, 80-1.
“...Men are prone to Idolatry; and some who seem to scorn the worshiping Gods of other Nations, will bow down to graven Images of Gold & Silver, and strange Infatuation! of Wook in the Form of an Ass, an Ape or a Calf, no matter what, if it be the Work of their own Hands. In Truth, my Friend, the Congress appears to be in an akward Situation. While they are exerting their utmost Influence, on all proper Occasions, to support the civil Authority of the several States over the military, there are some men, even in that State which my Partiality had almost led me to pronounce the most respectable in the Union who would have less Respect shown to them than to the Creatures which they have made. Tyrants have been the Scourges and Plagues of Mankind, and Armies their Instruments. These have been said by ignorant Flatterers & Sycophants to be the Viceregeents of the Almighty to punish Men for their Sins, and therefore not to be resisted or contrould. The Time may come when the Sins of America may be punished by a standing Army;”

Samuel Adams to Samuel P. Savage (Nov. 1, 1778) XI, 155.
“...You was mistaken in supposing that I ascribd the Independence of America to N[ew] E[ngland] only. I never was assuming as to think so. My words are that America is obligd to Mass., and this is an acknowledged Truth. It is the opinion of others as well as my self, that the Principles and Manners of New England from time to time led to that great Event. I pray God she may ever maintain those Principles, which in my Opinion, are necessary to support & perpetuate her Liberty.”

Samuel Adams to Caleb Davis (Dec. 5, 1778) XI, 288.
“...We are told there is a Time for Peace; and that Time will come, when we shall be driven to it by the Necessity of our Affairs, which God forbid! Or when we shall by the Smiles of Heaven, have obtained such Advantages as to ensure a lasting & happy Peace.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (Feb. 11,1779) XII, 50.
“...I will conclude with my most ardent Prayer, that our last Days may be our best Days and our last Works our best Works.”

Samuel Adams to Mercy Scollay (Feb. 27, 1779) XII, 111.
“...May Heaven graciously reward the Benefactors of these orphans! While Providence affords you the Opportunity, you will instill into their young Minds the Principles of Piety and Virtue, and thereby lay a Foundation for their being hereafter useful and happy.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (March 7, 1779) XII, 158.
“...I thank you for the concern you express for my Health, which through the Divine Favor I again enjoy as usual.”

Samuel Adams to Benjamin Austin (March 9, 1779) XII, 164.
“...I congratulate my Countrymen on our having thus far got through the Conflict, but we are still engaged in it. And I repeat it, because while too many of our Countrymen are flattering themselves with the airy Prospect of Peace, Britain, if we may credit our latest & best Accounts from Europe, is preparing for a vigorous Campaign. It is prudent for us to enquire of the Watchman What of the Night? [Ezekiel 33]. The Caution given us on another occasion may with propriety be adapted to this. Be ye ready.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (Sept. 19, 1780) XVI, 84.
“...The Man who has devoted himself to the Service of God and his Country will chearfully make every Sacrifice. I will not fail daily to command you to the Care and Protection of Heaven, in Hopes of seeing you the next Spring.”

Samuel Adams to Elizabeth Adams (Oct. 3, 1780) XVI, 133.
“...I thank God, I am in good health.”

Samuel Adams to James Warren (Oct. 24, 1780) XVI, 244.
“...And I pray God, we may never see Men, filling the sacred Seats of Government, who are wanting in adequate Abilities, or influence by any Motives or Feelings separate from the publick Welfare.”

Samuel Adams to Elbridge Gerry (Nov. 27, 1780) XVI, 386.
“...More in my opinion, is necessary to be done, than conquering our British Enemies in order to establish the Liberties of our Country on a solid Basis. Human Nature, I am afraid, is to much debas’d to relish those Republican Principles, in which the new Government of the CommonWealth of Massachusetts appears to be founded. And may it not be added, that the former Government, I mean the last Charter, being calculated rather to make servile Men than free citizens, the Minds of many of our Countrymen have been inurd to a cringing obsequiousness, too deeply wrought into Habit to be easily eradicated? Mankind is prone enough to political Idolatry...May Heaven inspire the present Rulers with Wisdom & sound Understanding...I pray God we may never be addicted to Vanity & the Folly of Parade...If Men of Wisdom & Knowledge, of Moderation& Temperance, of Patience, Fortitude & Perserverance, of Sobriety & true Republican Simplicity of Manners, of Zeal for the Honor of the Supreme Being & the Welfare of the Common Wealth- If Men possessed of these & other excellent Qualities are chose to fill the Seats of Government we may expect that our Affairs will rest on a solid & permanent Foundation.”

Samuel Adams to John Adams (Dec. 17, 1780) XVI, 455.
“...Arnolds Conspiracy was to have wrought Wonders but gracious Heaven defeated it. We have so often seen in the Course of this Conflict, the remarkable Interpostions of divine Providence in our favor, as to convince me, that the Attempts of our Enemies to subdue us, will be but gnawing a File.”

Samuel Adams to John Scollay (Dec. 30, 1780) XVI, 514.
Adams does not want some sort of Entertainment at government expense while the troops are naked.
“...I love the People of Boston. I once thought, that City would be the Christian Sparta. But Alas! Will men never be free! They will be free no longer than while they remain. Sidney tells us, there are times when People are not worth saving . Meaning, when they have lost their Virtue. I pray God, this may never be truly said of my beloved Town.”

Sally Jay's Contribution to the Paris Peace Treaty

Sally Jay’s Impact on the Treaty of Paris 1783 Not much historical thought is given to Sally (Sarah) Jay. Not much focus is put upon her travel with her husband to Spain and then to France in the middle of the American Revolutionary War. Let us turn our focus on her huge impact on the negotiations of the Treaty of Paris 1783. If Sally Jay did not accompany her husband to Spain and then France, we might not have gotten a peace treaty.

The daughter of William Livingston came to become the wife of John Jay. It was difficult being newly married in April, 1774. She gave birth to Peter in January 1776. With New York in British hands she moved to different places during 1775-1779. (Elizabethtown, New Jersey; Fishkill, New York; Rye New York) Mrs. John Jay would have been a sought after target for the British and Tories. In one sense making the Atlantic crossing was not all that daunting for her, she was used to it. The British were after the Jays on land or on sea. If she was caught on a ship it would have probably been the Tower of London. If she was caught in New York or New Jersey there would have been equal difficulties.

The Jays left Chester Pennsylvania on October 1779. Her husband John has been President of Continental Congress the past year (1778) in Philadelphia and has now been sent to Spain as Minister Plenipotentiary to try to get Spain to officially recognize the United States and give us financial aid. The ship Confederacy gets hit by a fortnight storm (10-14 days) where the masts break and the rudder is damaged. One can imagine the sea-sicknesses and tendency of people to be down mentally in such conditions. Sally wrote to her mother when they finally limped into the island of Martinique. She said that John's characteristics shone like a diamond throughout the extended storm. I must add that she had similar qualities to not loose her head in such conditions. The French ship Aurora allowed them to go to Cadiz, Spain (they were pursued by a British ship). In rough lodging sometimes, the Jays made their way to Madrid eventually. On one instance the coach carrying them turned over. The Spanish did not want to recognize the United States and John kept going back and forth from Madrid to Aranjuez. Sally gave birth to Susan on July 9,1780. Susan died one month later. Sally could have been a basket case but in spite of her grief, she moved on. Her faith in God sustained her in these trials. Maria was born in Madrid on February 20, 1782. Franklin and Adams saw the futility of the Spanish negotiations and saw the need of assistance in Paris. They asked John to come join them so John and Sally travelled on May 21 to northern Spain, took a ship in the Bay of Biscay to Bayonne and from there to Paris and arrived there June 23 1782. In July 1783, the Jays moved in with Ben Franklin at Passy. Franklin became ill with severe kidney stones and Adams was away in Holland trying to secure loans from them. The lion share of the negotiations fell on John Jay. Adams later wrote that the French called Jay “le Washington of the negotiation.”

Getting back to Sally, she was the glue that held Jay together and made others feel welcome. A lot of the negotiations took place in the Jay’s hotel room at Hotel d’Orleans on rue Bonaparte. Having two very young children had an effect on the negotiators. Franklin in his later correspondence with Jay would always ask how Maria (18 months old) was doing. Maria made a bridge between Jay and Franklin. The time that Franklin spent with the Jays may have had an impact on Franklin. Franklin had quite a following in France; he might be called the Bill Gates of his day (and maybe even more so). He had a reputation of being a ladies’ man in France but his time with the Jays may have brought him back to reality. It could be a piece of the link that makes Franklin into the man that challenges the Constitutional Convention to remember the reason why they were not making any headway in the deliberations. Franklin told the Constitutional Convention that the reason why their deliberations did not get anywhere is because they did not commit the proceedings to prayer and allowing the God who causes empires to rise and fall to direct them.

Sally and Maria were also good for John Adams when he visited. Walter Stahr (in his book "John Jay: Forgotten Founder") on page 164 relates how Adams said that the three men lived together in perfect good humor. Sally and Maria helped make “the perfect good humor.” These men individually might have been sticks in the mud on specific points of negotiation but Sally and Maria were in charge of the perfect good humor. I dare say that the negotiations might have gone differently if not for the presence of Sally and Maria Jay.

Treaty of Paris 1783

In the summer of 1998, I took my family to see the National Archives and had an electric moment when I saw the Treaty of Paris 1783. The first words jumped out to me in bold print: In the Name of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity We had to keep moving to let everyone else see it. I took my oldest son back with me to see if what I saw was true. Did it really mention the Trinity or was I seeing things? It did say "In the name of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity" at the beginning of the Treaty. Who in the world would have written such a thing? Apparently John Jay wrote the treaty and the other people signed it. The French delegation called Jay "le Washington of the delegation" (John Jay: Forgotten Founder by Walter Stahr, p.172)

Would this be a correct portrait of the signers of the Treaty of Paris? There are many that neglect Jay and keep him out of focus or discussion. During the negotiations, Franklin was sick quite a bit and Adams was away in Holland trying to negotiate a loan for the United States. Jay's insistence that the three negotiators not take a subservient position to the French but instead act as independent negotiators also gives us room to thank Jay.