Ep. 1: Let Freedom Ring! (Yorktown, Virginia 1781).

You, my fellow countrymen countrywomen, sons and daughters, Americans, you have a priceless treasure…  Your American Heritage. 

This show will celebrate the countless men, women and children who over the past 250 years pledged their lives, liberty and sacred honor to a grand experiment in freedom — a revolution that changed the world forever!

Students of true history know that men have been subjected to tyranny for most of human history. These hear Benjamin Franklin’s frankness when he said to his young country, “We have given you a Republic if you can keep it.”

That your God given right to Constitutional Freedom not be lost, is our prayer and hope for you.

So how did we get here? Let’s find out together!

Let Freedom Ring again and again…

This series is presented by Reed Simonsen & Ron Garrard and is based on the book series by the same name available on Amazon and at various other retailers. The artwork "The Prayer at Valley Forge" by Arnold Friberg is used by permission of Friberg Fine Arts.

Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:15

Give me liberty or give me death. All men are created equally. The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.

SPEAKER_05 0:33

I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. These are the times that try men's souls.

SPEAKER_06 0:51

We are the people of the United States.

SPEAKER_05 1:00

Speak softly and carry a big tip. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

I am faith that the Constitution will be saved by the righteous citizens of this nation. The tree of liberty must be requested from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.

SPEAKER_08 2:15

American History Stories You Never Read in School, but should have...

SPEAKER_00 2:56

arrogance. A favorite example that our ancestors used to tell was this. After Bunker Hill, General Gage was shut up in the town of Boston by our General Washington's troops. As General Howe, Clinton, and Burgoyne were sailing up the harbor toward their assignment, an outward-bound vessel hailed them, saying, Your British troops are under siege. Washington's troops surround the city. How many are there? yelled back Burgoyne. 10,000 colonists to 5,000 British. The other ship returned. What? Puffing himself up like a vain frog. Do you mean to say that 10,000 country clodhoppers are keeping under siege 5,000 expert British troops? Let me just get there and we'll make elbow room for sure. Our people did not forget this post, and a few months later, when Burgoyne and his army were marched as prisoners of war into Cambridge, Massachusetts, an old apple-picking woman, a cloudhopper for sure, perched with her bucket on the fence and cried out to the prisoner Burgoyne with a loud voice, Make way there! Elbow room for the great British general! Elbow room, sir, give him elbow room. She and the Americans remembered that it was Burgoyne's troops that used our prized Old South Church as a riding school. Nothing so angered people as this, seeing one of their holy houses of God used to house dirty animals. As Burgoyne was being walked down the newly named Washington Street, embarrassed to have had to surrender, he saw the former house of the British governor. He said sadly, See, there is the former residence of our Majesty's Governor. Yes, shouted back a patriot voice in the crowd. And look, over there opposite is your riding school. Despite Burgoyne's failure, two great armies remained, as we said, Commander-in-Chief, Henry Clinton, and Lord Major General Charles Cornwallis. At last came the final great battle between Cornwallis' troops and those of Washington at Yorktown. Cornwallis had been very busy fortifying this town, into which he had withdrawn his forces. He had dug trenches and had thrown up earthworks all around the city to keep away from Washington's army. Cornwallis' army had now grown much smaller than the Americans had any idea of. Indeed, he had only 7,000 men, 1,000 of whom were black slaves he had taken. Our Patriots' army under Washington was nearly 16,000, all well trained, and 3,000 of them were picked men from the Virginia militia. British General Clinton had promised, however, to send aid in a week's time surely, and so Cornwallis felt sure that if he could hold out until then, he should be able to defeat the colonial Washington. On September 28, 1781, the American army marched up and encamped one mile from Yorktown. Cornwallis withdrew all his forces into the city to wait for Clinton's aid. The Americans, however, had no thought of waiting. At once the batteries began their terrible work against the besieged city. Gun after gun, which the British had placed upon their walls, fell from the hands of the Brits, who held them. The ditches were filled with fragments of the shattered walls and heaped with the body of their dead soldiers. The American forces drew nearer and nearer every night under cover of the entrenchments, which they threw up in the darkness. On the evening of the 14th of October, they had come so close that Washington ordered an immediate attack, and accordingly, two columns were formed, one French, the other American, to rush upon the city from the right and from the left. A hot battle ensued. Cornwallis, giving up all hope now of aid from Clinton and finding himself surrounded on every side, declared all continuing defense useless and surrendered to us. The general whom Washington appointed to take possession of the defeated army was one who, at a previous battle, had been defeated by Cornwallis and had been made to surrender his troops to him. Cornwallis had, at that time, been very severe with our general. The French and the American armies were drawn up in two lines, and between them the conquered army was forced to pass. It is said that the British band struck up, the world turned upside down. But when the British came to stack up their arms, the men, most of them, maintained a sudden silence, shading their faces with their hat. Some threw their guns with violence upon the ground. Some of the officers outright wept when they turned their weapons in. While others wore a look of terrible defiance and would not look upon the American conquerors. Many refused to look our ragtag boys in the eye. The Marquis de Lafayette noticed that the British were honoring the French soldiers while mocking our soldiers, who were the pride of his heart. Angered, he turned to his band, Pfeiffers and Drummers, and said, Play loud and strong, Yankee Doodle. Instantly, all of the British soldiers snapped their heads towards the Americans. They understood exactly what the song meant, and that we, the mocked and silly backward cloghoppers, farmers, blacksmiths, people, husbands and commoners, had indeed beaten the greatest empire on the earth with God's help. Then said Lafayette, narrating the story many years later, they did look at us, and they were not well pleased. No, not at all. Washington and his officers showed the utmost kindness to our prisoners. Even Cornwallis, in his report to his upper-ups, speaks of this. He also mentioned with great warmth the kindness of the French officers, which he hoped would be remembered in future warfare with the French. But Cornwallis was so deeply humiliated by his surrender that he could hardly appreciate the courtesy of Washington. Once when they were conversing together, Cornwallis stood with his head bare. You had better cover your head from the cold, my lord, said Washington to him politely. He replied, It does not matter what becomes of this head now. And he put his hand on his brow. With the surrender of Cornwallis, the war was really at an end. The power of the British army was broken. There were a few small battles in other parts of the country after this, but all felt that peace was at hand. And when, at two o'clock in the morning, the news of Washington's great victory reached Philadelphia, the people were awakened by the watchman's cry: Cornwallis is taken, Cornwallis is taken, we have won. Lights flashed through the houses, and soon the streets were thronged with crowds eager to learn the glad news. Some were speechless with delight, many wept, and the old doorkeeper of Congress died in joy. Congress met at a very early hour, and that afternoon afterwards marched together in solemn procession to church to thank God for our freedom. As soon as possible, the British Army embarked in their vessels, leaving New York City once more a free city. And indeed there was great rejoicing. There was a great show of fireworks on Bowling Green, where, and we will yet share this story, had once stood the leaden statue of tyrant King George III. A week later, Washington called together all his officers and bid them farewell, and thanked them for their ever-ready aid and helpful courage during the terrible war. These brave men who had stood side by side in the bloody battle, facing death together for seven long years, now met together in silence, tears, and gratitude. When all were present together, Washington raised his glass and drank to the health of them all. Then he said, and his voice trembled, and there were tears in the great man's eyes, as many of the soldiers witnessed. He said, I cannot come to each of you to take my leave of you personally, but I shall be glad if each man will come and take me by the hand. Then General Knox, a man whom Washington loved, came forward and with tears in his eyes attempted to speak, though he could not say a word. Washington understood, and with tears in his own eyes drew his friend's head down upon his shoulder and kissed him. Then each officer came forward to take his leave of their much beloved commander, the bravest of men, and even the most warlike, men who without one tremor had faced the very cannon's mouth, men who without a murmur had borne the sufferings of these terrible years, were not ashamed on that day to let the tears run down their sun-burned rough faces, as they said goodbye to the great and beloved General Washington. Perhaps I fear sometimes as children we get tired of hearing of Washington. But as I have grown older and have come at last upon the witnesses and the histories of our people about the real character of such a man, and come to understand much more than the battles that he fought and the victories that he won, it is then that I have come to respect the great heart of the father of our country. He was so brave and daring, and yet he was always kind and charitable and gentle. Although he would dash into the thickest of the fights, yet when the battle was over and the enemy was taken, he never blustered, was never arrogant, and always treated the captives well. He never bullied anyone, like Burgoyne or Cornwallis did. When a battle was over, he never celebrated it, or got drunk, or made a brood of himself, like the British always did. No, whether in camp or in his private rooms, whether with friends or with enemies, whether conquered or conquering, Washington always thought it was worthwhile to be a godly man and a gentleman. When you compare Washington's kindness and leadership, when he had the power, to the British's, you will then see what we mean. Here is an example. After Cornwallis had surrendered at Yorktown, he dined one day with Washington. At Rochambeau, the French commander who was also present, and according to custom, being asked for a toast, lifted his glass and said, To the United States. Washington in turn toasted back to the King of France. When Cornwallis's turn came, he said simply to be offensive to the King. Of England, you mean, added Washington with a smile, keep him there, and I'll drink him a full and overflowing glass. And so saying, Washington poured his glass until it spilled upon the table. And with that, we were free of England and her disgusting tyrants. But how did we get here? You, my fellow countrymen, countrywomen, sons and daughters, Americans, you have a priceless treasure. Your American heritage. A revolution that changed the world forever. Students of true history know that men have been subject to tyranny for most of human history. These hear Benjamin Franklin's frankness when he said to his young country, We have given you a republic if you can keep it. That our God-given right to constitutional freedom not be lost is our prayer and hope for you. We have made it 250 years. Will we make it to 300? That depends on you and who you vote for. We won't promise that we won't jump around over these 250 years. But we can promise that you are going to enjoy it. So, how did we get here? Let's find out together. Let freedom reign again and again and again.

SPEAKER_07 16:45

But truth made strong in everything with ink and blood and solemn vow, they swore no man be bowed down, low that right is not what rulers bring. Not by might nor fear nor throne, but by the law of free have known a charter written, tried and sworn, where liberty is never torn.

SPEAKER_05 17:41

Let freedom ring from cord and field from hardened spring Let freedom ring with defend the week of the straw.

SPEAKER_07 18:04

But people are weakness from the wood to alcohol Let freedom ring, let freedom ring, let free country Through winter dark and canist flame through marches won and rights reclaimed when power rose with iron hand The people stood on written ground. Not mob nor mobster never king, but justice blind before the law where every voice may speak and stain. Truth is not a past. For liberty is not a shout, nor license dressed in freedom's doubt, its duty sworn restraint embraced, a moral line, no power may raise. And law stands firm for you and me.

SPEAKER_06 21:15

No throne above, no class below.

SPEAKER_07 21:18

No change reborn in different clothes with faith and truth and courage bring. Let freedom ring, let freedom ring, let freedom ring, let freedom ring, let freedom ring, let freedom ring, let freedom ring, from shore to shore, from hand to hand, the sacred trust of a free land, not given once, but fought to bring forevermore. Let freedom. Oh.

unknown 22:09

Oh.

SPEAKER_04 22:10

Let freedom.

unknown 22:14

Oh. Oh.

SPEAKER_04 22:16

Let freedom.

SPEAKER_02 22:27

American History Stories, you never read in school but should have, is here presented by Reed R. Simonson and Ron Girard. It is based on the books of the same title by Mara Pratt M.D. and Reed R. Simonson. They are available in various volumes from book dealers and on Amazon. The Prayer at Valley Forge by Arnold Freeberg is used with permission of Freeberg Fine Art, Copyright Randall Co Press, all rights reserved. See you next time.