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News
James W. Baker Recipient of Distinguished Mayflower Scholarship Prize
At the recently held 105th annual membership meeting of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, James W. Baker, former senior historian of the Plimoth Plantation was the recipient of that society's annual Distinguished Mayflower Scholarship Prize. The prize consists of a certificate and a $500 check. Mr. Baker was accompanied by his wife Peggy, the director and librarian of The Pilgrim Society/Pilgrim Hall Museum.
Mr. Baker was recognized for the massive contribution he has made in interpreting the Pilgrims and their legacy. He was particularly cited for the impetus he has given to the development of the historical roles played by the Plimoth Plantation museum teachers in their visits to classrooms. "It is clear to us that by raising the historical information at Plimoth Plantation to a very high level of scholarship, and by reaching an audience of national and even international breadth, you have made the Plantation itself, in a special sense, your monument" reads the citation.
For the past five years, The Pennsylvania Society fully funded visits of the Plimoth Plantation teachers to approximately 15,600 elementary school children throughout Pennsylvania.
Previous recipients of the prize have been Mayflower Society Historian General Caroline L. Kardell, "The Great Migration" project director Robert Charles Anderson, and former Plimoth Plantation curator Jeremy D. Bangs, the current director of the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum, Leiden, Holland. Coincidentally, all recipients are Fellows of The Pilgrim Society.
Mr. Baker was born into an old Plymouth family, and grew up with the story of Pilgrims and the traditions of the town.
His first summer job after high school was as a guide aboard Mayflower II. He majored in history at Boston University, but also took courses in education and a degree in Library Science to make a living from the Liberal Arts.
Although he had not intended to return to work in Plymouth after college, the death of his father convinced him to move back into the house built by his great-great-grandfather and take care of his widowed mother. After receiving his Master’s degree, he accepted a position as librarian at Plimoth Plantation. From 1975 until 2001, he worked at the Plantation and watched it grow from a modest regional institution to a museum of international renown. He became the Plantation’s Senior Historian and also acted as its Webmaster.
Jim now works at Plymouth Public Library as Circulation Librarian, and still lives in the family house with his wife Peggy.
While at the Plantation, Mr. Baker found it necessary to consider not only the material but also the mental culture of the time. He believes that the internalized beliefs and ideas of a period are vital in understanding how people thought and why they acted as they did. Therefore, all responses undertaken by the first person role-players at the Plantation had to embody not only the bare historical facts about the period but also the intellectual and emotional framework found in these ideas.
Another topic of his research has been the "Pilgrim Story." He has published several articles on the development and evolution of the romantic and inspirational image of the Plymouth Pilgrims. He points out that the Pilgrims’ cultural influence has been as much due to subsequent generations’ beliefs about the myth that has surrounded them, as due to their own achievements and their factual history. His article "The Historical Significance of the Plymouth Pilgrims" appears in the December 2001 issue of the GSMD Mayflower Quarterly.
It is obvious that Jim Baker has played a key role in making the Plimoth Plantation’s Classroom Visit program a "prime source" for getting the true story of our Nation’s earliest heroes to American youth. As you are aware, thousands of Pennsylvania students have benefited from this program under our sponsorship for the past five years. 02-20-2002
Dr. Jeremy Bangs To Be Honored At Annual Meeting
Dr. Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs
Jeremy Bangs is a central figure today in the mission of understanding and interpreting the Mayflower passengers, both as sojourners in Holland and as settlers of New Plymouth. His work is brilliant and valiant. He has discovered new genealogical and historical evidence, has studied the Pilgrims as they appeared to contemporary Dutch painters, contributes a regular column on "Pilgrim Life" in New England Ancestors, and is now spearheading an attempt to save the remains of the Vrouwekerk, the church in which some of the Pilgrims worshipped in Leiden, against the wrecking ball of the town council. The third volume of his Scituate Town Records, due out any time, has enough in it to make several researchers illustrious.
Among Dr. Bang's ongoing projects is a book on a subject which he, above all, is equipped to handle: the Pilgrims in Leiden. This book, he notes, "started as a biography of Edward Winslow based on the discovery of a couple hundred pages of material from the international commission of which he was the chairman, including several unknown letters by him which include his use of the seal showing the Winslow arms." Bangs further hopes to complete the (as yet not fully published) Plymouth Colony Records. He will realize this in part when he publishes in the foreseeable future a book provisionally titled Indian Deeds, Land Occupation in Plymouth Colony, 1620-1692. "This," he says, "should be interesting for people to learn how exactly the society grew and what the real history of Indian relations included." In fact, only about half the deeds by which the colonists acquired title to territory have been published so far.
Dr. Jeremy Bangs, the third recipient of SMDPA's Award, follows Caroline Kardell in 1999 and Robert Charles Anderson in 2000. 12-29-2000
SAIL1620 Becomes Family Tree Magazine's Site Of The Day
Family Tree Magazine is a magazine about discovering, preserving and celebrating your family's history. Susan Wenner of F&W publications went on to say, "... our web site has only been live since October 1999, but nearly 100,000 people are visiting us each month. We hope our site's visitors will check out Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania when it's highlighted on our home page. Also, your site will be indexed in our Select Site Resource Guide." 11-23-2000
Y2K Most Distinguished Pilgrim Award
Frederick T. J. Clement, Jr. received the SMDPA "Most Distinguished Pilgrim Award" for 2000 during its annual worship service in commemoration of the First Thanksgiving in Plymouth Colony in 1621 held at St. Peter's Church in the Great Valley (Malvern, PA) on Sunday, November 19, 2000. Immediate past Governor Clement was honored for his contributions to the SMDPA over the years. He has served as co-editor of the SMDPA newsletter, The Pennsylvania Mayflower; and is currently the production manager of that newsletter. He was 2nd Assistant Governor to Past Governor Constance F. Lagerman in 1991 and 1992, Assistant Governor to Past Governor Randolph D. Zelov in 1993 through 1995, and Governor in 1996 and 1997. In both 1999 and this year's Thanksgiving service, he has appeared in authentic Pilgrim costume with former SMDPA Elder Jesse A. Miller in Elder Miller's two "Thanksgiving Declaration" portions of the service: Initially in the role of the Pilgrims' Leiden Pastor John Robinson and most recently as Governor William Bradford.
He as also served on various committees of the State Society, including, most recently, the Nominating Committee. 11-20-2000
New developments in Pilgrim Sites Demolition Plans: Leiden's Vrouwekerk and Aalmarkt Sites
Those following, and hopefully participating in, the efforts to preserve the Vrouwekerk and Aalmarkt American Pilgrim sites in Leiden, Holland, will be interested in the following turn of events.
Received 21 October 2000 from Dr. Jeremy D. Bangs, Leiden American Pilgrim Foundation, Leiden, Holland:
"Regarding the Aalmarkt site, we've won! - to the extent that AHOLD has just sent me letters announcing their refusal to participate in the project if Pilgrim sites are threatened! Great news! Of course, the town itself has yet to change its attitude, but this may heavily influence them. The many letters and the UCC petition have been very important in this, which is half the fight here. I'm sending you copies of the two letters I got this evening.
"This development does not mean that we can relax about the Vrouwekerk; and how the town reacts to the Aalmarkt situation must be watched carefully. An alderman told me that they would just try to find other investors if AHOLD pulls out, and that means pressure still needs to be exerted on FORTIS and ABN/AMRO. But it is certainly an important shift in the scenery."
Onderw: Leiden Datum: 10/20/00 6:43:17 PM W. Europe Standard Time
From: Hans.Gobes@corp.ahold.nl
To: bangsflynn@cs.com
Dear Mr. Bangs, as promised please find information on AHOLD's position concerning the Pilgrim monuments in Leiden.
AHOLD has informed the Leiden government again today that it is not participating in the Leiden city center redevelopment project if it would jeopardize the Pilgrims monuments. In a meeting with city alderman Pechtold, (July 7) I expressed our belief that it should be possible to do the redeployment of the city center leaving the monuments intact. In a letter to Mr. Pechtold dated July 21, I confirmed our position. A copy of the letter was sent to you last week. As AHOLD wants to avoid misunderstanding about it's position on the Pilgrim monuments which we believe should stay intact, we plan to also inform the local Leiden media about it.
Onderw: AHOLD position concerning Pilgrim monuments in Leiden
Datum: 10/20/00 6:41:42 PM W. Europe Standard Time
From: Hans.Gobes@corp.ahold.nl
To: bangsflynn@cs.com
Dear Mr. Bangs, as promised please find per email AHOLD's position concerning the city center project in Leiden. As you have been informed AHOLD made clear to the Leiden city government on July 7 that it does not want a new store location in the center of Leiden if this would mean that Pilgrim monuments would have to be demolished. We believe it should be possible to do the center project while leaving the monuments intact. Today I repeated our position in a telephone conversation with a Leiden city official. As it seems there is growing interest and as I want to avoid misunderstandings we plan to contact next week the local Leiden newspaper for an article on AHOLD's position.
In the meantime, Hans Gobes. Sr.Vice President, AHOLD.
Those wishing to contact Fortis can write or e-mail to: Fortis Investors Inc. P.O. Box 64284 St. Paul, MN 55164 Financial@us.fortis.com
For ABN/AMRO, write to: ABN AMRO Incorporated 208 South LaSalle Street Chicago, IL 60604
For Leiden City Council: Mailbox@leidenpromotie.nl 10-21-2000
New York Times Cites SAIL1620
New York Times Composite
Under the title "Pilgrims Have Landed On World Wide Web", NY Times reporter Shelly Freierman stated "The web site of the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (www.sail1620.org) offers a look at the 102 English colonists who landed in Massachusetts in 1620. The site features the text of the Mayflower Compact, pages for children, information about the Pilgrims and links to other Mayflower Societies. There are also biographies of famous Mayflower descendants like Henry Wadswort Longfellow, Grandma Moses, Humphrey Bogart and a number of presidents." Included with the overview the Times printed a copy of Henry Sargent's "Landing of the Pilgrims" which is covered in more detail in SAIL1620's Pilgrims in Art feature. 10-05-2000
New developments in Pilgrim Sites Demolition Plans: Leiden's Vrouwekerk and Aalmarkt Sites
November 7, 2000, has been set for the Council of State’s hearing on the City of Leiden's intention to demolish the remains of the Vrouwekerk, the medieval church that was used by the Walloons (Huguenots) after the Reformation. Through its association with the families of Philip Delano, Francis Cooke and his wife Hester Mayhew, Edward Bumpas and other Huguenots who became Pilgrims, this site symbolizes the confluence of two major streams in the history of persecution, refuge, religious freedom, and colonial migration, - the English Separatists now called the Pilgrims and the French Calvinists known as the Huguenots. In addition to the Pilgrim connections, this is the church from which numerous families emigrated to New York and Guyana in 1622-24, led by Jesse de Forest. Thus the site is important for its historical associations with the beginnings of colonial settlement in both New York and New Netherlands.
In a new development, the Council of State has informed the parties in the case that they may submit new evidence and supporting materials up to two weeks before the date of the hearing. Thus it becomes possible for me to submit individual letters expressing support for my contention that the cultural and historical value of the Vrouwekerk ruin as an important symbol of the ties between The Netherlands and America justifies a decision to prevent demolition. I can also now include a copy of the petition which many people have signed, as evidence in this case. This new develement is very encouraging and inspires hopes that the Council of State will recognize the value of preserving this ruin to commemorate an important link in the common histories of The Netherlands, Belgium, France, and America.
Please send letters of support for preserving the Vrouwekerk to me before October 15, 2000. I will then submit them to the Council of State.
My postal address is:
Mandenmakerssteeg 11,
2311 ED Leiden
The Netherlands
My (new) e-mail address is: jbangs@sail1620.org
Thank you very much for your continued support in this effort.
AALMARKT DEVELOPMENTS
Following discussions and decisions on the town’s plans to regulate prostitution (only four brothels), which the central government has decriminalized as of October 1st, Leiden’s Town Council debated the Aalmarkt demolition plans in its meeting last Tuesday, September 12, 2000. Despite eloquently expressed opposition to large-scale construction and to demolition of the historic sites in the Aalmarkt area, the coalition led by the Labor Party (PvdA), circumvented attempts by the opposition parties to require preservation of historic monuments as well as to require competitive bidding and plan proposals, thus retaining complete control of the develement within the cabinet of the mayor and aldermen. After several months of further work on the drawing boards, that group intends to present a choice to the council of two develement alternatives, both of which presuppose large-scale demolition to accomplish the amount of new floor-space for large stores that private investors want to build where numerous sixteenth and seventeenth-century houses and other historic monuments now stand. The cabinet of the mayor and alderman have expressed their entire confidence in the ability of the single private develement company they have chosen (without competitive bidding) to achieve plans which will represent the best way to accomplish a profitable future for the city's selected investors and to provide employment to local contractors who traditionally support the Labor Party. The damaging effects on existing small businesses and the traffic chaos that can be foreseen are topics that were postponed by promising future clarification.Recent architectural surveys of the buildings prove that the hospital wing where Myles Standish recuperated from wounds is practically intact, with enough of its timber roof from 1571 still there to make complete restoration a real possibility. The cabinet, however, has explicitly retained the “right” to determine that such monuments will be demolished if it is otherwise impossible to achieve the financial goals of the property eloper and the investors.
In a public debate (Sept. 5) and at an open meeting of the town council’s Commission on Urban Planning (Sept. 7), numerous groups hoping to improve the city through preserving its cultural and historic fabric echoed the pleas of the (essentially powerless) National Monument Service and spoke in favor of devlopment without demolition. These groups included the Aalmarkt Foundation, The Leiden Cultural Platform, The Leiden Antiquarian Association “Oud Leiden”, The Heritage Preservation Society “Heemschut”, The Arent van ‘s-Gravezande Foundation for Architectural Heritage Preservation, and The Leiden American Pilgrim Museum. The public response is overwhelmingly in favor of preservation, and several speakers specifically pointed out the need to preserve places that serve to commemorate the city's role in the Pilgrim story, in addition to the widespread general concern that a few politicians and their friends, making decisions behind closed doors, are destroying irrevocably the city these citizens love.
Privately, however, word has leaked out that the cabinet of the mayor and aldermen are very sensitive to the fact that one of the major investors, AHOLD, has discovered that its American shoppers are unhappy that their money is going to a company that intends to participate in the destruction of an aspect of America’s heritage. AHOLD is the Dutch holding company that owns STOP & SHOP, Giant-Landover, Giant-Carlisle, Tops Markets, BI-LO, and Pathmark Stores.
Your letter to AHOLD will help in the preservation effort. Write to:
Royal Ahold
P.O.Box 3050
1500 HB Zaandem,
The Netherlands
e-mail: corp.communications@corp.ahold.nl
Another company interested in investing in this demolition is the Fortis Financial Group. They are included among the addresses to which all reports from the eloper are sent. You may want to contact their American offices, also.
Write to:
Fortis Investors Inc. P.O.Box 64284 St. Paul, MN 55164
or contact them at e-mail: financial@us.fortis.com
It is impossible to predict the outcome of this conflict between the interests of those with hopes for a future grounded in the reminders of a proud heritage and the interests of those searching to maximize profits in the short term. Your letters will count, now.
Thank you,
Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs
09-19-2000
Pilgrim Petition Getting Results
A petition on the UCC's web site to save one of the last remaining Pilgrim church ruins in Holland seems to be paying some dividends. The official most responsible for promoting a shopping center in Leiden, where the ruins are, abruptly resigned. City fathers have now asked Jeremy Bangs, an American historian and curator of the Leiden Pilgrim Museum, to submit plans more sensitive to historical preservation.
In preparation for the city council's meeting in June, the UCC Office of Communication forwarded thousands of signatures from the petition. That online document received backing from members of conservative groups like the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference and the Southern Baptists to Mormons, Anglicans, Catholics, and Greek Orthodox. The story has also been carried by organizations like the Mayflower Society and Huguenot Heritage.
Still unknown, however, is the position of Ahold, a Dutch-based-multinational food company that is a major eloper of the site. Among its American properties is Stop and Shop, a supermarket chain strong in Pilgrim New England and other parts of the United States. Ahold says it is "committed to good citizenship and to making a contribution to society at large." 07-31-2000
New SMDPA Web Site Gets Kudos
"An example for other societies to emulate." ("Dick Eastman Online" Ancestry.com)
Since the official launching of SMDPA's new web site, www.SAIL1620.org, at the Society's Annual Meeting on January 15th, webmaster Joseph Howland Wood reports that in addition to receiving praise from members by e-mail and its appearing as a link on the North Carolina state Society's web site, the site has also been cited in the Ancestry.com newsletter.
In his "Dick Eastman Online" column of 1/26/00, Eastman devoted an entire page to the new site. "One of the better sites is the one operated by the Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," writes Eastman. "This Web page has the typical information that you would expect of any similar organization ... [h]owever when you click on 'Miscellaneous,' you arrive at a wealth of information of interest to almost any one with Mayflower ancestry." He goes on to list a dozen subjects including: "What is a Mayflower?," "Mayflower Hymn," "Mayflower Insignia Etiquette," "Pilgrims, Not Puritans," and "Pilgrim Myths and Realities." Continuing, he says "Another pleasant surprise was the 'Kids' Page.' This leads to a number of pages written in words the younger reader will understand." He then lists some of the contents including: "What kind of flag flew over the Mayflower?" "Trades (And We Aren't Talking Pokémon Cards Here!)," "Lets Go on a Treasure Hunt," and "Kids Feedback." The latter includes letters and poems from elementary school students who had SMDPA funded annual Plimoth Plantation classroom visits in 1999.
In conclusion, Eastman states: "This is a great site that provides a wealth of information. It also serves as an example for other societies to emulate." 02-15-2000
Establishment of Plymouth Colony Voted 8th Most Important Religion Story of the 2nd Millennium
Plimoth Plantation
The leading story of the Millennium was Martin Luther's 95 theses.
Second was the wide spread dissemination of the Bible and other religious literature beginning with John Wycliffe's 1380 first translation of the Bible into English, the 1455 publication of the Gutenberg Bible and the 1605 publication of the King James Version.
Third was the Great Schism of 1054 which resulted in the first major split of Christianity resulting in the Eastern and Western churches.
Fourth was the Holocaust and the subsequent founding of Israel.
Fifth was Pope Urban's authorization of the 1095 Crusades to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslims.
Sixth was the expansion of Islam in to Africa, Europe and Asia as well as India (where Buddhist culture was basically destroyed).
Seventh was the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) resulting in the Roman Catholic Church reforming its liturgy and relations with other Christians and non Christian movements and the larger world in general.
Eighth was the establishment of Plymouth Colony and Roger Williams' establishment of Rhode Island, "foundational events in the history of religious freedom and separation of church and state in the United States, which later enshrined those principles in the Bill of Rights."
Ninth was the publication of the ideas of Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud.
Tenth was the 1906 Azuza Street revival in Los Angeles which gave birth to the modern Pentecostal movement, said to be the fastest growing new branch of Christianity. 01-30-2000