EssenceAmerican 2022SEPTEMBER |2VOLUMEISSUE9
It all comes down to values. HPU is a God, family and country school. ,, ,, DAVID AND LISA AMIGO (PARENTS OF THREE HPU STUDENTS)
Learning Beyond Lecture Halls: How experiential learning propels students to discover and achieve their career goals.
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“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” —THOMAS JEFFERSON Deer graze at the foot of Half Dome in Yosemite Valley, Calif.
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Contents
Iditarod Champion Brent Sass on how the incredible trust between him and his sled dogs allowed them to race through 1,000 miles of unforgiving Alaskan terrain. 24 | Escaping the Khmer Rouge Our chief editor recounts the amazing tale of her father’s courageous escape from communist capture to build a new life in the land of the free. |
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Why I Love America Robert Snodgres reflects on his moth er’s beautiful, and tragic, wartime love story that tells of the sacrifices made for our great nation.
36 | It Takes a Family James Beard award-winning chef Chris Hastings is blazing a trail with an abundance of love and support from his family.
‘Travel
Bavarian Spirit A jovial tradition brought to America by German immigrants, Oktoberfest is a time for beer and all things Bavarian. Here’s how to join in on the celebrations.
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History
4 AMERICAN ESSENCE Features 10 | Finding Meaning on the Dance Stage World-class dancer Steven Wang discovered in America a safe refuge to tell the stories of the persecuted and share the true meaning of his art. 16 |
42 | The Salmon Sisters Meet the sister duo dedicated to sup plying America with fresh, sustainable seafood harvested from the bountiful waters of Alaska.
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A Higher Calling Master penman Jake Weidmann is bringing traditional calligraphy back with faith-inspired creations. | Explore Discover’ A young entrepreneur turned her dream into reality with a creative board game that helps kids discover the world around them.
56 | Telltale Signs Did you know that handwriting can give away personality traits? We take a look at the signatures of some of America’s most notable figures, for revealing details.
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A Lesson in Dedication What began as an ordinary family trip to the circus turned out to be more than met the eye.
The Oft-Forgotten Founding Father From serving as America’s first chief justice to co-authoring the Federalist Papers, John Jay’s indelible contri butions helped safeguard our young nation.
58 |
62 | Battle of Flamborough Head How John Paul Jones, considered the father of the American Navy, triumphed in one of the most memorable marine conflicts of the Revolutionary War. 82
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The Perfect Fit Expertly designed and impeccably tai lored, each hand-sewn suit at Chicagobased Oxxford Clothes is an ode to heritage and Old-World craftsmanship.
A Piece of Paradise
98
Painting History
Flying Ace Propelled to celebrity status by his skill and courage in combat, Kiffin Rockwell was the first American aviator to shoot down an enemy aircraft in World War I.
The son of German political refugees, painter Emanuel Leutze created exqui site testaments to his love for America and the freedom it embodies. |
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An independent bookstore in smalltown Mississippi unites not just book lovers, but the whole community. 96 | Book Recommender
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Find your next read: A national best seller on the legacy of President James Garfield and the medical drama behind his assassination; and an action-packed nonfiction of defiance and triumph in the Pacific War. |
From the Grand Canyon’s mule-deliv ered packages to Missouri’s limestone post office, learn some fun facts about our beloved U.S. Postal Service. Arts & Letters 92 | Reading Corner
18 92 70 | Lyricist of Solace Forever changed by the two women he loved and lost, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is famed for his ability to convey beauty and strength amid despair. 74 | Devoted First Lady Undaunted by numerous challenges, and possessing an optimistic and warmhearted nature, First Lady Julia Dent Grant was an anchor for her hus band, Ulysses. 78 | Bettering the Lives of the Forsaken With immense courage and ingenu ity, 19th-century journalist Nellie Bly went undercover to expose the abusive conditions inside a New York insane asylum. 82 |
Once the site of America’s first major gold rush, Dahlonega, Georgia, is now a mountain retreat buzzing with yearround festivities. |
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Pure Gold
Of Hedgerows and Fortifications Faced with an unforeseen prob lem during the Normandy Invasion, American servicemen came up with ingenious ways to bulldoze through enemy lines. | Special Delivery
Renowned for its wild and unfettered beauty, California’s Big Sur has been a muse for generations of artists.
The Great Outdoors
86 |
The Breakers Known as the “crown jewel” of Newport, Rhode Island, the Vanderbilts’ opulent summer villa is a magnificent homage to the Italian Renaissance.
Your personal story of family and
Your Family Cross™ Set with diamondsexquisiteononeside and the birthstones of family members on the side worn closest to the heart. This unique treasure is one that will instantly become a precious heirloom. 5025 Arlington Centre Blvd., Suite 130 Columbus, Ohio 43220 614.459.8890 | jjandcompany.com Editor’s Note Editor-In-Chief Channaly Philipp Editor@AmericanEssence.net
6 AMERICAN ESSENCE Dear Readers, C ourage comes in many forms—physical endur ance, mental toughness, and moral fiber made of steel.Inthis issue, we feature dancer Steven Wang (page 10), whose family members were persecuted for their religious beliefs in his homeland of China. In America, he found freedom of belief, and safety—but also something deeper. It was here, through Shen Yun Performing Arts, that he found the true meaning of his art, drawing upon a 5,000-year-old heritage starkly different from the commu nist regime’s, one based on pure goodness and beauty. Over the years, the company’s storytelling on stage has moved au diences to tears.
I can only reflect with gratitude that America has been so welcome to those seeking refuge from persecution. My father walked for a harrowing 22 days through the jungle from Cambodia to Thailand (page 24), escaping the mur derous Khmer Rouge, before eventually making a new home in America. The force that propelled him forward through hunger and sickness was his determination to tell the truth to a world unaware of the atrocities being committed. His courage has been an example to all those he has met.
America’s history is similarly full of courageous men and women who, through acts great or small, have over time had ripple effects on generations. God bless America. It truly is the home of the brave. faith.
ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2022 77 AMERICAN ESSENCE ManagingEditor-In-ChiefEditor History & Literature Editor Arts Editor Lifestyle & Food ProductionEditors-At-LargeEditorAssistantLeadDesignerDesignersPhotoEditorCONTRIBUTORSEDITORIALCREATIVEChannaly Philipp Annie TatsianaAmySunnyMichaelDariyaJasminaJenniferMariaTynanCrystalJenniferSharonWuKilarskiSchneiderShiBeattyHanTsengZhangAkdenizKurovHoHanMoon Sandy Lindsey, Andrew Benson Brown, Robert “Cody” Snodgres, Tara dos Santos, Joseph D’Hippolito, Hazel Atkins, Karim Shamsi-Basha, Kevin Revolinski, Eric Lucas, Bob Kirchman, Pamela Beiler, Sydney Slack, Dustin Bass, Deena C. Bouknight, Rachel Pfeiffer, Jeff Minick, Allen Shoff, Skylar Parker, Mark Lardas, Neil Cotiaux, David Coulson, Yvonne Marcotte American Essence (USPS 24810) is published monthly by Bright Magazine Group at 5 Penn Plz. Fl.8, New York, NY 10001. Periodicals postage is paid at New York, NY. Postmaster: Send address changes to American Essence, 5 Penn Plz. Fl.8, New York, NY 10001. General Inquiries: AmericanEssence.net/help Submissions: Editor@AmericanEssence.net www.AmericanEssence.com PUBLISHER Dana Cheng American Essence FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES THIS COUNTRY SEPTEMBER 2022 | VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 9 HANDCRAFTED IN THE USA Rugged Ringwear is dedicated to creating one of a kind, high quality rings that are handcrafted just for you. “THE SUNRISE” Titanium & 14k Yellow Gold Our collectionmountainfeatures a variety of styles. Choose a specific mountain range or let us free-hand carve one for you! CUSTOM DESIGNS “THE SUMMIT” 14k Rose Gold
Box of Fun
$69.99 at Coleman.com Ice-Cold in an Instant Nothing ruins a tailgate faster than warm drinks. Why wait half an hour for the cans to chill? Spin Chill’s clever convection technology moves the warm liquid from the center to the container’s edges, cooling the entire contents in just minutes.
The Organized Host Think of the Tailgaterz Tailgating Tavern as your per sonal butler. The integrated cup holders, removable insu lated trays, hanging organiz ers, dry storage shelving, and sturdy prep surface simplify hosting. And it all folds down into a handy carry bag. $79.99 at GreatBartender.com
$89.99 at Cabelas.com Game Day Grilling Coleman’s Portable Party Grill looks like a charcoal grill, but it uses pro pane, so you get all your favorite grilled foods cooked quickly and without the mess. The PerfectFlow propane pressure regulator ensures consistent performance even in extreme conditions.
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Take a Seat! Kijaro’s Dual Lock system boasts no-sag stability to counteract typical camp chair slouch. It’s also easier to get in and out of and can comfort ably support up to 300 pounds, with plenty of cup holders and handy pockets for maximized tailgate enjoyment. $60 at Kijaro.com
TAILGATE LIKE A PRO: Essential Gear for an Extraordinary Pre-Game Party
WRITTEN BY Sandy Lindsey
The Coolbox entertainment cooler keeps your food and drinks cool for an impressive two to three days, blasts your pre-game party tunes, charges two phones, and rolls like a suitcase. In the off-season, it’s perfect for picnics and trips to the beach.
Toasty Warm Toes Unless you’re a Miami Dolphins fan, you’ll want to bring along a Mr. Heater Buddy Portable Heater sometime during the season. The 4,000–9,000 BTU will keep your group cozy and comfortable under tents up to 255 square feet in size.
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The Perfect Coverage Even the nicest “easy set-up” tent can become annoying to deal with after a while; not to mention, it’s probably not sized for a stadium parking space.
ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2022 How Well Do You Know American Industry? Test Your Knowledge 8. The top three U.S. farm products are: A. chicken, corn, and wheatB.beef, corn, and C.soybeansbeef,dairy, and hay D. hog meat, soybeans, and cotton 9. Which of the following products is NOT made in America? A. Crayola crayons B. French’s mustard C. Folgers ground coffee D. Barbie dolls 10. In 1880, the United States pro duced 85 percent of the world’s crude oil, contributing to its emergence as a major economic power. By 2021, this number had fallen to: A. 14 percent B. 24 percent C. 35 percent D. 55 percent 5. The most recognizable logo on Earth is the _______________, symbol of the highly successful fastfood chain, founded in California in 1940. 6. As a result of manufacturing for the war effort, the _______________ brand of tractors finally overtook horsepower on American farms after World War II. 7. Until Toyota started beating its sales figures, _______________ was the world’s largest automaker for almost 80 years. 1. America’s biggest export around the world is Hollywood entertainment. 2. Louisville Slugger baseball bats are no longer made in Louisville, Kentucky, since a Finnish company acquired the rights to the brand in 2015. 3. The U.S. poultry industry’s combined inventory of turkeys, ducks, and guineas outnumbers its chickens. 4. Before Play-Doh was marketed as a children’s toy, it was used as a cleaner.wallpaper True or False Fill-in-the-Blank Multiple Choice Answers to the quiz on pg 127 WRITTEN BY Andrew Benson Brown
Shen PerformingYun Arts principal dancer Steven Wang, at High Point State Park in New Jersey.
I t had been a few months since Steven Wang last spoke to his parents, located halfway across the world in China. He knew that every time he phoned, the Chinese authorities would be listening in via wiretapping, so he avoided calling too often. He started by asking simple questions, the way he always did. In these conversations, Wang couldn’t really share with his parents about his new life in America or about his recent ex periences performing as a principal dancer at world-renowned theaters. The information could become ammunition for the Chinese regime, which keeps a watchful eye on those like Wang and his family who have been labeled enemies of the state because of their faith.
ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2022 11 Artists | Features
“I would think, when my father was in prison, did he experience similar torture? I imagined how a practitioner, or my father, would endure such suffering.” He would then try to display that suffering onstage. Most recently, Wang learned that his mother was detained on July 7, 2022, at the Changsha No. 4 Women’s Detention Center, likely for distribut ing pamphlets about Falun Dafa, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center, which tracks per secution cases. Wang later came to the realization that he also faced a form of persecution: the burden of uncer tainty, invisible pressure, and the suffering of his loved ones. He would try to channel the emotions he felt via dance. “I hope people will understand the truth,” he said.
The True Power of
Wang was intrigued by dance at a young age. He grew up in Hunan Province, a place known for producing top-level gymnastics athletes. But
Wang’s mother and father have been repeat edly arrested and have spent intermittent time in jail because of their belief in a meditation prac tice called Falun Dafa, a self-cultivation discipline with meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compas sion, and tolerance. In 1999, the Chinese commu nist regime outlawed the practice amid the move ment’s rapidly growing popularity. Across the country, hundreds of thousands were rounded up and detained, often tortured while imprisoned. On a fateful day in November 2009, Wang’s mother told him that his father had passed away. After his last imprisonment in 2003, his health drastically deteriorated—no doubt due to tor ture. He died of kidney failure in September 2009. “That day, I hid inside an empty warehouse and cried by myself for a long time,” Wang said. He regretted not being able to see his father one last time.But Wang knew he had a greater mission at stake: In the land of freedom, he would tell the stories of millions like his parents who still face persecution and possibly mortal danger because of their refusal to give up their faith. Through the language of dance, Wang would convey the resil ience and courage that many Falun Dafa adher ents embody.
In America, world-class dancer Steven Wang discovered the true depth of his art—and its ability to tell inspiring stories
Dance
WRITTEN BY Annie Wu
A Deeper Meaning Behind Dance
12 AMERICAN ESSENCE BELOW Snapshots from childhoodWang’sin China. He began dance training at 9 years old. On the right, he’s pictured with his mother and two sisters.
Artists | Features training in gymnastics was grueling, and some how, young Wang had a gut feeling that the sport was not for him. In 1996, when he was about 9 years old, Wang told his parents he wanted to give dance a try. His father brought him to a local arts center. When he saw the group of young classmates in their dance outfits, he felt it was the right place. Wang excelled in his class and eventually got accepted into a professional dance academy in Chongqing City—hundreds of miles away—for secondary school. Shortly after he started dancing, Wang’s par ents began practicing Falun Dafa. The prac tice had spread quickly across the country, with nearly 100 million adherents by the late 1990s. Wang noticed a change in his parents: They were no longer arguing the way they used to, and his father’s diabetes symptoms had disappeared. In July 1999, the communist regime initiated its persecution campaign against Falun Dafa. Wang was too young to fully comprehend it and was far away from home. But he knew that people like his parents were being arrested and jailed because of their faith. During the 2001 Lunar New Year holiday, Wang’s parents were both arrested. He vvv Through the stories of legendary heroes and men of great virtue from Chinese history, Wang learned what true kindness, humility, and trustworthiness mean. and his three elder sisters were left at home alone. “We were like orphans,” he recalled. Seeing that the children had no one to take care of them, Wang’s aunt and uncle stayed with them for the holiday. “They pitied us and decided not to go back to their hometowns for [Lunar] New Year and stayed with us. It left a deep impres sion on me. I felt for the first time that our family wasn’t whole,” Wang said. Later that year, Wang and his sisters visited their father in prison. The elder Wang was seated behind a clear barricade as guards watched in tently behind him. Detainees were not allowed to talk; they could only write down messages to their visitors on a chalkboard. “He looked like skin covering bones. He looked very weak.” It was a memory Wang would never forget. At boarding school, he was shielded from the realities of the Chinese regime’s persecution. Meanwhile, his mother and father tried to evade being arrested again. In 2008, while Wang was enrolled at a dance college in Chongqing, his mother found out about Shen Yun Performing Arts, a burgeoning performing arts company centered on an ancient art form called classical
Jake Weidmann is reviving the fine art of calligraphy and a traditional, faith-based approach to art BY Tara dos
26 AMERICAN ESSENCE Calligraphy’s Renaissance
WRITTEN
SantosJakeGod’sservebelievesWeidmannartcanasatestamenttothebeautyofcreations.
B
It was 2011 when he became one of only 11 IAMPETH-certified master penmen in the world. Now there are 16, and interest in the art seems to be growing. “When I joined, there were very few people who were interested in calligraphy,” said Weidmann. The golden age of penmanship was from approximately the late 1800s to the BELOW Weidmann also does woodcarvings, like this one, titled “The Sojourner’s Rose.”
ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2022 27 Craftsmanship | Features
RIGHT Weidmann’s rendering of the lyrics to the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul,” written by Horatio Spafford in 1873.
efore putting pen to paper, Jake Weidmann listens to classical music to calm his heart and clear his mind. The slightest tension would stifle the flow of the pen’s dance. The smallest tremor would create a flaw in the fluid inkCalligraphyflourishes. in its highest form is a fine art, and Weidmann is one of the few people in the world who have mastered it. He is a master penman, one of 16 certified by the International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH). “You don’t practice until you get it right; you prac tice it until you can’t get it wrong,” he said. Each stroke must be perfect, or the whole work is blemished. “I have always had a deep love for calligraphy— and really handwriting more broadly,” said Weidmann. “I grew up admiring [my mother’s] cursive handwriting: how beautiful the letters flowed to gether, the lean of the writing across the page that looked like falling rain.” An Artist in the Making Weidmann started to think of himself as an artist when he was 6 years old, after a house fire left him with little more than paper, pencil, and imagina tion. “Being able to create new worlds when my world was in shambles was a beautiful gift from God,” said Weidmann.Sincethen, he has dedicated his life to beauty in all its manifestations: cal ligraphy, painting, sculpture, and other material arts, to name a few. He has also studied acting, so as to embody the artistry of speech and expression; and psychology, in order to appreci ate the palette of human emotions that give people color. Bodybuilding, sculpting his own person into a fine form, has been a pursuit as well. He’s an artist through and through. With this holistic approach to art istry, Weidmann first started prac ticing penmanship so that even his daily handwriting would be beauti ful. A college classmate of his noticed, and she commissioned him to write up her wedding invitations. That set Weidmann to studying calligraphy in his spare time. He wrote his college assignments in calligraphy scripts to practice. Unsatisfied with the tools available to him at his local arts shop, he learned to work a lathe (a machine that shapes materials) and made his own pen holders (he also patented the design he sells today as Weidmann’s Ergonomic Oblique Penholder).
28 AMERICAN ESSENCE Features | Craftsmanship
ABOVE Weidmann paints a soaring North nuthatchAmericanbird.
1930s, he said, when penmen were in high demand to write up certifi cates, design cards, and do all sorts of business-related functions. The type writer made much of their work obso lete. Now, without its purely utilitarian function, penmanship is preserved in the realm of fine art.
“It is definitely seeing a renaissance of sorts,” said Weidmann. “There are so many people around the world who are learning calligraphy ... in every form, whether it be some of the more English forms like Old English, or German forms like Fraktur. Then there are a lot of people who have developed a deep love for ornamental penman ship, the true American style of pen manship. There’s a large association in China and Japan studying American heritageWeidmannhandwriting.”usesboth European and American styles, but he draws special inspiration from one of the fathers of American ornamental penmanship.
ABOVE LEFT Weidmann is one of fewer than a dozen certified master penmen in the world.
ABOVE RIGHT “Of Smoke and Sea,” a pencil and charcoal drawing of an old sailor reminiscing about his adventures at sea.
ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2022 29 Craftsmanship | Features vvv
An All-American, Faith-Based Art Platt Rogers Spencer created the Spencerian script, a style of cursive writing that became popular in the 19th century. The script was inspired by the beauty of America’s Midwest, Weidmann explained, particularly in the vicinity of Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, where Spencer lived. “[He was] inspired by the lean of the wheat blowing in the wind,” said Weidmann. “He found a lot of inspiration in the waves on Lake Geneva, the flowing water that he saw in the streams by his house, or the round rocks he found on the lake shores. Those round rocks became the beloved oval shape that he put into the writing.” Spencer’s script was lighter and lacier than the Old World scripts popular at the time. It required fewer trips to the inkwell, for example, than English Roundhand (the script used for the American Declaration of Independence).
Innovation still has its place. His art uses traditional techniques to produce a realism he has always reveled in as almost being magical—making him an illusionist. His unique style mixes cal ligraphy with painting and drawing.
He believes art’s greatest power is its ability to point to what is higher, to the divine.
“At its core, it had this beautiful, deep theology,” said Weidmann. “Spencer believed that God, as the originator of all beauty, had instilled that beauty in nature. And so, if he derives inspiration for his writing from nature, then he’d have the beauty of God in his own hand.” Weidmann’s philosophy is similar. “My faith is integral to everything I do as an artist, and I believe that one of the pri mary responsibilities of the artist is to not make new worlds, but to make this world new—to really open the view er’s eye to the beauty of God that is all around us,” he said. By contrast, modern art does not point to anything beyond, to anything higher, Weidmann said. Yet he believes art’s greatest power is its ability to point to what is higher, to the divine. Modern art has done away with representa tion, he said. It tells us to see but paint on canvas: art for art’s sake. Instead of being a universal language of beauty, Weidmann feels it has become gibberish intelligible only to a few—and polluted by shock Revivingtactics.atraditional approach to art does not mean simply reproducing the style of the past, Weidmann said.
Calligraphy-inspired ink flourishes ex tend from the tips of a sparrow’s wings, a zebra’s stripes, or a swan’s reflection on rippling water. Words and images combine. Weidmann said, “While a picture is worth a thousand words, I use calligraphy when I am tired of speaking vaguely.” •
The Jay Legacy for America Three generations of the Jay family embodied the quintes sential American ideals, none more so than John. John Jay was born in New York in 1745. His grandfather had come to America seeking freedom from religious persecution in France, and he built a life for himself as a merchant. Jay’s father continued in the trade, building his wealth and provid ing for his family, succeeding in the American dream. John Jay would continue this legacy through many years of service to the fledgling United States of America. Jay grew up in New York and attended King’s College, now Columbia University. He graduated with a law degree, but he did not practice law for very long. In 1774, Jay was elected to represent New York in the First Continental Congress, the same year he married Sarah Livingston. Much like Benjamin Franklin, Jay first strove for peace and negotiation with Great Britain. However, as war became inevitable, Jay chose loyalty to the in terests of the United States and dedicated himself to its freedom. Early in the Revolution, he served as president of the Second Continental Congress, the provisional government for the 13 Colonies.
How John Jay, the first chief justice and contributor to the Federalist Papers, helped establish the foundation of our American republic
A Peaceful Warrior for the Constitution
While in Paris, and with the help of his wife, he befriended the Marquis de Lafayette, Angelica Schuyler, and other important figures living in France. These ties were vital to the relationship between the United States and France, the young country’s only ally during the Revolution. Jay prevented France and Great Britain from having their own secret negotiations that would have put fledgling America at a great disadvantage. After the negotiations in Paris, Jay and his family re turned to New York, where he helped build the United States government.
ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2022 59
I n 1782, John Jay traveled to Paris with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to dis cuss peace terms with the British. He, in particular, fought for British recognition of the United States and for all of the land east of the Mississippi, doubling the size of the nation. But doubling the nation was only a fraction of his contributions to establish, solidify, and ensure the safety of the newborn country.
Founding Fathers | History
RIGHT The second page of the Treaty of Paris, signed by John andBenjaminAdams,Franklin,JohnJayoftheUnitedStatesandDavidHartleyoftheBritishParliamentonSept.3,1783.
As a Diplomat In 1779, Jay made a perilous journey to Spain with his wife. Horrible storms required their ship to stop in the Caribbean for repairs; then, a British ship chased after them, attempt ing to kidnap Jay as they approached the Spanish coast. He had been chosen as the dip lomat to Spain, seeking finan cial aid for the Revolutionary War. However, he had little success garnering support from the Spanish government, a monarchy that did not want to support revolution, which might ultimately be turned against it. So dire was the situ ation in America that Jay’s not winning the support of Spain meant that his salary could not be paid. Yet he did not com plain and remained dedicated LEFT “John Jay” by Gilbert Stuart, 1794.
WRITTEN BY Sydney Slack
60 AMERICAN ESSENCE to his work, asking only enough for him and his wife to live in their modest Madrid apartment. In 1794, Jay was sent back across the Atlantic to negotiate with the British once more. They were not upholding agreements made at the end of the Revolution, such as to vacate North American bases in the United States and to cease blocking American exports. The British Royal Navy had also captured and forced many American mer chants into service while at sea. People on both sides of the Atlantic were ready to go back to war to settle these debates. Jay’s Treaty, as it is known colloquially, only addressed a few of those issues. He failed to make any progress on British im pressment of American sailors and even granted the British the ability to take French goods off American ships without payment. The treaty was, therefore, widely unpopular with the public, who believed Jay had been too lenient with Britain. Afterward, Jay’s popularity plummeted. However, Jay’s negotiations, supported by George Washington, provided temporary appeasement with the British and allowed the United States time to recover from the Revolutionary War and establish itself in the world. This valuable time al lowed the nation to prepare for what would even tually become the War of 1812, when unaddressed disagreements with Great Britain would once again be settled with violence. Laying the Groundwork for the Constitution and Judiciary Powers Between missions abroad, in 1787, Jay wrote five of the Federalist Papers supporting the ratifica tion of the Constitution. The first four papers he contributed all concerned the same topic: dan gers from foreign force and influence. In these articles, Jay argued against Americans who saw the inefficiency of the Articles of Confederation and wanted to dissolve the United States into ABOVE Unfinished oil sketch of
JohnAgreementCommissioners“AmericanofthePreliminaryPeaceWithGreatBritain”byBenjaminWest,1783to1784.Fromlefttoright:Jay,JohnAdams,BenjaminFranklin,HenryLaurens,andWilliamTempleFranklin.
RIGHT 1894 lithograph of the first eight chief justices of the United States: John Jay, John Rutledge, Oliver Ellsworth, John Marshall, Roger Brook Taney, Salmon Portland Chase, Morrison R. Waite, and Melville W. Fuller.
History | World War II
WRITTEN BY Allen Shoff
B y the evening of June 6, 1944, American, Canadian, and British forces had carved a toehold on the beaches of Normandy in northern France—the beginning of the end of Nazi dom ination of Europe. Yet as the Allied soldiers scrambled up the shingle beach and burst over the cliffs and bluffs overlooking the five landing beaches, they ran up against an unanticipated obstacle: the landscape of Normandy itself. Northern France, like most of Europe, has been continuously occupied by humanity for millennia, and the picturesque, gentle, roll ing hills and small, wooded groves of northern France have long been divided into cultivated fields. The terrain as a whole, traditionally called “bocage,” is traced by idyllic sunken lanes, and ancient hedgerows, some centuries old, flank these lanes. Hedges—dutifully and care fully tended by generations of farmers as a nat ural fence for livestock—can rise 10 or more feet into the air, and the thorny branches and bram bles interlace so effectively as to prevent the passage of a determined bull or goat, let alone a man.But the Germans had prepared for this moment.
American Ingenuity Clears a Path to Freedom
Facing seemingly impenetrable German fortifications during the Normandy Invasion, regular GIs thought of innovative ways to plow through enemy lines
Near Barenton, Normandy, three Allied armored vehicles from the U.S. 2nd Armored Division. In the foreground, the tank is equipped with a hedgerow plow.
ABOVE A soldier makes a plowshare to affix to a tank for plowing hedgerows in Normandy.
ABOVE RIGHT A Culin hedgerow cutter made from German blocks affixedobstructions)(landingistoalight tank.
ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2022 87 World War II | History
Hedges—dutifully and carefully tended by generations of farmers as a natural fence for livestock—can rise 10 or more feet into the air.
Even American air power—by this point ascen dant over the bloodied Luftwaffe—proved less effective than expected when faced with the diz vvv
What’s worse, American combat doctrine simply fell apart in the narrow, leafy confines of the sunken lanes between hedgerows. Tanks couldn’t communicate with infantry, and flank ing maneuvers or attempts to bypass the strong points met pre-sited artillery or mortar fire.
But the American character—forged in the can-do attitude of the frontier—didn’t lend itself well to resignation. The ranks of the American armed forces swelled with GIs from every walk of life from coast to coast, and without needing direc tion or commands from officers, they started working the problem from the lowliest private on up. Perhaps it was a New Jersey machinist’s son, or a mechanic from the Bronx, who first thought to weld bulldozer blades to the front of the M4 Sherman, the main tank available to Allied forces. They worked well: a good head of steam down a sunken lane and a Sherman could pierce its way through the hedge, its main turret barking at the German machine gun emplacements exposed in enfilade.Butwith bulldozer blades in short supply, and orders out to ship all command could find to the Western Front, the men on the front line had to innovate again. A Sgt. Curtis Culin was credited with developing what amounted to a giant lawn mower blade, the “Culin Cutter,” which he inge niously crafted from the very Czech hedgehogs— anti-tank steel joists, often fitted with mines—that the Germans had placed on the beaches to foil Allied tank landings. But while many of the tanks were eventu ally outfitted with these and other makeshift hedge-cutters, the soldiers needed even more power to defeat the sturdiest hedge fortresses. Perhaps next it was a miner, fresh from the mine shafts of Idaho’s Silver Valley, who repur posed explosives into hedge-clearing charges.
Natural Fortresses Stephen Ambrose, in his seminal work “Citizen Soldiers,” recounted how there were 14 hedgelined fields per kilometer, each of which met the roads at irregular angles and often had only a single entrance. The Germans had turned many of the tens of thousands of hedgerows in Normandy into veritable fortresses, bristling with machine guns and mortars.
zying maze of fields and woods that concealed German positions. It seemed that Allied forces would simply have to slog through. Can-Do and Make-Do
Immigrant’s Gift to America
98 AMERICAN ESSENCE
An
WRITTEN
“Washington
ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2022 99
Inspired by the freedom of his adopted country, German-American artist Emanuel Leutze painted the most iconic scenes of our nation’s history BY Bob Kirchman Crossing the Delaware” by Emanuel Leutze, 1851. Oil on canvas. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
There is a strong allegorical component to the painting: Washington’s determined stance, the triangular composition, and the lightening sky. In truth, this scene is not completely accu rate. Idealized, this painting remains a testimony to the valor of Washington and the Continental Army. It was reported to be a dark, wretched night with freezing precipitation (ice and snow)
LEFT
“WestwardsketchGraphiteoftheCourseofEmpireTakesItsWay”byEmanuelLeutze,1862.NationalGalleryofArt,Washington,D.C.
Painted in 1851 by Emanuel Leutze, “Washington Crossing the Delaware” immortalizes the image of the ragtag Continental Army going forth from Valley Forge to engage the forces of the then great est nation in the world. It is, rightly so, one of the most often reproduced images from American his tory. Open any good textbook on the subject, and it is there. Leutze’s portrait of Washington still evokes wonder today. A century after its creation, American art ist Norman Rockwell even painted a “painting within a painting” of this iconic artwork for a 1951 Saturday Evening Post cover. In Rockwell’s paint ing, a group of schoolchildren and their teacher stand in front of Leutze’s great painting in admira tion. Here, Rockwell pays homage to “Washington Crossing the Delaware” and its priceless illumina tion of our history for many generations. This was not Leutze’s first painting of this scene. His original painting of the historic cross ing, in 1850, became part of the collection of the Künsthalle in Bremen, Germany. It was destroyed by an Allied bombing raid in 1942. In fact, this first masterful work almost didn’t even make it out of his studio; it was damaged by fire in 1850 when his studio burned. Leutze restored the original, and it is the one that remained in Germany until its de struction.Leutzedid two more renderings of the scene. One is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. After its New York exhibition in 1851, the painting was purchased by a private collec tor but was subsequently given to the museum in 1897. The other rendering found its way to the West Wing of the White House until it was sold to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, Minnesota, in 2015.
I t is the night of December 25, 1776, and ice fills the Delaware River. The men of the Continental Army shiver as they cross un der cover of night, on their way to engage Hessian troops at Trenton, New Jersey. Standing in the boat is a resolute George Washington, face steeled for the battle to come. Before the men boarded the boats, Washington had officers read to his soldiers the words from Thomas Paine’s “The American Crisis,” written only days before on December 23, 1776. The opening paragraph of the pamphlet reads, These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated.
drenching the men in the boats. The Durham boats Washington actually used were bigger than Leutze had depicted. If Washington had actually stood in a boat that size, he would likely have fallen into the water. In the larger boats, the men might indeed have stood, braced against the swells, to avoid con tact with the cold bottom of the craft. A few men actually did fall overboard that night, but no one perished in the river. Several men did die from exposure on the march to surprise the Hessians. The surprise worked, however, and Washington’s men captured 900 soldiers, which vvv
ABOVE Painting study for “Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way” by Emanuel Leutze, 1861. Oil on canvas. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.
There is a strong allegorical component to the painting: Washington’s determined stance, the triangular composition, and the lightening sky. turned the course of the war. The event, and Leutze’s later depiction of it, would find their per manent place in the American memory. Leutze also painted a companion work, “Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth,” commemo rating another Revolutionary War battle in New Jersey.How did a man born in 1816 in SchwäbischGmünd, in the Kingdom of Württemberg (now part of Germany), come to paint such an iconic American historical scene? The story begins when he was 9 years old. His parents came to America as
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American Painters | Arts & Letters
The Allure of Big Sur this slice of California’s coastal wilderness has captured the imagination of artists, writers, and poets BY Maria
Why
Coulson
alike The rugged coastline of Rocky Point at Big Sur. WRITTEN BY David Coulson PHOTOGRAPHED
rugged coast and rough and tumble mountains stretches for 90 miles from Carmel to San Simeon, intersected only by iconic Highway 1. Big Sur is about the mountains and the ocean and the inter face between the two. Early-20th-century resident poet Robinson Jeffers called it the “greatest meet ing of land and sea in the world.” Grandeur and Remoteness Big Sur’s grandeur and remoteness have long made it a haven for literary luminaries. Author Henry Miller developed a strong relationship with the area, embracing it as his spiritual home B ig Sur is not so much a destination as a state of mind. The landscape and wildlife speak to the naturalist in every soul who visits there. For decades, people have jour neyed to Big Sur seeking inspira tion and communion in this mag nificent natural cathedral. Time spent exploring along the coast or trekking through the mountains or roaming among the redwoods or simply laying back in harmony with the surroundings is a so journ for body, mind, and spirit.
Central California’s Big Sur region of wild and
120 AMERICAN ESSENCE
Drama and Adventure
“Big Sur is the California that men dreamed of years ago,” he wrote. “This is the Pacific that Balboa looked at from the Peak of Darien, this is the face of the earth as the Creator intended it to Millerlook.” fretted that the unspoiled complex ion of Big Sur would be lost to the “air-condi tioned nightmare” of modern life. He needn’t have worried. It is much the same now as then. Admittedly, a procession of RVs does form in the summer. But only about 1,750 residents live there.Other than the Native American Esselen tribe, followed by a few loggers, mountain men, and pioneer families in the late 19th century, Big Sur remained a fortress for solitude. Then, in 1937,
“This was home, this rugged, lonely coast,” novelist Nora Roberts wrote in “Daring to Dream.” “He had tooled along the spectacular Amalfi Drive in Italy, sped through the fjords of Norway, but not even their heart-stopping beauty could match the sheer drama of Big Sur.” Its breathtaking stretch of cliff-hugging, hair pin-turned highway is considered the quintessen tial scenic coastal route in North America. Even if you cruise the tight track in a humdrum Hyundai instead of a snazzy Mustang convertible with the wind in your hair and the sounds of the Beach Boys’ “California Saga” celebrating Big Sur in your ears, this drive uncorks clutch-the-edge-of-yourseatYouexcitement.neverknow what’s over the next rise or around the next bend. It might be mountains that plunge into the ocean, surf and wind that pound the rocky shore and contort the cypress trees into otherworldly shapes, or a sheltered cove that har bors a tranquil sea painted in shades of turquoise and sapphire.
From his house set on a slope above Partington Canyon, Miller had imposing views of the ocean. But he chose to work in a small, wooden shed facing a wall, not to be distracted.
ISSUE 9 | SEPTEMBER 2022 121 for 18 years.
“Big Sur has a climate all its own and a char acter all its own,” he wrote in his mid-cen tury memoir “Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch.” “Skies of pure azure and walls of fog moving in and out of the canyons with invisible feet, hills in winter of emerald green and in summer mountain upon mountain of pure gold. There was ever the unfathomable silence of the forest, the blazing immensity of the Pacific, days drenched with sun and nights spangled with stars.”
ABOVE A clear pool ensconced between the bouldersmassiveof Big Sur River Gorge.
ABOVE RIGHT An artist paints amid wildflowers at Garrapata State Park.
A Haven Big Sur is a hiker and naturalist’s delight with five state parks. The Ventana Wilderness of Los
came the completion of Highway 1, with the blasting of cliff faces and the erecting of bridges spanning cavernous canyons to create a tenuous, narrow strip along the coastline.
Nature | The Great Outdoors
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