The magic of the archives
December 2022 Imperfect Union
Hi everyone! So much good stuff to share with you today! First, I’m so pumped that I can finally reveal a new project that has been in the works for a LONG time.
On February 20, 2023, Mourning the Presidents will be published by UVA Press, with the support of the Miller Center, the Center for Presidential History at SMU, and the White House Historical Association. My co-editor, Matthew Costello, and I started this project in 2019, in the aftermath of former President George H.W. Bush’s funeral. We were fascinated by the cultural practices and what they said about the American people and American society at the time. So we put together this volume, which explores mourning practices, culture, and legacy, from George Washington to Bush 41. It’s available for pre-order now at all of your favorite book-buying locations for $29.95 (paperback). Thanks so much for purchasing if you are so inclined!
We will also be sharing the book at a number of events in 2023, so stay tuned for more details.
Next, remember last month when I wrote that I’d roll out the chat feature when it was available for Android? I tweeted about it and Substack replied that it would be available shortly….and then it was! Two weeks later! I’m so impressed, because so many tech companies say “coming soon” and then never deliver. Anyway, if you are interested in the chat feature, I’ve included instructions at the bottom of this post.
Ok, now onto the history. I had thought about writing about the former president’s statement about terminating the Constitution. But a lot of my favorite writers have already written thoughtful and timely pieces, and frankly, I didn’t really feel like digging to the heaviness of the failure of constitutions in world history right now. I’m enjoying making holiday cookies and wishing for snow instead. If you are interested in the subject, I recommend these three pieces:
“December 3, 2022” by Heather Cox Richardson, from Letters from An American
“Terminating the Constitution” by Charlie Sykes, from Morning Shots
“Are The Frogs Boiled?” by Joyce Vance, from Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance
Instead, I wanted to share with you my favorite recent find from the archives. It’s fairly irrelevant for my project, but it brought a smile to my face and has stuck with me since. I hope it brings you some joy as well.
On January 12, Rebecca Stoddert was living in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Benjamin. Benjamin Stoddert was the first Secretary of the Navy. He had assumed office in June 1798, after Congress had created the Navy Department. President John Adams had initially appointed George Cabot, but Cabot declined the post due to poor health. Stoddert was his second choice, but more about him in a minute.
Unlike some wives of congressmen and cabinet members, Rebecca went with Benjamin every time he traveled from their home in Maryland to Philadelphia. When the government moved to Washington, D.C. in the fall of 1800, she went with him as well.
Rebecca was particularly close with her sister and wrote her regular letters. Most of the letters were about their shared family members, their children, and relatively daily topics. She occasionally mentioned a social gathering, where she met other members of government and their wives. She rarely talked about politics. But she should not be confused with a doormat. She had opinions.
On January 12, she wrote,
"It pleases me that I have given a name to our little gentleman that I am sure meets with the approbation of all my family, I say I have given. The fact is that I generally speaking name them all & so I would if I was to have a hundred - it is a privilege that all wives in my opinion should have."
In the next line, she wrote, “Both Mr. and Mrs. Adams say Christopher is a very good name. This they say to Mr. Stoddert.”
Here is a picture of the page with the quote. It’s in the middle in bolder ink.
A little backstory. Benjamin Stoddert was born in Maryland in 1751. He was trained to be a merchant, but the Revolutionary War caused a temporary pause in that plan, as it did for so many of Stoddert’s peers. He joined the Continental Army and served as an officer until he was badly injured at the Battle of Brandywine. After Stoddert recovered, he served on the Board of War for Congress until 1781.
At that point, he retired from the army and married Rebecca Lowndes. Two years later, they had set up a home in Georgetown (then in Maryland) and Benjamin was running a successful mercantile firm.
By 1798, Stoddert was considered one of the more successful merchants in the country. He had also helped former President George Washington purchase lots for the federal government in what later became Washington, D.C.
After Congress created the Navy Department, Adams set about selecting a secretary to manage the new department. A Federalist merchant from New England, like George Cabot, made a lot of sense. A merchant might seem like a strong choice now, but at the time, there wasn’t really a naval force. Merchants generally had the most naval and trade expertise, because they typed owned their own fleet of ships. They were familiar with insurance rates, trade routes, and the supplies required to build up a naval fleet.
Once Cabot turned down the position, Stoddert was a natural second choice. First, he had the successful merchant thing going and his knowledge of Maryland would prove helpful as the government planned its move to D.C. He would know where to build naval docks, which merchants and suppliers to trust, and have good connections in Georgetown, Alexandria, and Baltimore - the nearest ports.
Additionally, he was a Federalist, but he wasn’t a Hamiltonian Federalist. He was his own man and hopefully would be loyal to Adams. No spoilers or anything, but this dynamic will play a pretty powerful role in the book I’m currently writing.
Ok with that context in place, back to Rebecca. Over the course of their marriage, they had 8 children. That’s a lot of children to name. Their first, Benjamin Forrest Stoddert was born in 1782 when Rebecca was 25 years old, followed by Elizabeth in 1784, and Harriot in 1789. From what I can tell, Christopher was their last. Or at least their last surviving child, which would make sense, because Rebecca was 41 at the time.
What do we make of her comments in the letter above? Did she name them all except the first? Or did she and Benjamin agree to follow custom and name their firstborn son after his father? We don’t really know.
Nor do we know exactly what she meant when she said the president and first lady told her Benjamin that Christopher was a good name. Were they just being kind? Did they tell him and he was passing along the compliments? Or did he not really like the name and she was gloating?
Even though this one little line raises more questions than it answers, it does tell us some interesting information. Rebecca Stoddert had opinions. She believed she had the right to name her children. Whether she demanded that right or Benjamin offered it, either way, he respected her enough to go along with her wishes. He respected her or liked her enough that he wanted her with him wherever he went.
Rebecca Stoddert is a bit player in my work-in-progress. She provides some commentary that offers insight into the social circle in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. But she’s not involved in politics really and her childbirth doesn’t make an appearance. You might say that this letter is unnecessary for the research.
But I love this document anyway. I love that she was a feisty woman in the 18th century carving out her own space and her own sphere of influence. This letter is the type I hope I’ll remember forever, even if it never makes it into a book.
