‘The women of the Revolution saved us’
Newton. Founding Fathers discuss their life and times at the Sussex County Library.
| 08 Jun 2021 | 10:32
General George Washington (a.k.a. Sam Davis) speaks of the Revolutionary War in the Sussex County area (Photo by Janet Redyke)
Robert DeVitis (a.k.a. Benjamin Franklin) makes the crowd chuckle with his humorous observations of the 1770s (Photo by Janet Redyke)
As trucks, cars and motorcycles zoomed by on Morris Turnpike, the likes of General George Washington and Benjamin Franklin spoke to a group on the front lawn of the Sussex County Main Library on June 5. Many did a double take or sounded their car horns as the characters from history spoke.
The library program was funded by a grant from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
Sam Davis portrayed General Washington while Robert DeVitis took on the intellectual, whimsical persona of Franklin.
General Washington spoke first, discussing the forgotten women of the Revolution.
“Back in history, most men believed women to be troublesome in war,” said the general. I believed the women of the Revolution saved us,” said the general.
Davis discussed several of the day women. Some being Betsey Ross, Molly Pitcher, who Washington made a sergeant, Hannah Arnett White and Sybil Ludington, a 16 -year -old girl who warned Danbury, CT residents that the British were approaching. This female counterpart rode 40 miles to Paul Revere’s 15 miles, yet she gets minimal mention in history. The general even credited his wife Martha, nicknamed Patsey, with helping with the Revolution. Martha was involved in the receiving and testing of the smallpox vaccine which would keep the colonial troops safe.
DeVitis captured the physical and witty characteristics of the stateman Franklin. One of 15 siblings, Franklin grew up early, working as a printer’s apprentice . He spoke fondly of his many inventions, like electricity, the lending library, the volunteer fire department and bifocals.
“I needed special spectacles that allowed me to see what I was eating and who I was eating with,” said Franklin.
De Vitis reviewed Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac, revising one well known quote, “A penny saved is a government oversight.”
He was also proud of his many words and phrases for drunkenness, saying that he initiated the word hammered and it’s still in use today.
“Did you, my audience know that only loyalists drink tea while patriots drink coffee?” he said.
The two- hour program concluded with a question- and -answer period and every participant received a small American flag.