American Revolution - The Elephant in the Room

 

The Elephant in the Room

Elephants have a large footprint in idioms and popular culture.  They never forget. They turn pink when we have too much to drink. Though massive, they're said to fear tiny mice. When white, they show up as gifts that no one wants. They lead stampedes in Southeastern Conference football. They fly with their ears in Disney books and movies. They are symbols of political determination in the form of the American Republican party. They hang out in refrigerators for children's jokes. And they must be pointed out when in a room because even when everyone sees them, no one wants to talk about them.

On 7 June 1776, just days shy of 250 years ago Richard Henry Lee did exactly that. If the name Lee seems familiar to you, it should. He was a first cousin to Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee who was a successful officer of the American Revolution - famous for his contributions to the cause in his nighttime surprise attack in August of 1779 at the Battle of Paulus Hook, He was also a first cousin to Robert E. Lee who is famous for leading the Confederate forces in the American Civil War.  And, George Washington's niece married Richard Lee's son. If you believe the paper trail, I'm a fifth cousin to Richard Lee by way of a shared ancestor, Peter Stanley, (my 14th GGF).

Richard was deeply involved in colonial politics.  He was in the House of Burgesses from 1758 until it was dissolved.  He was a delegate to the First Continental Congress.  After the nation was formed, he was President of the Congress from 1784 to 1785 - and so, technically was a President of the United States before we started counting Presidents. He later served as a U.S. Senator from 1789 to 1792. 

But, in 1776, Richard's defining moment arrived. He stood, acknowledging the elephant in the room, declaring,  

"...these united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown; and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

From those words came the momentum that produced the Declaration of Independence and a war for independence that followed. To borrow another idiom - "The die was cast!"

Ironically, it was during Robert E. Lee's struggle, nearly ninety years later, that the quest for "free and independent states" was lost.  In the Spring of 1865 - the Confederacy surrendered not only its armies but the claim that states could remain fully sovereign with the Union born of the Revolution. 

Also ironic is, while Richard pointed out the elephant that was the quest for independence, he, along with many planters of that era ignored another elephant. A significant portion of the population were not made free. That unacknowledged contradiction - between the ideals of the Declaration of Independence and the reality of slavery - became a wound that festered, split the nation, and continues to affect its future strength and unity. 

We ignore an obvious problem because the consequences of addressing it seem to be greater than the consequences of letting the elephant linger in the room. The consequence of Richard pointing out the elephant was a world war - but the reward was a new nation. The consequence of ignoring the elephant of slavery was a civil war and continued pain.

Choices always produce consequences.