Canandaigua Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution

This Day in History: It was on this date in 1825 when the Erie Canal opened, allowing commerce to pass between the Hudson River in the Capital Region and Lake ...Erie in Western New York. So many cities, towns and villages became what they are today due to the success of the Canal. First image here is a capture I took yesterday, the newest mural along the Erie Canal in Newark, NY (Wayne County). The other photos are a few of my favorite Erie Canal captures this year beginning with: Russian vessel navigating around the world passing through Middleport, boat going over Medina Culvert (only spot on entire Canal where boats cross OVER vehicles), the brand new Breaker II ice cutter passing by Brewerton on way to Buffalo and lastly a homemade wooden boat arriving in Fairport recently. The Erie Canal, 200 years ago regarded as folly, remains a treasure across New York State. See more

"A large percentage of our country doesn't know of or care about Normandy, perhaps even being removed from the text in History Books. A few weekends ago, Britis...h artist Jamie, accompanied by numerous volunteers, took to the beaches of Normandy with rakes and stencils in hand to etch 9,000 silhouettes representing fallen people into the sand. Titled The Fallen 9000, the piece is meant as a stark visual reminder of those who died during the D-Day beach landings at Arromanches on June 6th, 1944 during WWII. The original team consisted of 60 volunteers, but as word spread nearly 500 additional localresidents arrived to help with the temporary installation that lasted only a few hours before being washed away by the tide. [Note from AG: BE SURE TO SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE COMMENT AT THE VERY END] 9,000 Fallen Soldiers Etched into the Sand on Normandy Beach to Commemorate Peace Day on September 25, 2013 "What is surprising is that I saw nothing about this here in the US. An overseas friend sent it with a note of gratitude for what the US started there." "

Take care of yourself so you can take care of your family. Don’t delay your breast cancer screening. If you’re age 50-74 talk to your health care provider about scheduling your mammogram.

On this day in 1746, Esther de Berdt Reed is born. Some say that she worked so hard to support the Revolution that she literally worked herself into an early gr...ave. She was just shy of 34 years old when she passed away. Esther was the wife of Joseph Reed, the military secretary to George Washington. Esther had moved to America with her new husband only a few years before the war began. You can imagine that she initially felt torn between loyalty to the country of her birth and her newly adopted home in America. In time, however, she became quite upset with the manner in which England was treating its colonies. She threw her lot in with the Patriotsand she did so wholeheartedly! During the course of the war, Esther was forced to be separated from her husband for long periods of time. She lived in Philadelphia, which meant that she had to flee her home on multiple occasions. Yet she was still able to write Joseph, supporting his efforts and urging him not to worry about her: [T]he reflection, she wrote on one occasion, how much I pain you by my want of resolution, and the double distress I occasion you, when I ought to make your duty light as possible, would tend to distress my spirits, did I not consider, that the best and only amends is to endeavour to resume my former cheerfulness, and regain my usual spirits. I wish you to know, my dearest friend, that I have done this, as much as possible, and would beg you would free your mind from every care on this head. Esther worked hard to get women across the country involved in supporting the war. She wrote a broadside that was published in 1780: The Sentiments of an American Woman. She also founded and ran Philadelphia Ladies Association. These women were dedicated to raising money to support the Continental Army, and they literally walked door-to-door, requesting donations. Remember: Women weren’t supposed to do that sort of thing back then. Once the money was collected, Esther reported to Washington that the Ladies had raised in Paper Money 300,634 Dolrs. She asked Washington how it might best be put to use. Some of the ladies had an idea that the whole of the Money [should] be changed into hard Dollars, & giving each Soldier two, to be entirely at his own disposal. Esther had long been working towards something along those lines: It would be an offering of the Ladies, she’d explained in her 1780 broadside. She had to have been really disappointed when Washington quashed the idea. The General didn’t want to give money directly to the soldiers. Some soldiers might use the money well, he thought, butit is equally probable that it will be the means of bringing punishment on a number of others. In short? Washington thought the soldiers might use the money to drink instead! I guess some problems are as old as time, huh?! In the end, Esther indicated that she would take the money to purchase linen and make shirts, one idea that had been suggested by Washington. The organization sewed and delivered more than 2,000 shirts. Unfortunately, Esther died of dysentery as the project was being wrapped up in September 1780. Thus, she did not live to see America finally achieve its independence, for which she had given so much. --------------------------- If you enjoy these history posts, please see my note below. :) Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright 2013-2020 by Tara Ross. I appreciate it when you use the shar e feature instead of cutting/pasting. #TDIH #OTD #History #USHistory #liberty #freedom #ShareTheHistory

On this day in 1797, Old Ironsides is launched! Old Ironsides is the nickname that was given to the USS Constitution, one of the first six frigates built for ...the U.S. Navy during the early years of our country. Initially, the frigate was used in the Quasi War with France and the Barbary Wars, but it is perhaps most famous for its performance during the War of 1812. USS Constitution defeated four English warships. A former captain of USS Constitution, Tyrone G. Martin, later wrote a history of the ship. He describes the effect of these victories: The losses suffered by the Royal Navy were no more than pinpricks to that great fleet: They neither impaired its battle readiness nor disrupted the blockade of American ports. . . . What Constitution and her sister [ship] did accomplish was to uplift American morale spectacularly and, in the process, end forever the myth that the Royal Navy was invincible. The ship earned its nickname during a battle fought on August 19, 1812. On that day, Constitution encountered HMS Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia. The two ships got within about 50 yards of each other and began firing their cannons. Constitution was causing great damage to the British ship, even as the British cannon balls were bouncing off the hard oak sides of Constitution. One of the American crewmen saw what was happening and was heard to yell: Huzza! Her sides are made of iron! The nickname Old Ironsides was born! The British surrendered roughly one hour after the attack began. Guerriere was badly damaged and had to be sunk after the battle. The British captain later reported: The Guerriere was so cut up, that all attempts to get her in would have been useless. As soon as the wounded were got out of her, they set her on fire; and I feel it my duty to state that the conduct of [American] Captain Hull and his Officers to our Men has been that of a brave Enemy. If the victory provided a psychological boost to Americans, it seems that it was equally demoralizing to the British. The London Times mournfully reported: Never before in the history of the world did an English frigate strike to an American. Old Ironsides has been preserved and can still be seen at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Massachusetts. It’s well worth the visit. --------------------------- If you enjoy these history posts, please see my note below. :) Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright 2013-2020 by Tara Ross. I appreciate it when you use the shar e feature instead of cutting/pasting. #TDIH #OTD #History #USHistory #liberty #freedom #ShareTheHistory