Tampa Chapter

Sons of the American Revolution

February 2020

 

Contents

          February meeting announcement

          January meeting recap

          Revolution History note

          JROTC/ROTC Presentations

          Program Schedule 

          Color Guard Opportunities

          Misc. reminders and information

 

February Meeting

The February Meeting of the Tampa chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution will be on Saturday Feb 15th. The meeting will be held aboard the

American Victory Ship moored in the channel in Tampa.  The street address is 705 Channelside Drive on Tampa.  Telephone # is 813-228-8766.  Members should start gathering in the Museum Room at 11:30, with a brief formal meeting starting at 12:00.  We expect to hear about the history of Victory ships and this one in particular, followed by a tour for those that are willing and able. Be aware that the ramp onto the ship is steep and some of the stairs on-board are steep and narrow. 

 

 

There will be no charge for our members and guests for the tour.  We will not be serving lunch on-board; however, we will be looking for a spot to meet, after we leave the ship, for us to go to lunch together – something within walking distance. 

 

January meeting

The January meeting and installation of officers was held in the Crystal Dining Room of the Floridan Palace in downtown Tampa.  The venue was enjoyed by all, prices for lunch were reasonable and service and food were good. Members should assume future meetings, beginning in March, will be held there.  Tampa Chapter Past President and current Florida SAR Treasurer Dick Young installed the officers.  David Bryant was installed as President along with the other officers.  A list of all current officers should be on the FLSSAR.ORG website. 

 

At this meeting, the Tampa Chapter also announced that it was presenting the SAR Silver Good Citizenship Medal to George William (Bill) Hamblin, Commander of American Legion Post #5, USS Tampa.  Due to an on-going illness, Bill was not able to attend.  The Medal will be presented to him at a later time.   The Silver Good Citizenship Medal is the highest award that can be presented to a non-SAR member without National SAR approval.  It is hoped that the Chapter will make an annual presentation of this Medal to some local individual each year at the Annual Officer Installation Luncheon.

 

  

     Dick Young, John Goolsby’s back, David Bryant                        SAR Silver Good

                                                                                                    Citizenship Medal

American Revolution Notes:

The French Connection

          Two dates:

February 10, 1763

February 6, 1778

Three treaties

One result – the Independence of the United States of America

 

          On Nov. 3, 1762, in Paris, England and France signed a treaty ending the Seven Years War/French and Indian War. In the treaty, France ceded all of its territory on the mainland of North America — the British getting all land east of the Mississippi with Spain getting all the land west of the river.  Spain retained Cuba while Britain received Florida.  Also, in this treaty, England, Spain, and France swapped various islands in the Caribbean.  The British Parliament approved the treaty on Feb. 10, 1763 and it went into effect.

          The treaty effected England’s mainland colonies of British North America in several ways. On the frontier there were numerous consequences.  For the most part, it had a negative impact on the native-Americans. They could no longer play the French and British off against each other to obtain favorable trade concessions or protection.  Additionally, England now had the problem of trying to regulate the migration of colonist over the mountains into the Kentucky territory and the Ohio River Valley.  And, the removal of the threat of a French invasion, due to France having ceded Canada to the British, meant the American colonists no longer had to be as dependent on British military protection.  

          The war had come close to bankrupting England.  To pay down the debt as well as to reestablish tighter control over the colonies, England passed a series of tax laws and restrictive trade laws that angered the Americans. The effects of these laws, the growing economic strength of the colonies, and the influence of Leveler and Enlightenment political thought all combined to start the War for Independence and to the Americans declaring themselves an independent country.

          France saw a chance to weaken England and began to covertly provide the Americans with some military aid.  American diplomats in Paris, most notably Benjamin Franklin, wanted a formal treaty of alliance and increased French aid.

While there is more to the story, the impact of the American victory at Saratoga is viewed as the last major piece that led the French to formally ally with the Americans.

          On Feb. 6, 1778 the French government signed two treaties with the fledgling United States.  The first, a Treaty of Amity and Commerce promoted trade and commercial ties between the two countries. It allowed the presence of consuls and recognized the United States as an independent nation.

          In second, the Treaty of Alliance, France agreed to a larger more direct military role.  The United States, for its part, agreed to not pursue a peace agreement with England that would reunite the Empire and negate American Independence. The United States also agreed to defend all French possessions in North America from any other power.

          As a result of the treaty the American army obtained needed supplies and the Congress obtained needed financial assistance. The French sent a large military force to the colonies and their Navy assisted the Americans as well. While it may be on overstatement to say that French assistance won the war, it is not an overstatement to say that without French assistance, winning the war might have been impossible.

          One treaty created the environment that led to the War for Independence. The other two provided the means for a successful conclusion to that war.  Two dates, three treaties, one result.

 

JROTC/ROTC Presentations

It is that time again for us to visit the local high schools and colleges to present the SAR JROTC and ROTC Commendation Medals and Certificates.  Terry Doan, our Chairman, sent an email not long ago with the list of all 17 high school JROTC units, three college ROTC units and one Naval Cadet unit that we recognize.   fWe can always mail the medal and certificate, but it means so much more to the Cadets, their family and their instructors if one of us is there to make a personal presentation at their Awards Ceremony.  Please contact Terry at terrydoan127@gmail.com to let him know which high school or college units you want to visit.  If you did not get the original email or have lost the list, let him or me know and we will get it to you.  The college ROTC units really like to see you retired military guys.  

 

Program Schedule

Feb 15         American Victory ship

March 21     Two or three Students from St Petersburg College answering the question: The event I would most liked to have witnessed during the American Revolution is?

April 18       Annual JROTC  recognition luncheon

May 16         TBD  (hopefully Rodney Kite-Powell of the Tampa Bay History Center)     

Sept 19        TBD

Oct 17         Annual Law Enforcement, Firefighter & EMS recognition luncheon

Nov 21         Two or three Students from St Petersburg College answering the question: The most interesting thing I learned about the Amer. Rev that I didn’t know before talking Mr. Yarnell’s class is?

Dec 19         Wreaths Across America                                                                     

 

Color Guard Opportunities

February 22           C.A.R. Annual Conference Banquet           Kissimmee

March 6                DAR State Conference Opening              Orlando

March 7                Last Naval Battle Commemoration           Merritt Island

March 21               SAR Rumbaugh Oration Contest              The Villages

March 28              Battle of Thomas Creek Commemoration  Jacksonville

April 28                Honor Flight                                            St Pete/Clearwater

May 1-2                 Florida SAR Annual Meeting                    Kissimmee

May 9                    Battle of Pensacola Commemoration          Pensacola

June 9                   Honor Flight                                            St Pete/Clearwater

 

Miscellaneous Reminders

Chapter Website—remember you can find information about the chapter and programs on the chapter website.      http://www.tampasar.com/

 

One of the duties of the Chapter Chaplain is to send cards to our members that are sick. Another is to send a sympathy card to the family of a member who has passed away. If you know of anyone that should be the recipient of these cards, please mention it to Chaplain Sessums or one of the other officers at our next meeting.

 

Chapter officers and committee chairmen are encouraged to send any pertinent information they wish included in the newsletter to the editor.