Consent for an Enlisted Man to have Another Stand in his Place: 1812

Captain Charles Follett, NS to -Colonel Isaac Clark

Consent for an enlisted man to have another stand in his place: 1812

Dear Colonel,

Sir, I am in Health to good Hreennies [sp.?] I find Our friend near the Ready to Attack in Fopely [sp.?] to Be Made on Our Enemy

I Have Entitled a man by the name of Thommas Richardson which you will see by My Return I find him to be an inferm Man verry rivalling to You I told him if he would get a Man to Take his Silou. With your Consent,, He was found among which I think will Better than him See I became te affis Aim in his discharge, your Complyance Will I blieys. yours with Esteem

Charles Follett, Capt.

Original Document from Special Collections at the University of Vermont
Transcribed: Paul Fischer

Isaac Clark Papers 1781-1821. Special Collections, University of Vermont Bailey/Howe Library, Burlington, Vermont. 41.

Appeal for Reinstatement of Sword Colonel Isaac Clark, ALS to 26th Regiment

Regimental Rendezvous,

Burlington May 13, 1815.

To the Officers of the 26th Regt. now at this Rendezvous -

Gentlemen,

I have the honor of acknowledging the re [-] ceipt of your address of the 12th int. on the subject of my arrest. -The sentiments you have expressed towards me personally, cannot fail of engaging all my feel [-] ings in favor of complying with your earnest request - but having for many years of my life been em [-] ployed on Military duty, and having from long experience, considered it as a privacy [privileged?] duty in every officer of an army to set the example of subordination, that soldiers may be induced the more promptly to follow the example.

The subject of your acidress [sp?] involves a very se [-] rious question, which has not, to my knowledge been decided upon by a court-martial - it therefore be [-] comes my duty to take counsel on the subject before I take a step that may reflect dis honor on my military character. - This being the Just time that I ever received even the slightest repri [-] mand from a superior officer, not even for a mis - take in any of the complicated duties that have been assigned me - therefore, Gentlemen, you cannot but See the pro [-] priety of my desire to preserve the principle so necessary for the government of an army: - but before I close this answer, I beg leave to observe, that it has ever been my expectation that the question would have been promptly decided by the Department of War - and that officers, merely from their high standing in rank, would not in future be permitted to interphere with the recruiting regulations of that Department, which I am conscious of having pursued with unremitting ardor, until sickness deprived the Regiment of my a∫ [-] sistance, in a measure. - In this situation the General deprived me of my sword on the 12th day of July last - and altho’ repeated applica - tions have been made to him in becoming language for a trial, I have not been able to obtain one - neither have I been furnished with a proper copy of the charges, specifications upon which my arrest was predicated, [?] which was necessary to a suitable defense. -

I am, Gentlemen,

very respectfully,

your obedient Servea: [sp?]

Isaac Clark

Original Document provided by Special Collections at the University of Vermont: Documents Pertaining to Isaac Clark, 61

Isaac Clark Papers 1781-1821. Special Collections, University of Vermont Bailey/Howe Library, Burlington, Vermont. 61.

Transcription: Paul Fischer

Bill McKibben: American Environmental Policies and Saying No to Big Oil Today and in 2014

Paul Fischer

11/10/2015

Bill McKibben: American Environmental Policies and

Saying No to Big Oil Today and in 2014

Bill McKibben is a regular contributor to many publications including the New York Times. His work has been steadfast and consistent in protecting the environment from corporate and at times even government institutions which threaten ourselves and the world we are surrounded by. Looking at an interview from 2014 with Bill Moyers brings to light some particularly important issues which are in the national headlines today, such as the Keystone pipeline and the impact of Big Oil in politics today. McKibben’s own activism goes beyond steady writing and academic work, however, but is instead rooted in political work which has even been criminal in nature. Shortly before the interview, he had been arrested after chaining himself to the White House in an environmental protest, an action which created national headlines and drew attention to the work of environmental activists.

The two met on a canoe trip, which holds significance one of the potentially greatest threats to the environment from the new pipeline are the vital waterways which sustain our nation culturally and have historically provided the backbone of economic systems in the nation. A potential target in this area has certain risks in times of peace; in the event of a war on the home-front, the cost of providing security for such a monument could prove, well, monumental. Then the potential catastrophes which are warned against would be a certainty.

More importantly, it could destroy the nation’s ability to protect itself without self-inflicting permanent and persistent damage on America’s greatest resources, economically and environmentally. An example of a similar situation in another wartime which threatened to reach American shores was in the Manhattan project carried out by American scientists. While Albert Einstein was able to organize a widely diverse collection of ethnically and even linguistically separate experts and professionals into completing the nuclear race in time to save Allied military efforts, original plans included disposing of the waste into major American waterways in the mid and northwest.

Fortunately this plan was squashed by the once powerful fishing interests in these waterways out of fears it might impact in the long run their productive output. Given modern information about the nature of radioactive materials, it is likely that such disposal could have not only exposed tens of millions of Americans to lethal amounts of radiation, but also destroyed the agricultural output of the entirety of what was once called the Louisiana Purchase. This is an example of the precautionary principle successful by accident only; it was not until recently that the full effect of radioactive exposure has been determined and revealed on plant and animal lifeforms. Unfortunately, inappropriate weapons testing and disposal techniques contributed or caused extensive damage to American ecosystems and health concerns following that effort, and the arms race with the Soviet Union exacerbated those harms.

Following this with debate on the pipeline is critical. Not only must a dangerous proposal be defeated, but it must also be defeated for the right reasons and by the correct interests. Understanding the full potential effects of such construction, as well as that of an economic depression or recession such as that which recently occurred, on security costs and the viability of maintenance of the undertaking is necessary in order to not only prevent the great disaster, but also smaller ones to follow. In the interview, this is the crux of the argument delivered by Bill McKibbens.

Rather than focusing on the short-term effects of the construction and damage that may be done by bad maintenance or in the event of economic disaster, his focus in the interview is on what happens when things proceed properly. The global warming effects of the carbon released from 800 thousand barrels of oil a day, or nearly a quarter billion barrels a year, could change the emissions released by the United States by a factor of ten percent. As the USA begins negotiations next month in Paris in which there is an effort to show commitment to environmental protection and energy independence through renewable sources, there will be an effort to quantify the effect of American pollutants on other countries, as well as the global warming disasters which greenhouse gases will predicate if not properly understood and regulated.

This is not an individual who survived the dust-bowl sands of the 1930's, in which American prospects simply dried up and cornfields turned to storms and death, but it is clear that he has a specific understanding of the seriousness of failure to control economic development and of global industrial development on the environment and productivity. What then cost billions and breadlines in America (along with some interdependent nations), today would mean global starvation and the destruction of American international hegemony in a way that not only could no nation possibly step in to fill the gap, but in fact warfare on a scale unprecedented, this time likely nuclear, could be initiated. While Bill Moyers estimates the costs of action at twenty trillion dollars (no time frame was given), he fails to point out what President Obama and Bill McKibben instinctively emphasize: this is the mutually assured destruction of our time. That is, America was faced with the same question in the past, and invested tens of trillions of dollars in deterrent nuclear weapons and understanding the consequences and actions both of doing so and in not doing so. The investment initiated and prolonged the Cold War, in the long run critical information on the nature of carcinogens in huge numbers of products was discovered and mandatory age limits or recommendations have been set on products from cigarettes and cosmetics to carpets and landfills which otherwise could have contributed to trillions in excessive health care costs.

In that time period, the consequence was falling victim to a foreign nuclear strike and decades of cancer mortality and cultural slavery under the satellite system of a foreign superpower. Now we face our own generational questions with the same rewards and losses. Failure to act will not only spell disaster for American agricultural and infrastructural investments, but unlike the dust-bowl of the 1930's, will induce far more severe consequences for nations we are obligated to help. That means immediate repayment of our own debt in some nations, and loss of direct foreign investment which adds up to a cool trillion dollars every few years. This is a simple equation: failure to invest (or rather simply not exploit currently) these 20 trillion dollars now can cost American businesses, corporations, and taxpayers the opportunity to invest over 200 billion dollars in lucrative investments internationally every year and require some fraction of the nearly 20 trillion dollars in US debt currently held by other nations to be paid or to face severe global catastrophes. This can mean billions, such as Hurricane Katrina, Sandy, or here in Vermont, Irene, or trillions in the event of the worst-case scenarios presenting themselves.

Source: http://billmoyers.com/episode/bill-mckibben-to-obama-say-no-to-big-oil/

Abenaki of Canada and the Youth

Paul Fischer

11/10/2015

David Massell

Abenaki of Canada and the Youth

The Abenaki are a native peoples tribe, one of the original 100 recognized throughout Canada, as introduced by Suzie O’Bamsawin, the Director of the Territorial Consultations Department of the Territorial Grand Conseil de la Nation Waban-Aki. With recognition in American states such as New York, but not in Vermont, though there are Abenaki tribes people who call Vermont home, this is a point of some tension as there is only partial recognition in American states. There are many issues and points of activism which influence and impact their decision making processes, the most important of which, according to the lecture, has been the importance of elders. Among important issues addressed were Canadian and diplomatic relations, growing up among native peoples, and the decline of the native language and traditions.

Life on the reservation is simple, but there are not many jobs, technology, or legal structures. There are many social issues there; Pow Wows can be alternative in nature or traditional, but are frequently a place of reconciliation for members of tribes. At the age of 16, youth are given the choice to stay on the reservation or to leave and enter into the outside world. There is not much choice, though many return after some years to stay. For the Abenaki, many receive student loans and grants from the state of Quebec, and admission into Universities.

This tradition of integration into the general Canadian and American cultures has several advantages, and actually helps with alcohol and drug problems which can be rampant in communities. It also allows an outreach which affects the chronic unemployment extant on reservations. This was not presented as a criticism of the lifestyles there, but instead as a merging of two worlds. Indeed, many of the problems endemic in reservation lifestyles were a result of political friction and forced or inadequate educational measures which ignored the fierce adherence to different cultural norms within the nation.

O’Bamsawin has been witness and part of a great social movement as well. Politically, the tribe is involved like few others, and indeed few modern societies in the modern world. She has been privy to and central to negotiation with something like the equivalent of the Prime Minister of Quebec and gained experience with Canada’s modern system and politicians in these experiences as a representative of her people. The communication and connection is not just an exchange for rights and justice, but goes deeper culturally as well.

Her work has just been the most recent of a far greater movement towards the development of Indigenous peoples internationally. She was able to see this exchange first hand in Honduras, and provided some description of the history therein. The UN first recognized the rights of Indigenous Peoples as sovereign from governing and oppressing nations with its adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This was a major victory for international human rights and these communities were permitted to participate in drafting the document.

It would be misleading to cast these groups as united in nature throughout the history of conflict, at times conflict can and has occurred over hunting grounds and more fundamental issues between tribes. These relations are often evolving, early conflict with the Mohawks has been cited and resolution through Pow Wow did occur, though frictions remain. From lecture in class, it is worth questioning whether this had anything to do with the armed conflict between the Mohawk and British-Canadian forces in Montreal, after which the Canadian government was forced to admit defeat, though not before dozens of casualties had been inflicted in small arms and automatic weapon fueled warfare. One method of resolution is in the Pow Wow: on the outskirts of the reservation or within the modern reservation, a cultural revolution has occurred to some extent as music groups such as A Tribe Called Red have developed traditional music and dance with techno norms. The lack of rules enjoyed by Abenaki children (culturally they learn by experience not by instruction) manifests itself in artistically unified beats and documentary film efforts to preserve the culture through change and adaptation.

There were several critical components to this work which were established in lecture which include the critical nature of education, of technological innovation and permeation into social culture, and the process of building bridges. For the Abenaki, education has been a key development: they have among the highest levels of University enrollment among native peoples in Canada. In the USA, however, they are not even nationally recognized as a native peoples. In Vermont this can reach something of a head as “self-proclaimed” Abenaki have had discourse for the sharing of use of Lake Champlain, which is split between the states of Vermont and New York, but no such Native American agreement exists. These tensions have given rise to three levels or groups of Abenaki in Vermont. Even in Canada, though, their rights are somewhat limited. Native language instruction will only occur for perhaps two hours a week.

Conquest and Defence, David Green Recounts the Hundred Years War from Every Perspective

Paul Fischer

10/30/2015

Charles Briggs

Conquest and Defence, David Green Recounts the Hundred Years War from Every Perspective

The role of the church can be easy to overlook in the defining national conflict between England and France which became, after broken peace treaties and ransoms, kidnappings, and massive slaughter, known as the 100 Years War, but this series of battles and intrigue is convincingly portrayed in The 100 Years War: A People’s History as a critically pivotal moment for the emerging Catholic Church. David Green is elusive in his use of a thesis in his book, which is structured as a generational analysis of various themes which are intended to coalesce into a final declaration of methodology and description. In order to review the intent of the research appropriately, it will be necessary to delineate between these themes and show in a concise manner how they are interrelated and in what basic construct they cast the evolution of Christendom into the true intercontinental empires which England, France, and other onlooking nations would become. Appearance of sourced material and the basic structure of the historical context in which the writing is based should then make itself quite apparent.

This is not to summarize the entirety of the material at hand, but instead to drive at the heart of what made this war pump, and the individual liberties which it extended to others. Firstly, the war was not one framed entirely around the concept of occupation, though by “the concluding years of Henry V’s reign what had been a war of raids and sieges became a war of occupation” (Green, 154), and the leaders on both sides of the English Channel, or for much of the war, in modern-day France, came to learn of the ineffectiveness of simple blockades or chevauchée raids. “As Jean Juvénal des Ursins noted in 1435, ‘For war is only made in order to have peace; make strong war and you will have peace by subjugating your enemies’” (92), this is an ironical statement as those raids had become a war of occupation, one which resounded culturally in Shakespearean literature and in the very threads of French nationalism, immortalized in primary sources artistic, carefully chosen for this historical work, and political. Indeed the nature of the French crown would change in this war: clambering to dislodge ineffective church leadership, the centralization of power and expansion of mercenary Patis forces redefined the fundamental belief of France in nationhood as “not only was victory or defeat an indication of divine judgement, but for many it might bring one decidedly closer to divine judgement of a very personal nature” (146). That which might have demolished French belief in their military capabilities instead became a varied system of mutual struggle, allowing an early separation of military and agricultural interests, not to overlook the many who were still pressed into service.

The progression being described here is quite delicate in nature. It is important to review the sources which are utilized in the book before expounding the grandeur of the impact of this war on later conflicts, such as the War of the Roses directly afterward in England or French absolutism in monarchy which developed following religious strife as conflicts in the Netherlands and other Spanish ambitions dominated. In this case, there is little doubt as to the professionalism of the work; primary sources are frequently cited and contemporary secondary sources consulted. Intermediary, or dependent, sources are appropriately dropped or their impact marginalized.

While the similarities between the various national mindsets are drawn again and again, it can be easy to forget that of the many allies who were involved in the war, “each had their own agendas and antipathies that required resolution” (86). In trajectory at least, it cannot be forgotten that there is nothing shared between Britain and France, least of all that corner of once barbarian then British and now French farms and fishing grounds, Calais. While an entire chapter is devoted to peace, and “by the later 14th century a social climate had developed in which calls for a diplomatic solution to the Hundred Years war resounded” (85), they did so at different times which was emblematized as “a welter of propaganda proclaimed the justice of each side’s cause” (234). Fighting for this piece of land not only drew starkly these differences, but emphasized them as “conceptions of royal power differed in England and France, certainly when the war began, and these differences grew as the struggle unfolded” (114). 

Without the ideation that the reformation was somehow sparked by this series of raids and occupation, or that it would have anywhere near as great an effect on absolutism and contemporary to the time, ideals of monarchy, the soundest of conclusions drawn from many premises proffered by this work is that the 100 Years War defined Britain as an island nation, and showed that France was able to continentally defend itself without crying to the Pope for a Holy Crusade, not to say that this was not attempted at some point; France became a nation and England would follow suit in coming centuries, though the latter would certainly take a slightly more wiley route, necessitating the survival of a pseudo-invasion by Spain and significant expansion of naval prowess. In other words it took a bit more than the high walled caravels and a simple speech by King Richard II to establish England as a major imperial power.

David Green: Bibliographical Synopsis

Paul Andreas Fischer

10/21/2015

Professor Briggs

David Green: Bibliographical Synopsis

David Green has written four books, which are published through Pearson PLC or subsidiary publishing companies. These are monographs which may be considered scholarly in nature, complete with indexes, acknowledgements, and appendices. His first book, however, proved difficult to find and was co-authored with two other authors, however, as a non-fiction work published by the University of Nottingham may also be considered a scholarly monograph, though it is short and is only 40 pages in length.

With eleven articles published, David Green has also contributed in a significant manner to ten academic journals which focus on his field of study. In addition, though this is not directly pertinent, he has written 22 encyclopedic entries for three different encyclopedias and two dictionaries. Historical review of his work, however, varies somewhat from his own account of what his work actually consists of.

The International Medieval Bibliography lists only seven publications from David Green, comprising of six articles and one scholarly monograph, all of which are noted as publications on his academic website. The Iter bibliography lists seven essays which were written for the International Encyclopedia of Military History published in Routledge, New York, of which all but The Conquest of Wales are acknowledged on his website. Finally, on the Bibliography of British and Irish History, a full fourteen scholarly articles, books, and essays can be found, all of which are among those listed on his professional page, though “Medicine and Masculinity: Thomas Walsingham and the death of the Black Prince” contains a typographical error or potentially intentional change in title, possibly to avoid conflict with a similarly themed or titled book.

These resources are individually intended for different audiences, and there is the intention for historical work to be easily accessible as well as appropriately divisible. In addition, there may be certain standards for quality or quantity of work provided which factor in as various bibliographical resources decide which materials to include. In addition timing can play a large role in publication. For example, it is likely that some of these books received boosts from trends, whether as global as war in the Middle East and renewed interest in medieval warfare tactics or as local as a series of historic fairs and festivals at which the book may be presented.

Ori Shavit, Vegans on Top, and the Vegan/Vegetarian Revolution - Lecture at the Hillel House at UVM

Paul Andreas Fischer

10/20/2015

Environmental Studies

        This Monday Ori Shavit came to the Hillel House at UVM and gave a lecture on the vegan lifestyle based on her writing on “Vegans on Top” which raises awareness for the vegan “revolution” that has occurred in Israel in the last decade. Her first order of business was to describe the necessity to change to a vegan lifestyle and to describe her own realization that an all-vegan lifestyle was a choice which she could and did want to make. This was once a, as she described, “fringe phenomenon” and now in America and Israel, the decision to eat vegan foods has become a mainstream one. In Israel, 100’s of thousands have now changed their diet. The change is not limited to Israel, but is global and in the United States there are around half as many vegans per capita.

        Some vegans worry about fitting in socially, and there is a book for this which includes many alternative dishes and some that are nearly identical to non-vegan options called “So You’re Dating a Vegan.” Those who are uncomfortable with their choice publicly may also look to numerous celebrities and important figures who have adopted this lifestyle. Many are athletes, such as Marc Danzig, Ariel Rosenfeld, and even a former weightlifting champion who has maintained a vegan lifestyle for over 25 years. One suggestion she provides to encourage vegans to make their meals more accessible to guests and others who have not made the change completely is to incorporate corn cream into meals and to make use of pates.

        While the presentation was not one which was laden with factual details, the audience was encouraged to seek out the scientific basis for the choices themselves. There were key health, environmental, and social facts are presented. For example, industrial farming techniques involve the electric killing of baby chicks which do not lay enough eggs. This is a way in which the true cost of a dish is hidden. How does this translate into actual savings on a national scale? Among the 5% of Israelis who have become vegan, their food intake has decreased markedly, in fact even commercial chains which have not been historically friendly to vegans now have vegan options including Dominos.

        There are some boundaries which are established early on, which include the convenience and taste of vegan-ism which make adopting this lifestyle easier. Normally, vegans refuse all foods with meat, eggs, cheese, and milk but now many people who are not “fully” vegan supplement their diet with vegan food, a practice which confers many of the benefits that a vegan diet provides. Understanding where the food comes from can be quite as important as deciding where and to whom it will go. While a study from 2014 has shown that Alzheimer’s is actually the leading cause of death in the USA, heart disease is a major cause of mortality. Among vegetarians, heart attack mortality decreased by 24% and in vegans by 57% as shown in a study published by the American Dietetic Association.

        Other ways the true cost of eating traditional agricultural products can be hidden includes the substitution values of agricultural inputs. In Environmental Studies we have learned that the United States is among the greatest contributors to greenhouse gases, and by far the greatest contributor per capita. Part of this negative trend is related to the dietary choices which American have made, which may be sustainable, but also may be limiting growth. Importantly as well, cattle and other animals suffer unnecessary cruelty for the sake of what one chef describes as “a few colors on his pallet.” Seeing this vegan blogger was inspiring. We were able to see the meals, lifestyles, and positive consequences of this difficult and possibly overwhelming change. Investigation of research on this topic proved quite fruitful, and at the end of the evening, it was even worth it for this student to make a pledge to eat vegan daily. Even if unsuccessful, this pledge captures a fair amount of the social, health, and environmental benefits while still maintaining a fair amount of flexibility in dietary choices.