The Rush to Judgment for the Confederate Flag - Feeding a Media and Political Frenzy

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So here we are, turning a tragedy into a media circus by convincing the public that the only way to address the tragic mass murder in South Carolina is to banish that evil Confederate flag forever.  However, do our so-called media experts, social advocates, and political opportunists really have their historical facts in order?

The flag they are removing from South Carolina, Alabama, and Virginia was not the Confederate Flag.  No, this is a case of mistaken identity common within the liberal media when fact checking seems to be a lost art.  By the way, if that flag really was such a heinous and demonic symbol, why did the most popular Democrat of modern times, Bill Clinton, use it prominently in his presidential campaign?  Where was the liberal media in 1992?

No, they have it all wrong.  Yes, the flag flying over South Carolina has no business being there.  Not because it was the symbol of slavery in the South during the Civil War, which it was not, and not because it was a flag used in various forms by Confederate military regiments from the various southern states during the Civil War, which is true.

No, we should take it down because a few politicians hijacked the battle flag of courageous Southern and ultimately American soldiers.  The politicians hated the federal government, hated integration, and hated equality, and were the same politicians who tried to change history by making that flag a symbol of hatred.  By the way, those politicians were acting 100 years after the Civil War.

Ironically, the same politicians were all Democrats.

In 1948, Strom Thurmond's States' Rights Party adopted the Battle Flag of Northern Virginia as a symbol of defiance against the federal government. What precisely required such defiance?

At the time, the Democratic Party platform contained a progressive component on civil rights.  The opponents to the platform feared it gave the president far too much power over the states to enforce civil rights laws in the South.

In 1956, Georgia adopted its version of the same battle flag, not the flag of the Confederacy, to protest the Supreme Court's ruling against segregated schools, in Brown v. Board of Education.

The flag first flew over a state capitol in 1961 when Governor George Wallace raised it over the grounds of the legislature in Alabama to defy President Kennedy and his efforts to integrate Alabama schools.

In fact his intent was quite specifically to link more aggressive efforts to integrate the South with the trigger of secession 100 years before — namely, the storming of occupied Fort Sumter by federal troops. Fort Sumter, you might recall, is located at the mouth of Charleston Harbor.

Opposition to civil rights legislation, to integration, to miscegenation, to social equality for black people — these are the major plot points that make up the flag's recent history. Not Vietnam. Not opposition to Northern culture or values. Not tourism. Not ObamaCare. Not anything else.

What was the real Confederate Flag?

  

Designing a Confederate flag was one of the first orders of business for the new Confederate government. To take care of this, the Committee on the Flag and Seal was formed. South Carolinian William Porcher Miles was elected to chair the new committee. Miles put forward his own design for the flag, but he soon ran into opposition when the committee asked for public input on the new flag. The prevalent opinion was that the new flag should resemble the "old" United States flag. One of the designs submitted by the public began to gain some traction...

The new design had been submitted by a German-American artist named Nicola Marschall. Marschall was born in St. Wendel, Germany, and moved to Alabama in 1849. When the committee solicited suggestions for the new flag, Mary Clay Lockett, the wife of a friend, pushed Marschall to submit a design. After some consideration, Marschall submitted a design said to be largely based on the Austrian flag.

His design was adopted as the new Confederate flag over Miles's design, largely because Marschall's was recognizably similar to the U. S. flag. The new flag was soon popularly known as the "Stars and Bars" in an obvious nod to U. S. "Stars and Stripes."

The "Stars and Bars" originally had seven stars representing the seven original seceded states. More stars were added as more states were claimed by the Confederacy until the thirteenth and final star was added in late 1861. 

Similarity to the U. S. flag was what made the first Confederate flag popular, but it is also what eventually brought about its demise...

Second and Third National Flags

Eventually, the Confederacy grew tired of having a flag that could easily be confused with their enemy's flag. So, the Committee on the Flag and Seal started work on a new design. Everyone agreed that the new design should incorporate the, now popular, battle flag...

In May of 1863, the second national Confederate flag was unveiled. The new design placed the battle flag in the upper left corner of the flag, and called for the body of the flag to be white. This new flag was commonly referred to as the "Stainless Banner." Unfortunately, this flag met with problems as well.

It was soon realized that, unless there was a strong wind to keep the "Stainless Banner" outstretched, the new flag tended to look like a white flag of truce. When the flag hung limply, it was easy to miss the battle flag in the corner. In time, it was decided that this problem should be remedied...

The third national Confederate flag was unveiled in March of 1865, only weeks before Lee's surrender. This design simply called for a vertical red bar to be added to the outer end of the "Stainless Banner." The new flag was dubbed the "Bloodstained Banner," and served as the national Confederate flag until the Confederacy was dissolved.

Origin of Confederate Battle Flag

When most people think of a Confederate flag, the design that pops into their mind is more like this flag.

This flag is in fact the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, and it came about as a direct result of the similarity of the "Stars and Bars" to the "Stars and Stripes."

The battle flag design is, in fact, the original design suggested by William Miles for the national flag. Even though his committee had rejected his design, Miles did not give up hope of finding a use for his flag. That hope would be rewarded at the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run)...

This was the fist major battle of the civil war, and most of the Confederate units involved simply carried the new national flag. Here is where the problem with having a flag similar to that of your enemy was fully realized. After dealing with the confusion on the battlefield caused by his flags, the Confederate commander, General P. G. T. Beauregard, was anxious to find a solution...

William Miles just happened to be one of Beauregard's aides, and he told the General about his design that had been rejected. Beauregard liked the idea, and the Committee  on the Flag and Seal was asked to change the national flag. They rejected the idea...

Knowing the importance of this problem, General Beauregard suggested to his superiors that a uniform battle flag, that could not be confused with the U. S. flag, should be adopted. In the end, Miles's design was adopted as the official Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia, and it went on to become the most popular and enduring symbol of the Confederacy.

Regarding the use of the Confederate battle flag, eleven states officially seceded and joined the Confederacy, but the battle flag also included stars for the slave states of Kentucky and Missouri because they formed Confederate governments in exile.  Each state and often each general selected their own version of a battle flag and use was restricted to the actual fighting regiments.

Today what we call the Confederate Flag was never the Confederate Flag of the Southern Confederacy, but 100 years later a version of this battle flag was hijacked and used for a far more sinister use.

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Histories Mysteries - Next King of England (Prince William) Shares St. Clements Manor, Maryland bloodline

When the late Princess Diana's son Prince William of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne and grandson to Queen Elizabeth II, becomes King, it will be the first time in history that an English monarch is 1/16th American. Ancestors of Prince William and his brother Harry, sons of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, are from Coltons Point, also know as St. Clements Manor, settled 375 years ago near the mouth of the Potomac River.



How could this be you might ask? Good question. Because we thought we had run the British out of America a couple of centuries ago. But alas, one of the enduring mysteries of St. Clements Island and Coltons Point is the very strange history that abounds in this quiet little place lost in time yet just an hour from our nation's capitol. The first colony in the world to guarantee religious freedom, at a time when Catholics were being persecuted in England, everything about this place is mysterious.



And nothing is more mysterious than the first proprietors of the original St. Clements Manor, the Gerard family of England. Two of the Gerards, a brother and sister, were on the Ark and Dove in 1634 listed on the manifest as investors and gentlemen or women.



Some history books indicate that in 1633 when the Charter was first granted for Mary Land by King Charles II to the Calverts, well before the ships left for America, the King and Calvert gave a grant to the Gerard family for any land they wanted in the New World north of the Potomac River. If they did it would be indicative of the power and respect for the family.



You see, according to English Heraldry the Gerards trace their English heritage back to the 1100's to William Fitzgerald, (the Gerard family name was shortened from Fitzgerald to Gerard and also spelled Gerrard and Girard). William traveled with Richard Strongbow and was part of the force that took control of Ireland for the King of England. After that there were a lot of Sirs in the family over the years.

By the time of King Henry VIII the Gerard family was one of the most powerful Catholic families in England and never seemed to be prosecuted for being Catholic under the reins of Henry and Elizabeth I. During the later years of Elizabeth Sir Thomas Gerard began making plans to set up a colony in America where Catholics would be free of persecution.

Thus with George Calvert, an investor in Queen Elizabeth's efforts to colonize foreign lands, he helped finance the Calvert Maryland colony. George Calvert had also become a Catholic just when England was banning Catholics. Whatever the agreement between Gerard, Calvert and King Charles, two of the Gerard family members were dispatched on the first ships.



But the real Gerard claim was the charter for St. Clements Manor because the Gerard family was entrusted with the most sacred site of the expedition to establish religious freedom in America, St. Clements Island. History conscious England would normally protect National Treasurers like the first landing site in the New World guaranteeing religious freedom. It was another sign of the trust of the British crown in the Gerard family. Though the area was finally certified by surveys in 1639, since the 1634 landing it had been occupied by those in the first expedition.



In Father Andrew White's historic journal of the colonization it talks of St. Clements Island, the first landing site in the New World. It was here the first fort was built, the first Catholic Mass performed and the first peaceful encounter with Native Americans established the long term peaceful relationship. It was also in the St. Clements Manor area that Father White, thanks to the Indians, set up the first Catholic chapel in the New World.

For the first five years after the landing the St. Clements Manor area was one of just five settlement sites in all of the Maryland area where the Jesuit priests could go and meet with the Native Americans. It was considered safe enough for such interaction with the Native Americans. The site of the St. Clements Manor House complex became Coltons Point and has been lived in ever since.



Historians know that places like Jamestown, Plymouth and St. Mary's City all ceased to exist in their original sites by the 1690's. Thus Coltons Point was settled in 1634, chartered in 1638 and surveyed in 1639. Because of these reasons the St. Clements Manor area, now Coltons Point, is the oldest continuously lived in chartered settlement in all of colonial America.

Dr. Thomas Gerard, whose brother and sister were on the first ships, was the family member designated to settle and develop the New World holdings and he arrived with his family in 1638, immediately settling at Coltons Point (St. Clements Manor). In time his manor grew to one of the largest in all of America including over 20,000 acres. He also owned land in Virginia and he was a partner owning Capitol Hill, the land where the US Congress, Supreme Court and much of our federal government was build.

Gerard was an unusual person, exactly what King Charles would prefer. While Charles was a Protestant King with a Catholic Queen, Henrietta Maria from the powerful Medici family of France no less, Gerard was a Catholic from a powerful English family with a Protestant wife. When he reached America he built the first chapel for Catholics and Protestants on the Manor.



His Manor House in Coltons Point sat on the riverbank and faced the little Island where the landing took place. St. Clements Manor House was burnt down by the Protestants around 1645, rebuilt, burnt down by the English in 1713 and rebuilt, and finally destroyed by a hurricane in 1933. One day maybe it will be rebuilt on it's original site.

Gerard was the first doctor in Maryland, a gentleman and successful businessman. He was often at odds with the Calverts, the Lords from England, over the rights of the people versus the rights of the crown. After the protestant revolt in England his lands were seized for a time and he moved to his Virginia land. He was the neighbor and friend of John Washington, George Washington's great grandfather. In time two of his daughters married John Washington thus were step great grandmothers of our first President.



For those of you who find it odd that two sisters would marry the same person, regardless of the fact it was George Washington's great grandfather, a note on the Colonial ways. Way back then women were a rather rare feature in the early colonial days. Also death came early for many of the men. So to protect those women who choose to help settle the New World the families would often have the next available male or female marry the widows.

This was an extension of the rules of the English monarchy, the same rules that proved to be King Henry VIII's undoing. You see, his brother was King and died at age 15 in 1502 when Henry was just 10. Henry was thus required to marry his brother's widow, Catherine of Aragon, the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Spain (the same Isabella who sent Columbus to discover America). Catherine was much older and Henry had to wait until he was 17 before the marriage took place.

Well Henry had difficulty adjusting to the older woman and was enamored by younger women like the Boleyn sisters, having an affair with one and marrying the second, Anne. Anne forced him to divorce Catherine. Thus began the religious wars that tore Britain apart for the next 150 years. For her part Anne got beheaded but her daughter with Henry, Elizabeth, became Elizabeth I, one of the most beloved Queens of England. She never married. Hummm.

Back in the colonies when he died Dr. Thomas Gerard was buried alongside his first wife at the St. Clements manor House overlooking St. Clements Island. We believe both grave sites have been located three centuries later and along with St. Clements Island they should become one of the most historical sites in Southern Maryland. Meanwhile, numerous smaller manors within St. Clements Manor were given as gifts or sold. Frances Scott Key, composer of our National Anthem, was even born on St. Clements Manor.



In England where the rest of the Gerard family remained their royal bloodlines continued and both Prince Charles of Wales and Princess Diana are blood relatives of the Gerards. When Prince William becomes King he will be the first British Monarch who is 1/16th American. He is also 1/16th German, 1/16th Hungarian, 1/32nd Irish and 1/64th French.



That means our Coltons Point bloodline (Gerards) will have a son of Princess Diana, Prince William, who becomes King of England who is related to King Henry VIII, a new King whose ancestors were step great grandmothers to George Washington who defeated the English, and who is the first British King who is 1/16 American. No wonder we always liked Princess Diana.



Prince William of Wales, heir to the English throne, can trace his family to St. Clements Island and Coltons Point. We even know the gravesite of his ancestors here in Coltons Point who first arrived 375 years ago. We really must celebrate when Prince William becomes King. Better yet, why not start now in honor of the future King of England whose ancestors were our founders.

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Histories Mysteries - The Landing at St. Clement's Island in 1634

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In the past five years I have heard and seen many different versions of what happened when the colonists to Maryland arrived in 1634 and it is time that historical societies and historians finally get the record straight. With the arrival of Lord Baltimore's colonists in the new world and the unique grant that gave him unprecedented powers to colonize America including the power to establish religious freedom, it was one of the most significant colonies in our history.

First of all, in 1628 George Calvert, the 1st Lord Baltimore, traveled the Potomac River on a trip to Virginia to scout locations for his Mary Land settlement as soon as King Charles approved his grant. The grant was approved by the King shortly after George died in 1632 and his son, the 2nd Lord Baltimore was determined to complete his father's dream of a colony grounded in religious freedom.



The expedition left England in late 1633 and arrived at St. Clement's Island in the Potomac River just a few miles from the Chesapeake Bay about March 3-5, 1634. The approximately 315 passengers and crew used a barge or skiff they brought with them to move supplies to the island and immediately began building a fort. It was to serve as a fortress to prohibit foreigners from illegal trade on the river for it was the narrowest point for crossing the Potomac River.



On March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, a ceremony with all members of the expedition was held on the Island to read the official grant, celebrate the first Roman Catholic Mass in English speaking America, and conduct the first Eucharist ceremony in the colonies. A huge cross was made from downed trees and carried by the Catholics to the site of the Mass where it was erected. The Stations of the Cross were also part of the ceremony. Also the new colony was first dedicated to the Holy Mother Mary.

A couple of days later the Ark and Dove took many of the colonists to the future site of St. Mary's City. St. Clement's Island and the Manor that evolved under the guidance of the Gerard family remained a settlement and to this day remains the oldest continuously occupied chartered settlement in America.

By the end of March some of the colonists moved to the present site of St. Mary's City to establish permanent quarters while others remained at St. Clements and White Neck Creek. Soon additional settlements were at Inigoes downriver from St. Mary's City, and at a site along the Patuxent River. By 1637 another settlement was underway across St. Clements Bay in Newtown.



Also in 1637 the population of the Maryland colony was recorded as about 350 in Maryland with 90 in St. Mary's City, 60 in St. Clements Manor, and the balance throughout other Maryland plantations. The Manor grant to the Gerard family was promised before the expedition left England and was formally made in 1638 with the survey completed in 1639.

In terms of historical accuracy, the following should be used.

While the 1st Lord Baltimore died before the first expedition, he did visit Maryland in 1628 and traveled the Potomac River following the Captain John Smith explorations documented earlier by the Governor of Virginia.



The Ark and the Dove carried about 322 passengers and crew on the voyage including the loyalists who left from Gravesend, England and the Catholics who boarded at the Isle of Wight. Twelve people died crossing the ocean.

The expedition first landed at St. Clement's Island about March 5, 1634, not at St. Mary's City as often mentioned in speeches.

While Governor Leonard Calvert traveled the Potomac to meet with Indian leaders the remaining colonists built a fort on St. Clement's Island and on March 25 a ceremony on the Island, now celebrated as Maryland Day, was held.

During the ceremony the charter to the Calvert family was read and made Maryland the first colony in the world to guarantee religious freedom to all residents.

Around March 27, 1634 some of the colonists remained at St. Clements while others went to establish St. Mary's City.

While St. Clement's Manor was chartered in 1638 and the Manor House finished the same year St. Mary's City was not chartered until 1668 and ceased to exist in 1699. Both English settlements in Jamestown, VA and Plymouth, MA ceased to exist in the 1690's as well.



The St. Clement's Manor House under Lord Thomas Gerard was completed in 1638 on the mainland overlooking St. Clement's Island (currently Coltons Point).

If we just correct these errors in historical records we can begin the process of accurately documenting all the historical records of this most sacred and significant time in American history.



Other articles about the history of Maryland can be found at the following links.

Histories Mysteries - Next King of England (Prince William) Shares St. Clements Manor, Maryland bloodline
http://coltonspointtimes.blogspot.com/2010/01/histories-mysteries-next-king-of.html

Histories Mysteries - The Voyage of the Ark and the Dove
http://coltonspointtimes.blogspot.com/2009/09/histories-mysteries-journey-of-ark-and.html

St. Clements Pre-history Part 2
http://coltonspointtimes.blogspot.com/2009/08/st-clements-island-prehistory-part-2.html

St. Clements Pre-history Part 1
http://coltonspointtimes.blogspot.com/2009/08/st-clements-island-prehistory-part-1.html

St. Clements Island and Manor - Four Centuries of Interrupted History
http://coltonspointtimes.blogspot.com/2009/07/st-clements-island-and-manor-four.html

Summer Comes To Coltons Point
http://coltonspointtimes.blogspot.com/2009/05/rapping-with-vp-biden-next-in-line-for.html

Scenes from Coltons Point
http://coltonspointtimes.blogspot.com/2009/03/scenes-from-coltons-point.html

The Miracle of St. Clements Island
http://coltonspointtimes.blogspot.com/2008/04/miracle-of-st-clements-island.html

The Pilgrim's Progress
http://coltonspointtimes.blogspot.com/2007/02/pilgrims-progress.html

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Histories Mysteries - The Journey of the Ark and the Dove

For the past 376 years, ever since the Ark and the Dove sailed from England to the New World (1633-34) bringing the first Catholics and others to settle the Mary Land colony of Lord Baltimore, there has been confusion in the historical accounts on the timing of the departure, the number of passengers, and how did Catholics on board manage to leave England when they were being persecuted?

The Ark and the Dove were two ships owned by Lord George Calvert, whose son Cecil inherited his property, ships and grant from the King of England to the Mary Land colony in America. On the voyage to America the Ark, a merchantman, was under the command of Richard Lowe while the Dove was under the command of Captain Winter.

A full-rigged ship, the Ark of London was about 350 tons with a crew of forty. It was to carry the first settlers and supplies to the new colony. (Tons refers to tons burden, a measure of space available for cargo unless said to be weight). The Ark was a merchantman armed to repel pirates or enemy ships and "Kingbuilt" to serve as a warship if commandeered by the navy. For her first and second voyages from London to Maryland in 1633-35 the Ark had fifteen large carriage-mounted cast-iron cannon and other guns, probably some combination of demiculverins, cutts, sakars, and perhaps minions or falcons.

To repel boarders she would have had small swivel mounted antipersonnel guns called "murderers." In August 1635 before her third voyage she added eight sakars and two cutts. Guns of the seventeenth century were not standardized. Demiculverins might weigh 3,000 to 3,500 pounds, be nine to ten feet long, have a 4 to 4 ¾ inch bore and throw an 8 to 9 1/2-pound ball more than a mile. Sakers commonly weighed 2,000 to 2,500 pounds, were seven to nine feet long, had a 3.5 to 4 inch bore and a 5 to 6 pound shot. Cutts were demiculverins, with the barrel shortened by about six feet with little loss in range. They might throw a 9-pound ball about a mile but had extremely violent recoil and, as was the case with the sakers, were not accurate enough to have an effective range of more than about 500 yards. Minions could weigh 1,000 to 1,200 pounds, be 6 feet long and throw a 4 to 5 pound ball. Falcons weighed 600 to 800 pounds and used a 4 to 5 pound ball.

The armament of the Ark was important. Spain considered it her right to seize or sink any English ship found south of the "tropike" (of Cancer) and west of the "Grave Meridian" (probably considered by the Spanish to be by 18 degrees west longitude). The Ark was headed for the West Indies and would be in that area for weeks. Another danger was piracy. In 1631, the most dreaded of all pirates, those of Sallee, a port on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, held as slaves some 2,000 captives from English ships and the coasts of England and Ireland. In 1634-35 pirates captured some 2,000 people from English ships and towns.

Richard Lowe, the Ark's master, had reason to be wary of pirates. In March 1628, he was captured at sea by "Frenchmen" while master of the 130-ton Anne of London. In November 1630 he was master of the 160-ton Charity of London when she fought two Dunkirk pirate ships in the Narrow Seas for "two hours but quitted herself with some hurte."

The Dove was a small vessel, "of the burthen of fortie tons." On the first voyage to Maryland, it accompanied the Ark as its pinnace, a tender and scout, and carried some baggage and supplies. No precise information about the rig, dimensions, or layout of the Dove is known. Some representations show her with three masts, some with two. She is variously reported to be of forty to fifty tons burden. For the voyage with the Ark she had a crew of seven.

Over the past four centuries historians have estimated the number of passengers at between 123 to over 300 with the number of Catholics being most difficult to determine. It was not a surprise as Catholics were being persecuted in England at the time and it was only because George Calvert had faithfully served the King of England, James I, that an avowed Catholic like Calvert could get a land grant in the first place. He had previously invested in the East India Trading Company, the settlement of Avalon in Newfoundland, and the Jamestown settlement.

Maryland was to be the first English colony in America guaranteeing religious freedom by virtue of the failure to mention in the Maryland Charter loyalty to the Church of England. It was the only way Lord Calvert and his spiritual advisor Father Andrew White could devise to get around the English laws persecuting the Catholics, Puritans and other denominations not part of the Church of England.

As the journey to America neared preparations intensified and in mid-October 1633 after fitting out at Blackwall, England the Ark and the Dove dropped down the Thames to anchor off Gravesend where they were to take on stores and passengers. Gravesend was the main harbor for sailing to foreign lands as it sat just down the Thames River from London and was protected from the open seas. It was also where Pocahontas, the Indian princess, died a few years earlier as she was about to return to America. Pocahontas had a role in the colonization of America by saving John Smith, Governor of Jamestown, two times. It was Smith's exploration of the Potomac River that convinced George Calvert to land at St. Clements and settle along the river rather than the Chesapeake Bay.

The two ships then set sail for America. Soon after that, John Coke, the English Secretary of State, sent an urgent dispatch to Admiral John Pennington: "The Ark of London, Richard Lowe, master, carrying men for Lord Baltimore to his new plantation sailed from Gravesend contrary to orders" and those aboard had "not taken the oath of allegiance to the Crown" as they were required to do by a warrant from Whitehall dated July 31.

The Ark was intercepted by Pennington's ships and taken back under guard to Tilbury Hope across from Gravesend harbor. The oath was administered by October 29 at Gravesend to 123 people listed on the ship manifest and the ships received permission to leave England on October 30, "Provided there be no other person or persons aboard the said shippe or pinnace but such as have or shall have taken the oath of allegiance as aforesaid."

From Gravesend the colonists had to sail along the English coast for several days before reaching the Isle of Wight where they docked at Cowes to secretly pick up passengers who avoided the customs house in Gravesend and to await favorable weather before setting out to sea.

It was at Cowes that the Catholics who refused to take the oath boarded the two vessels, including Father Andrew White. As they waited at Cowes for weather to clear rumors spread through the docks that Catholics were on board the ships and were attempting to sail from England without taking the required oath. There was a fear among the colonists that English ships would again be sent to stop them if they did not get on their way.

From this point let Father White tell the story from his acclaimed journal of the voyage to America.

"On the 22d of the month of November, 1633, on St. Cecilia's day, the east wind blowing gently, we weighed anchor from Cowes, situated in the isle of Wight. When we had first placed the principal parts of the ship under the protection of God, the most holy Mother, St. Ignatius, and all the other guardian angels of Maryland, being carried a short distance between the two headlands, for want of wind we came to anchor off the Castle of Yarmouth, which is a port on the west of the same island. Here we were saluted by the festal thunders of the cannon.

We were not free from fear, however; for the sailors began to murmur among themselves that they expected a messenger from London with letters, and so appeared to frame causes of delay. But God interrupted their wicked designs, for the same night a favorable, but strong wind blowing, a French barque, which had lain in the same port with us, being compelled to weigh anchor, nearly drove against our pinnace.

Therefore, to prevent being run down, one anchor being cut loose and lost, she hastened to make sail as quick as possible, and since it is dangerous to be tossed by the waves in that place, she put out to sea. Therefore, lest we should lose sight of our pinnace, we determined to follow; so that whatever designs the sailors contemplated against us, were frustrated.

This happened on the 23d of November, St. Clement's day, on which he, being bound to an anchor and cast into the sea, obtained a crown of martyrdom, and afforded to his people a way to land, as the miracles of God declare."

So the next day, at ten o'clock in the morning, being honored again by a salute from the Castle of Hurst, we were carried beyond the breakers at the extremity of the Isle of Wight, which from their form, they call the Needles. But these are a terror to sailors on account of the double tide of the sea; on this side hurrying and dashing the ships upon the rocks, and on the other side against the neighboring shore.

To say nothing of the other imminent danger which we escaped at the Castle of Yarmouth, here the wind and tide raging while we remained, the anchor not yet being weighed and secured, the ship was almost dashed on shore, unless on a sudden, by great exertion, having tacked, and shipping a sea, we escaped the danger, by a propitious God, who vouchsafed to us this pledge of his future protection, through the merits of St. Clements."

As for the number of people aboard the two ships after the passengers were boarded at Gravesend and Cowes, Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore, in a letter to Lord Wentworth, afterwards the Earl of Strafford, says :

" By the help of some of your Lordship's good friends and mine, I have sent a hopeful colony into Maryland, with a fair and favorable expectation of good success, without any danger of any great prejudice to myself, in respect that many others are joined with me in the adventure. There are two of my brothers with very near twenty other gentlemen of very good fashion, and three hundred laboring men."

In other words there were 2 Calverts, near 20 gentlemen and 300 laboring men, approximately 322 total colonists. Of these twelve died at sea, ten Protestants and 2 Catholics. Included among the passengers were two Jesuit priests and two Councillors of the Colony who were adherents of the Church of England. Approximately 310 passengers plus any additional people picked up in the Caribbean Islands and Virginia would have arrived at St. Clements Island.

Thus we have the answers to several historical puzzles regarding this most significant voyage to America including the background on the ships, the attempt to sail that was stopped by the English, the reason the passenger manifest was only a partial listing, the various ports involved in the first voyage, the reason everyone did not sign the oath of loyalty and other interesting facts.

Future postings of Histories Mysteries will investigate many other aspects of the colonizing of Maryland and the birth of religious freedom in America.

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Taylor Swift for President - Taylor does what politicians cannot do - stand up to corporate America!

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I have been writing about Taylor Swift since we first became "friends" on MySpace back around 2006.  At the time her first album and single had just been released and she was a sixteen year old veteran performer being introduced to America.

Since then, well you know the story, Taylor soon became a hit, then a superstar, and now, at the ripe old age of 25, is a legend in the music industry.  Since that first album in 2006 released through a small, start up Independent record label Swift has swiftly become the reigning Queen of country music, then Queen of the pop-rock genre.

This year the granddaddy of financial magazines, Forbes, says Taylor is worth over $200 million and named her as one of the Most Powerful Women in the World, at number 65.  In fact, Taylor has sold over 40 million albums and over 100 million single downloads her first decade in the public eye.

In the process Taylor parlayed the Internet potential to become the first true sensation in the music industry to use the Internet to bypass the record labels through her sophisticated use of music videos, on line concerts, social media, Internet promotions, and about every other innovation discovered in this age of the Internet.

Did I mention she earned a 4.0 grade point in high school?

When I wrote how Taylor was far too big for country music, I received a flood of Country Swifties' emails blasting me for such an idea.  Then she released her newest album, 1989, in the fall of 2014, and crushed all singers in country, pop, rock, you name it.  By the way, it was her first pop album - in her own words not mine, and sold over 8.6 million copies.

So why Taylor Swift for President when so many are running already?

Before history buffs mention that she is too young to be president since our Constitution says you must be 35 to be president, I know and I am not talking about 2016.  Taylor has already demonstrated more guts than most politicians taking on the recording industry but she will be 35 when she takes office, if she runs for President in 2024.

Why start drafting her to run almost ten years ahead of time?  Because it gives Taylor the same amount of time to do things to help prepare for her future in politics as president. However, in the past year she has single-handed stood up to the largest music streaming company in the business, Spotify.  Then yesterday, she stood up to one of the most powerful corporations in the world, Apple.

Most consumers pay little attention but most people in the music industry make their money in the form of royalties paid for record sales and plays in the entertainment media.  Streaming services for audio, like Spotify, have to pay royalties to writers, artists, and producers, if they sell ad free subscriptions for around $10.00 a month.

Unfortunately, most streaming services do not have many subscribers.  What they do have are free members who get free music with a thick dose of commercials.  There are no royalties paid for the free service, even though ad sales generate money.  To illustrate the problem, Spotify has about 80 million users but only 20 million subscribers.  Thus, artists get a royalty on just 25% of their music on Spotify.  Taylor said it was not fair and pulled her music.

This weekend Apple announced the new Apple music streaming company and said no royalties would be paid to the artists for free trial members.  Taylor responded the same day that it was not fair to all those young artists and retired artists who would earn no royalty and said she would not allow her new record-setting album, 1989, to be part of Apple.

Here is what Taylor wrote to Apple.

To Apple, Love Taylor

I write this to explain why I’ll be holding back my album, 1989, from the new streaming service, Apple Music. I feel this deserves an explanation because Apple has been and will continue to be one of my best partners in selling music and creating ways for me to connect with my fans. I respect the company and the truly ingenious minds that have created a legacy based on innovation and pushing the right boundaries.

I’m sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.

This is not about me. Thankfully I am on my fifth album and can support myself, my band, crew, and entire management team by playing live shows. This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.

These are not the complaints of a spoiled, petulant child. These are the echoed sentiments of every artist, writer and producer in my social circles who are afraid to speak up publicly because we admire and respect Apple so much. We simply do not respect this particular call.

I realize that Apple is working towards a goal of paid streaming. I think that is beautiful progress. We know how astronomically successful Apple has been and we know that this incredible company has the money to pay artists, writers and producers for the 3 month trial period… even if it is free for the fans trying it out.

Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing. I say this with love, reverence, and admiration for everything else Apple has done. I hope that soon I can join them in the progression towards a streaming model that seems fair to those who create this music. I think this could be the platform that gets it right.

But I say to Apple with all due respect, it’s not too late to change this policy and change the minds of those in the music industry who will be deeply and gravely affected by this. We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.


Taylor

Taylor used the Internet site Tumblr  to send her message to Apple, signed Love Taylor, and in minutes the social media airways lit up when the tens of thousands of Taylor Swifties started tweeting, re-tweeting and burning up the Internet.

  

Mind you, Apple's stock this week passed $700 billion in value and sophisticated investors say it should reach $1.26 trillion in value soon.  Amazingly, in less than 24 hours and after executive sessions and trying to reach Taylor, Apple became the first music streaming company to reverse itself and say, ooops, now they will test paying royalties for all free trial subscriptions.

Everyone's favorite sweetheart became a mighty lioness and brought the behemoth mighty Apple to their knees just to protect those artists, dedicated musicians, and technicians with no voice in our capitalist system.  That skinny country kid from Pennsylvania and Nashville grew up in a hurry, is now based in NYC, the really Big Apple, and is guiding fellow writers, musicians, and producers through some trying times in the music industry.   

When Taylor said enough is enough - Apple blinked, then cracked.

We need good hearted, intelligent, and strong women in politics who are young, successful outside of politics, and ready to rumble.  I urge the Swifties to start a draft Taylor Swift movement now so Taylor and the nation can be ready for her in just ten years.

Remember all those bankers who nearly bankrupted America and lost trillions of dollars in money from the little people?  Well no one in the Obama Administration, in fact no one in the Democratic or Republican party except for Senator Elizabeth Warren, has stood up to them, let alone got them to back down.

Perhaps Taylor can finally start throwing the crooks in jail since she is not a politician and is entering the race with no strings attached.

Taylor Tells the Truth!

Swift Justice to Crooks!

Swift says Stand up for Someone!

Taylor Swift will Sweep the Politicians Out!

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