INDEPENDENCE DAYS—TWO FAITHFUL ENDEAVORS
“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” - Thomas Paine
As you know, American Independence is celebrated on July 4th. But, did you know there is another Independence Day that our federal government recognizes each year in March? The poem below is connected to this historical event. See if any of the language clues you into its meaning:
Hymn of Liberty
We knew thee of old,
Oh, divinely restored,
By the lights of thine eyes
And the light of thy Sword.
From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
Long time didst thou dwell
Mid the peoples that mourn,
Awaiting some voice
That should bid thee return.
Ah, slow broke that day
And no man dared call,
For the shadow of tyranny
Lay over all.
And we saw thee sad-eyed,
The tears on thy cheeks
While thy raiment was dyed
In the blood of the Greeks.
Yet, behold now thy sons
With impetuous breath
Go forth to the fight
Seeking Freedom or Death.
From the graves of our slain
Shall thy valour prevail
As we greet thee again-
Hail, Liberty! Hail!
Do you know what the poem is about? Reading through the first four stanzas you may have thought that this poem refers to American Independence, but the “blood of the Greeks” in the fifth stanza eliminated that possibility. It is about modern Greek Independence. Okay. So what? Is this something worth knowing about? I believe so…
You or someone you know may be part of the organizations called The Sons of The American Revolution or The Daughters of The American Revolution—their members are descendants of patriots from the American Revolutionary Era. Well, I happen to be a Son of the Greek Revolution, related to two men, one named Kitsos Tzavelas, and another, Georgios Karaiskakis, who were important to the liberation of modern Greece. In older generations, American children used to learn about Greek Independence because of its connection to ours. Today, not so much. I hope you will find in this description a rich connection between the two civilizations and a greater appreciation for the culture and liberty we have here.
The words of the poem above, Hymn of Liberty, were written by Dionysios Solomos in 1823, just two years into the Greek Revolution—Rudyard Kipling, the famous British writer, translated it into English in 1918. After gaining independence from the Ottoman Turks, parts of the poem would eventually become the Greek national anthem. If you review the poem you might notice a couple of common themes between Greek Independence and the 18th century American struggle for liberty. First, the people of Greece believed God's hand was at work, "Oh, divinely restored," just as the revolutionaries of the American War for Independence believed “Providence” was on their side. After American Independence, the following verse from Leviticus 25 was inscribed on the Liberty Bell as a testament to their gratitude to God: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” This was a biblical allusion to the jubilee and redeeming of the land by the people of Israel.
Second, in Solomos' poem you read the phrases "Freedom or Death" and "Hail, Liberty! Hail!" Freedom or Death was a slogan from the American Revolution that appeared in multiple correspondences, political cartoons, and speeches. One of the most famous speeches of the American Revolutionary period came from Patrick Henry in 1775 where he famously concluded by saying: "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
Interestingly, in Solomos' poem, "Liberty" is personified and takes on mythical proportions. Here are some phrases from the poem that illustrate this emphasis: "We knew thee of old...Long time didst thou dwell...Hail, Liberty! Hail." During the American Revolutionary period, liberty was also represented as the mythical figure, "Columbia," also known as "Lady Liberty." In a poem written in 1776 by Phyllis Wheatley entitled “To His Excellency George Washington,” the author wrote “Celestial choir! enthron'd in realms of light, Columbia's scenes of glorious toils I write, While freedom's cause her anxious breast alarms, She flashes dreadful in refulgent arms.” Relatedly, in 1876, on the occasion of the centennial celebration of the American Declaration of Independence, the French people gifted a statue to The United States named "Lady Liberty Enlightening the World” that is known today as "The Statue of Liberty." She hearkens back to the mythical goddess Columbia, the personification of “liberty.”
The similarities described above and others unmentioned are not coincidental. The Greek Revolution did not take place in a vacuum, but was motivated, in part, by what the Americans had done in breaking away from the most powerful empire in the world at the time, Great Britain. It is true that there had been Greek attempts at independence prior to 1821, but in seeing the success of the American Revolution and others around the world that followed, the time was right for the Greeks to break away from their oppressors—4oo+ years was long enough. Our Founding Fathers were students of history and therefore knew about the Greeks' long struggle with their overlords, and they also had some of their own experiences with the long-established Ottoman Empire. In fact, during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, our nation fought with North African provinces that were part of the Ottoman Empire; this conflict was known as the Barbary War.
In the American Declaration of Independence, the most famous and important part reads: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." With roots in what is known as Judeo-Christian principles, The American Founders and the Greek Revolutionaries held a common view of man’s nature and special dignity described in the Declaration. Due to a shared spirit of human liberty, the Americans' respect for Greece's glorious past and their contributions to Western Civilization, there were many in the states that vigorously supported modern Greece’s independence movement. These people were known as "Philhellenes" or friends of the Hellenes (Greeks). These supporters existed in Europe as well, and during what we call The Age of Romanticism there were many who voluntarily joined the fight in Greece. Among them was the most famous Philhellene of all, Lord Byron, the renowned British poet who ended up dying in Greece.
Many Americans shed their blood helping the Greeks and more sacrificed in other ways. Samuel Gridley Howe, the well-known abolitionist and doctor who led efforts to assist the deaf and blind, signed up for the Greek army and served as a soldier and surgeon in the war; his spiritedness and humanity soon earned him the title “the Lafayette of the Greek Revolution.” In 1829 Howe opened a medical center in Aegina, a Greek island near Athens. He married Julia Ward Howe, the famous author of the song, "Battle Hymn of the Republic." She later accompanied her husband Samuel to the Greek island of Crete to help form an uprising against the Turks.
Some of the American Founding Fathers were counted among the Philhellenes. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both supported the Greek cause before they passed in 1826. James Madison, James Monroe, and John Quincy Adams, the latter two served their presidencies during the Greek War for Independence, also supported the cause. Charles Carroll, the oldest surviving signer of the Declaration of Independence, was a Philhellene as was Daniel Webster, the great Senator and orator from Massachusetts.
A good deal of financial assistance was sent to Greece from The United States via an American relief committee headed by Edward Everett. Everett had an illustrious career as president of Harvard and Greek professor, as Governor of Massachusetts, Congressman, Senator, and as Secretary of State under Millard Filmore—he later became the forgotten orator at Gettysburg who delivered a two-hour speech just before Abraham Lincoln's shorter and more famous address. In a notable letter from the Greek Revolutionary hero, Theodoros Kolokotronis, to the American Philhellene Edward Everett, you can see a request for continued support and an expression of shared principles. Kolokotronis wrote in 1826:
Greece is forever grateful to the philanthropy of our Christian brothers who share her struggle and who also support with their funds her just war [for independence]... the Greeks, determined to live or die free, do not fear shedding their blood... or the killing of their old, their women and their children... and they are ready to accept death rather than slavery; and now, more than ever, enthusiastically and united they are moving forward against [the Turks]... The Greek nation is not ungrateful to its benefactors. It is grateful to those who proclaim its epic struggle and their names will be recorded with indelible letters in the annals of the reborn Greece, in timeless display, for the respect of upcoming generations... Do not stop sending us your contributions... thus [you are] benefiting humanity and fulfilling Christ's will. [emphasis added]
This correspondence was sent to Everett by George Jarvis, the first American to join the fight in Greece. It was translated by Everett and parts of it, along with a letter from Jarvis, were published in newspapers in Boston, Philadelphia, New York and other cities leading to more assistance for Greece. In 1827 and 1828, $150,000 worth of supplies was sent to Greece (tens of millions of dollars today, adjusted for inflation), some of which were used for military efforts and others for support of the needy and hungry people of Greece who were struggling during the war.
After 400 years under Turkish rule, on March 25, 1821, the Orthodox Bishop Germanos raised the flag of the Greek Revolution at the Monastery of Agia Lavra, signaling their declaration of independence. By 1829, the Greeks won their independence and formal recognitions would follow over the next few years. Interestingly, Greek independence had been declared on the same day as one of the most celebrated feast days in the Orthodox Church, the Annunciation of the Theotokos, the day on which Christians around the world celebrated the visit by the Archangel Gabriel who revealed to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and bear a son: “…And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33). The Greeks of the revolutionary era were grateful to God, the true liberator, and to the Virgin Mary, whom they believed interceded for them. So, for the Greeks there has always been a special connection between Greek independence and The Annunciation.
In terms of the wider significance of Greek independence, the revolution led to the creation of the first ever nation of Greece, originally a very small area of land which continued to expand into the 20th century to include Greek inhabited areas of what is today northern Greece and the various islands surrounding the mainland and close to Asia Minor. The Greek revolt also reignited sparks among other peoples of the Balkans who revolted against the Turks in successive decades, resulting in independent countries in Serbia, Montenegro, Romania and Bulgaria.
Returning to the connection between Greek and American Independence, to this day the United States government commemorates Greek Independence and holds a special place for her in its heart and mind. Every year on March 25th, Greek Independence Day, the president of the United States issues a proclamation celebrating Greek and American liberty, recognizing the historical link between them and perpetuating what the Founders of this great republic considered a bold experiment in human freedom. To read President Obama's proclamation about Greek Independence in 2016, click here. To Read President Trump's 2020 proclamation about Greek Independence, go here. To read President Biden’s proclamation from 2024, go here.
As they say in Greece, Χρόνια πολλά!
*Jason Caros is a husband, father and classical school headmaster.