The Amaricans are Challing: A Colonial
Child’s Exclamation
Between the pages of his math exercise book John Barstow jotted down
a patriot tune called “The Amaricans, Challing" ("The
Americans are Calling") on January 2nd, 1777 (GLC 09051). Carefully
written in a youth’s unsteady hand, the text appears to be a transcription
of a popular camp song from the Revolutionary era. How this declaration
of patriotism found its way into Barstow’s math lessons is unknown.
One can imagine a young child learning the song from a father or older
brother going off to war or hearing the tune sung by soldiers who marched
through town. Perhaps it was simply doodled during an instance of classroom
boredom. This unexpected entry is, however, evidence of the patriotic
fervor that young John and other children must have felt at the time.
Krista Rupe, Special Projects Manager
The Gilder Lehrman Collection
Transcript
THE AMaricans, Challing } S
1
Amaricans To arms Prepare
Honour & Glory Beats For war
Exert Yourselves with Force & might
Thou how The amaricans Boys Can fight
For To maintain Their Charter rights
Hozah Brave Boys ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2
hark how The warlike Trumpet Sounds
Where there is nothing but Blood and Wound}
Drums & Beating Colours Flying Cannons Roaring [inserted:
Tories Dying]
These are The Noble Efects of war, Hozah Brave Boys
3
You [sic: Ye] That Rain [sic: reign] masters of The Seas }
Shake of [sic: off] your Youthful Sloth and Ease } must undergo
We will make The haughty Tories know, The Sorrows They
When they Engage Their mortal Foe, Hozah Brave Boys
4
Display your Collours mount your Guns. }We Will Prove Their
Bator [sic: Batten] Their Cassels [sic: castles] Fire their
Towns }Fatal Overthrew
You Nightid [sic: United] sons of Amaricans Fame [sic: flame]
} Hozah Brave Boys
Let not your unDaunted Courage Fame
We will Drive The Tories Back again, Hozah Brave Boys
5
Why Should we be Daunted at all, Sence [sic: Since] we are
engaged in so Just a } Cause
In Fighting for our Rights and Laws and dying in so Just a
Caus } Be moved
We'll prove their fatal overthrow Huzza brave boys
[The following text is written vertically on the upper right
hand side of page in a black lined box.]
John Barstow
His writing The 2 Day of Jary jenam
1777
John Barstow The 2 Day of January
|
Item Description and Credits
GLC
09051,
John
Barstow, Patriotic verse in a school exercise book, 1777.
For more information or to obtain copies, contact Ana Ramirez-Luhrs
at reference@gilderlehrman.com
or call (212) 787-6616 ext. 209.
Suggested Reading
Barrett, Tracy, Growing Up In Colonial America (American
Children). Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing. Millbrook Press,
Inc. 1995.
Brenner, Barbara, If You Were There in 1776. New York: Simon
& Schuster Children's Publishing, 1994.
Earle, Alice M., Home Life in Colonial Days. Detroit, MI:
Omnigraphics, 1991.
Earle, Alice M., Child Life in Colonial Days. Detroit, MI:
Omnigraphics, 1989.
Fleming, Thomas, The Portable Patriot - A Celebration of America
: A Collection of Songs, Documents, Speeches, Events and People That
have Shaped America's Destiny. New York: I Books. 2006.
Hart, Albert, Colonial Children, Washington, D.C.: Regnery
Publishing, Gateway Editions, 2001.
Kennedy, Caroline, A Patriot's Handbook : Songs, Poems, Stories,
and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love. New York: Hyperion Books.
2003.
Miller, Brandon Marie, Growing Up in Revolution and the New Nation
1775 to 1800 (Our America). Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing.
2002.
Warner, John, Colonial American Home Life. Broxburn, U.K.:
Franklin Watts, 1993.
