ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΤΗΣ ΑΜΕΡΙΚΗΣ

PHILHELLENESOF THE UNITES STATES

ΕΚΚΛΗΗ ΣΟΤ ΠΕΣΡΟΜΠΕΗ ΜΑΤΡΟΜΙΦΑΛΗΠΡΟ ΣΗΝ ΚΤΒΕΡΝΗΗ ΣΩΝ ΗΠΑ

“Having formed the resolution to live or die for freedom, we are drawn to you since it is in your land that liberty has fixed her abode and is respected by you as it was by our Fathers. Hence, in involving her name, we invoke yours, trusting that in emulating you, we shall emulate our ancestors and be thought worthy of them if we succeed in resembling your achievement.Though separated from you by mighty oceans, we consider you closer to us than the nations of our frontiers, and regard you as friends, fellow citizens and brothers, because you are free, generous, liberal, and a Christian people. Your liberty does not rest on the slavery of other nations, nor your prosperity on their calamities and sufferings. On the contrary, free and prosperous yourselves, you are desirous that all men should share the same blessings; that all should enjoy these rights to which all by nature are equally entitled. It is you who(in our day) first proclaimed these rights and it is by your example that Europe receives lessons of justice and learns to renounce her absurd and bloody customs. This glory, Americans, is yours alone and raises you above all nations which have gained a name for liberty and law.”

John Quincy Adams

PetrosMavromichalis

GEORGE JARVIS – ΚΑΠΕΣΑΝ ΖΕΡΒΟὉ Πρῶτοσ Ἀμερικανὸσ Υιλέλληνασ Μαχητῆσ

The first American to travel to Greece and join the Greek War ofIndependence as a volunteer was George Jarvis, a New Yorker, who went toGreece in 1822. He learned the Greek language, put on a "foustanella“ and upon joining the "kleftes" (Greek guerillafighters) he became known as KapetanZervos. Jarvis participated, in manybattles and was repeat­edly wounded. He died of natural causes in Argos onAugust 11,1828, but his appeals back home for aid and contributions to theGreek cause paid off.

Jarvis & MavrocordatosΓνωριμία του Γιαρβή με τον

Μαυροκορδᾶτο

Jarvis arrived in Greece in April 1822. He formed a long friendship with Greek statesman Alexandros Mavrocordatos(photo).

“[H]e was particularly kind to me andliked me the more, as he said, forbeing an American,” Jarvis wrote in hisjournal

«Μνῦ ἔδεημε ἰδηαίηεξε θαινζύλε θαὶκὲ ζπκπάζεζε ἀθόκεπεξηζζόηεξν, θαζὼο ἔιεγε, ἐπεηδὴἤκνπλ Ἀκεξηθαλόο», ἔγξαθε ὁ Γηαξβὴο ζηὸ ἡκεξνιόγηό ηνπ.

Alexandros Mavrocordatos

Jarvis & Lord ByronὉ Γιαρβὴσ καὶ ὁ Λόρδοσ Βύρων

Jarvis reached Missolonghi on February

26, 1824. There, Mavrocordatos

introduced him to Lord Byron, who by

that time had been there about seven

weeks. Jarvis soon became a member of

Byron’s colorful band of Philhellenes and

adventurers and remained closely

associated with Byron for the last two

months of Byron’s life.

Ὁ Γηαξβὴο γλωξίζηεθε κὲ ηὸλ Λόξδν

Βύξωλα ζηὸ Μεζζνιόγγη ηὸλ

Φεβξνπάξην 1824.Lord Byron – Λόρδος Βύρων

“If I had not loved their common cause with all myheart, I should this moment not have been able to resistjoining them, nor do I believe anyone else who was yetable to feel for freedom and humanity. To see these poorGreeks, many without shoes, all without or with theworst of bread, joined, climbing up hills and downdales, to attack the tyrannical aggressor, in defense oftheir country – never has an object interested memore, never did I feel more sincerely for my ownfamily, than I did and do for the poor Greeks. . ..

"It is the noblest perhaps that ever man fought for; andthe Greeks... their conduct and their bravery, is it not anexample to all the world?“

Jonathan P. Miller

Born in Randolph, Vermont, in 1797, he was educated at the University of Vermont and became a lawyer. In 1824 he went to Greece as a volunteer, and after the siege and fall of Missolonghi in April 1826, he returned to Vermont and lectured through New York and the New England states for the benefit of the Greek cause. At the solicitation of the Boston and New York Greek committee Colonel Miller went to Greece a second time as their general agent, and distributed several cargoes of provisions and clothing to the suffering Greeks.

Congressman Lucas Miltiades Miller

Ὁ Πρῶτοσ Ἕλληνασ ςτὸ ΚογκρέςοWhile in Greece, Miller adopted a four-year-old boy, whom he brought back to Vermont. This boy, Lucas Miltiades Miller, graduated from Vermont"University in 1845 and shortly thereafter he married and moved to the town of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he engaged in business and civic activities. In1853 he was elected a member of the State Legislature and in 1891 he was the first American of Greek origin to be elected to the US Congress.

Congressman Lucas Miltiades Miller

Samuel Gridley Howe, M.D.

By far the best-known philhelleneis Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, aBostonian. Upon his arrival inGreece, he enlisted in the GreekArmy and for six years he served assoldier and a chief surgeon. In 1829he established a medical center inAegina and a school for (he blind inCorinth. Long after therevolution, Howe continued to beactive in Greek affairs, both inGreece and in the United States, in1866, during the CretanRevolution, he returned to Greecewith his wife Julia Ward Η owe toorganize support for the newuprising of die Cretans againstOttoman tyranny andenslavement. Samuel Gridley Howe, M.D.

Estwick Evans

Gridley Howe calls Evans – a lawyer by trade – a “theoretical genius” and notes that he left behind a wife and four children in New Hampshire.

Ὁ θηιέιιελαο Γθξίληιεϊ Χάνπἀπνθαιεῖ ηὸλ δηθεγόξν ἼζηνπηθἜβαλο «ἰδηνθπὴ» θαὶ ζεκεηώλεη ὅηηἄθεζε πίζω ηὴλ ζύδπγό ηνπ θαὶ 4 παηδηὰ ζηὴλ Ἀκεξηθὴ γηὰ λὰπνιεκήζεη ζηὸλ ἀγῶλα ἐλαληίνληῶλ Ὀζωκαλῶλ.

Afro-American James Williams Ὁ Ἀφροαμερικανὸσ ναυτικὸσ Σζέιμσ Οὐίλιαμσ ςτὴν φρεγάτα τοῦ Μιαούλη

Afro-American seaman James Williams served on the frigate of Admiral Andreas Miaoulis and other naval volunteers included John Willem and Chris Basco.

Ὁ Ἀθξνακεξηθὸο λαύηεο Τδέηκο Οὐίιηακο, πνιέκεζε ζηὴλ θξεγάηα «Ἑιιὰο», καδὶ κὲ ηὸλΜηανύιε.

Admiral Andreas Miaoulis

William T. Washington υγγενὴσ τοῦ Σζορτζ ΟὐάςινγκτονWilliam T. Washington was born in Washington D.C. in 1802 and was a relative of former President George Washington. After graduating West Point, he began his personal campaign in support of the Hellenic Revolution in 1825.

Ὁ Οπίιηακ Τ. Οπάζηλγθηνλ, ζπγγελὴοηνῦ πξνέδξνπ ΤδόξηδΟὐάζηλγθηνλ, ἔιαβεκέξνο ζηὶο κάρεο ἀπὸ ηὸ1825.

Οὐάςινγκτον: «Θέλω νὰ πεθάνω γιὰτὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ μόνο τὴν Ἑλλάδα»In command of a Greek rifle unit, Washington became thoroughlyHellenized, travelling round proudly in his Greek military uniform. He was killed when hit by a missile lobbed from the heights of Palamidi fortress in Nafplion in July 1827.

In correspondence he stated, “I want to die for Greece, and Greece only.”

Kolokotronis Appeals to AmericansὉ Κολοκοτρώνησ γράφει ςτοὺσΥιλέλληνεσTo rekindle the American philhellenic movement, the Greek

revolutionary leader Theodoros Kolokotronis, through George

Jarvis, sent a letter to Edward Everett dated July 5, 1826, in which the

great Greek leader explained the situation in Greece, pledged unity

and appealed for further help and support. "Greece is forever grateful

to the philanthropy of our Christian [American] brothers", wrote

Kolokotronis, "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.”

Theodoros Kolokotronis

Harvard’s Philhellene Edward EverettἜντουαρντ Ἔβερετ, Υιλέλληνασ ΚαθηγητὴσThe letter was translated by Edward Everett and parts of it, along with pans fromJarvis' accompanying let­ter, were published in newspapers in Boston,Philadelphia, New York and other cities, sparking a new initiative of aidand assistance for the Greek nation. Edward Everett, a Harvard professor and great

philhellene, published every correspondence of letters or appeals that he was receiving from Greece and through articles and speeches he made strong public pronouncements for the recognition of the Revolution and for sending military aid to Greece.

American Aid to GreeceἈμερικανικὴ Βοήθεια Πρὸσ τὴν ἙλλάδαOn " January 2, 1827, Congressman Edward Livingston from Louisianaintroduced a motion in Congress for the appropriation of $50,000 to purchasesupplies for the needy people of Greece. His motion was defeated, butthrough private initiatives and fundraising activities $80,000 was collected in a combination of cash, food items and other in-kind aid.

In 1827 and 1828 a total of eight shiploads of supplies and relief aid worth more than $150,000 (an extraordinary amount in today's standards) were dispatched to Greece and distributed by oversee­ing officials to needy members of the civilian population.

U.S. Senators Daniel Webster and Henry Clay

President Thomas Jefferson

General Sam Houston

PHILHELLENE POLITICIANS – ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΟΙ

James Monroe

American Cities Honor Greece«Ἑλληνικὲσ Πόλεισ τῶν ΗΠΑ» The Town of Greece (New York State)

was incorporated in 1822. It was named after the country of Greece, as a show of support as the Greek people fought for their independence from Turkish rule.

Congressman Lucas Miller was responsible for establishing the towns of Athena, Arcadia, and Marathon in the state of Wisconsin

Ypsilanti was established in Michigan in 1825, named after Demetrius Ypsilanti, a hero in the Greek War of Independence.

Credits

Sources:

George C. Chryssis

James L. Marketos

FrederikiPapas, Portraits of Historic American Philhellenes

Visit the American Philhellenes Society http://www.americanphilhellenessociety.com