Providence, Rhode Island

            Waking up in Providence, the frenzy of Boston seemed a distant haze. I checked out early, picked up some coffee, and headed into town. My first stop was the Old State House, located just a short distance away from the current building. The Old State House is one of five former state houses used by the state of Rhode Island. Before the current State House was built, the General Assembly rotated between each of the five county seats. Although many parts of the Old State House date back to the 18th century, it has been changed many times since it was first built. After several renovations in the 1800s, the building acquired the appearance that it has today.

Facing down a steep hill, the front of the brick building has a steep flight of stairs leading up to the old, crumbling front door that is no longer in use. Two platforms sit at the base of the front steps on either side of the walkway. Now empty, it appeared as if the platforms had been used to display something large. One slab proclaimed, “Gettysburg” on the front, and the other read, “Bull Run.” Knowing that these are names of two battles of the Civil War, I imagined that some sort of antique weaponry must have been displayed there, but was removed at some point, probably for preservation purposes.

            After examining the inside and outside of the building, I walked down a hill, through a park, and over a bridge to get to the current Capitol. As I exited the park on the far side, the enormous dome came into view. It was breath-taking. It sat on top of another hill, without any trees for several hundred feet surrounding the building, giving it an unobstructed view of the city. After taking some photos of the back of the immense building, I traversed the vast courtyard, and went inside through the visitor’s entrance. As with many Capitol buildings, Rhode Island’s requires visitors to go through a security screening process before entering the building. On either side of the security area, two cannons were poised facing each other across the hallway. The displays in front verified that these were the cannons that used to be displayed on the slabs in front of the Old State House that I had noticed before. The Gettysburg Gun has a cannonball lodged in the mouth of it, still stuck almost 150 years later.

When I stepped into the central part of the building, I was in awe. Just inside the entrance and up a short flight of stairs, I found myself in the middle of the unbelievable rotunda. Four stories soared above my head to reveal the inside of the painted dome, while the state seal of Rhode Island rested beneath my feet. The dome is the fourth-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, after St. Peter's Basilica, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Taj Mahal. The inside of the dome is a painted mural that has stood the test of time. Just below that are four representative murals with one of the words Justitia, Litera, Commercium, and Educatio emblazoned beneath each of them. It was, by far, the most beautiful dome I have seen so far.

After seeing the rotunda, I walked upstairs to see the Senate and the House chambers. Although the legislative chambers of most Capitols are dignified, traditional, and aesthetically pleasing, they are not usually the most ornately decorated rooms in the building. This was certainly the case in the Rhode Island State House, where the library is by far the most beautiful room. The majority of its appeal is due to the ceiling, which has incredibly intricate gold-leaf designs, illuminated by an enormous skylight and several two-story windows. With three stories of increasingly ancient and enormous volumes, the library gives the impression that there is no knowledge that does not reside somewhere within it.

            As I walked back downstairs, I began thinking that there are capitals at every level of population and complexity. From Montpelier, a small town in the country, to Boston, the biggest city in Massachusetts, I had experienced the extremes of those differences. Providence lies somewhere in the middle of that scale; it is not nearly as expansive as Boston, but not as confined as some of the other capital towns either. The grandeur of the Capitol and the surrounding buildings definitely convey the atmosphere of a city, but the people are as hospitable and friendly as though they’d been your lifelong neighbors.

Just as its inhabitants are welcoming, the history of Rhode Island demonstrates a culture that embraces acceptance. Roger Williams, a Protestant who was an early proponent of religious freedom, founded the colony of Providence. He settled in the area in June of 1636 after being exiled from Massachusetts for his outspoken beliefs about the separation of church and state. As the story goes, he stole away in the dead of night during a fierce blizzard before the sheriff could exile him personally. After walking over 100 miles in the snow, he sought shelter from the Chief Sachem, Massasoit, of the Wampanoag Native Americans, who housed him for several weeks. He then bought a large piece of land from Massasoit that was to become a new colony of acceptance and religious freedom. He named the colony “Providence” because he felt that it was divine providence that led him there. In fact, he was so passionate about the colony that he named his third child Providence, who was the first to be born within the new settlement.

            In another matter of personal freedom, slavery was abolished in Rhode Island as early as the 17th century, but the legislation was not enforced well into the 18th century. In 1774, Stephan Hopkins introduced a bill to the Rhode Island Assembly that prohibited the importation of slaves into the colony. In 1784, the Assembly passed a compromise that allowed for the gradual emancipation of slaves within Rhode Island. By 1840, the census reported that there were only five African Americans enslaved within the state of Rhode Island. This could be considered quite progressive for the time period, and is indicative of the Rhode Island’s cultural origins of personal liberty.

Still mulling over all that I had discovered, I left through the rear of the building and walked around to the looming front to take some more photographs. Although the walkway was well shaded by trees, the summer heat was getting to me, so I returned to my car and went in search for some lunch. I ended up at a restaurant called Murphy’s, which was an Irish inspired restaurant and deli. I had the best potato skins of my life followed by a chicken and bacon sandwich. It was immensely satisfying, although afterwards I felt lethargic enough to take my time returning to my automobile.

Near to my hotel, I spotted a massive park on the map in the southern part of the city. As the afternoon was still young, I decided to stop and do a little exploring. It was wonderful. Although it wasn’t in the most prosperous of neighborhoods, the park was riddling with people taking their dog for a walk, or couples taking paddleboat rides in the small lake. I saw a sign for the ‘Temple of Music,’ and I decided to stop and take a look. It was, quite literally, a temple. A rectangular structure with four columns on either side, it overlooked the lake with the sun setting behind it. A low stonewall enclosed a large semi-circle on the side facing the park, allowing a potential crowd a place to congregate. It was built some time ago, and the engravings on the interior of the walls were hard to read, but I could tell that this place had hosted celebrations many times throughout its life. Its tranquility was an excellent end to my day in Providence.

I set out again with the blinding rays of the sun directly in front of me. It was the conclusion of the first leg of my journey, and I felt as though if this were any indication of it, the rest of my journey is going to be a trip to remember.

Boston, Massachusetts

Unlike the other former colonies, Massachusetts chose its most populous and historically prominent city as its capital, rather than the most geographically central city. It is hard to get more historically pivotal than the city of Boston. Boston itself emanates colonial America; almost every block contains a culturally significant restaurant, store, building, or park. Even the streets seem to not have changed much since then, except for being paved. This results in the infamous Boston traffic, which was certainly a hindrance throughout my research. The three historical sites that I visited, Paul Revere’s House, The Massachusetts State House, and the Old State House, are located in a triangular formation across the city on Boston’s “Freedom Trail,” which is a marked walking path through Boston connecting various historical places.

Paul Revere’s House lies in Boston’s North End. It was built in 1680 for a wealthy merchant named Robert Howard, and it is the only remaining example of seventeenth century architecture in Boston.  Paul Revere did not buy the house until 1770, and he lived there for thirty years. Soon after Revere sold the building, it became a tenement with shops on the first floor. In 1902, Paul Revere’s great-grandson, John P. Reynolds Jr., purchased the building to prevent it from being demolished. The Paul Revere Memorial Association was created, which raised money for the restoration of the building, and in 1908, the Paul Revere House was open to the public.

The association charges a modest entrance fee, and requests that no pictures be taken inside the building. As I walked in, a small, replicated kitchen area greeted me. As with most replications of dwellings from hundreds of years ago, a plaque reminded me about the 21st century luxuries of my own life that were absent for many people for so long. In many ways, life is only a fraction as difficult as it was just a short time ago. Despite all of these humbling reminders from the plaque, it didn’t mention that air-conditioning has been added to the building to make visitors more comfortable during the sweltering Boston summers, which I greatly appreciated when I was there. 

By today’s standards, the house isn’t much. There are only two rooms on each floor in which Revere and his wife, his 11 surviving children, and his mother all lived. It was difficult for me to imagine living in such cramped conditions. The most remarkable thing to me was that in Revere’s time, the home was considered spacious, even for such a large family.

On the second floor, impeccable examples of Paul Revere’s silver are displayed, along with various other informative plaques. One of them in the back bedroom informed me that Revere’s mother lived with him until her death at 83 years old. This impressed me immensely, because living until 83 in the 18th century was by no means an easy thing to do. After about fifteen minutes in the house, there wasn’t much else to see, so I left and walked back to my car.

I battled my way through the Boston streets to the current Capitol, which overlooks Boston Commons. It was the middle of the afternoon, and I had to park five blocks away. I trudged up a steep hill and arrived in front of the famous edifice breathing heavily, perspiring fiercely, and already worn out. The building itself, designed by Charles Bulfinch, is incredibly famous and served as the model for many other Capitols in the country. The columns, numerous steps, and tall gate were impressive, and I could understand why so many other states would want their Capitol to emulate this example.

            The building was large, ornate, and lavishly decorated. As I explored on my own, the significance of the building became more and more clear. Boston is one of the most historical cities in the U.S., and the Capitol is the representation of that. Although it is far more ornate than the Capitols in Montpelier, Augusta, or Concord, it is not without taste.

Both of the legislative chambers are on the third floor. The House of Representatives has the honor of being home to the Sacred Cod. My favorite part of the whole building due to its whimsy, the Sacred Cod is a model of a codfish that hangs from the gallery in the House chambers. Its sanctity comes from the fact that cod fishing was the first industry practiced by Europeans in Massachusetts. In 1933, the Sacred Cod was ‘cod-napped’ by members of the Harvard Lampoon as a prank. Students of the University of Massachusetts Boston took it again briefly in 1968. The Sacred Cod has hung for three centuries, and has had three incarnations, all before 1800. The current Cod was installed in 1784 in the Old State House, which was in use from 1776 to 1798. In 1798 it was moved the current State house, originally over the Speaker’s desk, but in the 1850s, they moved it to its current position in the rear of the room.

After seeing the legislative chambers and many of the other rooms in the building, the frenzy of the day was beginning to catch up with me. In addition to it being over 90 degrees outside, I did not have time to eat lunch and still make it to all of my destinations. After meandering slowly back to my car, I began my next crusade to the final stop on my journey, the old State House. Once I arrived, I discovered with a small measure of dismay that the entrance fee was the steepest of any I had paid in my entire journey thus far. Even more frustrating was the fact that the exhibits were not terribly interesting, and I was so exhausted at this point in the day that I found that I did not have the patience to hear about many of the historical events that were covered repeatedly by guides or literature provided in the previous two buildings.

Walking away from the Old State House, I came to the conclusion that Boston’s culture is very difficult to digest in a mere day. The city has so much significance, culture, heritage, attitude, and spunk that it is almost impossible to encapsulate all of it. Unlike many of the other capitals that I have visited, Boston is a big city with all of the diversity, density, and complexity that comes along with that. It has more variety and more quantity than all of the other capital cities I have been to so far. Even with the small sliver of Boston that I was able to experience, I felt a strong anchor to the origins of our country throughout the city. Despite being worn out, at the end of the day I felt that I could appreciate Boston as the big, historical capital that it is.

When I arrived back to my car, the sun was setting behind the skyscrapers, beaming segmented, golden rays onto the streets. The familiar seat felt so relieving when I first climbed in that I just sat for a moment before I started the ignition. It had been a long day, but nonetheless a rewarding and worthwhile one. Next stop, Providence.

Concord, New Hampshire

           New Hampshire is truly the ‘Live Free or Die’ state. As one of the oldest states, the patriotic dedication to autonomy in New Hampshire is alive and well. New Hampshire even declared independence from England a full six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th 1776. The New Hampshire delegates were given the honor of voting for the Declaration first out of all of the Thirteen Colonies. This adamant need for liberty still holds strong today. For instance, according to the kind woman behind the visitor information desk in the Capitol, New Hampshire does not want to legislate ‘common sense’. This includes things like requiring an adult to wear a seatbelt or have car insurance. Indeed, when it comes to laws of automotive nature, New Hampshire residents seem to view the speed limit as some sort of gentle suggestion. New Hampshire residents are not alone in this, however; New England is no stranger to overzealous driving. In fact, so far in my journey, I would say that one of the common mentalities among many of the states seems to be a disregard for speed limits.

New Hampshire is fiercely unrestrictive in other ways, too. For example, the minimum age for being a legislator is 18, so they could have legislators who just graduated high school. Taxes in New Hampshire are also less extensive than many other New England States. They do not have a state sales tax or personal income tax, but since 2009, they do have a meals and rentals tax. New Hampshire residents can avoid this tax, though, by eating home cooked food and not staying in hotels within their home state.

Concord was chosen as the state capital for a few reasons. Its central location was a factor, but the construction of a canal that connected Concord to Boston lead to its selection as the seat of state government in 1808. More than two hundred years later Concord remains a humble capital, despite that there are many historically integral individuals who were born in New Hampshire.

         Directly in front of the State House is a statue of one of those individuals, Daniel Webster. He was born on the January 18th, 1782 in Salisbury, New Hampshire. After he graduated from Dartmouth College in 1801, he quickly became a successful lawyer in Boston. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1812 and then to the Senate in 1827. Webster was a member of the Whig Party, which opposed the Democrats at the time. In 1836 he ran unsuccessfully for the presidency against Andrew Jackson. In 1840 he was appointed the Secretary of State for President William Henry Harrison. When Harrison died from pneumonia just 32 days into his Presidency and John Tyler ascended to the position, Webster was the only Whig member of the cabinet who did not resign. Daniel Webster is best known for delivering what has been called “The Most Famous Senate Speech.”[i] During a heated debate regarding federal land sales in the West, Webster delivered a two-day speech to a packed Senate chamber known as his Second Reply To Hayne. In this speech, Webster delivered the famous words that the federal government was a “popular government, erected by the people; those who administer it are responsible to the people; and itself capable of being amended and modified, just as the people may choose it should be."¹ Abraham Lincoln paraphrased these words in his Gettysburg Address when he proclaimed, “…that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”[ii]

One of the other statues in the yard is of the only President of the United States who was from New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce. He was born in 1804 in Hillsborough, New Hampshire. He attended Bowdoin College, studied law, and was elected to the New Hampshire state legislature when he was 24. Two years later, he became the Speaker in New Hampshire.

During his Presidency in the mid 1850s, Pierce signed off on the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which was one of the most important pieces of legislation in history; it prompted the series of events that led to the Civil War. The Act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and repealed the Missouri Compromise by allowing for white male citizens to decide the legality of slavery in the territories by popular sovereignty, leading to ‘Bleeding Kansas.’ It also disintegrated the Whig Party, led to the formation of the Republican Party, and divided the Democrats in the north and south. Democrat Senator Stephan Douglas designed the bill, and as a result Douglas lost the campaign for the Presidency in the 1860 election against Republican Abraham Lincoln.

Because the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850 were designed to preserve the Union, many people blamed President Pierce and Congress for agitating the volatile conflict. Pierce was shunned by the Democrats for the passage of the bill, and did not receive the nomination for the election in 1856. Instead, the Democrats chose James Buchanan.

As I approached the Capitol building, I realized that I had forgotten to charge the battery in my camera the night before. Eager to rectify my mistake, I searched for a coffee shop downtown that would not mind if I borrowed an outlet for an hour or so. I walked into Caffenio and found what I was looking for next to a seat near the back of the shop. The barista was friendly, made a wonderful latte, and even lent me a pen when I discovered that I left mine in the car. When I asked him what I should do before I leave town, he responded that the Museum of New Hampshire History would be a good place to continue my research.

The museum was not expansive, but interesting nonetheless. The main floor contains an exhibit that generally stays the same. It describes in great detail the origin of Concord and the area known today as New Hampshire. The second floor, as the helpful young woman behind the desk told me, is a rotating exhibit that changes every few months or so. At the time of my visit, the display was of artwork done by female artists from New Hampshire. From life-like portraits to vivid landscapes, the artwork demonstrated a wide variety of skill and vision. Many of the depictions of forests and mountains made me feel as though I could just step into the frame, and I would be amongst the trees and mountains. From the second floor, one can climb a steep stairway to investigate a wildfire lookout tower. The view, although somewhat impeded today by tall buildings, gives oneself an oddly omniscient feeling. It was, to be honest, my favorite part of the entire museum.

         After charging my camera, exploring the museum, and reenergizing myself with coffee, I headed towards the Capitol. The Capitol building in New Hampshire is one of the less imposing of the nation’s Capitols. It does not, for instance, have several flights of stairs leading up to the front of the building. The front has two levels of columns that face a large, grassy courtyard. An inscription directly to the left of the grand front door proclaims, “THE NATION’S OLDEST STATE HOUSE IN WHICH THE LEGISLATURE STILL OCCUPIES ITS ORIGINAL CHAMBERS.”

Upon entering the State House, I was confronted with the Hall of Flags, which was previously known as Doric Hall due to the style of columns that support it. Rather than exhibit copies, New Hampshire displays the original battle flags, protected in climate-controlled cases. They added a protective coating to the glass to ensure that light could not damage the artifacts.

New Hampshire’s House of Representatives is the largest state legislative body in the United States, and the fourth-largest English-speaking legislative body in the world behind the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament of India, and the United States Congress. Although not overbearingly ornate, the chambers of both Houses of Legislature in New Hampshire are as dignified as any. This demonstrates the mentality of New Hampshire better than perhaps anything else; rather than taxing its citizens heavily to pay for a grandiose State House, New Hampshire decided that a more simple design could provide the same level of function and elegance without leaning as heavily on its citizens.

            I left Concord feeling that this was the way many states ought to be. Although the New Hampshire method may not be as effective in other areas, it seems to work quite well for the “Live Free or Die” state. As the sun waned and the highway rolled on, the glow of the Boston skyline pointed the way towards my next destination.

---

[i] Senate.gov, The Most Famous Senate Speech, http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/The_Most_Famous_Senate Speech.htm (Sept. 4, 2013)
[ii] Abraham Lincoln Online, The Gettysburg Address, http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm (Sept. 4 2013)

Augusta, Maine

Maine is a very rural, yet proud state. The entire population of Maine is less than that of Manhattan. Nonetheless, Maine excels beyond other states in specific ways.

For one, Maine is frugal. A perfect example of this quality of culture is the State House. The Maine State House is not ornate, ostentatious, or intimidating, yet it is dignified and regal. The original building was completed in 1832, about one year after the city of Augusta was chosen to be the seat of the state legislature. It was built based on Charles Bulfinch’s design of the state house in Massachusetts. Due to ongoing renovations and additions, only a fraction of the original edifice remains today.

The inside of the Capitol was renovated 1852 and again in 1860 to provide additional room for a growing state government. In 1890-1891, a large, three-story wing was added to the rear of the building to accommodate more growth. Further renovations from 1909 to 1910 resulted in the current appearance of the building, expanding the north and south wings according to designs by G. Henri Desmond. Despite all of the changes, the original front of the building has been preserved.

The section of the original building that remains today retains the original floor, made of Italian marble. Each tiny tile, no more than a centimeter or two in length, was laid by hand. The bust honoring Percival Baxter, the Governor of Maine from 1921-1925, sits in the center of the room. Throughout his life, he purchased parcels of land that he eventually donated to the state of Maine. That property is now known as Baxter State Park. 

Opposite from the statue of Baxter hangs the portrait of a very important woman, Margaret Madeline Chase Smith. She was the first woman to be elected to both U.S. Houses of Congress. In fact, before she was elected to both U.S. Houses of Congress, she was also the first woman to be elected to both the House and the Senate in Maine. She is most famous for giving her “Declaration of Conscience” speech in which she spoke out against the tenets of McCarthyism during the early 1950s when U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy was intensifying the fear of communism in the United States. 

Maine’s legislature as a whole is extremely representative of the population of Maine in terms of socioeconomic status; they are not among the wealthiest in the state. The legislators are only paid about $23,500 for a two-year term. Because the House and the Senate only meet for 6 months out of the year at most, they all have additional jobs during the other part of the year. Those other jobs include being a teacher, nurse, carpenter, paper mill worker, fisherman, or doctor. Some of the members make an hourly wage. In fact, many of them sacrifice a higher paycheck to work in the legislature. In this way, Maine has truly embraced the meaning of social service in their government.

After the tour from an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide, I ventured out in search of a bite to eat. Although Augusta has quite a few chain restaurants, locally owned places are not hard to find. I decided on Slates Restaurant, where I ate the freshest and most delectable seafood and pasta dish that I have ever had. Given that Maine supplies 40 million pounds or nearly 90% of the nation’s lobster catch, I was not surprised. If you find yourself in Maine, you must try the seafood.

Not only does Maine lead the nation in lobster supply, but it also supplies 99% of the nation’s blueberries, and 90% of its toothpicks. I am not sure what the common denominator is between the three, but next time you tuck in to a fresh lobster, indulge in blueberry pie, or graciously accept a tooth-picked hors d’oeuvre, remember that you are supporting the state of Maine.

The following day, I went to the Maine State Museum. Outside in the front of the building there is a statue of a young girl, Samantha Smith from Manchester, Maine, who became famous during the Cold War era because of a letter that she sent to the newly appointed CPSU General Secretary Yuri Andropov. She received a personal reply with an invitation to the Soviet Union. During this entire production, frenzy in the media had ensued. Her letter had been published, and both Ted Koppel and Johnny Carson interviewed her. Her visit to the Soviet Union sparked hope that true reconciliation was possible and in 1985, she starred in a television show called Lime Street. She died later that year in a plane crash flying back from England where she had been filming an episode for the show. In her honor, the statue had been erected, ensuring that her contribution to the hope of world peace will never be forgotten.

Inside the museum, the most moving exhibit was about the Civil War. Joshua Chamberlain, a hero of the Civil War, was born in Brewer, Maine in 1828. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 1852 where he was a student of Calvin Stowe, the husband of famous author Harriet Beecher Stowe. He attended Bangor Theological Seminary and then returned to Bowdoin to become a professor.

When the Civil War broke out, Chamberlain desperately wished to serve the Union. The governor of Maine appointed Chamberlain as the Lieutenant Colonel of the 20th Maine Regiment. Despite the fact the he had no prior military experience or training, he became a highly decorated officer. During the battle of Gettysburg, often described as the turning point of the Civil War, the Union line was being repeatedly charged on their left flank. Out of ammunition, and desperate to hold the hill known as Little Round Top, Chamberlain led the 20th Maine regiment in a gallant bayonet charge down the hill. This allowed for the hill to remain securely under Union control. His valor earned Chamberlain the Medal of Honor.

After the war, Chamberlain returned to Maine and served as the state’s governor from 1866-1869. In 1871 he was appointed president of Bowdoin College and would hold that position until 1883 when he had to resign due to ill health from his lingering war wounds. In 1898, at age 70, he volunteered for duty as an officer in the Spanish-American war, but was rejected due to his health concerns. In 1914, Chamberlain finally succumbed to the wounds that he had sustained 50 years previously, making him the last person to die of wounds from the Civil War.

After departing from the museum, I mulled over the experience of the previous two days. Despite Maine’s humble population, my visit reminded me once again that no matter how small the state, each one has its merits and contributions to the rest of the nation. With its wonderfully fresh seafood and honorable history, Maine left me with a feeling of pride. I was honored to have bared witness to the heritage of the dignified Pine Tree State. As the clock past noon, I reluctantly joined the monotonous rhythm of the interstate, and headed towards Concord.