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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 23h

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#AmericanHistory #WomensHistory #DAR #WashingtonDC #RevolutionaryWar #HistoricalPreservation #USHistory #AmericanPatriot

The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 23h

The Daughters of the American Revolution remains active, with members continuing to research genealogy, protect historic sites, and serve their communities. It has endured for over a century, carrying forward a legacy of remembrance and national pride.

Women with the Daughters of the American Revolution during the dedication ceremony of the Wren-Darne Cemetery on July 14, 2018, in Falls Church, Virginia. (Jason Andrew for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 23h

By the 20th century, the DAR had already left a significant mark on American cultural life. They helped restore historic buildings, funded scholarships, and supported schools for underserved children. Their headquarters in Washington, D.C., Memorial Continental Hall, became a major landmark.

Memorial Continental Hall at 17th & D Streets, NW in Washington, D.C. The building was constructed in 1921 and is a National Historic Landmark

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 23h

Members worked to collect and safeguard historic documents, preserve old landmarks, and encourage the study of early American history in schools. As the organization expanded, chapters formed across the nation, each dedicated to similar goals in their own communities.

On October 15, 1963, Richard Avedon photographed a group of executive officers of the Daughters of the American Revolution during their convention at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. His picture shows the women preparing to sit for an official portrait. The art curator and writer Hilton Als described the portrayal of the women as "self-important" with "a smug self-regard," while pointing out that the one of most prominent focal points in the photograph is the "wide backside" of a woman who stands facing her colleagues with her back turned to the viewer. The work was printed on gelatin silver.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 23h

From the beginning, the Daughters of the American Revolution, or DAR, established three central aims: to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism.

Members of Windsor’s Abigail Wolcott Ellsworth DAR chapter pose on the front porch of the Oliver Ellsworth Homestead on the occasion of opening it as their new chapter headquarters, October 8, 1903. WHS collections 2008.2.2, photo by Katherine Barker Drake (standing far right).

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 23h

All four women traced their ancestry to patriots of the American Revolution, and they wanted to ensure that the contributions of both men and women during that era would not fade from public memory.

The Founders of the Daughters of the American Revolution sculpture honoring DAR's four founders

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 23h

The idea for the group took shape after the Sons of the American Revolution chose not to admit women. Mary Desha, Mary Smith Lockwood, Ellen Hardin Walworth, and Eugenia Washington decided to form their own organization.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 23h

On October 11, 1890, a group of women in Washington, D.C. gathered with a shared goal: to preserve and honor the memory of those who fought for American independence. That meeting marked the founding of the Daughters of the American Revolution: 🧵

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

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#Columbus #SantaMaria #Mutiny #AgeOfExploration #MaritimeHistory #History #ChristopherColumbus

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

The mutiny never came to pass, but it had nearly undone one of history’s most consequential voyages. The near-rebellion on the Santa Maria showed how thin the line can be between discovery and disaster, and how easily history might have turned out differently.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

Just days later, in the early hours of October 12, a lookout on the Pinta spotted land. The island, which Columbus believed to be part of Asia, was in fact part of the Bahamas.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

To calm them, he made a deal. If they did not sight land within three more days, he promised to turn back to Spain. It was a calculated gamble, one that he knew might cost him his life if he was wrong.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

According to later accounts, the crew of the Santa Maria confronted Columbus, demanding he turn around. They argued that to keep sailing west was suicide. Columbus, however, refused. He believed land was near and knew that retreating would end his ambitions forever.

Mutiny aboard Columbus' ship the Santa Maria by Andrew Melrose

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

They had families and reputations to think about, and they feared what might happen if they continued into what they called the “Sea of Darkness.” By the beginning of October, their patience had run out. Some began to talk of mutiny.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

The mood grew darker each day. Supplies were limited, the air was heavy with doubt, and the sailors whispered about turning back. Most of them were experienced seamen from Andalusia and Galicia, not explorers or dreamers.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

The men aboard the Santa Maria, as well as those on the Niña and the Pinta, had expected to reach Asia by now. Instead, all they could see in every direction was water. No land. No sign of other ships. No proof that their commander even knew where he was going.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

On October 10, 1492, Christopher Columbus and his crew had been at sea for more than a month since leaving the Canary Islands. Tension on the open Atlantic had reached a breaking point: 🧵

Christopher Columbus and his crew.
Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

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#NorwegianHeritage #LeifEriksonDay #ImmigrationHistory #Restauration #AmericanHistory #Norway

The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

In Norway and among Norwegian communities abroad, October 9 is now celebrated as Leif Erikson Day, honoring both early Norse exploration and the enduring spirit of those who crossed the Atlantic centuries later.

U.S. stamp issued on Leif Erikson Day, 1968 (featuring Reykjavík's statue of Leif)

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

The voyage of the Restauration became a cornerstone of Norwegian-American history. It inspired future emigrants and symbolized the courage of those who sought a new beginning in the United States.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

From New York, most of the passengers moved inland to upstate New York, establishing one of the first Norwegian-American settlements in Kendall.

Photo courtesy of restauration.no
These days, the Restauration finds its home port at the Finnesand dock on Mosterøy next the Utstein Kloster Hotel, not far from the historic monastery Ulstein Kloster, both popular tourist destinations.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

Upon arrival, the Restauration’s captain, Lars Larsen, was briefly arrested for violating U.S. passenger laws, which restricted the number of people per ton of ship weight. President John Quincy Adams later pardoned him, recognizing the unique nature of their journey.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

When they finally reached New York on October 9, 1825, they had crossed more than 3,000 miles of ocean in a vessel smaller than many modern fishing boats.

U.S. postage stamp featuring the ship Restauration issued in honor of the 100th anniversary of Norwegian immigration

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

The journey took nearly three months. The passengers endured storms, cramped quarters, and limited food supplies. Records suggest that at least one child was born on the voyage, a moment of hope amid the harsh conditions.

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The Daily Historian @thedailyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

Many of them were part of the Quaker movement, which faced social and political pressure in Norway. Despite the risks of sailing such a long distance in a ship barely fifty-two feet long, these emigrants believed their future lay across the ocean.

Image: Sigmund Aarseth / wheelerfolk.org
An original painting by Sigmund Aarseth depicts the Restauration leaving Stavanger in 1825.

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