The Rose Tree Historical Services

Langston Hughes, 1936

Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed—
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There’s never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”)

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek—
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one’s own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean—
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I’m the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That’s made America the land it has become.
O, I’m the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home—
For I’m the one who left dark Ireland’s shore,
And Poland’s plain, and England’s grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa’s strand I came
To build a “homeland of the free.”

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we’ve dreamed
And all the songs we’ve sung
And all the hopes we’ve held
And all the flags we’ve hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay—
Except the dream that’s almost dead today.

O, let America be America again—
The land that never has been yet—
And yet must be—the land where every man is free.
The land that’s mine—the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME—
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose—
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people’s lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath—
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The r**e and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain—
All, all the stretch of these great green states—
And make America again!

Newly arrived from California, Missouri, and New York: an excellent assortment of swatches. Several weights and colors of cotton twill and wide wale corduroys, suitable for 1930s trousers, shirts, and light jackets. Forms for trousers and shirts are now available upon request.

We have been in private communication with a few of our followers, but we would like to open an inquiry to the public general. We are currently looking into doing a run of civilian and military adjacent shirts and trousers, in various styles and fabrics as appropriate, for reenactors of the International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War. In the past we have focused on male clothing, but would be more than eager to take on female clothing for the same

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cable_Street

85 years ago today, in the East End of London, the Battle of Cable Street raged. British fascists, led on by Oswald Mosley, attempted to march through the streets of a working class, largely Jewish neighbourhood. In the spirit of universal fellowship, working class Londoners congregated along the route of march in order to oppose the demonstration of Mosley's Blackshirts.
20,000 anti-fascists confronted some 2,000-3,000 fascist agitators, who were supported by some 6-7,000 members of the Metropolitan police, brought to es**rt them on their march. After a day of clashes, both fascists and police were forced to retreat, as the working classes of London held to their unity, and refused to allow hate to march through their streets.

Today, we're skipping to instead pay special attention to the 84th anniversary of the Bombing of Guernica.

For centuries considered a cornerstone of Basque culture and identity, Guernica was, during the Spanish Civil War, also a key arms manufacturing site, as well as a hub for Republican forces in northern Spain.

The rebel forces of General Franco ordered and supported the aerial assault on the town by the infamous Condor Legion, which used incendiary devices to destroy huge swaths of the city. Notably, the main armaments factories were left undamaged, while civilian property was devastated.

Famously, the government of the Spanish Republic would commission Pablo Picasso to paint a work depicting the tragedy of the bombing, though multiple artists would attempt to capture the horror of what occurred that day.

It's and today we're looking at battlefield first aid. Specifically, two lifesaving items which came into being nearly two centuries apart.

One of the leading causes of death on the battlefield throughout history is loss of blood. Injuries which could be survived given timely medical intervention still reaped a deathly toll upon soldiers and sailors who, by accident or circumstance, did not receive prompt attention by a surgeon. One of the oldest devices used to stem the flow of blood from an injured limb is the tourniquet. Known to the Greeks and Romans, the idea has remained unchanged for millennia. A band of anything from bronze, to leather, to cloth is tightened around the injured limb, slowing the effects of blood loss. Frequently tightened with a stick or other found object, they were not always reliable, and required the user to apply constant pressure to hold them closed.

In 1718, however, a French surgeon named Jean Louis Petit invented a screw-and-strap version of the tourniquet which made it simpler to operate. This model quickly became the preferred choice for surgeons, as it could be left alone once applied. Simple to make and operate, some officers during the 18th century would carry one on their person, to be used if they were wounded. In 1785, Dr. Gilbert Blane suggested that every sailor in the Royal Navy be given one before going into action. Some officers objected to the idea, thinking it would demoralize the men.

By the First World War, the War Office of Great Britain had come to realize that giving the troops a chance to survive long enough to be seen by the surgeons was more important than a potential slight decrease to morale. Bandages such as the one pictured were issued to each soldier, and the standard uniform tunic contained a special insert to hold the "field dressing" as it was known. Instructions were printed on the packaging, allowing each combatant to provide at least rudimentary first aid to himself or his comrades.

It's here at Rose Tree, and we're very happy to not only bring you some fascinating medical history, but also wish a very happy 190th birthday to Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler!
Dr. Crumpler holds the distinction of being the first African-American woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. She graduated with her M.D. from the New England Female Medical College in 1864. Following the end of the American Civil War, she moved to Richmond, Virginia, to offer her services as a physician to newly-freed African Americans.
In 1883, Dr. Crumpler published a book on the medical care of women and children, including many observations from her own career. She died in 1895, and is buried in Boston.

It's here at The Rose Tree, and today, we're going to look at a curious blend of folklore, royal presumption, and medicine, all rolled into one!

"The King's Evil" was a common name in both England and France for a disease known today as scrofula. An affliction of the lymph nodes, the tell-tale swellings and discolourations which result are both dramatic and unsightly. It was believed that the touch of a member of the royal family was able to cure this disease, hence it's historical nickname. This practice survived into the 18th century in Britain, ending only with the reign of George I. In the absence of a conveniently present royal family member, surgical removal was the usual recourse by the 17th and 18th centuries.

Famously, Dr. Samuel Johnson was taken by his mother to be cured of scrofula by the touch of Queen Anne in 1712. The physician who recommended this course of action was Dr John Floyer, who died on this day in 1734.

2020 has been a year, and no mistake! Here at the Rose Tree, we're thankful to have our health, and are equally thankful for all of you, who have liked, listened, and commented on our videos and posts during these "interesting times".

We've got more planned for 2021, so keep an eye on the page. Until then, here's to a healthy and happy New Year! In the immortal words of a great (fictional) naval hero:

"A glass with you all!"

Here at The Rose Tree Historical Services, we go through a lot of tea. We have our favourites, of course (in case Yorkshire Tea ever wants to sponsor us...) but at the end of the day (or the beginning of the day, or the middle of the day, or...well, you get the idea) a cuppa is likely involved in our work.

The first commercial importation of tea to Britain took place in 1669, when the English East India Company brought 143 pounds of tea leaves from Java. At first, it was considered a novelty item, and did not enjoy immediate success.

A decade later, advertisements such as the one pictured here could be found in major newspapers, announcing the price of a pound of tea leaves as 30 shillings, with no measurements less than a pound available. To put it into perspective, a pound of tea makes around 200 cups, and 30 shillings in 1680 would be comparable to two weeks' wages for a skilled tradesman.