Note
Three Commemorative/Campaign silk embroidered ribbons, featuring George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Alexander Hamilton in similar style miniature portrait.
The first ribbon is a commemorative token for the 1st president of the United States, George Washington. The portrait chosen for this object was popular in the 1800’s and was mostly used for bookmarks or as a lapel ribbon during election seasons and other national events. This ribbon places Washington, affectionately referred to as “The Father of Our Country,” as the symbolic face of American democracy and freedom. The latin motto “E Pluribus Unum,”, meaning “out of many, one” is a core principle of the American union and credits Washington with bringing the colonies together during and after the Revolutionary War to become one cohesive nation.
The second ribbon is a commemorative ribbon for the 54th gathering of the Grand Army of the Republic in Paterson, New Jersey in 1921. The Grand Army of the Republic was created on April 6, 1866 upon the end of the Civil War as a way to bring together veterans from all branches of the military who had served in the Civil War. This particular ribbon is from the Paterson, NJ post, which had rankings within posts for specific locations and titles, similar to military rankings. This was 55 years after the Civil War ended. The annual encampment was the group meeting that was in part a celebration and part of getting the affairs of the organization in order. The G.A.R. was responsible for taking care of veterans of the war and their families, with the membership strictly being limited to those who had partaken in the Civil War. The organization also started what is now known as Memorial Day as a way to commemorate and honor all of the soldiers who had lost their lives serving the Union or who had served in active duty. The national conventions and the organization of G.A.R. ended in 1949 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The passage beneath the portrait of Lincoln was from his 2nd Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865. His words of reconciliation and reconstruction eventually became the state of Virginia's motto and serve as a reminder to take care of those who have served the United States and their families.
The third ribbon is a commemorative ribbon for the centennial founding of the city of Paterson. NJ, which was in part founded by Alexander Hamilton. In 1792, Hamilton was integral in establishing the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures, a group which then went on to found Paterson, NJ as a hub of industry. Hamilton was deeply connected with major players in the Society and even endorsed them through a treatise presented to Congress on the benefits of America growing its own cotton near water sources that would provide the energy necessary for the machinery to run. The New Jersey city is named after William Paterson, who was a Supreme Court justice and patriot who fought in New Jersey during the Revolutionary War. He also drew up many of the charters necessary to make Paterson a city. Coincidentally, this ribbon is silk, also tying into the fact that Paterson is known as the “Silk City” from the late 19th century, when this ribbon was created.
L. Bros 6/7/2019
Bibliography:
1. "A Biography of William Paterson 1745-1806." American History: From Revolution to Reconstruction and beyond. Accessed May 23, 2019. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/biographies/william-paterson/.
2. Cierzniak, Libby. "Indianapolis Collected: The Last of the Civil War Soldiers." Historic Indianapolis | All Things Indianapolis History. December 19, 2016. Accessed May 23, 2019. https://historicindianapolis.com/aindianapolis-collected-the-last-of-the-civil-war-soldiers/
3. "City of Paterson, New Jersey." About Us / City of Paterson, New Jersey. 2019. Accessed May 23, 2019. https://www.patersonnj.gov/category/subcategory.php?categoryid=11.
4. Claybourn, Joshua. "Grand Army of the Republic History." Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. January 09, 2014. Accessed May 23, 2019. http://www.suvcw.org/?page_id=167.
5. "The Grand Army of the Republic and Kindred Societies." The Grand Army of the Republic and Kindred Societies (Main Reading Room, Library of Congress). Accessed May 23, 2019. https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/gar/garintro.html.
6. MacArthur, John D. "E Pluribus Unum." E Pluribus Unum - History of Motto Carried by Eagle on Great Seal. 1998. Accessed May 23, 2019. https://www.greatseal.com/mottoes/unum.html.
7. "The Origin of the VA Motto: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address." Virginia: Celebrating America's Freedoms. Accessed May 23, 2019. https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/vamotto.pdf.
8. "The Society For Establishing Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.)." Passaic County Historical Society. May 15, 2017. Accessed May 23, 2019. https://lambertcastleweb.wordpress.com/the-society-for-establishing-useful-manufactures-s-u-m/.