WE HAVE TO OFFEND SOMEBODY! John Adams in 1776 during the debate over the wording of what became the Declaration of Independence.
Watching the musical 1776. A movie that I do enjoy, But there is another story. Back in the seventies Eugene was trying to get a decent performing arts center built. To raise some of the money director Ed Ragozzino directed a series of musicals. The King and I for one. Ragozzino managed to get the ball gown from the movie for his production. All forty pounds of taffeta and hoop skirts. And Debra Kerr did the polka in the darn thing.
And 1776 was another production. And did that ignite a series of letters to the editor. Too much cussin'. Nothing worse that damnit for heaven's sake. And then there all the references to missing their wives. There are a couple of wonderful drean sequences between John and Abigail Adams. Richard Henry Lee heading down to Virginia for a declaration of support for independence but he's planning to "refresh" the missis on the way. Jefferson pining for his wife Martha.
Franklin sends for the good lady and there is an interlude, private of course. Except for a note sailing out the window be intercepted by Franklin and Adams. "Gentlemen I am taking my wife to bed." In the middle of the afternoon.
Anyway according to some of my fellow citizens our founding fathers did not cuss or miss their wives. And as is usual with such folks the "offending" production was to be suppressed to guard their delicate sensibilities. One of my favorite pieces referring to that bitter pill that festered in the heart of this country until we had to spit it out with a war.
Rutledge:
Molasses to rum to slaves, oh what a beautiful waltz
You dance with us, we dance with you
In molasses and rum and slaves
Who sail the ships out of Boston
Ladened with bibles and rum?
Who drinks a toast to the Ivory Coast?
Hail Africa, the slavers have come
New England with bibles and rum
And its off with the rum and the bibles
Take on the slaves, clink, clink
Then hail and farewell to the smell
Of the African coast
Molasses to rum to slaves
'Tisn't morals, 'tis money that saves
Shall we dance to the sound of a profitable pound
In molasses and rum and slaves
Who sails the ships out of Guinea
Ladened with bibles and slaves?
'Tis Boston can boast to the West Indies coast
Jamaica, we brung what ye craves
Antigua, Barbados, we brung bibles and slaves!
(Spoken dialogue mixed with Auctioneer chantin
Molasses to rum to slaves
Who sail the ships back to Boston
Ladened with gold, see it gleam
Whose fortunes are made in the triangle trade
Hail slavery, the New England dream!
Mr. Adams, I give you a toast:
Hail Boston! Hail Charleston!
Who stinketh the most?
As it happens in the film this is the most magnificent pieces. John Cullum's voice was absolutely brilliant.
The history is not always accurate. But a bit of a romp anyway. One note. James Wison of Pennsylvania is shown as only voting for independence so he won't be remembered as opposing independence. He was actually one of the leading theorists for independence and was on of the original members of the Supreme Court.
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