This morning, the Leaders of Tomorrow and the Rye Historical Society hosted a celebration of our nation’s 248th birthday in the village green. Rye residents of all ages (and several dogs!) came out to celebrate Independence Day. Also in attendance were New York Assemblyman Steve Otis, Councilwoman Jamie Jensen, County Executive George Latimer, and other local officials.
The event celebrated the history of American democracy and featured members of the Historical Society dressed and acting as figures from throughout American history. Douglas Carey emceed the event portraying Dr. Ebenezer Haviland, the 18th-century owner of Rye’s historic Square House Inn & Tavern. Commander Fred de Barros of Rye American Legion Post 128 read an excerpt from Thomas Paine’s “The American Crisis,” and Rye student Elle Talbott read the 1774 Declaration of Freeholders & Inhabitants of the Town of Rye, in which members of some of Rye’s oldest families (including Purdy, Budd, Kniffen, Brown, and Wetmore) voiced their dissent from the Declaration of Independence and their continued loyalty to King George III.
The speeches then moved forward through history as Tim Kirby, Frank Goldszer, Steve Otis, and Kian Gorgorian reenacted the historic presidential election of 1824 in the roles of Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William H. Crawford, and Henry Clay.
Susie Morison portrayed Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for the U.S. presidency, and read her 1871 address to the House Judiciary Committee regarding the rights of women. Pamela McGuire then read a 1984 speech by Geraldine Ferraro, the first female nominee for vice president representing a major political party.
Beth Griffin emphasized the importance of American immigrants with a reading of Emma Lazarus’s classic poem “The New Colossus,” and Ingraham Taylor (long-time Rye resident and Committee Chair of the Westchester Region NAACP ACT-SO Coalition) celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with a reading of Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb.” Maestro Scott Wenzel also performed a tribute to jazz musician Louis Armstrong.
At the conclusion of the event, Beth Griffin, George Latimer, Susie Morison, and Caroline Kirby led the audience in a group reading of the Declaration of Independence. Members of the Rye Historical Society and American Legion Post 128 unfurled a historic 48-star flag and joined the audience in renditions of patriotic songs such as “America the Beautiful” and “This Land is Your Land.” Event organizers provided refreshments and historical costumes for guests, and offered free tours of the Square House until 1:00 pm.
