A Lark Through Clarke

Posted on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 by Kathy Fisher in History, Long Branch |

Epilogue

In the early 1800s, Thomas Nelson, Jr.’s legacy took a new turn.  A growing movement of American nationalism began to view historical accomplishments with pride, and a prevailing sentiment was that

Nelson was one revolutionary hero who had not only been slighted but had also received unwarranted injury.  Not even the searching report of the auditors and treasurer in 1832, which denied that the state owed the family anything, destroyed this view.[1]

The nature of the society of the eighteenth-century gentry influenced Nelson’s commitment to public service.  He lived within an aristocracy of “hospitable, gracious, and generous individuals”[2] who encouraged men like Nelson to help their country.  Emory Evans writes,

Thomas Nelson was certainly among the best of the Virginia leadership. He epitomized much that was good in Virginia society, and as the Revolution approached and wore on he gave more and more time to public affairs.[3]

Evans reminds us, however, that

. . . it was not just the concept of public service that moved Nelson to devote an abnormal amount of time to the public.  He also wanted to protect the political institutions that he considered the best in the world . . . that provided the foundation for a freer, better way of life.[4]

Nelson’s exceptional public service during the Revolution sets him apart from the collective elite.  Ironically, his “achievements are obscured by the memory of his financial losses.”[5]

Nelson’s legacy remains shrouded, but the Commonwealth of Virginia has honored him by placing a bronze statue on the Washington Monument in Richmond’s Capitol Square.

Nelson Statue on Washington Monument in Richmond, erected February 12, 1858

J.A.C. Chandler observes, “Virginians will never forget the sacrifices that Nelson made for his country.”[6].  Nelson’s statue, labeled “Finance,” stands alongside the following Virginia patriots, whose roles in the Revolution are exemplified in this monument with allegorical figures depicting their individual contributions: George Washington (equestrian figure perched on top of the monument), Andrew Lewis (“Colonial Times”), Thomas Jefferson (“Independence”), Patrick Henry (“Revolution”), George Mason (“Bill of Rights”), and John Marshall (“Justice”).

In 1968 the National Park Service (NPS) acquired and continued to restore the Nelson House, signaling a renewed interest in the life of Thomas Nelson, Jr.  At that time, the house was void of furnishings.  However, in past decades the NPS has acquired several items, although not original to the house, to help restore the home to its eighteenth-century appearance.  The NPS also offers tours of the Nelson House for the public. The Page-Nelson Society, The Virginia Historical Society, and the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Inc. also continue to play a major role in accelerating public interest by collecting and publishing Nelson letters and other important papers, publishing books, and conducting seminars and lectures.  A number of filmmakers have expressed an interest in making a movie about Nelson, namely Frank Frost Productions Inc. and NutGraf Productions, LLC.  Denise Kiernan and Joe D’Agnese from NutGraf are currently producing Revolutionary Road Trip—a documentary featuring the lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.[7]

Below is a video presentation about Thomas Nelson
Compliments of the
The Revolutionary Road Trip website.

Please turn on your speakers and use the horizontal scroll bar to
center the presentation on your display.
To view the video, click on the Thomas Nelson picture/link
directly below the statement:
“A closer look at some of our stories…”
in the lower right hand corner of our preview window.