John Jay Reenactor Phil Webster at Federal Hall

On April 30, 2018 John Jay revisited Federal Hall with Reenactor Phil Webster. This was the 229th Anniversary of George Washington's First Inauguration. John Jay at that time was the first Secretary of State. Thomas Jefferson did not get back to the United States until March 1790. Jay had served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs under the Confederation Congress and stayed until Jefferson came back from France. During that time Jay and his office wrote 100 reports and 500 letters concerning matters of other countries. He did his work from Fraunces Tavern on Pearl Street in New York City (Lower Manhattan). Please go and tell Fraunces Tavern that you appreciate Mr. Jay's work.

John Jay was at Federal Hall for the Inauguration on April 30, 1789

John Jay explained his life from 1774 to 1789 as a New Yorker at Federal Hall. John met Sally Livingston at a dance at Fraunces Tavern in December 1772 and they got married the same week as the New York Tea Party. Many people think of the Founding Fathers as always being old (that is because they did not have photography and it was quite costly to have your portrait painted. Most of the Founders had the money to spend on portraits when they were older). John was 28 and Sally was 17 when they got married (with the permission of Mr. and Mrs. William Livingston of Elizabethtown, New Jersey.

It is quite Providential that there was a young man who came from a Caribbean island called St. Croix that boarded with the Livingston family at the same time John Jay was courting Sally Livingston. His name is Alexander Hamilton. As John and Sally got married, Alexander was essentially a part of the family and very probably attended their wedding.

If you would like to see the video of John Jay describing the struggle of New York during the American Revolution up until it was the nation's capital and how the movement for the Constitution started in New York with Hamilton, Madison and John Jay when JOhn and Sally had Alexander and James over for dinner in October 1787.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ9PNGabBbs

John Jay to attend Washington's Inauguration April 30, 2018 at Federal Hall

John Jay to attend George Washington's Inauguration on April 30, 2018 at Federal Hall in New York City

It is quite fitting that John Jay should be in attendance at the recreation of the First Inauguration at Federal Hall in New York. Back in April 30, 1789, George Washington took the oath of office outside Federal Hall. He then went into Federal Hall and gave his Inauguration Address. Afterwards, Washington, Adams, the Cabinet (Jay Secretary of State because Jefferson did not return to the United States until March 1790; Henry Knox Secretary of War, Edmund Randolph and Alexander Hamilton Secretary of the Treasury), The Senate and the House of Representatives walked down Wall Street and went north six blocks on Broadway to attend a worship service at St. Paul's Chapel.



Jay was no stranger to George Washington. Jay was not one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. With at least 100 British ships in the area of New York City harbor, Jay was occupied with the defense of New York. Quite possibly you have heard of Henry Knox's obtaining cannon from Fort Ticonderoga and then taken to Boston in 1775. Jay brought cannon from Salisbury, Connecticut to Fort Montgomery as he rode on horseback 280 miles in 4 days. Also during the events leading up to the battle of Brooklyn, Jay was in charge of a group to detect conspiracies. Jay's group found out Thomas Hickey's plan to kidnap and possibly kill General Washington. Jay was a colonel in the New York Militia and was responsible for Alexander Hamilton getting a captain position in the New York artillery. jay had to move his family to Fishkill and Poughkeepsie as New York was in British hands. Jay helped write New York's Constitution after the Declaration of Independence in 1777. After being in attendance three days at Continental Congress in 1778, Jay was elected President. During his term as President Jay stood with Washington during the Conway Cabal. Washington knew that Jay had his back again.

John Jay Reenactor Phil Webster addressed Homeschool groups at the Great Homeschool Convention in Greenville SC on March 8-10, 2018. He also visited Guilford Courthouse, Cowpens and the Yadkin River near Salisbury NC which was the second of three rivers which Maryland and Delaware Continentals crossed under General Morgan and Greene. Each time the Americans crossed, they got to the other side safely. Each time the British attempted to cross the Catawba, the Yadkin and the Dan Rivers, there was providential flooding where they could not cross.

John Jay addressed the Homeschool Convention on Friday night with 1776 FAITH: The Christian Worldview of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence and on Saturday morning with a presentation of the Life of John Jay

John Jay Reenactor Phil Webster at Cowpens

Note the Continental Line at the back of the drawing. Those portrayed were the Continental Army soldiers of Maryland and Delaware. When one walks from the British position, the Continentals could not be seen until the last moment over the ridge.

Phil Webster at Guilford Courthouse Visitor Center wearing a green jacket in honor of Nathanael Greene

Yadkin River, (north of Salisbury NC) the second of three rivers where the Americans crossed over but the British were unable due to flooding.

John Jay reenactor Phil Webster to speak at Great Homeschool Convention at Greenville SC March 8-10

John Jay reenactor Phil Webster to speak at Great Homeschool Convention at Greenville SC March 8-10

Phil Webster will speak as John Jay at two sessions at the Great Homeschool Convention. On Friday at 7:30 PM John Jay will present "1776 FAITH: The Christian Worldview of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.

On Saturday morning Mr. Jay will relate stories about his 28 years of service to the new nation.

• member of Continental Congress
• President of Continental Congress
• Chief Justice of New York
• Minister Plenipotentiary to Spain
• Treaty of Paris Negotiator (with Franklin & Adams)
• Secretary of Foreign Affairs 1784-1789
• Secretary of State 1789-1790
• Chief Justice Supreme Court 1789-1795
• Negotiated Jay Treaty with England
• Governor of New York, outlawed slavery
• President of American Bible Society
• Helped establish Free African School in NYC
• Friend of William Wilberforce

Phil Webster/ John Jay at Salisbury MD Barnes and Noble bookstore Dec. 2, 2017

Phil Webster/ John Jay at Salisbury MD Barnes and Noble bookstore Dec. 2, 2017

Phil Webster appeared in character as John Jay at a booksigning of his books 1776 FAITH, 1776 DELMARVA and 1787 FAITH on Saturday, December 2, 2017.

John and Sally Jay had two sons:
one born in 1776 (Peter), the year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence
and one in 1789 (William), the year when the new government started under the Constitution.

1776 FAITH documents the Christian worldview of the signers of the Declaration of Independence (54 of the 56 signers had a Christian worldview) It also shows the days of prayer for the country (at least once a year during the American Revolution), the original state Constitutions which had a place for God, instances of Divine Providence on the young nation, the Christian colleges of the era, the effect of the Great Awakening on the Founders and the Christian music of the era. This is a resource to counter specific challenges to specific Founding Fathers.

1787 documents the Christian worldview of the signers of the Constitution (at least 36 of the 39 signers of the Constitution had a Christian worldview) as well as give some background to each signer. It also goes on to show in chapter five how the United States government dedicated itself to God in New York City at St. Paul's Chapel on April 30, 1789. St. Paul's Chapel is significant in that the Twin Towers fell down at its back door. Does the First Amendment say "Freedom of Religion" or "Separation of Church and State?" Why do all 50 states mention God in their state constitutions? What would the first Chief Justice under the Constitution say about faith in God?

1776 DELMARVA attempts to show the contributions and sacrifices of the Delmarva Peninsula during the American Revolution. Most Marylanders (let alone the rest of the country) do not realize that Maryland has the unique privilege of flying their flag at the same height as the United States flag because of the sacrifice of Maryland soldiers at the battle of Brooklyn. Delmarva soldiers fought at Brooklyn, Kip's Bay, Harlem Heights, Fort Washington, Washington Crossing, Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stony Point and Paulus Hook. That sounds like enough right there but in 1789 they were called upon to march south to the Carolinas and fight eventually at Camden, Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse, the Race to the Dan, Hobrick's Hill, Ninety Six, Eutaw Springs and Yorktown.

These books would be enjoyed by history lovers as Christmas gifts.

At Most 5 of 95 Founders Were Deists

At Most 5 of the 95 Founders Were Deists



For the last decade or so, it has been pushed in the public schools and universities that "all the Founders were Deist and Atheists and there is no place for God in the public square." In the late 1990s, I came across the 25 volumes of "Letters of the Delegates to Congress 1774-1789." I gave myself "The Founders' Challenge." I read all these volumes (plus 34 volumes of "Journals of Continental Congress" to see if the Founders had an atheistic, deistic or Christian worldview. My findings can be found in my two books 1776 FAITH and 1787 FAITH.

In "1776 FAITH: The Christian Worldview of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence" 54 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence had a Christian worldview. The exceptions were Franklin and Jefferson. Even Franklin and Jefferson had strong Christian statements but had views not compatible with a follower of Jesus Christ.
In "1787 FAITH: The Christian Worldview of the Signers of the Constitution" 36 of the 39 signers of the Constitution had a Christian worldview. This is being generous. The possible deists are Franklin, Hugh Williamson and James Wilson. I have yet to see evidence of a blatant anti-Christian worldview from Williamson and Wilson. On the contrary, I have seen quite a bit that puts them in the Christian worldview column. Since Franklin is counted here again, the actual count is 90 to 4 which would be 95.7%

John Jay at Naval Academy along with Hamilton, Madison and Mason

It was a high honor to be able to portray John Jay at the Naval Academy on September 15, 2017 to help the Midshipmen celebrate Constitution Day. John Jay with Alexander Hamilton (Rocky Rockefeller) and James Madison (David Smith) as well as George Mason (Mark Croatti) helped midshipmen interact with these future leaders at the Naval Academy for Constitution Day remembrance.

Naval Academy Library

Jay and Madison with Midshipmen