The Girl Who Stole John Marshall's Heart

 Having shared the story of John Marshall's life, it seems appropriate to share the story of the girl who stole his heart.  The Ambler Family of Virginia was well known and prosperous.  The girl's grandfather had collected taxes for the King, before the War of Independence, as did her father and his brothers for a time prior to the revolution.  Her own father was the youngest of three brothers, all of whom received excellent educations, the older two having attended Cambridge in England, and her father having graduated from William & Mary in Williamsburg.  He was a patriot during the revolution and served on Virginia's Council of State in 1780 and as Treasurer of Virginia from 1782 to his death in 1798.

In comparison, John Marshall's education was largely acquired by his own love for reading English literature, poetry, and history, although he did attend one year at the Westmoreland Country Academy with future president James Monroe.  He gained notice fighting in the American War of Independence, shivering in Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78 and fighting battles in Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth.  Following his military duty, he began legal studies at the College of William and Mary, gaining further notice.  

During the same time, Polly was barely a teenager, acquiring the education suitable for a girl of her class, learning basic writing, reading, arithmetic, and religious principles, preparing to be a mother and wife capable of managing the household her husband provided, which in Virginia included managing the enslaved men and women who did the labor to keep her home clean and running smoothly.  She had been only 10 when the Declaration of Independence was signed.  

Despite the age difference of slightly more than 10 years, John Marshall was introduced to Polly Ambler, and as he recalled, "I saw her first the week she attained the age of fourteen & was greatly pleased with her.  Girls then came into company much earlier than at present."

Mary Ambler "Polly" Marshall

Between the time of their first meeting, they would probably have seen one another at social occasions, and finally John could wait no longer.  He proposed.  The family story was told that Polly was so flustered by the proposal that she said "no."  Her cousin intervened, explaining to John that Polly had been so surprised and happy that she had blurted out the opposite of what she meant to say.  They were married on January 3, 1783.  

Perhaps John gave his heart to Polly that night they were first introduced when she was only 14, and she was just 16 when they married, but his love and devotion never waned.  When she sent her cousin to tell John that she did want to be his wife, she had included a lock of her hair to deliver to him.  Later, she entwined a lock of John's hair with hers and tucked the two in a locket that she always wore. 

Despite their love for each other, Polly's life with John was difficult.  Their first child was born in 1784, their second child was born in 1787, followed by two miscarriages and then two infant deaths, with a third child in 1795.  Women's health care during that time was beyond inadequate, and records indicate 40 percent of children would not live to see their 5th birthday.  Childbirth was painful, and the risk of puerperal fever, which appeared mysteriously after deliveries and often led to quick death, was a fearful possibility--until in the 1880s they finally realized that unclean doctors' hands and instruments were the source of the deaths.  Modesty and morality in Victorian America contributed to apprehension in both patients and doctors.  Ultimately, six of Polly's children would survive.

John was a loving husband, but his law practice and his time serving in the Virginia state legislature took him away from home.  In 1797 when he was sent as President Adams's envoy to France, Polly worried wrongly that her husband was having a dalliance with a French woman.  As his responsibilities in government grew, her poor health worsened.  Her life diminished to traveling to seek cures for her various physical ailments and making family visits.  Even those things ended as she spent more and more time in bed, but for John she remained his "Dearest Polly."

She died in 1831 at the age of 65, the cause of death being certified as "Old Age."  Family history describes her deathbed gift to John of the locket she had worn throughout their marriage, containing the twisted strands of hair exchanged at the time of their engagement.  As she wished, he is said to have worn the locket until his own death in 1835.  

     

A Patriot Sometimes Overlooked

 Most of us remember the Presidents that have led this nation, but sometimes we overlook the importance of other patriots.  John Marshall is one who should not be forgotten, his integrity and importance to the nation particularly important to remember today.

He was the oldest of 15 children, and although his formal childhood education was very limited, he loved books and taught himself by reading.  Both he and his father fought in the American War of Independence.  He saw battle and endured the suffering at Valley Forge in the cruel winter of 1777-78.  After the war, he studied law, gained a reputation as a lawyer, served in the Virginia state legislature, was chosen as President Adams's envoy to France, served in Adams's Cabinet as Secretary of State, (having turned down other positions offered to him along the way), and ultimately was nominated by Adams to serve as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.  This summary of his life prior to becoming Chief Justice is incomplete, but offers some idea of his achievements, but his love and devotion to his wife cannot be overlooked.  She was an invalid much of their marriage, although she did give birth to 10 children, 6 of whom lived to adulthood.

There were 3 Supreme Court Justices before him, but little structuring of the Court had been accomplished prior to Marshall's arrival on the bench.  It is indescribably fortunate for America that Marshall was chosen at such a critical time to gradually shape the Supreme Court.

While much of our American law was derived from English law, it was Marshall who led the way to distinguish the differences and to flesh out the unwritten distinctions under our Constitution.  Ignoring the British principle that "the King can do no wrong," Marshall did not hesitate to determine that under our Constitution a President can be "impeached and removed from office on conviction of his crimes and misdemeanors."  Adding, "The President is elected from the mass of the people, and on the expiration of the time for which he is elected, he returns to the mass of the people again."

Many of the cases that came before the Supreme Court had no precedent to guide them.  Other Chief Justices might have introduced their political bias into the Court's decisions.  However, through Marshall's leadership, the Court avoided political bias. Quoting author Harlow Giles Unger, "The Court and its decisions remained as centrists as Marshall himself--at one and the same time liberal and conservative in the literal sense of both words. They protected and preserved individual liberties that did not infringe on the liberties of others or cross the line between liberty and license."

When John Marshall died, John Quincy Adams wrote in his diary:  "He was one of the most eminent men this country has ever produced. ...Marshall, by the ascendency of his genius, by the amenity of his deportment and by the imperturbable command of his temper, has given a permanent and systematic character to the decisions of the Court, and settled many great constitutional questions favorably to the continuance of the Union."

The importance of the early Supreme Court has always been recognized, but of great significance was not only the Constitution itself but also the leadership of Marshall who guided the Associate Justices who served with him.  The broad unity of the court strengthened the respect for the rulings they made, resulting in acceptance by not only the Senate and the House, but also across state leadership, resulting in wide acceptance among the public. 

John Marshall's Supreme Court ruled America's legal landscape for 35 years.  Yet, shortly before his death, he shared his concern about whether or not the Constitution could last.  He worried that "The case of the South seems to be desperate."  His concern was validated when South Carolina's State Militia fired on Fort Sumter.  The brutal Civil War tested the nation, but the Constitution held.  

Yet, even today, we must not take for granted it's invincibility.  Like John Marshall, we must respect the challenge of preserving the union.

Where is Education Going?

Grades 1 & 2, 1950

There were concerns about education prior to Covid, but being out of the classroom worsened those concerns.  However, educators have chosen to use the opportunity as a way to look closely at how new ideas might improve education.  The question is, where do we go from here?  This third blog will share some of the changes in education that are being tried.

A Survey by the Pew Research Center during November of 2023 found that 51% of U.S. adults believed that public K-12 education is going in the wrong direction.  Only 16% thought it was going in the right direction, and 32% were not sure.

Criticisms from the public included primarily 4 areas:  1. Schools not spending enough time on core academic subjects, like reading, math, science, and social studies; 2. Teachers bringing things outside of traditional education into the classroom; 3.  Schools not having funding and resources they need; and 4. Parents having too much influence in decisions about what schools are teaching.

There has been increasing concern about declining scores in reading and math for some time, and that is certainly being addressed in many states.  Attention is also being paid to aligning pathways with real-world workforce needs.  Fortunately, that has renewed emphasis on improving high-quality Reading & Math instruction.  Schools are also considering 3rd Grade Retention for those students who are  struggling, holding them back to provide particular attention so that they can master those needed skills before passing them forward.  Without mastering the basic skills, those students simply fall further behind and never catch up.

Many states are trying to determine the correct use of smart phones, not only baring cell phones during instruction time in the classroom but also putting more responsibility on cellphone companies to require parental permission for kids under age 18 to have cellphones.  Surveys have shown that 70% of parents support both state and national regulations requiring parental consent for young people to access social media platforms, and 61% endorse rules that would make students store their cell phones in lockers while at school.   Most parents are concerned about the negative effect of cellphones on their kids mental health, only 12% having no concerns.

Other ideas for improving education for grades 1-12 include expanding school choice in a wide variety of possible ways.  Tax dollars have long been spent on Public Schools, and although I had no children, I never resented being taxed for public schools.  I want educated people as my doctors, plumbers, police, clerks, farmers, and all occupations.  My husband and I have also supported scholarships for students needing assistance.  I recognize the value of training public school teachers and paying them a competitive wage.  Wealthy families may have had more options for schools 1-12 and college, so it is important to be sure ordinary families can have public schools, community colleges, and affordable 4-year colleges to receive quality educations; however, public school funding should not be diluted by supporting private schools.

There are also new efforts to create pathways for career and technical education programs, including career scholarship accounts for high school students, work-based learning courses, apprenticeships, and other opportunities.  Those pathways would not necessarily bind them to particular careers, but rather give them an opportunity to learn a skill that would give them the revenue to work and save for college later or attend night school while having income from their craft.  That seems more generally productive and fair that simply paying off university student debt.

In order to gain a strong workforce of well-trained teachers to fill current teacher shortages, states are creating incentives to keep the best teachers in the classroom, and ways to encourage new teachers to choose that career.  Some states are creating on the job training programs and mentorships and reviewing their teacher licensing programs.  States are not ignoring the impact of AI and are instead studying ways to effectively utilize it.  

That little girl sitting in the back row third from the left in the picture at the top of this blog had no idea what the world would be in 2024.  Now, decades later, she is trying her best to keep up, but the world of the future is no longer hers.  However, she plans to be around long enough to hope that today's generation is doing a good job of keeping up.  The older generation is depending on their ability to follow Albert Einstein's advice, that is, not just to have obtained an education, but rather to have used their educations to train their minds to think.  

I hope this 3-part series about education has offered some new ideas, as well as emphasizing the importance of education in a rapidly changing world.

Training the Mind to Think

  

Schools have come a long way, but where do we go from here?

   Continuing the reflection on Albert Einstein's quote, "The value of a college education is not learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think," I will share some of what educators learned from the effects of Covid home schooling, but I will begin with what students shared about what and how they are being taught.

Unfortunately, sometimes students reported that they were being taught from out dated books, while others complained about the conditions of their schools.  However, they also complained about a pattern of work, stress, and unnecessary work.  As one student described it, outdated books, unending homework, and the challenge of balancing school life, social life, and family life, concluding with the need to lessen the load on students.  I remember that I was busy in high school, doing assignments, having certain responsibilities at home, and having a social life, but I don't really recall feeling, as that student described, having an unreasonable load "dumped" on me.  Is it really that different today?

Another student admitted that she and her classmates had smaller vocabularies, less facts and figures in their heads, less ability in math--relying on "sneaking out the phone" for the answers.  She recognized the reliance and admitted that technology had impacted her socially and psychologically.  She described not only herself but her friends as wanting everything-- and wanting it immediately.  Sadly, she also felt that real experiences had become less gratifying because they had already experienced life "through a screen."  A different student proposed that instead of studying textbooks there should be more interactive videos, websites, and games to keep kids interested.  However, other students acknowledged that the ease of finding answers online had limited their learning. 

Some students complained about having to learn things they will never use, being required to memorize information that will have no application in real life.  As one teacher said, kids are of the opinion that they know better than their teachers what they should learn.

The perspective of teachers is that there is a widening gap between honor students and everyone else, with little or no middle ground.  Even in preschool, teachers are finding undisciplined kids that curse, spit, and kick, and too often reaching out to parents to help curb misbehavior is of no help.

Older students rely on internet assistance, but teachers find that even then they ignore correction hints, failing to correct spelling, punctuation, and spacing.  One teacher admitted that she and her husband had decided to withhold technology from their son until middle school so that he could learn more independence in managing his time and learning.

Beyond the work students present, teachers have noticed discourteous behavior, such as dropping things on the floor rather than putting them in the trash, and when disciplined about such behavior, they reply that janitors are responsible to clean up.  As for doing their own assignments, many simply fail to complete their work.  Teachers complain that administrators disapprove of failing incomplete work, making it even harder to get students it do adequate work.  As for better students, teachers find that they often expect an A+ for every assignment, dissatisfied with a B, expecting a reward for doing the assignment without consideration of the quality of their work.

So, where do we go from here in education.  A summery in next week's blog will bring some hope from new ideas being tried.