[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 45 (Monday, March 9, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1621-S1623]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         BICENTENNIAL OF MAINE

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on March 15, 1820, Maine became our 
Nation's 23rd State. It is a pleasure to join my fellow Mainers in 
celebrating this bicentennial and the generations of people who have 
written an inspiring and remarkable history.
  The story of Maine begins long before President James Monroe signed 
the legislation granting statehood to what had been a district of 
Massachusetts. For thousands of years, the land has been home to the 
Wabanaki, who have drawn sustenance from Maine's woods and waters. The 
People of the Dawn remain valued members of our communities today, and 
their reverence for nature is the foundation of the ethic of 
environmental stewardship that continues to guide our State.
  French explorers, led by Samuel de Champlain, first visited the area 
in 1604. In 1607, more than a decade before

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the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, bold English pioneers established 
Popham Colony and constructed the first sailing ship built in North 
America. Ten years later, Captain John Smith sailed the North Atlantic 
coast and named the region ``New England.''
  The European settlers that followed cleared farm fields, cut timber, 
and harvested the bounty of the sea. They harnessed rivers to power 
grain, lumber, and textile mills. With pick and shovel, they built 
roads and, later, railroads to connect communities to one another and 
Maine to the world.
  In June of 1775, just 2 months after Lexington and Concord, the first 
naval battle of the American Revolution was fought at Machias. Armed 
with nothing more than muskets, pitchforks, and axes, a militia of 30 
patriots captured a British warship in a stunning American victory. 
When the British tried again to subdue that hotbed of revolution 2 
years later, Passamaquoddy warriors joined with the local militia to 
repel the invasion.
  We are a State of immigrants, first from England, Scotland, and 
Ireland, then from Scandinavia. When the Acadians fled persecution in 
British Canada, many found new homes in Maine, establishing our rich 
Franco-American heritage. In recent years, Maine has opened its arms to 
thousands of refugees from Somalia and other nations in Africa and the 
Middle East.
  Maine achieved statehood as a result of legislation that admitted two 
new States--Maine and Missouri--to the Union--one free, one slave. 
Freedom is a theme that resonates throughout Maine's history.
  During the era when slavery stained our young Nation, Mainers were 
fervent abolitionists and hosted a vital part of the Underground 
Railroad. It was in Maine that Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote ``Uncle 
Tom's Cabin,'' the novel that brought the horror of slavery into homes 
throughout America.
  During the Civil War, Maine provided more soldiers per capita to the 
Union cause than any other State. When Joshua Chamberlain and the 20th 
Maine made their heroic charge at Little Round Top, they turned the 
tide at Gettysburg and saved our Nation so that all people would be 
free. As the war neared its end, President Abraham Lincoln established 
a network of hospitals to care for wounded veterans, the foundation of 
today's VA. It was fitting that the very first of those hospitals was 
in Maine.
  Maine also led the way in ensuring that all American citizens have 
the right to express themselves at the ballot box. Maine provided some 
of the most effective leaders in the movement for women's suffrage. 
Maine's Governor and two Senators played key roles in the passage of 
the 19th Amendment that took effect 100 years ago, during Maine's 
centennial year.
  Two episodes wonderfully describe the commitment of Maine people to 
liberty, equality, and dignity for all. In 1837, the crew of a Maine 
schooner smuggled a slave from a southern port to our State and to 
freedom. The Governor of the slave State demanded not just the return 
of the slave but also the extradition of the ship's captain and first 
mate to face charges of theft of property. The response of Maine's 
Governor was blunt: ``We do not consider people to be property.''
  In our time, in 2003, an out-of-State neo-Nazi White supremacist 
group brought its message of racial bigotry and anti-Semitism to 
Lewiston, a city that had recently opened its doors, and its heart, to 
refugees from Somalia. The rally for hate attracted barely 30 people. 
The counter rally for humanity drew more than 4,000. Another 1,000 
gathered outside on a bitterly cold January day, unable to fit into the 
packed Bates College gym but unwilling to let their voices go unheard.
  That is the real story of Maine--a noble history that is upheld and 
enhanced today. Farming, fisheries, and forest products remain vital 
parts of our economy, now joined by advanced manufacturing and world-
leading biomedical research. Our maritime heritage continues at our two 
great shipyards that keep our Navy preeminent in the world. Mainers 
continue to serve in uniform and defend freedom--we have the second 
highest percentage of veterans in the Nation. The people of our State 
will always come to the aid of those in need and offer a haven to the 
oppressed.
  When Captain John Smith explored the Maine coast more than four 
centuries ago, he wrote in his log that settling that beautiful and 
untamed region would take ``the best parts of art, judgment, courage, 
honesty, constancy, diligence, and industry.'' The people of Maine 
continue to demonstrate those qualities, and it is an honor to 
celebrate this landmark anniversary with them.
  Mr. KING. Mr. President, today I recognize the bicentennial 
anniversary of the great State of Maine, which will be celebrated on 
March 15, 2020. For the past 200 years, Maine has made monumental 
contributions to our Nation and exemplified the best of America, with 
immense natural treasures surpassed only by the kindness, generosity, 
and work ethic of its people. With the Pine Tree State now entering its 
third century, we look back on the people and events that brought us to 
this milestone and look forward to all of the successes that lie ahead.
  Before it was ever known as Maine, the land was home to a number of 
Indigenous Tribes that together formed the Wabanaki Confederacy; to 
this day, Maine continues to be home to the Wabanaki people and several 
Native Tribes who make invaluable contributions to our State and our 
culture. The land was settled as an independent colony in the 17th 
century, before being later annexed by the colony of Massachusetts. 
Maine existed under Massachusetts' rule until March 15, 1820, when it 
regained its independence from our southern neighbors as part of the 
Compromise of 1820 and was admitted as the 23rd State of the United 
States of America.
  Maine's blessings are many. In the years since its admission to the 
United States, Maine has made major economic contributions to the 
Nation. Maine people have proven to be resourceful, adaptable, gritty, 
and hard-working, which, combined with our vast natural resources, have 
established the State as a leader in vital industries. As the most 
forested State in the Nation, Maine's timber industry thrived; with our 
thousands of miles of coastline, Maine people worked the waters and 
created one of the most lucrative and sustainable fisheries in the 
world. We have turned fertile farmland into a legacy of family farms 
and diversified agriculture, allowing Maine-grown food to be served 
across the Nation, and we have harnessed unmatched scenery to establish 
our State as a leader in tourism, where visitors from around the globe 
wait all year to spend a week in Vacationland. In these industries and 
many more, Maine leads the way, and it all starts with the men, women, 
and families who make up the fabric of our communities and set the 
standard for the way life should be.
  Maine's innate adaptability and determination extends to every part 
of our society, including our choice of leaders. For generations, 
Maine's elected officials have emphasized common sense and problem-
solving above all, traits drawn directly from the State's voters and 
values. The example set by Joshua Chamberlain, the Lion of Little Round 
Top, who led his men against impossible odds during the Civil War to 
strike major victories for the Union, exemplifies Maine's focus on 
service over self. This legacy was furthered by Margaret Chase Smith as 
she stood up to the political powers of her day and chose country over 
party. There are so many other examples, from Ed Muskie to Bill Cohen 
to George Mitchell to Olympia Snowe, of how Maine's leaders have 
championed some of the country's most impactful pieces of legislation 
by focusing on results over partisanship, wielding an outsized 
influence given Maine's population. It is not just national either; 
there are too many examples to list of State and local leaders who have 
stepped forward to create a better Maine for all of our people. This 
legacy of fighting to achieve the difficult right instead of settling 
for the convenient wrong speaks to the unique independence of Maine 
citizens, who have always voted based on ideas, not on party. This 
approach is far too infrequent in our political discourse; on this 
subject, as on most, the Nation could use more of Maine's sensibility.
  I have always said that Maine is like a big small town, with very 
long streets because, no matter where you live in Maine, we are all 
neighbors and we are all in service to each other. This focus on 
service is why Maine has long

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had one of the highest rates of veterans per capita, and it is why 
towns across Maine offer a wide range of resources to help lift up our 
fellow citizens struggling with challenges ranging from substance use 
disorders to unemployment to food insecurity. I have been lucky enough 
to travel to every corner and pocket of our State, and the way our 
communities care for our own never ceases to amaze me. No matter if it 
is a time of crisis or business as usual, Maine people are in it 
together. That is a profoundly rare phenomenon, and we are infinitely 
better for it.
  Maine's motto, ``Dirigo,'' is simple, declarative, and fitting; 
translated from Latin, it means ``I Lead.'' That is exactly right: For 
the last 200 years, Maine has led the way, economically, politically, 
and socially. As we honor the 200th anniversary of Maine's statehood, I 
know that our State is positioned to continue its leadership for 
generations to come. So, regardless of which of the 16 counties you are 
from, let us come together--as is the Maine tradition--and celebrate 
our great fortune to live, work, and play in the greatest State in the 
Nation. Happy 200th birthday, Maine, and thanks to each and every 
person who makes our State so special. Thanks to your efforts, I am 
certain we will see history repeat itself as Maine embarks on another 
200 years of prosperity, community, common sense, and leadership.

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