[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 220 (Monday, December 28, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1207-E1208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING HELLENIC AND AMERICAN PHILHELLENIC WOMEN OF THE GREEK WAR OF 
                              INDEPENDENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 28, 2020

  Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, as co-chair and 
co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, I rise today 
to honor the heroic Hellenic and American Philhellenic Women of the 
Greek War of Independence, whose consequential actions helped free 
Greece and her people from the yoke of the Ottoman Empire.
  As a member of the East Mediterranean Business Culture Alliance's 
American Hellenic Revolution Bicentennial Celebration Committee, and as 
we approach the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence, it 
is incumbent upon all of us to honor the legacy of these women and 
recognize how their actions influenced the relationship between the 
United States and Greece.
  I have the unique privilege of representing one of the largest Greek 
American communities in the U.S. in Astoria, Queens, and I am blessed 
to call many of them close friends.
  I'm especially honored that my friends in the Hellenic community have 
bestowed me with the nickname ``Bouboulina'' after Laskarina 
Bouboulina, one of the many great warriors of the Greek War of 
Independence and whose home I had the privilege of visiting in 2016.
  Bouboulina was a trailblazer in her own right and committed herself 
to the cause of a free and independent Greek state.
  And I rise not only to honor these brave women, but also recognize 
the Greek people's contributions to democracy, art, science, and 
literature, and to governments around the world, including our own.
  As the birthplace of democracy, Greece was an inspiration for the 
U.S. system of government. And just as Greece inspired our country, our 
revolution helped inspire the Greeks to revolt against the Ottomans.
  When the Greek War of Independence started, American Philhellenes and 
Greek American communities in the U.S. not only voiced their support 
for the cause, but actively supported their campaign.
  Greek Committees were formed in cities across the country to organize 
political and monetary support and send shiploads of humanitarian 
supplies to Greek revolutionaries. It may be safe to say that without 
the moral, intellectual, political, monetary and in-kind assistance of 
these Americans, the outcome of the Greek War for Independence might 
have been different.
  The ideals of freedom and democracy resonated for Americans who saw 
the plight of the Greeks suffering brutal slavery and massacres under 
the Ottoman Turkish oppressors. When the bells of the Revolution rang 
in 1821 and the cry ``Freedom or Death'' rang over the enslaved Greeks, 
American Philhellenes inspired a lobbying campaign in the United States 
for support of the Greek War of Independence, exciting the imaginations 
of many influential political and civil leaders in America.
  American Philhellenes fought to help Greece win freedom from over 
four hundred years of brutal tyranny and slavery under Ottoman Turks. 
These distinguished Americans included: President Thomas Jefferson, 
President John Adams, General Lafayette, President James Monroe, 
President John Quincy Adams, General Lafayette, Daniel Webster, Henry 
Clay, General Sam Houston, Edward Livingston, Horace Mann, Dr. Edward 
Everett, Lieutenant General George Jarvis, Colonel Johnathan P. Miller, 
James L. Winthrop, Henry V. Post, John D. Ross, John R. Stuyvesant, 
William A. Washington, William Townsend Washington, Captain John M. 
Allen, Estwick Evans, Nicholas Biddle, Charles Carroll, Mathew Carey, 
George Wilson, James Williams, Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, and many 
others. Many of these same Philhellenes fought in the Greek War of 
Independence, some of whom lost their lives and are buried there.
  For the deeds of heroism and valor displayed at Missolonghi during 
the four years of siege by the Ottoman Empire from 1822 to 1826, the 
city has become the ``shrine'' of the Greek War of Independence. All 
nations whose Philhellenes aided Greece in its cause have monuments in 
the Garden of Heroes in memory of those who died in the Greek War of 
Independence. These monuments include a memorial erected by the Order 
of Sons of Pericles, the Junior Order of AHEPA in 1939, placed there by 
Congressional Resolution in memory of the American Philhellenes, which 
reads:
  ``As a tribute to and in commemoration of those patriotic Americans 
who, aided by the moral and material support and assistance of the 
entire American people, gave their services, their fortunes, and their 
lives to the cause of Greek Independence in the Greek Revolutionary War 
of 1821.''
  Most notably, many of these American Philhellenes included future 
leaders of the Women's Suffrage and Abolitionist movements.
  As American women became involved in the effort, they connected the 
battle against Greek slavery under the Ottoman Empire with other 
female-led reform movements and over time their participation grew into 
an international movement, expanding female participation in the public 
sphere for both American and Greek women.
  Among the Philhellenes was Samuel Gridley Howe, an American physician 
and prominent Abolitionist, a member of the Secret Six, and an advocate 
of education, and education for the blind. He took up the Greek cause 
after earning a medical degree by joining the Greek army as Chief 
Surgeon of the Hellenic Navy and Commander during the Greek War of 
Independence.
  Howe was married to fellow Philhellene Julia Rush Ward Howe, an 
Abolitionist and early leader in the Women's Suffrage movement. She's 
known as the composer of the lyrics of the ``Battle Hymn of the 
Republic'' which became an anthem during the Civil War for 
Abolitionists, the anti-slavery movement, women's suffrage activists, 
and was quoted by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. throughout the civil 
rights movement.
  Emma Willard, who formed the Troy Society for the Advancement of 
Female Education in Greece, was one of the most outspoken advocates for 
the education of women.
  Among America's prominent Abolitionists and supporters of the 
Underground Railroad were Sarah Arms Miller and her husband, Colonel 
Johnathan P. Miller, who fought in the Greek War of Independence. He 
adopted a Hellenic orphan of the revolution, Lucas Miltiades Miller, 
who later became the first Greek American to serve in the U.S. 
Congress. Many children orphaned during the

[[Page E1208]]

Greek War of Independence became adoptees and were brought to America, 
ultimately becoming prominent American citizens, scholars, and members 
of the armed services.
  And James Williams, an African American slave from Baltimore, joined 
the Greek revolutionaries and fought for Greece's freedom during the 
Battle of Navarino and was buried there in honor of his efforts.
  Trailblazers like Bouboulina, Willard, and Miller--who toppled their 
oppressors, demanded equality, and fought to enact change to benefit 
future generations of women--inspire my work in Congress every day.
  The example set by Hellenic and American Philhellenic women during 
the Greek War of Independence exemplifies the U.S.-Greece relationship 
that thrives to this day. It is because of our historic friendship, and 
shared commitment to liberal democratic values, that the U.S. and 
Greece continue to work on so many issues that have a profound effect 
on the world.
  After generations of oppression, Greece's freedom was hard-fought, 
and the Republic of Greece has become a shining example of democracy to 
the world. Greece and the Greek people are such critical allies and 
dear friends of the United States and I'm very proud to rise today in 
honor of the brave Hellenic and American Philhellenic women who played 
a pivotal role in securing the independence that Greece and her people 
celebrate to this day.

                          ____________________