Colonial Dames present 66th annual American Independence Awards

The Birmingham Center of the National Society of the Colonial Dames encourages patriotism and scholarship in colonial American history through the sponsorship of the American Independence Awards.

On March 24, the Birmingham Center presented its 66th annual American Independence Awards during a luncheon held at the Country Club of Birmingham, according to a news release from the organization.

The awards are given each year to students at Samford University who have written outstanding papers on colonial or early American history.

The luncheon was held this year for the first time since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the event, the winning students received cash awards, and the first-place winners presented their papers.

Dr. Jonathon Den Hartog, chairman of the History Department at Samford University introduced the five students who received awards, three of whom attended the event, said Julie Goyer, Patriotic Services Chair for the Colonial Dames.

There were two first-place winners, Yorgo Sarris and Kristofer Labenske, who each gave short presentations of their papers.

Sarris presented his paper, “A Truly Lost Cause?: Examining Loyalist Influence on the Early American Republic.” Sarris is a graduating senior at Samford and will be attending The University of Chicago Law School in

the fall.

Kristofer Labenske presented his paper, “An Anglican Vision for Empire: The Origins and Ideals of the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.” Labenske is a graduate student at Beeson Divinity School at Samford University.

The other winners and their papers are as follows:   

► Mary Blake Brock, “Stars, Stripes, Sewing Machines, and Elizabeth Betsy Ross:  The Founding Mother of Nationalism and Revolutionary America.”

► Collin de la Vergne Stafford,“The Spark of a New Nation: How Artillery Shaped the American Revolution.”

► Charlie Williams, “A Spirit of Courage: The Puritan Experiment and its Impact.”

Each year the essays are bound and put in a volume located in the permanent collection of the Samford University.  Each volume is dedicated to a Dame who has shown outstanding service to the organization.

Three volumes were dedicated at the meeting, since the last 2020 and 2021 meetings were cancelled.

Volume 64, containing the award-winning essays from 2020 ,was dedicated and presented to Laura Ramsey by Carolyn Satterfield.

Volume 65, containing the 2021 essays, was dedicated and presented to Mary Turner by Nedra Crosby.

Volume 66 containing this year’s essays was dedicated to Pat Hiden by Julia Willcox.

The National Society of the Colonial Dames, with its 44 societies and 15,000 members, promotes appreciation for the people, places and events that led to the formation and development of the U.S., and provides leadership in the field of historic preservation, restoration and the interpretation of historic sites, according to the organization’s website.

The organization, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2016, has chapters in 45 states and in Canada.

Members must prove their direct descent from a person who contributed to the founding of the American colonies before 1701.

There are 11 Alabama chapters. For more information, including membership inquiry, visit colonialdames17calabama.weebly.com.