The 350-year-old Flushing Remonstrance came home to Queens last week, along with 40 descendants of the document’s signers.
The charred parchment (it was burned in the state archives in 1911) is now on view for a month in the Flushing Library, where people can see the first written document proclaiming religious freedom in this country.
Written in 1657 and signed by 29 men, mostly farmers and tradesmen of English background, the Remonstrance was sent to Dutch Gov. Peter Stuyvesant, protesting his ban on meetings by the Quakers.
At an opening ceremony at the library on Thursday evening, public officials and descendants spoke eloquently about the significance of the document and the men who signed it.
Borough President Helen Marshall called the Remonstrance the cornerstone of democracy, while Congressman Gary Ackerman said the signers “stood up to power and stepped up to the plate.”
He added that people today should be inspired by the document to stand up to power and not to deride anyone.
Christine Ward, state archivist, called the document an iconic record, adding, “Your attachment to this document is greatly infective.”
She noted that the document would return to the borough in the spring. It will be at the library through Jan. 7 and in the spring at the Queens Museum of Art from April 6-June 29.
Many in Queens, however, want it to remain here permanently, rather than be locked up in a vault in Albany where no one can see it. State officials say the document is too fragile and could not be kept at the museum on view for any great length of time.
The Rev. Nicholas Tweed, of the Macedonia AME Church in Flushing, is one proponent of keeping the Remonstrance here. “This document is very important especially with the current climate,” he said. “It reminds us this is the birthplace of religious freedom.”
Tweed added that the document should be here and questioned the archivists’ statements. “Tell us what we need to do to make it climate-controlled at the museum,” he said. “The Mona Lisa is a treasure and it’s not hidden away.”
David Oats of Forest Hills, who has worked for years to get the Remonstrance back in Flushing for good, said a document sitting in a vault does no one any good. “They say if you go to Albany, you can see the Remonstrance on a digital photo, but that is not enough. The Declaration of Independence is on view to the public and so should this.”
Bob Bullock, president of the Archives Partnership Trust, defended the state’s position. “The document belongs to all the people in New York state, not just to those in Flushing. And we have never turned down a request to bring it to Flushing.”
This is the fourth time it’s been returned to Flushing on a temporary basis.
Penelope Bowne Parryman, representing the descendants, noted that the signers were “remarkable for being unremarkable.” She called the Remonstrance the first formal resistence in the new world and likened it to the Declaration of Independence.
“Like the signers of the Declaration of Independence, these men all took great risks and suffered hardships, but they are largely forgotten.”
Her 10 times great-grandfather was John Bowne, who was banished by Gov. Peter Stuyvesant for allowing Quakers to meet at his home. Bowne pleaded his case with the Dutch West India Company and won. He returned with a letter instructing Stuyvesant to grant religious freedom for all.
At a luncheon the next day for descendants, sponsored by the Flushing Marketing Task Force and the Flushing Business Improvement District, many guests said they were in awe over what their ancestors had accomplished.
James Thorne travelled to Flushing with his daughter, Corrie, from their home in Walla Walla, Wash. “We are actually descended from six of the signers but our main relative was William Thorne,” he said. “It’s nice to be connected to such influential history.”
Thorne added that he was very proud of his heritage. “I am overwhelmed with what they did. They stood up to the toughest thing.”
Lewis Thorne of Eugene, Oreg., is James Thorne’s cousin. Reflecting on the signers, he noted that they were reacting to what they thought was right. “Their ideas were strong and organized. It’s amazing how closely James Thorne’s beliefs paralled mine.”
Ralph Hart and his sister, Bonnie, travelled from Virginia. They are related to Edward Hart, who wrote the Remonstrance. Ralph Hart noted that his ancestor was jailed for three weeks for his “sedition” and forced to apologize for it. “After he got out of jail, he moved his family to Westchester. Hartsdale is named after them.”
