An Act of Historical Vandalism! Restore The Madoc Plaque!
Posted: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
by Ceri Shaw
Americymru
Sign the Petition
Storm Over Missing Madoc Plaque
Support The Alabama Welsh
Firstly let me say that I entirely support the Alabama Welsh Society in their efforts to have the plaque restored ( see above linked articles for background ). I am not a believer in the Madoc story. Of course I would like to believe it and am always ready to be convinced but currently there is no concrete evidence to support it and the whole episode seems too convenient for Tudor propaganda purposes not to have been fabricated. It is a fact, however, that many people have believed this story including Thomas Jefferson and Meriwether Lewis. Both men were of Welsh ancestry and one of the secondary goals of The Lewis and Clark expedition was to locate the lost tribe of Welsh speaking Indians possibly amongst the Mandans.
The following is a quote from the above-linked article. It outlines the official explanation for the plaque's removal:-
"But according to the site manager of Fort Morgan, Blanton Blankenship, the plaque has since been removed and is currently in storage because the site only "focuses on the United States military presence".
In a letter to the Welsh society, Mr Blankenship said: " This does not reflect prejudice against Prince Madoc or the Welsh, as we also do not interpret the prehistoric Native American nor historic Spanish, French and English occupations of this area. There are no plans to put it back on exhibit."
All of this entirely misses the point! The plaque is itself a part of American history. It is a manifestation of a belief ( mistaken or otherwise ) that has motivated men like Jefferson and Lewis and many others amongst the pioneers and explorers of the 19th century. In Hudson N.Y. there is a public park which, for various bizarre reasons, is home to a statue of St Winifrede, a 7th century Welsh Saint. Should it be removed because the park focuses on recreational use and not religious or historical commemoration? Is it not conceivable that a site, historical or otherwise, can serve more than one purpose or provide a home for a variety of artifacts?
But let us indulge in a little reductio ad absurdum. I am a former resident of downtown Cardiff. Cardiff Castle is well known as a mish-mash of Roman, Norman, late Medieval and 19th Century structures. Let us suppose that it was decided that visitors should focus on the period of the Roman occupation. Do we then demolish the rest in order to remove any possible distractions? Surely the absurdity of this must impinge upon even the most beaurocratically warped mind?
Jefferson And Madoc
Many people will be aware that Thomas Jefferson was of Welsh descent but some may be unaware of his attitude toward the Madoc legend. In the following excerpt from a letter written by Jefferson on January 22nd, 1804 he makes it clear that Meriwether Lewis ( also of Welsh descent ) will receive further instructions from a 'Mr Rees' regarding the lost Welsh speaking Indian tribes. The letter suggests that Jefferson regarded finding them as a supplementary objective of the expedition:-
In that of the 13th instant I enclosed you a map of a Mr. Evans, a Welshman, employed by the Spanish government for that purpose, but whose original object I believe had been to go in search of the Welsh Indians, said to be up the Missouri. On this subject a Mr. Rees, of the same nation, established in the western part of Pennsylvania, will write to you.
Madoc And Literature
Not many historical incidents/legends have inspired not one but two epic poems! The Madoc story is one such. Robert Southey and Samuel T. Coleridge once intended to follow in Madocs footsteps. They were planning to cross the Atlantic and live amongst the Indians in a commune or "Pantisocracy". When this plan failed to materialize Southey's fascination with Madoc was displaced into his literary creations. The epic poem he wrote on this theme may not be one of the greatest products of 19th century English literature but it is a significant product of the Romantic imagination.
Southey published "Madoc" in 1805. But he is not the only author who was inspired by the legend.
Nearly 200 years later Paul Muldoon published his "Madoc: A Mystery" which is likewise based upon the Madoc legend. Both works deal with the theme of colonialism amongst others and can be regarded as political poems ( "Madoc" impilicitly and "Madoc: A Mystery" explicitly ).
Other authors who have drawn inspiration from this tale include:-
Madeleine l'Engle 'A Swiftly Tilting Planet' 1978
Pat Winter 'Madoc' (Madoc Saga, Book 1)' 1990
James Alexander 'The Children of First Man' 1994
Sanders Anne Laubenthal 'Excalibur' 1973
Surely this event/myth is worth a plaque for its effect on the literary imagination alone!
( Read much more on this topic at http://americymru.blogspot.com )
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