Maine's Place in History (Joshua Chamberlain's 1876 Address at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition)

100 years after the founding of the nation, Joshua Chamberlain delivered a speech at the centennial celebration in Philadelphia. Chamberlain was representing Maine at the Centennial and, at the time he gave the speech, he was a notable Mainer and a recognized patriot. Bowdoin college professor, decorated Brigadier General, and Medal of Honor recipient for his gallantry at the Battle of Gettysburg, Chamberlain was a serious historian and researcher, an educator, a military tactician, a statesman, and a visionary.   

 The speech was a major address by a beloved Maine figure about Maine’s history and a vision for how the state should move forward in industry, agriculture, and education. What is remarkable about the speech are the challenges that Chamberlain emphasized— the state’s declining population, youth leaving to find skilled work elsewhere, Maine’s overreliance on natural resource industries, the need to attract business and capital to the state, the struggles facing family farms— the same challenges Mainers face today. Chamberlain was prescient in recognizing the promise of Maine as a tourist destination and hopeful, that those who come to Maine in the future will love the land and the land will give back strength. 

The speech is published to coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary, in conjunction with the foremost resource on Chamberlain, the Pejepscot History Center in Brunswick. Site manager, Tony Ancona has annotated the speech in its entirety. Chamberlain’s notes are included with Ancona’s. 

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