Simon Willard’s Clock & The Unfinished Story of Congress

Introduction & Occasion

  • 1989: David McCullough invited as a private citizen to address a Joint Session of the 101st Congress in Washington, D.C.
  • Expresses gratitude, labels the invitation a “rare and very high honor.”

Simon Willard & His Clock

  • Simon Willard (Roxbury, MA)- Early 19th-century self-taught clockmaker.
  • Crafted wheel teeth free-hand: "cut, rounded up and finished the teeth as he went along, using his eye only in spacing, and always came out even".
  • Contemporary observers judged the feat incomparable.
  • Circa 1837 (Willard in his 80s)- Builds the Car of History clock now mounted over the north doorway of the old House Chamber (Statuary Hall).
  • Paired with Carlo Franzoni’s marble sculpture “Clio, the Muse of History, riding the winged Car of History.”
  • Clock’s symbolism: an analog face with two hands – shows past, present, future simultaneously, contrasted later with McCullough’s “digital watch” metaphor.

John Quincy Adams: Model Legislator

  • Witnessed Bunker Hill (1775) at age 7 with his mother Abigail; formative patriotic memory pre-dating Congress itself.
  • Career arc: Diplomat

→ Senator

→ Secretary of State

→ 6th President

→ Representative (22nd Congress, 1831) — the first ex-President to serve in the House.

  • Personal qualities: small, fragile, fearless, conscience-driven.
  • Legislative legacy:
    • Advocate of mechanical improvements & scientific inquiry; key champion behind creating the Smithsonian Institution.
    • Vocal opponent of the Mexican War (with Abraham Lincoln & Thomas Corwin).
    • Led the 8-year fight against the Gag Rule (southern ban on anti-slavery petitions); argued fundamentally for citizens’ unlimited right to petition, regardless of issue.
    • Victory: Gag Rule permanently repealed.
  • Diary passage (29 Mar 1841) shows his sense of isolation, aging, and dedication to abolitionist cause.
  • Loved the House atmosphere; poetic catalog of its rituals: petitions call, emblem over Speaker’s chair, the clerk’s “gobbling” roll-call, “tripping Mercuries” (pages), nuanced member reactions.
  • Collapse & Death (Feb 1848):
    • Suffers stroke at his desk; brass plate marks the spot.
    • Dies in Speaker’s office; Henry Clay holds his hand; Lincoln arranges funeral; Daniel Webster writes casket inscription.

Historiography Gap: Congress Under-studied

  • Existing quality works: Harry McPherson’s A Political Education, Allen Drury’s A Senate Journal, Alvin Josephy’s On the Hill, Kings of the Hill (Richard & Lynne Cheney), D. B. Hardeman & Donald Bacon’s Rayburn, Merrill Peterson’s The Great Triumvirate, and Robert Byrd’s epic Senate history.
  • Yet numerous critical voids:
    • No modern biographies of: Justin Morrill, Jimmy Byrnes, Joe Robinson, Carl Hayden, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., Alben Barkley, Speaker Joe Martin, late-career Arthur Vandenberg, Margaret Chase Smith (first to oppose McCarthy), George Aiken, Frank Church, Richard Russell, Joseph “Uncle Joe” Cannon.
    • Disproportionate scholarship on negative figures like Joe McCarthy (≈12 books).
    • Consequence: public & even legislators have little sense of prior giants; e.g., daily visitors to the Russell or Cannon Buildings often ignorant of their namesakes.

Anecdotes Illustrating Forgotten Greats

  • Richard Russell (GA):
    • Evening leisure reading: bound Congressional Record; lamented how once-famous lawmakers faded into obscurity.
  • Uncle Joe Cannon (IL):
    • Speaker & Rules Chair; immense gate-keeping power.
    • Reactionary stance: opposed even minor additions to agency titles (e.g., adding “and Birds” to U.S. Fish Commission).
    • 1910 revolt led by George Norris (NE) ended his dominance—major procedural turning point.
  • Sen. J. Hamilton “Ham” Lewis (IL):
    • Dapper with wing collars, spats, pink toupee & Vandyke; advised freshman Harry S. Truman: "First six months you’ll wonder how you got here; after that how the rest of us did."

Areas Still Waiting for Scholarly Treatment

  • 1st Congress (1789-1791): foundational experimentation.
  • Foreign Relations Committee: institutional evolution & global influence.
  • Senate of the New Deal Era: powerhouse roster – Robert Wagner, Hugo Black, Claude Pepper, Vandenberg, Robert A. Taft, William Borah, George Norris, Huey Long, Tom Connally, Burton K. Wheeler, et al.
  • Comprehensive architectural history of the U.S. Capitol comparable to William Seale’s White House study.

Why Congressional History Matters

  • Presidency dominates popular narrative; Congress’ messier, overlapping, multi-voice saga often sidelined.
  • Despite humbug & boredom, Congress has produced epochal achievements:
    • Homestead Act (1862)
    • Abolition of slavery (13th Amendment)
    • Child-labor bans
    • Transcontinental railroads
    • Panama Canal, Interstate Highway System
    • Exploration funding: Lewis & Clark, Apollo (Moon landing)
    • Lend-Lease, Marshall Plan
    • Social programs: Social Security, TVA, G.I. Bill, Voting Rights Act
    • Cultural: Library of Congress (world’s largest, free, pluralistic)
  • Numerical context: 11,22011{,}220 individuals have served in House + Senate in 200200 years.
  • Representation imbalances persist (women, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native Americans) yet institution remains arena where “all our voices are heard … the people rule.”

Lessons & Policy Suggestions

  • Study gives templates of leadership & human nature; can inspire action.
  • Example proposals:
    • Re-create a Truman-style investigative committee to curb modern defense-contract waste.
    • Finance the war on drugs via public bonds (echo of WWI & WWII Liberty Bonds) if unwilling to raise taxes.

The American Spirit

The American Spirit, as evidenced by the historical narratives and achievements found within the U.S. Congress, embodies a commitment to progress, fundamental rights, and the perseverance of a democratic ideal. It is represented by:

  • Fearless Advocacy: Figures like John Quincy Adams, who led an eight-year fight against the Gag Rule to champion citizens' unlimited right to petition, exemplify a relentless pursuit of justice and freedom of expression within the democratic framework.
  • Innovation and Exploration: The support for scientific inquiry, like the creation of the Smithsonian Institution, and funding for explorations such as Lewis & Clark and the Apollo program, reflect a spirit of curiosity, ingenuity, and a drive to push the boundaries of knowledge and achievement.
  • Collective Progress: The passage of landmark legislation such as the Homestead Act, the abolition of slavery (13th Amendment), Social Security, the G.I. Bill, and the Voting Rights Act demonstrates a collective will to address societal challenges, ensure equity, and improve the lives of citizens. These actions highlight a belief in the ability of a diverse populace to unite through its representatives to achieve epochal goals.
  • Resilience and Adaptation: The Congress, despite its “messier, overlapping, multi-voice saga” and instances of “humbug & boredom,” has consistently adapted and produced significant results over two centuries. This ability to navigate complexities and overcome challenges, as seen in procedural turning points like the 1910 revolt against Uncle Joe Cannon's dominance, speaks to a foundational strength and an enduring commitment to self-governance.

From the perspective of how the historical record informs understanding, the American Spirit is the ongoing, often contentious, yet ultimately aspirational journey of a nation striving for a more perfect union. It means upholding the principles that allow all voices to be heard and ensuring that the people rule, even when the path is difficult. It calls for historical literacy to understand the past, inform the present, and guide the future, ensuring that current actions are viewed within the grand continuum of American history.

Call to Action for Historians, Teachers, Citizens

  • Echoes John Adams’ advice: youth (“the boy”) must read history; extends to all Americans.
  • Patriots require historical literacy to know who we are & where we’re headed.
  • Emerson quote: "The world is young, the former great men and women call to us affectionately."
  • Digital-watch metaphor: modern focus on instantaneous “now” ignores broader temporal context; contrasts with Willard’s clock showing continuity of time.

Return to Willard’s Clock & Symbolism

  • Clock and Clio overlooked yet ever-present in Statuary Hall:
    • Oversaw debates on: Gag Rule struggle, Texas annexation, Mexican War, tariff policy, postal reforms, Naval Academy founding, admission of Arkansas, Michigan, Wisconsin, California, immigration issues, Gold Rush, Kansas-Nebraska Act, final hours of John Quincy Adams.
    • Serves as enduring reminder: legislators are part of history and answerable to it.
    • Concluding image: an **old-