Greek Independence and Philhellenism at the Library of Congress

(This post is by Nevila Pahumi, Reference Librarian for Modern Greek in the European Reading Room.)

Greek Independence Day is upon us! On March 25, 1821, this sunny Mediterranean nation declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire. Although the road to achieving full independence would be long and arduous, the cause and the suffering which accompanied it garnered great sympathy and support across Europe and the United States through the movement known as Philhellenism. The Library of Congress holds a wealth of primary and secondary sources in multiple formats in the study and recognition of this historical achievement. This blog post introduces readers to some of them.

The roots of Greek independence go back to the European Enlightenment and the French Revolution. The fight for independence came after centuries of Ottoman rule and oppression, and some of its loudest supporters were in the West. The heroes of the Greek Revolution are a good starting point for those eager to learn more about this history. This biographical sketch of Rhigas Velenstinlis, the so-called protomartyr of the Greek Revolution, provides background into the intellectual underpinnings of the modern Greek Enlightenment in the late 1700s.

Rhigas Velenstinlis (Greek Ρήγας Βελενστινλής) was an intellectual who travelled to Vienna in the 1790s to publish revolutionary texts and organize a revolutionary movement in cooperation with patriots living in Vienna. He also intended to ask the French General Napoleon Bonaparte for support. The Austrian authorities eventually arrested him for inciting rebellion against the neighboring Ottoman Empire. The French Revolution (1789-1799) had stirred up fervor and unrest in young people like him, and he was ultimately executed.

A decade later, a new generation of rebels would pick up Rhigas’ fight, seeking support in Russia. Alexandros Ypsilantes was an army general who organized the Philike Hetairea (Friends Society, founded in 1814 in Odessa) to lead the fight for independence which began in Moldavia in late February 1821. As the fighting intensified and Ottoman troops committed atrocities, Western supporters—American, British, French, and German—flocked to Greece and took their voices to the press.

In America, the new city of Ypsilanti, Michigan, took on the name of the Greek hero Dimitrios Ypsilantis, a younger brother of Alexandros. In Great Britain, sympathizers addressed Parliament and the press, offering testimonies of the fighting and the plight of the Greek people to stir up public support. The following image is a depiction of one such address published in Scotland in 1822, following the massacres on the Greek island of Chios.

One of the most prominent British figures who took up the call was the dashing Romantic poet Lord Byron, who would die in Missolonghi, Greece, in 1823. But the people of Greece never forgot him. Almost a century later, when the country was celebrating its centenary, Greek newspapers, which the Library also holds in the Newspaper and Current Periodicals Reading Room, mentioned him in their commemorations. The following image shows an article from September 23, 1923, in the Athenian daily Le Messager D’Athenes, pointing out Byron’s feats and the festivities honoring his contributions to independent Greece in Kephalonia, the Ionian island where he lived for a time.

While the stories of male heros Rhigas and Byron were very compelling, the Greek Revolution was also shaped by courageous and brave women led by Laskarina Bouboulina. This recent Greek acquisition entitled Gynaikes kai Epanastase (Women and Revolution) by Vasilike Lazou tells their stories.

The fighting ultimately stopped in 1829, and Greece became independent in 1833. But scholars and artists have not stopped their commentary on the Greek Revolution. In fact, new works have continued to be published since. And Greeks themselves have also carried their celebratory traditions abroad and into communities where they have made a new life.

Among the unique holdings surrounding Greek independence, the Library holds an impressive selection of visual and audio materials attesting to the historical nature of the celebrations across time and space. For example, the Recorded Sound Reference Center in the Library’s Madison building holds recorded portions of a speech given by Assistant Secretary of State A. A. Berle during Greek Independence Day ceremonies on March 25, 1942. Berle can be heard discussing current political and social issues pertaining to Greece. Interested listeners are advised to make an appointment ahead of time at the Recorded Sound Reference Center. The Science and Business Reading Room, in the Library’s Adams Building, holds a collection of World War II Greek Independence Day pamphlets, which also must be requested in advance.

Finally, the Prints and Photographs Reading Room and the American Folk Life Center possess their own Greek Independence gems. Among them is a digitized collection of images of Greek Independence Day celebrations in Lowell Massachusetts on March 25, 1988, held in the American Folk Life Center. This next image of a cheerful (if not unruly) chorus of children clad in Greek costume is among the most adorable of the set of twenty five pictures.

Whatever part of this occasion has made you curious: whether it is the tragic Rhigas, the dashing Byron, or the feisty Laskarina Bouboulina and her band of women warriors, feel free to come to the Library, and will help you learn more. Happy Greek Independence Day!