Ciro Poppiti III, organizer of 250 Ride, dressed as Caesar Rodney
Love your county, serve your community, answer the call of duty: These are the lessons of Caesar Rodney's midnight ride from Delaware to Philadelphia in July 1776.
Most know the broad outlines of the story. The Continental Congress was deadlocked on formally separating from the British Empire. Delaware's delegation was split. Thomas McKean urgently sent word to Caesar Rodney, who was serving in Dover, that he was needed in Philadelphia to break the tie. Rodney immediately set off on the eighty-mile journey, condensing a three-day trip into mere hours. The miracle of his midnight ride is further underscored by the fact that Rodney was a sickly man, suffering from facial cancer and asthma. By his own words, “though detained by thunder and rain,” Rodney arrived in Philadelphia just in time to vote yes for American independence.
Ciro Poppiti III, organizer of 250 Ride, dressed as Caesar Rodney
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Caesar Rodney Rides Again
Recently, I had the honor of reenacting Rodney’s entire route via horse-and-carriage. I have always had a devotion to Rodney, in part because we both trace our ancestry back to northeast Italy. While no reenactment can fully capture the danger and urgency of July 1776, spending eighteen hours travelling across Delaware instilled a deeper understanding of the dark knight’s ride.
Make no mistake, Rodney galloped toward the gallows; nonetheless, he was willing to die fighting for freedom rather than live under despotic tyranny. Every mile of his journey was earned. Every hour required determination. Every decision carried risk. Rodney embodied a self-evident truth: Freedom is not for the passive, the selfish, or the apathetic.
Only active participation can knit up the raveled sleeve of our democracy. Indeed, democracy requires integrity, a daily commitment, and the sacrifice of those willing to endure painful inconveniences for a cause larger than themselves. If we want to truly honor the founders, than we have to be ever vigilant, inspired by our history and willing to correct past injustices.
The Declaration of Independence was created in Philadelphia, but it was made possible by people in towns, farms, churches, and taverns across the countryside. Rodney’s ride reminds us that American independence was built from the ground up. The courage and determination of ordinary people helped make the nation's founding possible.
Our recent reenactment focused on the "Unheard Voices of the Revolution.” These are the men and women, free and enslaved, from all walks of life, whose labor, sacrifice, and perseverance won the war. Their contributions are often overshadowed by a handful of famous names, yet they are patriots too and just as essential to the nation's founding.
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Portrait of Caesar Rodney
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Honest Assessment
Historical retelling requires honesty; honesty requires context, perspective, and nuance. Caesar Rodney was a slaveholder. Those who criticize him and deplore him for being so are absolutely correct. Yet, our reenactment also shed light on the dark knight’s nephew, Caesar Augustus Rodney, a now-forgotten abolitionist and national statesman of the early nineteenth century.
I am grateful to the Amish community, whose expertise in traversing modern roads with horse-and-buggy was indispensable to our success. Our Amish colleagues were enthusiastically helpful. They explained: Nowhere else on the planet could they enjoy such religious freedom without fear of reprisal and with so much opportunity to create prosperity. “We love this country!” said they in such a way that I regretted not having a bullhorn available so all Americans could hear and better put, take heed.
Our nation faces challenges today, just as it did in 1776. The solutions will not come solely from Washington, New York, or other centers of power. They will come from citizens who care about their neighborhoods, their towns, and their states.
Two hundred and fifty years after independence, Rodney's ride still carries a timeless message: love your country, serve your community, answer the call of duty—and never forget that there's still no place like home.
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Editor’s Note: Like Caesar Rodney, the author is a government official, attorney, and Army officer. On June 12-13, he reenacted Caesar Rodney’s famous ride via horse-and-carriage.
For more information, please visit 250Ride.org.
The web site for the Delaware Italian American Foundation is https://delawareitalians.org
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