Artemas Ward facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Artemas Ward
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts
In office March 4, 1791 – March 3, 1795 Serving with Dwight Foster, Theodore Sedgwick, and William Lyman (2nd District-GT)
Preceded by	George Leonard
Succeeded by	William Lyman
Constituency	7th district (1791–93) 2nd district (1793–95)
Personal details
Born	(1727-11-26)November 26, 1727 Shrewsbury, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America
Died	October 28, 1800(1800-10-28) (aged 72) Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, U.S.
Resting place	Mountain View Cemetery, Shrewsbury
Political party	Pro-Administration
Spouse	Sarah (Trowbridge) Ward
Children	Ithamar (1752), Nahum (1754), Sara (1756), Thomas (1758), Martha (1760), Artemas Jr. (1762), Maria (1764), Henry Dana (1768)
Occupation	Soldier, politician
Known for	Revolutionary War Major General
Website	Artemas Ward Museum
Military service
Allegiance	Great Britain United States
Years of service	1755–1758 1775–1777
Rank	Colonel Commander-in-chief of the Massachusetts Bay colony's militia Major general of the Continental Army
Commands	British Army's 3rd Regiment of the Massachusetts Bay militia—the militia of Middlesex and Worcester Counties Second-in-command of the Massachusetts Provincial Militia Continental Army in command of the Eastern Department April 4, 1776 – March 20, 1777
Battles/wars	French and Indian War American Revolutionary War Boston campaign

Artemas Ward (born November 26, 1727 – died October 28, 1800) was an important American leader. He became a major general during the American Revolutionary War. He also served as a Congressman for Massachusetts. People respected him for his leadership skills. President John Adams once said that Ward was "universally esteemed, beloved and confided in by his army and his country."

Early Life and Family

Artemas Ward was born in Shrewsbury, which was then part of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. This was in 1727. He was one of seven children. His father, Nahum Ward, had many jobs. He was a sea captain, a merchant, a farmer, and even a lawyer.

Artemas went to local schools and had a private tutor. He later graduated from Harvard in 1748. For a short time, he also taught there.

In 1750, Artemas married Sarah Trowbridge. They moved back to Shrewsbury, where he opened a general store. Over the next 15 years, they had eight children: Ithamar, Nahum, Sara, Thomas, Artemas Jr., Henry Dana, Martha, and Maria.

Public Service and Military Career

Early Political Roles

Artemas Ward began his public service at a young age. In 1751, when he was 23 or 24, he became a tax assessor for Worcester County. This was the first of many public jobs he would hold.

In 1752, he was elected as a justice of the peace. He also started serving in the Massachusetts provincial assembly, known as the "general court." He was elected to this assembly many times.

French and Indian War (1754–1758)

Between 1755 and 1757, Ward served in the military during the French and Indian War. He was a major in the Massachusetts militia. His regiment mostly protected the frontier in western Massachusetts.

In 1757, he was promoted to regimental colonel. His regiment included militias from Middlesex and Worcester counties. In 1758, his regiment marched to Fort Ticonderoga. However, Ward became ill during this campaign.

Leading Up to the Revolution

After the French and Indian War, Ward returned to Shrewsbury. He continued his public service. He spoke out against the new laws and taxes from England. Because of his strong opinions, the Royal Governor removed him from his military position in 1767.

However, this did not stop him. In 1774, his regiment resigned from British service. They then elected Ward as their leader. Later that month, the governor closed the assembly. The towns of Massachusetts formed a Committee of Safety. This committee quickly named Ward as a general and commander-in-chief of the colony's militia.

American Revolutionary War

After the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, colonial forces surrounded the British in Boston. This started the Siege of Boston. Ward directed his troops even while he was sick. He later moved his headquarters to Cambridge.

Soon, both New Hampshire and Connecticut also made him commander of their forces. His main job was to organize and supply the troops. In June 1775, Ward learned that the British planned to attack Bunker Hill. He ordered his troops to fortify the area. This led to the Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775.

On the same day, the Continental Congress was forming the Continental Army. Congress made Ward a major general. He was appointed second in command to General George Washington. Ward was one of the first four major generals in the Continental Army. For the next nine months, he helped turn the local militias into a proper army.

After the British left Boston in March 1776, Washington moved the main army to New York City. Ward stayed behind to command the Eastern Department. He held this position until March 1777, when he had to resign due to poor health.

Life After the War

Even while serving in the military, Ward also worked as a state court justice. From 1777 to 1779, he was the President of the state's Executive Council. This meant he acted as governor before Massachusetts had its own constitution.

He was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives many times, from 1779 to 1785. In 1785, he became the Speaker of the House.

Ward was also a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1780 and 1781. From 1791 to 1795, he was elected twice to the United States House of Representatives.

Artemas Ward passed away at his home in Shrewsbury on October 28, 1800. He was buried with his wife, Sarah, in Mountain View Cemetery.

Legacy and Remembrance

Ward, Massachusetts

The town of Ward, Massachusetts, was named in honor of Artemas Ward in 1778. However, in 1837, the town was renamed Auburn. This was because the U.S. postal service found the name "Ward" too similar to a nearby town called "Ware."

Artemas Ward House

Artemas Ward lived his whole life in a house built by his father. This house is now known as the Artemas Ward House. It is a museum preserved by Harvard University. You can visit it in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, during certain hours in the summer.

Ward Circle

A statue of Artemas Ward at Ward Circle in Washington, D.C.

Ward Circle is a large traffic circle in Washington, D.C.. It is located where Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues meet. American University owns the land around three sides of the circle. A statue of Artemas Ward stands in the middle of the circle.

Ward's great-grandson gave over four million dollars to Harvard University. This money was for them to build a statue of Ward and maintain his home. The statue was unveiled on November 3, 1938. The base of the statue has an inscription that honors Artemas Ward:

American University

American University named one of its buildings, the Ward Circle Building, after Artemas Ward. This building is home to the American University School of Public Affairs.

See also

In Spanish: Artemas Ward para niños