American philhellenism played a significant role in bringing the Greek Struggle for Independence to the world’s attention and supported the Revolution of 1821 on political, ideological, and economic levels. The contribution of the Philhellenes from the U.S. was so significant that their names have been indelibly etched into many history books. Nearly two hundred years after the start of the Greek Revolution, their memory and presence in Athens remain “alive” to this day! Every day we can “encounter” them all around us in the Greek capital, as there are streets, a school, and a monument named after well-known American philhellenes.
Hill Street and Hill School
Οδός Χιλλ στην Πλάκα (Πηγή: Google maps)
Hill Street and Hill School are named after John Henry Hill (John Henry Hill), an American philhellene missionary from Columbia, who came to Athens with his wife and carried out extensive social and educational work.
Hill (1791–1882) studied at Columbia University, attended the Protestant Theological Seminary of Alexandria in Virginia, and pursued doctoral studies at Harvard University. In 1821, he married Francis Maria Mulligan, who was a teacher. On 1 October 1830, the Hills left Boston for Greece and settled in Athens.
Hill School
The Hill School building (Source: www.hill.gr)
The street named after Hill is located in the Plaka neighborhood and is home to the Institute of International Relations (I.D.I.S.). In contrast, the Hill School is not located on the same street but in Syntagma, near the Cathedral of Athens. The school was founded in 1831 and is one of the oldest schools in Greece, having operated continuously from that time until today. Initially, it included schools for girls and underprivileged children, and in 1835, Greece’s first kindergarten began operating there. The school’s leadership passed down through the Hill family over subsequent generations, and today it is run by members of the fifth and sixth generations of the same family.
Webster Street
Οδός Γουέμπστερ κοντά στον λόφο της Ακρόπολης (Πηγή: Google maps)
Webster Street is located in a neighborhood of Athens’ historic center, at the foot of Philopappos Hill and just a short distance from the Acropolis. The street was named in honor of the American lawyer, politician, and member of Congress Daniel Webster (1782–1852), a philhellene who supported the Greek cause through his speeches and actions.
On 8 December 1823, Webster, a representative from Massachusetts in Congress, submitted a petition calling for the dispatch of an official envoy to Greece to support its struggle for independence. On 5 January 1824, the American politician submitted a petition from the residents of Boston, calling for the recognition of Greek independence and for the new state to include not only mainland Greece but also the islands. Furthermore, on 19 January 1824, Webster delivered a monumental speech in Congress expressing his support for the Greek Struggle for Independence and condemning the authoritarian forces that opposed the Greeks’ demand for independence.
Howe Street
Οδός Χάου στα Σεπόλια (Πηγή: Google maps)
In Sepolia, a well-known neighborhood of Athens, there is a street named after one of the most important philhellenes of the 19th century, Samuel Howe (Samuel Howe). Samuel Howe (1801–1876) was an American physician, philanthropist, and advocate for the abolition of slavery in the United States. He was born in Boston and studied medicine at Harvard. His admiration for Greek culture and the activity of the Philhellenic Committees in America prompted him to travel to Greece to support the Greeks in their struggle.
In 1825, he arrived in revolutionary Greece and provided his medical services as a surgeon free of charge. How returned to the U.S. in 1827 to raise funds and gather supplies to support the Greek rebels, and he also brought back with him several Greek orphans. A year later (1828), he returned to Greece and remained there until 1830. During this time, among other things, he established a refuge in the area of the Isthmus of Corinth. He recorded all his experiences from the Revolution in his memoirs, titled “Historical Sketch of the Greek Revolution.” In 1831, he returned to Boston and directed a school for the blind, and in 1848, he founded another school for people with intellectual disabilities.
Monument to American Philhellenes
The Monument to American Philhellenes in Ambelokipi, Athens (Source: topoimnimis.keni.gr)
The Monument to American Philhellenes is located on Panagi Kyriakou Street in Ambelokipi, Athens, across from the U.S. ambassador’s residence. It was created in 1930 by sculptor Georgios Dimitriadis at the initiative of the Athens Chapter of the American Legion, which organized a nationwide fundraising campaign to cover the construction costs. The monument takes the form of an obelisk, and on all four sides are busts of American philhellenes who contributed to the Greek Revolution of 1821.
The front facade depicts Samuel Howe, and below it are inscribed in English the names of 29 prominent American philhellenes. At the base of the front facade is a translation into English of Petrombei Mavromichalis’s 1821 appeal to the American people. On the back is a relief bust of Edward Everett, who was a politician, scholar, and well-known philhellene. On the left side is a relief bust of Daniel Webster, while on the right is that of the philhellene politician Henry Clay, who was a U.S. Senator from Kentucky and served as U.S. Secretary of State from 1825 to 1829.
American Philhellenes played their own significant role in the organization and successful outcome of the Greek Revolution of 1821. Today, residents and visitors to Athens have the opportunity to learn about some of the American Philhellenes of that era by admiring a monument, passing by a school, or walking along streets named in their honor.
Magda Balafouti
Bibliography:
Georgopoulou, M. (2021). Brave and Free: American Philhellenes and the “Glorious Struggle of the Greeks.” Athens: American School of Classical Studies in Athens.
Malafouris, M. (1948). Greeks of America 1528–1948. New York: Goldman
