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The city of Ypsilanti has an unusual name that dates back to 1825. During this period in U.S. history, many places were named for early settlers, national figures, natural landmarks, a settler's place of origin or derived from Native American names:
Augustus B. Woodward was a prominent Detroit judge who purchased the land on the Huron River and decided in 1825 to name the new village Ypsilanti. At this time, people in the United States were reading about the Greek War of Independence through newspaper accounts. The story of Greece fighting for their independence from Turkey struck a chord in the United States because they saw a connection between this struggle and the American Revolution. Woodward could have read about Demetrius Ypsilanti in the Detroit Gazette. Ypsilanti sent letters to European and American newspapers asking for financial support of the independence movement. This proclamation was published in the Detroit Gazette in 1821.
Demetrius Ypsilanti (spelled Demetrios Ypsilantis, in Greek) was born to a prominent Greek family of five children in 1793. He grew up in Russia and studied at the Paris Military Academy. Demetrius and his brother Alexandrios joined a secret "Society of Friends" to raise money and support for Greek Independence from Turkey (much like the Sons of Liberty in the American Independence movement).
In 1821, the fighting started in the Peloponnesian territory where there was strong anti-Turkish feeling. There was three years of fierce fighting in the Greek countryside without a decisive battle, but in which villages and towns were burned. In June1825, Demetrius successfully defended the Citadel at Argos with 480 men against a force of 6,660 Turks with their Egyptian allies. The story of Greece's first victory in the War for Independence captured the world's imagination, allowing the Greek people to secure material support from Europe and the United States. After the battle at Argos, the Egyptian fighters and Turkish authorities retreated from Greece, and a new nation was born in 1827. Demetrius Ypsilanti died in 1832 and was buried in Naphalia, Greece. In 1997, Ypsilanti adopted Naphalia as a sister city.
The Greek War of Independence was a popular cause in the Western world by the 1820s because of Greece's ancient heritage. The leaders of the United States were educated from the "classics," which included the works of 4th and 5th century Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle and Roman writers/orators such as Cicero and Pliny in Elder. We can see their influence in how U.S. government was structured. Thomas Jefferson argued for an individual's right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," which comes from Plato's writings in The Republic.
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| Parthenon, Greece. Built 447 BC (or BCE) |
Pantheon, Rome, Italy. Built 118 AD (or CE) |
Buildings that use ancient Greek architecture in Washington D.C. and even in Ypsilanti remind Americans of our political roots in Greek thought. The architectural style is called Neoclassic or Greek and Roman revival. The revival of all things Greek that occurred in Europe and the United States in the early 1800s was called the Philhellenic movement. This movement influenced Judge Woodward as he chose Ypsilanti's name.
Today, Greece is a popular tourist site because of its ancient heritage and on-going archaeological excavations. In fact, the 2004 Summer Olympics are held in Athens. For information on present-day Greece go to: http://www.gogreece.com/
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