Family tradition shapes History Day entry

Andrew Austermann in period costume

Fourteen-year-old Andrew Austermann had family tradition behind him in the National History Day competition. He was following in his oldest brother's footsteps..

Last month, Andrew represented Missouri in the history nationals held at the University of Maryland. He won a national delegate position earlier at Missouri's History Day.

Andrew said, "I was in kindergarten and my brother, Justin, was in sixth grade at St. Margaret of Scotland school when we first learned about the history competition." That year, Justin earned his first of two nationals trips. He also won as an eighth grader.

Justin is now 20 and in college in Ohio. Two other brothers, Patrick and Devin, also had entered history competitions but didn't advance to the nationals. Andrew, when he was in sixth grade, even teamed with Devin one year.

So, this was Andrew's last chance in the junior history competition.

He certainly picked a tough enough subject. It was titled "Libel vs. Liberty: Callender and the Sedition Act of 1798."

The entry explored how that infamous law affected the life of Revolutionary-era pamphleteer James Thompson Callender. The writer was sentenced to nine months in prison and fined $200 for a critical pamphlet about President John Adams.

One part of Andrew's history entry was a 10-minute live acting performance. He first appeared before regional judges St. Louis. Then, he performed twice at Missouri History Day in Columbia.

There was even family history in his choice of costume to match Revolutionary times.

His brother Justin had used the same suit for his nationals presentations. His entries also called for a costume centered in early times.

But, the suit had an even earlier place in the family. Andrew's dad, Robert, worn it when he was a member of a high school rock band.

In picking his final subject, Andrew also got some help from his father.

"I was looking for something in the general area of free speech and free press. My dad had just finished reading William Safire's book, 'Scandal Monger.' It was about Callender," Andrew said.

He said, by using an individual, he could give his project a clearer, sharper focus.

Entries are more than just the final presentation. Andrew had to do research and compile a bibliography of sources. He also needed a 500-word "process paper."

"Then, I had to write a 10-minute script and memorize it," he said. He also put together his props. In addition to the suit, Andrew found an old writing table, an ink-well and quill pens to depict the late 1700's period.

It's not unusual to find out that Andrew's favorite subject in school is social studies. "History is always fun," he said. He likes study of the World War I and II period.

The Austermann family also live in the city of St. Louis in a house built in 1872.

Family vacations often have a history focus. "I've been to almost every Civil War and Revolutionary battlefield," he said.

The family drove to the National History Day event last month. That was so they could take in some additional historical sites in and around Washington, D.C.

Asked about his feelings toward Callender, Andrew said, "My opinion of him changed quite a lot. At first, I thought he was just a malicious writer."

But, after research, Andrew said he became "more sympathetic." He added, "It turned out that some of his writings were true."

Callender was no stranger to controversy over his writings. He had come to America after fleeing legal troubles in England. His run-in with this country's Sedition Act was over a pamphlet called "The Prospect Before Us." It attacked then President John Adams.

Critics of Adams and other Federalists thought they were trying to turn the government from democracy back to a monarchy. Among those with similar views was Thomas Jefferson. Andrew said Jefferson actually paid Callender to write some Federalist criticism.

Later, when Jefferson was president, he pardoned Callender but was slow in refunding his $200 fine. Then, when Jefferson refused Callender's request to be postmaster of Richmond, Va., the writer turned on Jefferson.

Some of the criticism was of Jefferson's alleged affair with his slave, Sally Hemming.