In the summer heat of July 1776, revolutionaries in 13 of the British colonies in North America celebrated news that the members of the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, had adopted the Declaration of Independence.
Yes, Zelenskyy’s men mirror the resolve of Washington’s that will eventually defeat the British because of one thing—purpose. I am so heartened by this “Christmas” story that Ukraine will indeed prevail….,
I was recently on a project where I took delivery of a large, 40' storage container. The delivery was brilliantly performed into a tight spot by three men and one supervisor. All four were from Ukraine, but the three doing the work were recently arrived. The supervisor told me: "It is sad, everyone that had any money has left Ukraine, now, the war is fought by the poor that remain".
Which, after reading your rousing comment about Ukraine, I remembered that fellow, and, was also reminded of James G. Leyburn's book: "The Scotch Irish, A Social History".
In that book, Leyburn notes that about half of Washington's army at Trenton was composed of recent Scotch-Irish immigrants. These men were well used to British methods of abuse, were poor, used to going hungry and very committed to making sure they did not suffer British rule again.
The Scotch Irish men at Trenton fought with great brutality in that battle, which was hand to hand, and won.
I am wondering: If there were no poor people to really fight for themselves to change their station in life, what would the world look like today??
Thank you for your perspective Mike. It's been more than obvious that many boys from rich families have claimed ailments, such as bone spurs, to avoid going off to war. But the idea that poor men are poised to fare better in the battlefield because their skins have been thickened by having to fight harder for their needs in times of peace, instead of being handed them on a silver platter, is as enlightening as Heather's rich history lesson. It should go without saying that my comments are not blanket statements as many rich men have fought and led battles. The point I wanted to make is that I can't see any person, man or woman, fighting without a strong sense of purpose. We see that with the Russians. The rich kids have fled. The idea of the poor left behind, being forced into a winter battle without proper food, clothing, ammunition, and most importantly, lacking any sense of purpose, is in essence sending them to their death...and therefore, heart-wrenching....
"that poor men are poised to fare better in the battlefield because their skins have been thickened by having to fight harder for their needs in times of peace"
Perhaps in the age of Alexander and the Roman Republic it was considered the obligation of the ruling class to not only lead but to engage physically in battle. During the 2nd WW, many sons of the powerful felt obligated to join the battle like the older sons of Joseph Kennedy who went to war and suffered and died for a common cause. But in our present Russian inspired internecine struggle, the high and mighty sit safely in their gated communities, fanning the flames of hate with no mortal commitment.
Because the US now has a volunteer military, it's largely made up of the children of the working class, as it offers one of the few options available to them. So this trend of those with fewer means doing most of the fighting (and dying) in wars continues.
Yes indeed. It's interesting to go back and retrace Putin's rise from near-anonymity after the collapse of the USSR to the megalomaniacal dictator in evidence today -- and to note once again how Western oil & gas money poured into Russia out of the self-deluded, self-serving belief that "the Cold War is over." U.S. and European oil & gas conglomerates have kept the Russian economy and Putin's delusions afloat all these years. And Ukraine is paying the big price while USians whine about inflation and the cost of gas.
Yes Luis! Hopefully millions os Americans have watched that address and understand that our support of Ukraine also supports democracy here and wherever it is struggling to survive.
Alan, that was my first thought, when reading this Letter. Then I began to think off our current struggle with authoritarians, and how the January 6 Committee, Jack Smith, and the DOJ are all working together to fight the current threat to our democracy. We can't give up and allow evil to prevail.
YES! Especially the quote from Paine about the timeliness of the battle; if we don't all get into this fight now we'll have to do it later. And the Ukrainians have had to fight this battle before!
A brilliant essay/history lesson tonight. I feel like the words of Thomas Paine are so very pertinent today. We must not get weary, but continue this march to a better union, one where all people are equal.
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered,” Paine wrote, “yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.” (Letter)
‘We Americans are at a moment of decision. The moment began years ago, and its final resolution will depend on the outcomes of at least several more elections. By the end, we will have decided collectively whether to continue our history as a republican democracy or to begin a dramatic departure from our past with the advent, whether gradual or sudden, of an authoritarian state. In either case, our future is our choice.’
‘Our destiny may well depend on the restoration of the ancient republican ideal of civic virtue, the tribute democratic citizens pay for participation in the public life of our nation. At the least, this will depend on wholesale rejection of election denial, opposition to the peaceful transfer of power, and denial of the authority of election officials.’
‘The cure for this authoritarian relapse is the rejuvenation of the principles of republican government: democratic accountability, a sense of the commonwealth, rejection of corruption in government, and most of all the restoration of civic virtue and citizen engagement.’
‘In the 1940s, all of us in the Ottawa, Kansas, public schools took a class called Civics. It was about living in a democracy, participating in public affairs, reading the papers, and paying attention. It was basic yet profound. It is difficult to find a public school system in our nation now that has a mandatory civics class. Young Americans find it possible, even easy, to transition into adult life with little knowledge of how and why our nation has our form of government, what Congress does and does not do, how our democracy is supposed to work, and the dangers of eroding it.’
‘We are all conditioned to focus our attention on our rights, but our duties deserve equal consideration. This central point is the focus of the famous story about a concerned citizen outside the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia asking Benjamin Franklin what the Founders were creating in there: “A Republic,” Franklin replied, “if you can keep it.” He knew, as did most of the other Founders who were students of the ancient republics, that “keeping it” required citizen involvement, participation, and engagement. There were duties to perform. Only by performing our civic duties could we protect our rights.’
‘In 2020, we as Americans made a fateful decision to choose democracy over authoritarianism. We will have to make that decision again and again without deviation or hesitation until the danger of the America First authoritarians has passed. We will have to recommit ourselves to good citizenship, to striving to be exemplars of civic virtue for our fellow Americans.’
‘This is no time for laxity. This is the time to be the best Americans we can be.’
The preceding were excerpts from 'Putting the Jan. 6th Committee Report in the Context of America’s Democratic Story' in Bulwark by Gary Hart is a former United States senator from Colorado and the author of, most recently, The Republic of Conscience (2015).See link below.
The end of required Civics class in high schools in the late 1960's has proven to be a serious mistake. I was in the first class for whom such a requirement had been dropped. I was so happy! No more boring reading! How I wish that I had been made to read that "boring stuff", and that every other person in America had had to do/were doing the same.
As a middle school social studies teacher many years ago, one of my favorite things to do was jump up on a chair (I'm short!) and read from speeches like Paine's in (what I believed to be) a compelling voice. It might break my heart to know if any of those kids remember any of that, but I'm very glad to say, I tried.
You are absolutely right about that! The class certainly had a reputation of being "the most boring class you will ever take" in my high school, waaaay back in the day.
The Civics & History classes that were boring, in my opinion, were often taught by the coaches, or other instructors not versed in the material. Hence dates and statistics were the test material not the whys. To me a good to great teacher is one that provokes in the student, critical thinking whichever makes a lesson worth remembering longer that just long enough to pass the test. That is why those that read Professor Heather Cox Richardson’s history lessons anticipate our daily dose - it makes us think, puts thinks in perspective. I am so happy my niece share this Letter nearly 2 years ago.
My high school civics teacher was excellent. She taught us how to interpret ads first, and then took us on a tour that ended up with political rhetoric. Yep, Tom Paine (and others) were there, then more recent political aspirants, The last was listening to news and reading newspapers with various perspectives, and analyzing what was being reported and how. It was a great class. The problem was that not everybody got to be taught by this teacher. I was in a "high school within a high school", whose students got college level instruction and the best teachers. The kids in the other "tracks" got the rote teachers who taught from an outline. I thought then (and to this day) that it was not fair. All the students deserved the kind of teachers we had. This was when we suddenly were thrust into the academic contest with the USSR, and suddenly the goal was to make sure the USA had the best scientists, etc. STEM grew out of this, and the division of students meant that a large number of people, even in "good" districts, left school educated to be workers if anything, or barely made it through the large classes and overworked teachers. There have always been divisions in this country, but I keep wondering if putting the kids of the 50s and 60s in that position played a large part in why we are where we are now. The "Great Society" aimed to turn this around, and was successful, but Reagan made sure it couldn't complete the work of making sure every youngster had a solid start in education.
Annie Stratton, a stimulating and meaningful education that requires some critical thinking and then allows for commentary without judgement can be a game changer. Thank you for sharing such an educational opportunity.
I taught American (and English) literature here in a Southern California high school until 2002. Thomas Paine’s letters were included in American lit. The 11th grade students had American history at the same time...a double whammy. We had some good conversations about why we had to read “history” in English class. I certainly hope some of it is still with them in these times. I keep up with a great number of them even now via Facebook. Some are very MAGAtized, but stay very kind to me. I share Heather’s letters occasionally when I feel they will get a good point across without alienating . I have also called out a few for blatant MAGA lies and had some very respectful, sweet responses. I think many of you would agree that teaching never ends, as here we are reviewing and applying lessons learned earlier.
You were obviously a wonderful teacher, and clearly respectful of your students' thoughts and ideas -- which is why they are, all these years later, respectful of you! Beautiful.
The students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High who've already made a mark on the world studied both government and theater. The combination has great power.
Lucky in that the adults in their district seem to have paid attention to education -- but Florida is not exactly a hotbed of liberal or progressive anything. The media regularly report on conservatives packing school boards and working to "influence" (i.e., intimidate) school boards, schools, and libraries. They've been doing this for decades. I'd love to hear more stories about how liberal and progressive types are countering this in various localities.
And the MAGA followers would have been attending to civics if they had been made to read the boring stuff? I guess they found school boring altogether, because that's where they learnt that they were losers.
I had a teacher that made an English class exciting! There is more excitement and drama in history than every TV show and every movie ever scripted. It's all in the presentation. Teaching is like theater. It dies without creativity and enthusiasm.
I say teach history and civics from first grade through college. Mandatory. And to get there start paying teachers as if we cared about our kids and the future of the nation/earth.
“…learned they were losers” how? Losers in the Civil War? Or because their parents didn’t want them to “feel bad” as in learning Critical Race Theory, CRT?
Having done some tutoring and communication with several teachers, the value that parents place on learning/education is strongly connected to the children's/students' effort and interest. Some young ones, however, are eager to learn against the odds. Working with the parents is an important aspect of the learning process.
Respectfully, staying with the topic of Civics education, students social interactions or even some students’ disinterest isn’t about the importance of civics education. Yes, teachers and schools need to find interesting ways to teach, like Heather Cox Richardson’s methods, but it’s critical and important.
I believe you misunderstood Olaf’s point. So perhaps find it in your heart to understand his perspective. However, your comment on the “feminization of the occupation” was off base and narrow minded. How incredible that an actual teacher made such a comment. My husband taught school in late 1970s; it was his choice and his contemporaries made a mockery of his meager salary. If education has been “feminized” you must actually believe this alone turned off a boy’s desire to learn. The bigger picture is the social stigma for a male going into education as well as the dismissive disrespect for female educators that proliferates to this day. Look at the dire teacher shortage in this country as we speak. Educators have been pummeled by Covid, political vilification and parental harassment. Please refrain from enabling this hostile climate with your own educator’s voice proclaiming and blaming the “feminization of the occupation”.
As I explained in an earlier reply I refer to my experience of children comparing themselves with the others. I have been doing projects in schools where the children have been doing painting, masonry, carpentry, and theater in their environment outside of curriculum, without being graded. Sadly, it is my experience that all too many go to school to learn: 'I am not very good at this'. We need all teachers and grown ups, like you, to counter this, but we don't always control how we make others feel. My experience is from Sweden, but I think there is something similar in the US, and I would not say it is healthy that 70 million vote for Trump. His message never to accept being a loser is attractive for a reason.
The subject of war in terms of glorification or considering it as addressing Wars/reasons/decision-makers/pivotal battles and turning points from various perspectives, age - related, is a vital topic for consideration of educational curriculum and reflection by the citizens.
When Hillary called them deplorables, she was 109% right. They glommed onto hate like it was a long-lost love. Those who are not left brain learners (mechanical matters, etc) are not being disparaged, only the haters, greedy bastards, and those using those idiots for their own hate and greed.
We do a great disservice to those who created this democratic republic when we fail to learn about it, when we fail to honor it and when some trivialize it by self service and not public service.
Yeah, early on I made nearly the same comment only to get a ton of responses from teachers! How wrong I was, I'm being told. And I have to admit my view of today's education system might be a mite out of date I maintain the lack of knowledge about the Constitution remains. It's a lot like Shakespeare... to read without understanding the meaning of the words is empty - to know what one is reading opens the door wide.
To quote Heather Cox Richardson: 'To understand the present, we have to understand how we got here.'
'That’s where this newsletter comes in.'
'I’m a professor of American history. This is a chronicle of today’s political landscape, but because you can’t get a grip on today’s politics without an outline of America’s Constitution, and laws, and the economy, and social customs, this newsletter explores what it means, and what it has meant, to be an American.'
The historic thread dominating Letters from an American is the understanding of our 'political landscape', not as you indicated the study of the role that armed forces played in past events.
'Civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society.[1] The term derives from the Latin word civicus, meaning "relating to a citizen". The term relates to behavior affecting other citizens...' Civics is defined as: the study or science of the privileges and obligations of citizens. Civic education is the study of the theoretical, political and practical aspects of citizenship, as well as its rights and duties.
Before the 2007 grafic novel movie "300" I already knew about King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. One of my HS reports that I still have from 1961 was on Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution. It may be a gender specific thing to teen boys, but military history gets your interest.
While traveling thru Chicago with my 13-year-old grandson, having been to the Field Museum, on our last day I planned to tour the Art Institute, close to our hotel. He balked and pouted but being the adult I insisted. Then he saw the collection of Medieval Armor & Weapons and Art became interesting. He was also impressed by our tour of the Soldiers Memorial in downtown St. Louis - where I would walk to and hang out when I was his age. He even said Opa was smart for knowing so much about wars & armaments. I grew up with the history of the World Wars.
To me, this Letter is *history*, not "military history." Military history tends to edit out who's doing the fighting and what they were fighting for. It gets bogged down in tactics and strategy, terrain and weaponry. In the service of history, in modest doses, it's important, but on its own? On the whole I think that military history is to history as the military is to the civilian government.
Citizen University (in Seattle), "How to Citizen" (podcast hosted by Baratunde Thurston) and "HipHop Civics" (activist/educator Bettina Love) are engaging and current -- maybe these venues of informal education are more effective than formal ed, at this time.
I'm grateful to be seen by you as I fortify my stamina for armchair activism. Change seems so accelerated these days, that I see no formal venues to jump into.
Why only “especially men”? A more appreciative population must include ALL genders, all ethnic heritages. Otherwise we only perpetuate division. Every citizen has the duty to understand the why of our Civic history and then follows the understanding that the importance of our government’s function is by the will of the voting citizens of the people - by the people for the people. All people.
Fern, I'm sure that you have read Robert Putnam's "Bowling Alone" which lays out clearly the massive and continuing decline in social participation and all collective activities in the USA (and doubtless elsewhere) since the 1960's.....starting with our generation! This is part and parcel of the decline in civism in society as well as in the education system. This is seperating us all from each other, isolating each of us in our screen-based, irresponsible, virtual world....while the money keeps flowing around and past us in a value foresaken world.
I would like just to add Joe Biden's Christmas message (Twitter) which touched me deeply.
"There is a certain stillness at the center of the Christmas story: a silent night when all the world goes quiet. And all the clamor, everything that divides us, fades away in the stillness of a winter’s evening. I wish you that peace this Christmas Eve."
Hello, Stuart. It is good when you are among us. Thank you for pointing to the work of Robert Putnam in 'Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community'. He surveyed'... the decline of social capital in the United States since 1950, describing the reduction in all the forms of in-person social intercourse upon which Americans used to found, educate, and enrich the fabric of their social lives. He argued that this undermines the active civic engagement which a strong democracy requires from its citizens.'. The book was published more than twenty years ago, and along with issues of public education, our 'use' of technology have deepened and widened the separation from one another.
America's fundamental socio-economic issues did not suddenly emerge. We are paying the dues and the consequences are monumental.
To you Stuart and your family, may it a healthy and harmonious new year
Many thanks, Fern. We were nearly all together yesterday at our daughters new house, missing only our son who was unable to get away from his new-found Finistère village. My thoughts will be with you and yours for the New Year.
Putnam's subsequent work "Our Kids" brings his conclusions well into the 21st century and shows that the decline is not just continuing but, with generational replacement, accelerating.
We live in San Sebastián, Spain. I love going out into the streets here where people talk with one another, children are playing, life is brimming. We can walk from one end of one of the beaches along the coast line to the end of the third beach and visit all the streets in each area - Zurriola, Amara, El Centro, Gros, Parte Vieja, Antigua without a car. Automobiles and developers who designed the need for automobiles and oil are another example of what has happened in America. My parents use to ride bicycles through orange groves from Long Beach to Garden Grove in California about the time the oil industry was tearing out the tram lines in LA to perpetuate the need for automobiles. Frank Lloyd Wright had a vision of clustered communities that never happened.
Television tends indeed to take the blame for much of the decline but he does question the link here between cause and effect as the television is also a symptom of the disappearance of traditional values through either the paucity of transition, either by word of mouth, example of our ever-diminishing leaders or the declining power of representative symbols..........or indeed the unwillingness of the new generation to hear what their elders have to say while blaming those same elders for their absence of hope. Television has become an arm in the battle to isolate, diminish and eventually eradicate our humanity rendering us merely recipients of their publicity as cogs on the production/consumption wheel. With the young, as they nolonger tend to watch "classic" television, the work of destruction is continued on internet through the phones, social media and UTube etc.
Indeed. There's a rich and complex interrelationship between the use of television in a home and the loss of time with parents to simply be. Being is where stories get told, values transmitted, skills modeled (watching a parent cook!) connections deepened, etc. Supplanting the family/group story with the consumer story is one of the ills engendered. And we are a sick, mentall unhealthy nation two generations after the wholesale adoption of screens for entertainment.
Screens also dominate the professional world. You can nolonger just be essentially human in your working life, taking decisons and acting together collectively in person. The virtual world will further enhance the seperation between us all and between each of us and reality.
In the 1950's (my childhood), when families began to be able to afford a car, and TV's began to inhabit most homes, the isolation began. The next step was when most families were able to afford two cars (late 1960's). Now, with most people owning a car, with computers and cell phones, our isolation has become extreme. As a nearly 70-year-old, I still can't get used to the complete disconnect among people in waiting rooms -- and always take it upon myself to start a conversation. I've been fascinated how, once drawn into a conversation, most young people appear to actually enjoy putting down that phone and having a face-to-face conversation! (And the discussions are always interesting.)
Hi Gailee, I found it first in someone comparing it to TFG's Christmas drivel. It can be found straight from the horse's mouth on @POTUS....the official account dated Dec 24th
In many communities, civics has been set aside for courses that address subjects found on mandatory tests. Making civics mandatory like English/language arts classes are would help a lot.
I would love to see in a high school curriculum: civics, financial literacy, media literacy, home economics and home maintenance. Skills for being an adult in the 21t century.
I'm a non-math person who became a rather financially illiterate history teacher at the primary/secondary level. (Luckily, I married someone competent around numbers and budgeting . . . ) I came to the conclusion (math teachers will respectfully disagree) that MOST if not all primary/secondary mathematics (after learning basic arithmetic) should be financial literacy for functioning in the economy we find ourselves in. But it seems only to be done in passing, via certain "units" at certain ages and levels. One other anecdote: Mostly, parents only "went to the mat" over math: scores, testing, teaching styles, what section their kid had NOT been advanced to, etc. Never did they care much at all about what I was teaching in history class. "Oh, history. That's nice too." All those years I thought, "Thank the lord I'm not a math teacher! And, actually, I'm the one teaching the most important class!"
Definitely! The No Child Left Behind really meant no child left untested. It turned our classrooms from educating to training. Teaching kids how to pass a test that was chock full of errors. My son started skipping questions on tests completely if he didn’t find the answer to his liking and would say the answer isn’t there. That’s what they taught these kids! Such a disaster! Now it’s more that the christian nationalists want to undo public education completely! Attacking teachers and watering down curriculum. Very frustrating!
It's a tragedy that more parents didn't speak out against the teaching to the text mentality the way the whacko right wing parents are doing. I tutored children who were falling through the cracks and would meet with teachers in a classroom of 36. I believe now that it was a slow, deliberate watering down of public education. I had a public school education. We took our kids out of private school and put them in public schools in Houston where they flourished because they took AP courses. But there are too many parents who are working more than one job to make ends meet and they can't or don't attend the PTA meetings or become involved in their children's school life.
Oh Fern, ‘Our destiny may well depend on the restoration of the ancient republican ideal of civic virtue, the tribute democratic citizens pay for participation in the public life of our nation. At the least, this will depend on wholesale rejection of election denial, opposition to the peaceful transfer of power, and denial of the authority of election officials.’ YES!
‘We are all conditioned to focus our attention on our rights, but our duties deserve equal consideration. '
YES, when did it become all take and no give? More and more people I come across are me, me, me. It disgusts me. The selfishness, the greediness is not what I feel in my heart. When I speak of simple things, things I willingly volunteer to do with no expectation of being rewarded for my behavior, they call me crazy. Why would you do this if you're not being paid to do it? Some people have simply forgotten, "Love thy neighbor". I've even come across people at my church who question why I do certain things. I'm beginning to weed out the fake ones who try to appear to be "Christian". It can be very disheartening. We may not all be equal financially or in levels of education but we must realize that we're all human beings, on this planet for a very short time. It's time we started to break down these walls and pull together for the good of everyone. Are they blind to it all? Will it be too late when they realize what is happening?
'...we're all human beings, on this planet for a very short time. It's time we started to break down these walls and pull together for the good of everyone.' Thank you, Jeanne; 'we are all human beings' how are 'we' left out of the 'equation'? How can our lives, the plants, the animals... earth itself be so forgotten?
I do not have a religion because I don't have a need. I have noticed in the last decade many ´Christians´ are racists, bigots, self-centered without seeming to have any understanding of the focus of Jesus, Buda, Krishna and others. With the struggle to make ends meet over the last few decades, volunteering and donating have virtually disappeared in most areas of social connectedness.
In fact, as you recognize Galilee, these self-named "christians" (I can't bring myself to put it in caps) are anything BUT "Christian". They follow none of the teachings. Can't stand it, personally.
I just had a conversation about civics with a friend, and for those interested - Coursera offers an online class on beginners civics called Civic Engagement in American Democracy”. It is taught through Duke University, and if memory serves me, the course is free, unless you want a certificate. I believe it starts today
LOL ~ Sixty some years ago, a week didn’t go by that my mom didn’t accuse my brothers and I of running her ragged. “You younguns are going to run me ragged!!!”
Thanks for posting the links! They offer quite a variety of classes, including from the Berkeley School of Music, etc. I’m taking one of the civic courses now
Sure, but one cautionary note: The word the Founders used was "men". Neither they nor generations of their successors had any intention of according women equal social or political status.
Let's bear in mind, too, that until comparatively recently, "men" and "man" was also understood to mean "mankind", genus homo, no socio-political distinction. 'O brother Man, fold to thy heart thy brother..." If you start to "update" all the writings of the past, it gets a bit silly. Like when the good Dr Bowdler carefully edited Shakespeare to remove all the rude words.
And in the West for all of this time, "mankind" has still referred primarily to men: women have not been considered competent to lead public lives, to participate in political, ethical, or philosophical discourse; they have not been thought of as truly rational adult humans. Their proper sphere has been indoors, in the house, quietly doing the work that has made it possible for men to spend much of their time outside, together, in public, building and carrying forward "human" society.
Until very recently, women existed, in the minds of Western men, primarily to serve as greenhouses for men's "seed"--if a woman did not bear a child for her husband, she was considered barren. There was no scientific understanding of how conception actually worked. But even once that knowledge was made clear, women remained passive containers for men's essential creativity, and have had no place in history, art, or any but the most inconsequential enterprises. Women have been considered only marginally more competent than children: driven by emotion rather than reason; physically weaker than men; and with little capacity for intellectual development.
Would that this attitude have died out when women began demanding their rights as adult humans in the last couple of hundred years. But women's supposed inferiority to men is a very old story, told from sometime prior to ancient Greece and Rome through our day. And we still have reactionary men among us who would put women back in the home: pregnant, dependent, and silenced.
It is no accident that "mankind" has been pronounced as "brotherhood" until very recently. Women simply have not been included as historical actors at all. In today's comments we have a (presumably) male teacher bemoaning the "feminization" of history in school!
Editing Shakespeare would be a mistake, yes. Changing the language of the past would not only be dishonest but would distort our understanding of the historical devaluing and erasure of non-men (there have been other genders even in Western subcultures, but our histories are so obscured as to be almost illegible). But recognizing what the words were saying then and what they continue to say now (in footnotes maybe, or in long-winded comments..) is as necessary as reading them in the first place.
Of course they didn't , why bring that up here? Spend some time meditating on the word "husband," an archaic term that included farmer or husbandman, i.e., carer for the flock or herd. Lord of the house and the residents therein. It irks me that this mild-sounding term has not been challenged by people like you in the context you refer to.
Ed, you might want to explore the origins of the meaning of "husband", and trace the changes in use before you make the assumption it means what you think it means. I am on a new computer right now, trying to break it in (unless I end up sending it back), but somewhere in the depths of my old computer there is a paper I wrote on this. The lovely thing is that the word "husband" is being reclaimed by a younger generation. You may be irked, but I suspect over something that, as language frequently does, means something other than you think it does.
Annie, thank you for your comment. I would like to red your paper if you would share it. I took pains to do my due etymological diligence before I responded to Talia, but if you have information that fills out the history of the word, I would certainly be open to it. I know about the Biblical passages, the Phonecian connection, the medieval context and the more recent transformation of the word when love was added to the husband-wife relationship. MY reason for commenting as I did was to point out to Talia that judging from a position 250 years after the fact is not precisely fair to theose she was criticizing.
Your point was valid. But so is mine. Translations from other languages do not count as evidence in word usage and meaning. Linguistics is interesting, and challenging, especially when shifts occur, which is all the time. I am still working on trying to transfer cloud backup, and may end up sending new computer back because I probably need more storage. The old one has issues with hard drive that I don't want to push until I know I've got the data where it is safely available to me. Add to that the fact that I am a pack-rat, and have no idea at this point where that paper is, and don't have the time to look for it. I'll probably come across it at some point when I do the painful process of sorting and deleting duplicate files and stuff that just plain needs to be dumped. It'll be a while, but if I find that paper, I'll try to remember to send you a copy. Nagging helps with that.
I knew a smart MAGAt (previously a W/Dickie and Tea Party nut) who used to quote Thomas Paine for the Repub cause. Wonder if he still does?? Probably, since Fox is still blathering bull Schitt, and Dems are still the enemy…
Equal in the most expansive sense may be difficult to pinpoint as reality is multi-dimensional, but we are supposed to to be equal before the law; not that we should dismiss extraordinary circumstance, but justly ignore social economic status*. Way too often, that is not the case.
* or if anything, extend some degree of lenience to crime motivated by desperation over greed.
Our experience and struggle then informed us of the cost of freedom. We are still working towards a more perfect union. This is mirrored by Ukraine’s fierce determination to keep their democracy
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered,” Paine wrote, “yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”
I’ve been thinking along these lines for the past few years. In some ways I feel very lucky to have experienced near tyranny as to be able to appreciate what on earth it is we need to appreciate. Thank goodness we averted tyranny this time around. I honestly thank people like Heather Cox Richardson for helping me understand our past and how our present day and future all depend on our knowing and understanding history. Very thankful tonight. My thoughts are with you all and with people around the world that are struggling to triumph against tyranny.
Tyranny is what people with nonEuropean ancestors have lived under in the US except for about 10 years of partial relief after the Civil War and another period of partial relief between 1965 (Voting Rights Act) and 2013 (gutting of the Voting Rights Act by by the Roberts Court in Shelby County v Holder). The Roberts Court has taken advantage of every opportunity bolster white rule and almost certainly will continue to strengthen white rule as long as Republicans maintain a Supreme Court majority. And it’s not just the Supreme Court. It’s also roughly 60% of white voters. That’s not as bad as it was in, say, the 1950s, when probably more like 90% of white voters supported white rule, but it’s still plenty bad enough. Things went a little better than we expected last month, but we’re a long way from out of the woods. The magats haven’t gone away but may have lost small percentage of white women due to the women-as-brood-mares stance of the entire Republican Party, top to bottom. If those women who fell out of the magat fold manage to maintain their footing, we may have a chance of slowing the advance of white rule. That gives me a little hope.
And add Tyranny to the lives of the First People who continue to pay for their loss of freedom and land. Land stolen for pipelines. Propositions as in California for Casinos, which create more corruption, but bring income into the community. These are major costs and losses.
I don't see corruption in our Native American Bands' casinos here in Michigan. I did see the abject poverty and rampant alcoholism before the establishment of the casino's good paying jobs, funds for clinics, senior (elder) centers, housing, preschools, daycare centers and tribal involvement in environmental restoration and quality. And, The Grand Traverse Band of Odawa and Chippewa Indians contributes (if I recall correctly) 2% of their casino earnings to neighboring counties, given in grants for services for all of us. I remember visiting the home of one Native elder here in northwest Michigan in 1975 with a dirt floor. Now The Band supports housing for white folks, too. As the tribe's cultural traditionalist told me (and my Native Ojibwe in-laws affirmed) when the gambling debates began, "gaming" is a natural indigenous activity, and it is only right that they use this skill to make money off the white dominant culture. Paid off! We have so many Natives in high places now! (The Band also funds addiction services).
The First People are among those with nonEuropean ancestors (namely ancestors from the American continents). Pretty much nothing but the worst sort of tyranny for them from the outset.
“ What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.” I propose that we now value more what we almost lost in late 2020 and early 2021. I know that a lot of my complacent friends that thought that there was no way that Hillary could lose or that Roe v. Wade could be overturned are now awake. They are much more involved than before TFG showed us how much of our democracy depended on norms and traditions (that he stomped upon). It’s scary to think how easily a more quiet person could have slipped this past us. Thank you for awakening us with concrete examples to complement the extraordinary revelations of the January 6 Commission.
I was thinking about early settlers while walking my dog outside today. The temperature was -6 below and alI I could think about was how hard it would have been to be outdoors without all the great equipment I have- down coat, wool hat, down hood to pull up over the hat, heavy down mittens, lined boots, long underwear- and the best of all, cashmere socks. Even with all that, I was certainly happy to go home after just 40 minutes so I could get warm again!
Thinking about that again just now after reading this - What did Union soldiers wear? How, in the name of all that is holy, did those men cross the Delaware in a winter storm, then march nine miles in freezing rain? Without Gortex? In wool? Soaked to the bone? I’m a pretty tough person having grown up in Minnesota and experienced my fair share of brutal winter weather but cold and wet is the hardest - as well as the most dangerous. Most people I know wouldn’t last nine minutes, let alone nine miles and then they routed the Hessians in battle. Gobsmacking strength and courage!
“What we attain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.” I will never again be able to think about the Battle of Trenton without a much clearer understanding of what that truly cost my ancestors. What a great impetus to be as active in defense of our democratic republic as we are capable of being going forward. Thanks for the brilliant reminder, Dr. R.
To those that celebrate, Merry Christmas. Best of the season to all of you.
Gailee, I think about that every day. One of my close friends is first generation American-both parents born in Ukraine. She is very active with a group helping Ukrainian refugees here in MN. Also, My daughter’s heritage is possibly Ukrainian (great grandparents never talked about where they were from originally - Russia/Ukrainian border is the family’s best guess). I follow several Ukrainian bead-weavers online and none of them posted anything recently.
We have had nearly two feet of snow in the last two weeks here, along with the deep cold. Its tough enough being 68 and dealing with all that when I have all the clothing, tools and even neighbors who help. I know exactly how tough it is for them - and the average Russian too. All the more reason to stay active in defense of democracy! Slava Ukraini!
Read David Fischer's "Washington's Crossing," a definitive work on this subject. The common belief is that the ragged remnant of an army snuck up on the garrison at Trenton and defeated the Christmas-loving Germans who were hung over from celebrations of the preceding two days. In truth, the tide was already turning, and the Hessians were tired and stressed not from drink but from the ceaseless vigilance required to protect themselves from aroused local partisans who resented their presence and their habits of stealing everything that wasn't nailed down. The attack, carried out in the teeth of a bitter Nor'easter, convinced the Continentals, ragged as they might have been, of what many of them already believed, that they were hardened soldiers capable of victory.
Let's hope enough of us still carry the resolve to fight to the last measure against oppression and tyranny.
Yes, but let’s not forget who the enemy is, namely magat Republicans (that is, about 60% of white voters). They desperately want to preserve white rule, which may look like tyrrany to us (certainly to me, anyway) but looks like God-given democracy to them.
The efforts we make for the cause of freedom and in support of democracy help us become better people. The Winter soldiers who came over the Delaware River that Christmas long ago to strike a blow against the Hessians were very determined to make an impact. Were any of you outside this past week to pick up your mail or get some groceries? Did you feel the cold just penetrate to your bones even with your good boots on, a hat and gloves and overcoat? Our soldiers during that winter long ago were so poorly equipped that many suffered and died from exposure... yet they persevered and fought battles against much better trained and equipped foes. Afterwards, they retreated to Valley Forge and in winters afterward to Morristown. Like right now, the cold was penetrating and constant but accompanied by deep snow. They endured it and went on to fight and win more battles until with the help of the French the tide turned decisively against the British years later at Saratoga. It took a long time with constant effort and sacrifice. This is how it was and still is...to keep our freedom we must always possess the inner faith and resolve necessary to deserve it. No one ever said it would be easy...Happy New Year everyone!
General Howe, shacked up with a lovely lady in NYC, called off the British assault and engaged in the Christmas party scene. By contrast, General Washington, with the remnants of his army—cold and underfed—faced the certainty that his remaining soldiers would go home on January 1st when their enlistments expired.
He decided on an incredible Hail Mary. His troops would cross the Delaware on Christmas Eve and attack the fearsome Hessian mercenaries in Trenton. Thanks to Marbleheader Glover they got the boats and arrived in Jersey territory later than anticipated. Surprise was their best hope. [Colonel Rahle, the Hessian commander, had been handed a spy’s report of Washington’s attack, but, during the drunken festivities, failed to glance at it.]
The ragged American soldiers attacked, the Hessians were defeated—with 900 prisoners—and, astonishingly, not a single American soldier was killed.
If Washington hadn’t succeeded in his astonishing Hail Mary, the American revolution may have ended on January 1st. [Thomas Paine’s wrote The Crisis, which was a rousing carrion call that was read to the troops before their extraordinary victory.]
Kind of like Rommel, who left Normandy to attend his girlfriend's birthday at a very inopportune moment...history sometimes favors the desperate and daring.
Tom A LADIES ACCOUNT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Toujours gai and what the hell. Howe was banging the wife of one of his officers, while a celibate Washington was considering his Trenton Hail Mary. Earlier, regarding the Battle of Lexington, General Gage’s wife, an American, was a spy who passed info on the Brits’ military plans to the rebels.
Gage, when he found who was the spy ‘in his bed,’ sent his wife back to England where, I gather, the marriage floundered.
Washington during the revolution was not celibate—Martha joined him at Valley Forge and, I believe, Morristown during some dreadful winters.
P. S. Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne, who finally lost the battle of Saratoga, had 30 wagons of cutlery, wine, and other finery for his in-the-field entertainment. He also had a mistress, as did a number of the officers. The Hessians also had lady friends with them—some wives and ‘others.’
Ultimately Gentleman Johnny exhausted his supplies, General Howe didn’t provide reinforcements, while he was banging away in New York City, and Benny Arnold was successful in the field, leading to the French stepping in on the American’s side after Saratoga.
Sadly, General Arnold, who was the best fighting American general during the first two years of the revolution, in Philadelphia became enthralled with lady Shippen, a pro-British attractive damsel who he married. While Arnold was slipping into Shippen, he also dealt with Major Andre to betray the Americans and gain ‘fame and fortune.’
When Washington, en route to West Point, learned of Arnold’s treachery with Major Andre, Arnold fled and Shippen gave a Sarah Bernhardt performance and then joined dastardly Benny.
The Arnolds, never trusted, died in disgrace years later in London.
Jack Kelly's recent book Valcour tells about the height of Arnold's skill and bravery in the cause of the Americans up here on Champlain before his disgraceful defection (and he was somewhat shabbily treated by the New York command). Heather's Newsletter, and books like this, remind us of how riveting and relevant history can be, despite so many boring memorization exercises that passed for education in the '60s.
Tom And what was General Patton doing with his cousin while rushing through Western Europe? And what was Ike giving Kate Summersby, when he was winning WW II in Europe? (She wrote a book about it in, I believe, 1975).
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered,” Paine wrote, “yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”
Paine was a remarkable thinker and writer. Until tonight's LFAA prompted me to search for more information about him, I had no clue about his influence in Europe or how much of a dire price he paid late in life for his strong views.
Michael Paine was a loquacious Brit who went to the colonies with Ben Franklin’s recommendation. His Common Sense in early 1776 galvanized the colonists with his attack on the monarchy. The Crisis, just before the Battle of Trenton, inspired a bedraggled Washington army.
Paine became increasingly irrelevant in the colonies. I believe he sought at link himself with the French Revolution and ended up broke and without significant supporters. Still, he was a fine voice when most needed, whatever his flagging personal characteristics.
I read Paine in 6th grade and I remember being thrilled with his words “These are the times that try men’s souls” because they seemed as applicable to me in 1966 as they did when he wrote them. I took his adjuration against summer patriotism to heart, figuring it applied to any cause one joined. It’s a leitmotif in my life, and it still makes me think critically about my involvement in anything I consider committing to support. Looking back, I think I was a Thomas Paine fangirl. Hah, I guess there’s worse things.
On the wall of 10, rue de l'Odéon, Paris, there's a big plaque to say that that's where he lived and wrote. Here's a translation:
"Thomas Paine 1737-1809: English born, American by adoption, French by decree, lived in this building from 1797 to 1802. He placed his passion for freedom at the service of the French Revolution, was a member of the Convention and wrote the Bill of Human Rights. When opinions are free, the strength of truth always prevails.”
As the great x4 grandson of a Revolutionary War soldier who signed up on his 16th birthday in July 1776, saw action at Monmouth Courthouse, saw his hometown (Norwalk, CT) burned to the ground, and eventually be part of the “forlorn hope” that took Redoubt No. 10 at Yorktown, I shutter with pride, awe, and downright disbelief that such courageous people gave their all, yet, in a very short time, we find so many unpatriotic hucksters and minions who blather their lies and deceptions and “hug” the American flag. Shameful, yet, I believe we will prevail. Truth is on our side. Let Freedom Ring!!
Impossible to read this today without thinking of Ukraine. Thank you. Happy holidays.
Yes, Zelenskyy’s men mirror the resolve of Washington’s that will eventually defeat the British because of one thing—purpose. I am so heartened by this “Christmas” story that Ukraine will indeed prevail….,
Sophia,
I was recently on a project where I took delivery of a large, 40' storage container. The delivery was brilliantly performed into a tight spot by three men and one supervisor. All four were from Ukraine, but the three doing the work were recently arrived. The supervisor told me: "It is sad, everyone that had any money has left Ukraine, now, the war is fought by the poor that remain".
Which, after reading your rousing comment about Ukraine, I remembered that fellow, and, was also reminded of James G. Leyburn's book: "The Scotch Irish, A Social History".
In that book, Leyburn notes that about half of Washington's army at Trenton was composed of recent Scotch-Irish immigrants. These men were well used to British methods of abuse, were poor, used to going hungry and very committed to making sure they did not suffer British rule again.
The Scotch Irish men at Trenton fought with great brutality in that battle, which was hand to hand, and won.
I am wondering: If there were no poor people to really fight for themselves to change their station in life, what would the world look like today??
Thank you for your perspective Mike. It's been more than obvious that many boys from rich families have claimed ailments, such as bone spurs, to avoid going off to war. But the idea that poor men are poised to fare better in the battlefield because their skins have been thickened by having to fight harder for their needs in times of peace, instead of being handed them on a silver platter, is as enlightening as Heather's rich history lesson. It should go without saying that my comments are not blanket statements as many rich men have fought and led battles. The point I wanted to make is that I can't see any person, man or woman, fighting without a strong sense of purpose. We see that with the Russians. The rich kids have fled. The idea of the poor left behind, being forced into a winter battle without proper food, clothing, ammunition, and most importantly, lacking any sense of purpose, is in essence sending them to their death...and therefore, heart-wrenching....
Sophia, first, thank you for you kind reply:
"that poor men are poised to fare better in the battlefield because their skins have been thickened by having to fight harder for their needs in times of peace"
One word: Yes
Perhaps in the age of Alexander and the Roman Republic it was considered the obligation of the ruling class to not only lead but to engage physically in battle. During the 2nd WW, many sons of the powerful felt obligated to join the battle like the older sons of Joseph Kennedy who went to war and suffered and died for a common cause. But in our present Russian inspired internecine struggle, the high and mighty sit safely in their gated communities, fanning the flames of hate with no mortal commitment.
Because the US now has a volunteer military, it's largely made up of the children of the working class, as it offers one of the few options available to them. So this trend of those with fewer means doing most of the fighting (and dying) in wars continues.
Don't discount the "immigrant" part. They were poor before they left Ireland. But on this side of the Atlantic, they had something to fight for.
I'm sorry, I've missed your point. So, who, is left to fight for Ukraine?
The Ukrainians. They're doing a pretty good job of it too.
An awfully good job. And showing the Russians to be the 'Paper Tiger' the Chinese used to call the US.
Yes indeed. It's interesting to go back and retrace Putin's rise from near-anonymity after the collapse of the USSR to the megalomaniacal dictator in evidence today -- and to note once again how Western oil & gas money poured into Russia out of the self-deluded, self-serving belief that "the Cold War is over." U.S. and European oil & gas conglomerates have kept the Russian economy and Putin's delusions afloat all these years. And Ukraine is paying the big price while USians whine about inflation and the cost of gas.
I believe the point is those with the financial resources to do so have emigrated, leaving the poor to bear the full burden of combat.
Yes, from a desk jockey to President-for-Life?
Who picked him & Why?
and women...
Zelensky is his nations Thomas Paine! His
Speech before
Our Congress was amaterpiece!
Yes Luis! Hopefully millions os Americans have watched that address and understand that our support of Ukraine also supports democracy here and wherever it is struggling to survive.
Truly....
Absolutely. Happy new year, All!
Alan, that was my first thought, when reading this Letter. Then I began to think off our current struggle with authoritarians, and how the January 6 Committee, Jack Smith, and the DOJ are all working together to fight the current threat to our democracy. We can't give up and allow evil to prevail.
YES! Especially the quote from Paine about the timeliness of the battle; if we don't all get into this fight now we'll have to do it later. And the Ukrainians have had to fight this battle before!
Alan J Weisbard, though I did read it without thinking of Ukraine. Thank you for the reminder. Most relevant.
Or without tearing up, as I couldn't help doing.
My thoughts exactly!
Yes! I also thought of the brave Ukrainians as I read this!
A brilliant essay/history lesson tonight. I feel like the words of Thomas Paine are so very pertinent today. We must not get weary, but continue this march to a better union, one where all people are equal.
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered,” Paine wrote, “yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.” (Letter)
‘We Americans are at a moment of decision. The moment began years ago, and its final resolution will depend on the outcomes of at least several more elections. By the end, we will have decided collectively whether to continue our history as a republican democracy or to begin a dramatic departure from our past with the advent, whether gradual or sudden, of an authoritarian state. In either case, our future is our choice.’
‘Our destiny may well depend on the restoration of the ancient republican ideal of civic virtue, the tribute democratic citizens pay for participation in the public life of our nation. At the least, this will depend on wholesale rejection of election denial, opposition to the peaceful transfer of power, and denial of the authority of election officials.’
‘The cure for this authoritarian relapse is the rejuvenation of the principles of republican government: democratic accountability, a sense of the commonwealth, rejection of corruption in government, and most of all the restoration of civic virtue and citizen engagement.’
‘In the 1940s, all of us in the Ottawa, Kansas, public schools took a class called Civics. It was about living in a democracy, participating in public affairs, reading the papers, and paying attention. It was basic yet profound. It is difficult to find a public school system in our nation now that has a mandatory civics class. Young Americans find it possible, even easy, to transition into adult life with little knowledge of how and why our nation has our form of government, what Congress does and does not do, how our democracy is supposed to work, and the dangers of eroding it.’
‘We are all conditioned to focus our attention on our rights, but our duties deserve equal consideration. This central point is the focus of the famous story about a concerned citizen outside the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia asking Benjamin Franklin what the Founders were creating in there: “A Republic,” Franklin replied, “if you can keep it.” He knew, as did most of the other Founders who were students of the ancient republics, that “keeping it” required citizen involvement, participation, and engagement. There were duties to perform. Only by performing our civic duties could we protect our rights.’
‘In 2020, we as Americans made a fateful decision to choose democracy over authoritarianism. We will have to make that decision again and again without deviation or hesitation until the danger of the America First authoritarians has passed. We will have to recommit ourselves to good citizenship, to striving to be exemplars of civic virtue for our fellow Americans.’
‘This is no time for laxity. This is the time to be the best Americans we can be.’
The preceding were excerpts from 'Putting the Jan. 6th Committee Report in the Context of America’s Democratic Story' in Bulwark by Gary Hart is a former United States senator from Colorado and the author of, most recently, The Republic of Conscience (2015).See link below.
https://www.thebulwark.com/putting-the-jan-6th-committee-report-in-the-context-of-americas-democratic-story/
The end of required Civics class in high schools in the late 1960's has proven to be a serious mistake. I was in the first class for whom such a requirement had been dropped. I was so happy! No more boring reading! How I wish that I had been made to read that "boring stuff", and that every other person in America had had to do/were doing the same.
The tragedy is that it isn't boring. It was written in a boring manner and taught by teachers with no imagination.
As a middle school social studies teacher many years ago, one of my favorite things to do was jump up on a chair (I'm short!) and read from speeches like Paine's in (what I believed to be) a compelling voice. It might break my heart to know if any of those kids remember any of that, but I'm very glad to say, I tried.
Brava!!!
I wish there were more like you 💖
You are absolutely right about that! The class certainly had a reputation of being "the most boring class you will ever take" in my high school, waaaay back in the day.
Worse than boring to me was that I didn't trust it and couldn't relate to its being so polarizing.
I not only had civics for a semester in 8th grade (Indiana history being the other semester), I had government in high school.
The Civics & History classes that were boring, in my opinion, were often taught by the coaches, or other instructors not versed in the material. Hence dates and statistics were the test material not the whys. To me a good to great teacher is one that provokes in the student, critical thinking whichever makes a lesson worth remembering longer that just long enough to pass the test. That is why those that read Professor Heather Cox Richardson’s history lessons anticipate our daily dose - it makes us think, puts thinks in perspective. I am so happy my niece share this Letter nearly 2 years ago.
Great point! It clearly contrasts the opposite--how people like Heather can cinematically bring these subjects to life....
My high school civics teacher was excellent. She taught us how to interpret ads first, and then took us on a tour that ended up with political rhetoric. Yep, Tom Paine (and others) were there, then more recent political aspirants, The last was listening to news and reading newspapers with various perspectives, and analyzing what was being reported and how. It was a great class. The problem was that not everybody got to be taught by this teacher. I was in a "high school within a high school", whose students got college level instruction and the best teachers. The kids in the other "tracks" got the rote teachers who taught from an outline. I thought then (and to this day) that it was not fair. All the students deserved the kind of teachers we had. This was when we suddenly were thrust into the academic contest with the USSR, and suddenly the goal was to make sure the USA had the best scientists, etc. STEM grew out of this, and the division of students meant that a large number of people, even in "good" districts, left school educated to be workers if anything, or barely made it through the large classes and overworked teachers. There have always been divisions in this country, but I keep wondering if putting the kids of the 50s and 60s in that position played a large part in why we are where we are now. The "Great Society" aimed to turn this around, and was successful, but Reagan made sure it couldn't complete the work of making sure every youngster had a solid start in education.
Annie Stratton, a stimulating and meaningful education that requires some critical thinking and then allows for commentary without judgement can be a game changer. Thank you for sharing such an educational opportunity.
I so agree. Well said.
I taught American (and English) literature here in a Southern California high school until 2002. Thomas Paine’s letters were included in American lit. The 11th grade students had American history at the same time...a double whammy. We had some good conversations about why we had to read “history” in English class. I certainly hope some of it is still with them in these times. I keep up with a great number of them even now via Facebook. Some are very MAGAtized, but stay very kind to me. I share Heather’s letters occasionally when I feel they will get a good point across without alienating . I have also called out a few for blatant MAGA lies and had some very respectful, sweet responses. I think many of you would agree that teaching never ends, as here we are reviewing and applying lessons learned earlier.
You were obviously a wonderful teacher, and clearly respectful of your students' thoughts and ideas -- which is why they are, all these years later, respectful of you! Beautiful.
Actually, when you get into it, the boring stuff isn't all that boring either.
I'm not sure about the wisdom part, but I have the age and may be beginning to appreciate things a little more.
The students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High who've already made a mark on the world studied both government and theater. The combination has great power.
Sadly, they were exceptionally lucky students to have that background.
Lucky in that the adults in their district seem to have paid attention to education -- but Florida is not exactly a hotbed of liberal or progressive anything. The media regularly report on conservatives packing school boards and working to "influence" (i.e., intimidate) school boards, schools, and libraries. They've been doing this for decades. I'd love to hear more stories about how liberal and progressive types are countering this in various localities.
And the MAGA followers would have been attending to civics if they had been made to read the boring stuff? I guess they found school boring altogether, because that's where they learnt that they were losers.
I had a teacher that made an English class exciting! There is more excitement and drama in history than every TV show and every movie ever scripted. It's all in the presentation. Teaching is like theater. It dies without creativity and enthusiasm.
I say teach history and civics from first grade through college. Mandatory. And to get there start paying teachers as if we cared about our kids and the future of the nation/earth.
“…learned they were losers” how? Losers in the Civil War? Or because their parents didn’t want them to “feel bad” as in learning Critical Race Theory, CRT?
Learned by comparing themselves to others in the classroom.
Having done some tutoring and communication with several teachers, the value that parents place on learning/education is strongly connected to the children's/students' effort and interest. Some young ones, however, are eager to learn against the odds. Working with the parents is an important aspect of the learning process.
Respectfully, staying with the topic of Civics education, students social interactions or even some students’ disinterest isn’t about the importance of civics education. Yes, teachers and schools need to find interesting ways to teach, like Heather Cox Richardson’s methods, but it’s critical and important.
I believe you misunderstood Olaf’s point. So perhaps find it in your heart to understand his perspective. However, your comment on the “feminization of the occupation” was off base and narrow minded. How incredible that an actual teacher made such a comment. My husband taught school in late 1970s; it was his choice and his contemporaries made a mockery of his meager salary. If education has been “feminized” you must actually believe this alone turned off a boy’s desire to learn. The bigger picture is the social stigma for a male going into education as well as the dismissive disrespect for female educators that proliferates to this day. Look at the dire teacher shortage in this country as we speak. Educators have been pummeled by Covid, political vilification and parental harassment. Please refrain from enabling this hostile climate with your own educator’s voice proclaiming and blaming the “feminization of the occupation”.
As I explained in an earlier reply I refer to my experience of children comparing themselves with the others. I have been doing projects in schools where the children have been doing painting, masonry, carpentry, and theater in their environment outside of curriculum, without being graded. Sadly, it is my experience that all too many go to school to learn: 'I am not very good at this'. We need all teachers and grown ups, like you, to counter this, but we don't always control how we make others feel. My experience is from Sweden, but I think there is something similar in the US, and I would not say it is healthy that 70 million vote for Trump. His message never to accept being a loser is attractive for a reason.
Yay! So true, so many ways of being intelligent and so many stories (lived experiences) are needed to tell the whole truth.
The subject of war in terms of glorification or considering it as addressing Wars/reasons/decision-makers/pivotal battles and turning points from various perspectives, age - related, is a vital topic for consideration of educational curriculum and reflection by the citizens.
When Hillary called them deplorables, she was 109% right. They glommed onto hate like it was a long-lost love. Those who are not left brain learners (mechanical matters, etc) are not being disparaged, only the haters, greedy bastards, and those using those idiots for their own hate and greed.
Sometimes, Chris, do you pull out your accusative sword before seeking an explanation for a comment/reply that seems contrary to your experience?
We do a great disservice to those who created this democratic republic when we fail to learn about it, when we fail to honor it and when some trivialize it by self service and not public service.
Yeah, early on I made nearly the same comment only to get a ton of responses from teachers! How wrong I was, I'm being told. And I have to admit my view of today's education system might be a mite out of date I maintain the lack of knowledge about the Constitution remains. It's a lot like Shakespeare... to read without understanding the meaning of the words is empty - to know what one is reading opens the door wide.
Beautifully expressed, Bill!
To quote Heather Cox Richardson: 'To understand the present, we have to understand how we got here.'
'That’s where this newsletter comes in.'
'I’m a professor of American history. This is a chronicle of today’s political landscape, but because you can’t get a grip on today’s politics without an outline of America’s Constitution, and laws, and the economy, and social customs, this newsletter explores what it means, and what it has meant, to be an American.'
The historic thread dominating Letters from an American is the understanding of our 'political landscape', not as you indicated the study of the role that armed forces played in past events.
'Civics is the study of the rights and obligations of citizens in society.[1] The term derives from the Latin word civicus, meaning "relating to a citizen". The term relates to behavior affecting other citizens...' Civics is defined as: the study or science of the privileges and obligations of citizens. Civic education is the study of the theoretical, political and practical aspects of citizenship, as well as its rights and duties.
For me, history is a living thing. What is happening today began in the past, and unless this is understood, humans are doomed to repeat that past.
Memorizing dates and names of kings and wars blocked out any curiosity I might have had in history.. LFAA has resuscitated it.
Before the 2007 grafic novel movie "300" I already knew about King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. One of my HS reports that I still have from 1961 was on Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution. It may be a gender specific thing to teen boys, but military history gets your interest.
While traveling thru Chicago with my 13-year-old grandson, having been to the Field Museum, on our last day I planned to tour the Art Institute, close to our hotel. He balked and pouted but being the adult I insisted. Then he saw the collection of Medieval Armor & Weapons and Art became interesting. He was also impressed by our tour of the Soldiers Memorial in downtown St. Louis - where I would walk to and hang out when I was his age. He even said Opa was smart for knowing so much about wars & armaments. I grew up with the history of the World Wars.
To me, this Letter is *history*, not "military history." Military history tends to edit out who's doing the fighting and what they were fighting for. It gets bogged down in tactics and strategy, terrain and weaponry. In the service of history, in modest doses, it's important, but on its own? On the whole I think that military history is to history as the military is to the civilian government.
Citizen University (in Seattle), "How to Citizen" (podcast hosted by Baratunde Thurston) and "HipHop Civics" (activist/educator Bettina Love) are engaging and current -- maybe these venues of informal education are more effective than formal ed, at this time.
I'm grateful to be seen by you as I fortify my stamina for armchair activism. Change seems so accelerated these days, that I see no formal venues to jump into.
Why only “especially men”? A more appreciative population must include ALL genders, all ethnic heritages. Otherwise we only perpetuate division. Every citizen has the duty to understand the why of our Civic history and then follows the understanding that the importance of our government’s function is by the will of the voting citizens of the people - by the people for the people. All people.
Fern, I'm sure that you have read Robert Putnam's "Bowling Alone" which lays out clearly the massive and continuing decline in social participation and all collective activities in the USA (and doubtless elsewhere) since the 1960's.....starting with our generation! This is part and parcel of the decline in civism in society as well as in the education system. This is seperating us all from each other, isolating each of us in our screen-based, irresponsible, virtual world....while the money keeps flowing around and past us in a value foresaken world.
I would like just to add Joe Biden's Christmas message (Twitter) which touched me deeply.
"There is a certain stillness at the center of the Christmas story: a silent night when all the world goes quiet. And all the clamor, everything that divides us, fades away in the stillness of a winter’s evening. I wish you that peace this Christmas Eve."
Hello, Stuart. It is good when you are among us. Thank you for pointing to the work of Robert Putnam in 'Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community'. He surveyed'... the decline of social capital in the United States since 1950, describing the reduction in all the forms of in-person social intercourse upon which Americans used to found, educate, and enrich the fabric of their social lives. He argued that this undermines the active civic engagement which a strong democracy requires from its citizens.'. The book was published more than twenty years ago, and along with issues of public education, our 'use' of technology have deepened and widened the separation from one another.
America's fundamental socio-economic issues did not suddenly emerge. We are paying the dues and the consequences are monumental.
To you Stuart and your family, may it a healthy and harmonious new year
Many thanks, Fern. We were nearly all together yesterday at our daughters new house, missing only our son who was unable to get away from his new-found Finistère village. My thoughts will be with you and yours for the New Year.
Putnam's subsequent work "Our Kids" brings his conclusions well into the 21st century and shows that the decline is not just continuing but, with generational replacement, accelerating.
What or where is Finistère?
it's the Breste/Quimper region of Britanny; the farthest extension of France into the Atlantic.
Stuart this is truly true ( Bowling Alone) and profoundly moving (President Biden's words. Thank you.
I'm glad to read that I'm not alone in thinking about the rise of social mistrust researched by Putnam's and now communicated as "Bowling Alone." Do you all remember where he actually lays the problem? "Tuning In, Tuning Out: The Strange Disappearance of Social Capital in America" His first paper reads like a who-dun-it. (This link behind a paywall. "https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ps-political-science-and-politics/article/abs/tuning-in-tuning-out-the-strange-disappearance-of-social-capital-in-america/806BC6B85DD5FBB1BC42A9520E5A9791). It's watching television! Just that and all of that. He published in 1996 before the internet. Not sure how to remedy that but yes we need to foster social connection!
We live in San Sebastián, Spain. I love going out into the streets here where people talk with one another, children are playing, life is brimming. We can walk from one end of one of the beaches along the coast line to the end of the third beach and visit all the streets in each area - Zurriola, Amara, El Centro, Gros, Parte Vieja, Antigua without a car. Automobiles and developers who designed the need for automobiles and oil are another example of what has happened in America. My parents use to ride bicycles through orange groves from Long Beach to Garden Grove in California about the time the oil industry was tearing out the tram lines in LA to perpetuate the need for automobiles. Frank Lloyd Wright had a vision of clustered communities that never happened.
Television tends indeed to take the blame for much of the decline but he does question the link here between cause and effect as the television is also a symptom of the disappearance of traditional values through either the paucity of transition, either by word of mouth, example of our ever-diminishing leaders or the declining power of representative symbols..........or indeed the unwillingness of the new generation to hear what their elders have to say while blaming those same elders for their absence of hope. Television has become an arm in the battle to isolate, diminish and eventually eradicate our humanity rendering us merely recipients of their publicity as cogs on the production/consumption wheel. With the young, as they nolonger tend to watch "classic" television, the work of destruction is continued on internet through the phones, social media and UTube etc.
Indeed. There's a rich and complex interrelationship between the use of television in a home and the loss of time with parents to simply be. Being is where stories get told, values transmitted, skills modeled (watching a parent cook!) connections deepened, etc. Supplanting the family/group story with the consumer story is one of the ills engendered. And we are a sick, mentall unhealthy nation two generations after the wholesale adoption of screens for entertainment.
Screens also dominate the professional world. You can nolonger just be essentially human in your working life, taking decisons and acting together collectively in person. The virtual world will further enhance the seperation between us all and between each of us and reality.
Here is where I was able to read the whole article https://www.uvm.edu/~dguber/POLS293/articles/putnam1.pdf
Many thanks for the link
In the 1950's (my childhood), when families began to be able to afford a car, and TV's began to inhabit most homes, the isolation began. The next step was when most families were able to afford two cars (late 1960's). Now, with most people owning a car, with computers and cell phones, our isolation has become extreme. As a nearly 70-year-old, I still can't get used to the complete disconnect among people in waiting rooms -- and always take it upon myself to start a conversation. I've been fascinated how, once drawn into a conversation, most young people appear to actually enjoy putting down that phone and having a face-to-face conversation! (And the discussions are always interesting.)
Where can I find this tweet, Stuart?
Hi Gailee, I found it first in someone comparing it to TFG's Christmas drivel. It can be found straight from the horse's mouth on @POTUS....the official account dated Dec 24th
In many communities, civics has been set aside for courses that address subjects found on mandatory tests. Making civics mandatory like English/language arts classes are would help a lot.
I would love to see in a high school curriculum: civics, financial literacy, media literacy, home economics and home maintenance. Skills for being an adult in the 21t century.
I'm a non-math person who became a rather financially illiterate history teacher at the primary/secondary level. (Luckily, I married someone competent around numbers and budgeting . . . ) I came to the conclusion (math teachers will respectfully disagree) that MOST if not all primary/secondary mathematics (after learning basic arithmetic) should be financial literacy for functioning in the economy we find ourselves in. But it seems only to be done in passing, via certain "units" at certain ages and levels. One other anecdote: Mostly, parents only "went to the mat" over math: scores, testing, teaching styles, what section their kid had NOT been advanced to, etc. Never did they care much at all about what I was teaching in history class. "Oh, history. That's nice too." All those years I thought, "Thank the lord I'm not a math teacher! And, actually, I'm the one teaching the most important class!"
"And, actually, I'm the one teaching the most important class!" -- you were indeed, Peter!! thanks for doing that!!
I consider myself lucky to have taken a financial literacy class in high school. I learned so much!
Exactly!
Definitely! The No Child Left Behind really meant no child left untested. It turned our classrooms from educating to training. Teaching kids how to pass a test that was chock full of errors. My son started skipping questions on tests completely if he didn’t find the answer to his liking and would say the answer isn’t there. That’s what they taught these kids! Such a disaster! Now it’s more that the christian nationalists want to undo public education completely! Attacking teachers and watering down curriculum. Very frustrating!
It's a tragedy that more parents didn't speak out against the teaching to the text mentality the way the whacko right wing parents are doing. I tutored children who were falling through the cracks and would meet with teachers in a classroom of 36. I believe now that it was a slow, deliberate watering down of public education. I had a public school education. We took our kids out of private school and put them in public schools in Houston where they flourished because they took AP courses. But there are too many parents who are working more than one job to make ends meet and they can't or don't attend the PTA meetings or become involved in their children's school life.
Oh Fern, ‘Our destiny may well depend on the restoration of the ancient republican ideal of civic virtue, the tribute democratic citizens pay for participation in the public life of our nation. At the least, this will depend on wholesale rejection of election denial, opposition to the peaceful transfer of power, and denial of the authority of election officials.’ YES!
‘We are all conditioned to focus our attention on our rights, but our duties deserve equal consideration. '
YES, when did it become all take and no give? More and more people I come across are me, me, me. It disgusts me. The selfishness, the greediness is not what I feel in my heart. When I speak of simple things, things I willingly volunteer to do with no expectation of being rewarded for my behavior, they call me crazy. Why would you do this if you're not being paid to do it? Some people have simply forgotten, "Love thy neighbor". I've even come across people at my church who question why I do certain things. I'm beginning to weed out the fake ones who try to appear to be "Christian". It can be very disheartening. We may not all be equal financially or in levels of education but we must realize that we're all human beings, on this planet for a very short time. It's time we started to break down these walls and pull together for the good of everyone. Are they blind to it all? Will it be too late when they realize what is happening?
'...we're all human beings, on this planet for a very short time. It's time we started to break down these walls and pull together for the good of everyone.' Thank you, Jeanne; 'we are all human beings' how are 'we' left out of the 'equation'? How can our lives, the plants, the animals... earth itself be so forgotten?
I do not have a religion because I don't have a need. I have noticed in the last decade many ´Christians´ are racists, bigots, self-centered without seeming to have any understanding of the focus of Jesus, Buda, Krishna and others. With the struggle to make ends meet over the last few decades, volunteering and donating have virtually disappeared in most areas of social connectedness.
In fact, as you recognize Galilee, these self-named "christians" (I can't bring myself to put it in caps) are anything BUT "Christian". They follow none of the teachings. Can't stand it, personally.
Why I ran for my life
I just had a conversation about civics with a friend, and for those interested - Coursera offers an online class on beginners civics called Civic Engagement in American Democracy”. It is taught through Duke University, and if memory serves me, the course is free, unless you want a certificate. I believe it starts today
Thank you! P.S. I hope you are less run ragged in 2023.
LOL ~ Sixty some years ago, a week didn’t go by that my mom didn’t accuse my brothers and I of running her ragged. “You younguns are going to run me ragged!!!”
🤣😂
LOL!!!!!
Thanks for posting the links! They offer quite a variety of classes, including from the Berkeley School of Music, etc. I’m taking one of the civic courses now
Very good complement to today's letter
I absolutely LOVE this! Thanks for posting! I often read The Bulwark posts, but also miss quite a few. Thanks again!
Many who wear the rapier fear the goose quill.
Bingo!
Sure, but one cautionary note: The word the Founders used was "men". Neither they nor generations of their successors had any intention of according women equal social or political status.
Talia, That’s part of the history, a civics class would teach how the Constitution was created and changed. Its about past, present and future.
Let's bear in mind, too, that until comparatively recently, "men" and "man" was also understood to mean "mankind", genus homo, no socio-political distinction. 'O brother Man, fold to thy heart thy brother..." If you start to "update" all the writings of the past, it gets a bit silly. Like when the good Dr Bowdler carefully edited Shakespeare to remove all the rude words.
And in the West for all of this time, "mankind" has still referred primarily to men: women have not been considered competent to lead public lives, to participate in political, ethical, or philosophical discourse; they have not been thought of as truly rational adult humans. Their proper sphere has been indoors, in the house, quietly doing the work that has made it possible for men to spend much of their time outside, together, in public, building and carrying forward "human" society.
Until very recently, women existed, in the minds of Western men, primarily to serve as greenhouses for men's "seed"--if a woman did not bear a child for her husband, she was considered barren. There was no scientific understanding of how conception actually worked. But even once that knowledge was made clear, women remained passive containers for men's essential creativity, and have had no place in history, art, or any but the most inconsequential enterprises. Women have been considered only marginally more competent than children: driven by emotion rather than reason; physically weaker than men; and with little capacity for intellectual development.
Would that this attitude have died out when women began demanding their rights as adult humans in the last couple of hundred years. But women's supposed inferiority to men is a very old story, told from sometime prior to ancient Greece and Rome through our day. And we still have reactionary men among us who would put women back in the home: pregnant, dependent, and silenced.
It is no accident that "mankind" has been pronounced as "brotherhood" until very recently. Women simply have not been included as historical actors at all. In today's comments we have a (presumably) male teacher bemoaning the "feminization" of history in school!
Editing Shakespeare would be a mistake, yes. Changing the language of the past would not only be dishonest but would distort our understanding of the historical devaluing and erasure of non-men (there have been other genders even in Western subcultures, but our histories are so obscured as to be almost illegible). But recognizing what the words were saying then and what they continue to say now (in footnotes maybe, or in long-winded comments..) is as necessary as reading them in the first place.
My reply, short-winded and without footnotes, has disappeared. That's of no importance.
Only a time machine could consider all the cautionary tales that there are in this world…
Of course they didn't , why bring that up here? Spend some time meditating on the word "husband," an archaic term that included farmer or husbandman, i.e., carer for the flock or herd. Lord of the house and the residents therein. It irks me that this mild-sounding term has not been challenged by people like you in the context you refer to.
Ed, you might want to explore the origins of the meaning of "husband", and trace the changes in use before you make the assumption it means what you think it means. I am on a new computer right now, trying to break it in (unless I end up sending it back), but somewhere in the depths of my old computer there is a paper I wrote on this. The lovely thing is that the word "husband" is being reclaimed by a younger generation. You may be irked, but I suspect over something that, as language frequently does, means something other than you think it does.
Annie, thank you for your comment. I would like to red your paper if you would share it. I took pains to do my due etymological diligence before I responded to Talia, but if you have information that fills out the history of the word, I would certainly be open to it. I know about the Biblical passages, the Phonecian connection, the medieval context and the more recent transformation of the word when love was added to the husband-wife relationship. MY reason for commenting as I did was to point out to Talia that judging from a position 250 years after the fact is not precisely fair to theose she was criticizing.
Your point was valid. But so is mine. Translations from other languages do not count as evidence in word usage and meaning. Linguistics is interesting, and challenging, especially when shifts occur, which is all the time. I am still working on trying to transfer cloud backup, and may end up sending new computer back because I probably need more storage. The old one has issues with hard drive that I don't want to push until I know I've got the data where it is safely available to me. Add to that the fact that I am a pack-rat, and have no idea at this point where that paper is, and don't have the time to look for it. I'll probably come across it at some point when I do the painful process of sorting and deleting duplicate files and stuff that just plain needs to be dumped. It'll be a while, but if I find that paper, I'll try to remember to send you a copy. Nagging helps with that.
Or consider ALL males equal
I knew a smart MAGAt (previously a W/Dickie and Tea Party nut) who used to quote Thomas Paine for the Repub cause. Wonder if he still does?? Probably, since Fox is still blathering bull Schitt, and Dems are still the enemy…
Equal in the most expansive sense may be difficult to pinpoint as reality is multi-dimensional, but we are supposed to to be equal before the law; not that we should dismiss extraordinary circumstance, but justly ignore social economic status*. Way too often, that is not the case.
* or if anything, extend some degree of lenience to crime motivated by desperation over greed.
Cathy, Paine's writing is shear genius. How relevant his words are today. The awesome power of words.
Our experience and struggle then informed us of the cost of freedom. We are still working towards a more perfect union. This is mirrored by Ukraine’s fierce determination to keep their democracy
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered,” Paine wrote, “yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”
I’ve been thinking along these lines for the past few years. In some ways I feel very lucky to have experienced near tyranny as to be able to appreciate what on earth it is we need to appreciate. Thank goodness we averted tyranny this time around. I honestly thank people like Heather Cox Richardson for helping me understand our past and how our present day and future all depend on our knowing and understanding history. Very thankful tonight. My thoughts are with you all and with people around the world that are struggling to triumph against tyranny.
Tyranny is what people with nonEuropean ancestors have lived under in the US except for about 10 years of partial relief after the Civil War and another period of partial relief between 1965 (Voting Rights Act) and 2013 (gutting of the Voting Rights Act by by the Roberts Court in Shelby County v Holder). The Roberts Court has taken advantage of every opportunity bolster white rule and almost certainly will continue to strengthen white rule as long as Republicans maintain a Supreme Court majority. And it’s not just the Supreme Court. It’s also roughly 60% of white voters. That’s not as bad as it was in, say, the 1950s, when probably more like 90% of white voters supported white rule, but it’s still plenty bad enough. Things went a little better than we expected last month, but we’re a long way from out of the woods. The magats haven’t gone away but may have lost small percentage of white women due to the women-as-brood-mares stance of the entire Republican Party, top to bottom. If those women who fell out of the magat fold manage to maintain their footing, we may have a chance of slowing the advance of white rule. That gives me a little hope.
And add Tyranny to the lives of the First People who continue to pay for their loss of freedom and land. Land stolen for pipelines. Propositions as in California for Casinos, which create more corruption, but bring income into the community. These are major costs and losses.
I don't see corruption in our Native American Bands' casinos here in Michigan. I did see the abject poverty and rampant alcoholism before the establishment of the casino's good paying jobs, funds for clinics, senior (elder) centers, housing, preschools, daycare centers and tribal involvement in environmental restoration and quality. And, The Grand Traverse Band of Odawa and Chippewa Indians contributes (if I recall correctly) 2% of their casino earnings to neighboring counties, given in grants for services for all of us. I remember visiting the home of one Native elder here in northwest Michigan in 1975 with a dirt floor. Now The Band supports housing for white folks, too. As the tribe's cultural traditionalist told me (and my Native Ojibwe in-laws affirmed) when the gambling debates began, "gaming" is a natural indigenous activity, and it is only right that they use this skill to make money off the white dominant culture. Paid off! We have so many Natives in high places now! (The Band also funds addiction services).
The First People are among those with nonEuropean ancestors (namely ancestors from the American continents). Pretty much nothing but the worst sort of tyranny for them from the outset.
Great words. Thank you.
“ What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.” I propose that we now value more what we almost lost in late 2020 and early 2021. I know that a lot of my complacent friends that thought that there was no way that Hillary could lose or that Roe v. Wade could be overturned are now awake. They are much more involved than before TFG showed us how much of our democracy depended on norms and traditions (that he stomped upon). It’s scary to think how easily a more quiet person could have slipped this past us. Thank you for awakening us with concrete examples to complement the extraordinary revelations of the January 6 Commission.
I was thinking about early settlers while walking my dog outside today. The temperature was -6 below and alI I could think about was how hard it would have been to be outdoors without all the great equipment I have- down coat, wool hat, down hood to pull up over the hat, heavy down mittens, lined boots, long underwear- and the best of all, cashmere socks. Even with all that, I was certainly happy to go home after just 40 minutes so I could get warm again!
Thinking about that again just now after reading this - What did Union soldiers wear? How, in the name of all that is holy, did those men cross the Delaware in a winter storm, then march nine miles in freezing rain? Without Gortex? In wool? Soaked to the bone? I’m a pretty tough person having grown up in Minnesota and experienced my fair share of brutal winter weather but cold and wet is the hardest - as well as the most dangerous. Most people I know wouldn’t last nine minutes, let alone nine miles and then they routed the Hessians in battle. Gobsmacking strength and courage!
“What we attain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.” I will never again be able to think about the Battle of Trenton without a much clearer understanding of what that truly cost my ancestors. What a great impetus to be as active in defense of our democratic republic as we are capable of being going forward. Thanks for the brilliant reminder, Dr. R.
To those that celebrate, Merry Christmas. Best of the season to all of you.
I think about the people of Ukraine and what they are suffering.
I think about their loyalty, courage and defiance.
Gailee, I think about that every day. One of my close friends is first generation American-both parents born in Ukraine. She is very active with a group helping Ukrainian refugees here in MN. Also, My daughter’s heritage is possibly Ukrainian (great grandparents never talked about where they were from originally - Russia/Ukrainian border is the family’s best guess). I follow several Ukrainian bead-weavers online and none of them posted anything recently.
We have had nearly two feet of snow in the last two weeks here, along with the deep cold. Its tough enough being 68 and dealing with all that when I have all the clothing, tools and even neighbors who help. I know exactly how tough it is for them - and the average Russian too. All the more reason to stay active in defense of democracy! Slava Ukraini!
I hope you get word of the bead-weavers. A very telling example of the nation's plight. Slava Ukraïni!
In the spirit of v. Clausewitz! No general can make up plans for war without caring as much as possible for the soldiers being dry and warm.
And well-fed. (Napoleon).
Read David Fischer's "Washington's Crossing," a definitive work on this subject. The common belief is that the ragged remnant of an army snuck up on the garrison at Trenton and defeated the Christmas-loving Germans who were hung over from celebrations of the preceding two days. In truth, the tide was already turning, and the Hessians were tired and stressed not from drink but from the ceaseless vigilance required to protect themselves from aroused local partisans who resented their presence and their habits of stealing everything that wasn't nailed down. The attack, carried out in the teeth of a bitter Nor'easter, convinced the Continentals, ragged as they might have been, of what many of them already believed, that they were hardened soldiers capable of victory.
Let's hope enough of us still carry the resolve to fight to the last measure against oppression and tyranny.
Yes, but let’s not forget who the enemy is, namely magat Republicans (that is, about 60% of white voters). They desperately want to preserve white rule, which may look like tyrrany to us (certainly to me, anyway) but looks like God-given democracy to them.
And let us not forget that partisan politicians are tools of the 1.0%
And the billionaire firebrands, young and old
That doesn’t get the voters off the hook. They bear the full responsibility for preservation of white rule.
The efforts we make for the cause of freedom and in support of democracy help us become better people. The Winter soldiers who came over the Delaware River that Christmas long ago to strike a blow against the Hessians were very determined to make an impact. Were any of you outside this past week to pick up your mail or get some groceries? Did you feel the cold just penetrate to your bones even with your good boots on, a hat and gloves and overcoat? Our soldiers during that winter long ago were so poorly equipped that many suffered and died from exposure... yet they persevered and fought battles against much better trained and equipped foes. Afterwards, they retreated to Valley Forge and in winters afterward to Morristown. Like right now, the cold was penetrating and constant but accompanied by deep snow. They endured it and went on to fight and win more battles until with the help of the French the tide turned decisively against the British years later at Saratoga. It took a long time with constant effort and sacrifice. This is how it was and still is...to keep our freedom we must always possess the inner faith and resolve necessary to deserve it. No one ever said it would be easy...Happy New Year everyone!
Thank you, Professor, for one final Christmas present. We will stand by our conviction. Rest well.
General Howe, shacked up with a lovely lady in NYC, called off the British assault and engaged in the Christmas party scene. By contrast, General Washington, with the remnants of his army—cold and underfed—faced the certainty that his remaining soldiers would go home on January 1st when their enlistments expired.
He decided on an incredible Hail Mary. His troops would cross the Delaware on Christmas Eve and attack the fearsome Hessian mercenaries in Trenton. Thanks to Marbleheader Glover they got the boats and arrived in Jersey territory later than anticipated. Surprise was their best hope. [Colonel Rahle, the Hessian commander, had been handed a spy’s report of Washington’s attack, but, during the drunken festivities, failed to glance at it.]
The ragged American soldiers attacked, the Hessians were defeated—with 900 prisoners—and, astonishingly, not a single American soldier was killed.
If Washington hadn’t succeeded in his astonishing Hail Mary, the American revolution may have ended on January 1st. [Thomas Paine’s wrote The Crisis, which was a rousing carrion call that was read to the troops before their extraordinary victory.]
💖💖💖
Kind of like Rommel, who left Normandy to attend his girlfriend's birthday at a very inopportune moment...history sometimes favors the desperate and daring.
Tom A LADIES ACCOUNT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Toujours gai and what the hell. Howe was banging the wife of one of his officers, while a celibate Washington was considering his Trenton Hail Mary. Earlier, regarding the Battle of Lexington, General Gage’s wife, an American, was a spy who passed info on the Brits’ military plans to the rebels.
Gage, when he found who was the spy ‘in his bed,’ sent his wife back to England where, I gather, the marriage floundered.
Washington during the revolution was not celibate—Martha joined him at Valley Forge and, I believe, Morristown during some dreadful winters.
P. S. Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne, who finally lost the battle of Saratoga, had 30 wagons of cutlery, wine, and other finery for his in-the-field entertainment. He also had a mistress, as did a number of the officers. The Hessians also had lady friends with them—some wives and ‘others.’
Ultimately Gentleman Johnny exhausted his supplies, General Howe didn’t provide reinforcements, while he was banging away in New York City, and Benny Arnold was successful in the field, leading to the French stepping in on the American’s side after Saratoga.
Sadly, General Arnold, who was the best fighting American general during the first two years of the revolution, in Philadelphia became enthralled with lady Shippen, a pro-British attractive damsel who he married. While Arnold was slipping into Shippen, he also dealt with Major Andre to betray the Americans and gain ‘fame and fortune.’
When Washington, en route to West Point, learned of Arnold’s treachery with Major Andre, Arnold fled and Shippen gave a Sarah Bernhardt performance and then joined dastardly Benny.
The Arnolds, never trusted, died in disgrace years later in London.
Oh those ‘ladies.’
Wow! Whole lotta shakin' goin' on!
Jack Kelly's recent book Valcour tells about the height of Arnold's skill and bravery in the cause of the Americans up here on Champlain before his disgraceful defection (and he was somewhat shabbily treated by the New York command). Heather's Newsletter, and books like this, remind us of how riveting and relevant history can be, despite so many boring memorization exercises that passed for education in the '60s.
Tom And what was General Patton doing with his cousin while rushing through Western Europe? And what was Ike giving Kate Summersby, when he was winning WW II in Europe? (She wrote a book about it in, I believe, 1975).
WOW. Thank you, Heather. You are the light.
Democracy is looking pretty dear these days, and valuable.
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered,” Paine wrote, “yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”
Paine was a remarkable thinker and writer. Until tonight's LFAA prompted me to search for more information about him, I had no clue about his influence in Europe or how much of a dire price he paid late in life for his strong views.
https://opb.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/americon-lp-thomas-paine/thomas-paine/
Thank you Michael. I read Common Sense, but want to reread and will look for this.
Thank you.
Michael Paine was a loquacious Brit who went to the colonies with Ben Franklin’s recommendation. His Common Sense in early 1776 galvanized the colonists with his attack on the monarchy. The Crisis, just before the Battle of Trenton, inspired a bedraggled Washington army.
Paine became increasingly irrelevant in the colonies. I believe he sought at link himself with the French Revolution and ended up broke and without significant supporters. Still, he was a fine voice when most needed, whatever his flagging personal characteristics.
I read Paine in 6th grade and I remember being thrilled with his words “These are the times that try men’s souls” because they seemed as applicable to me in 1966 as they did when he wrote them. I took his adjuration against summer patriotism to heart, figuring it applied to any cause one joined. It’s a leitmotif in my life, and it still makes me think critically about my involvement in anything I consider committing to support. Looking back, I think I was a Thomas Paine fangirl. Hah, I guess there’s worse things.
On the wall of 10, rue de l'Odéon, Paris, there's a big plaque to say that that's where he lived and wrote. Here's a translation:
"Thomas Paine 1737-1809: English born, American by adoption, French by decree, lived in this building from 1797 to 1802. He placed his passion for freedom at the service of the French Revolution, was a member of the Convention and wrote the Bill of Human Rights. When opinions are free, the strength of truth always prevails.”
Me too!
A wonder that you had these insights in 6th grade, and carry them forward today! (BTW - husband is Olivet grad!).
I love teaching at OC. I hope he has good memories!
As the great x4 grandson of a Revolutionary War soldier who signed up on his 16th birthday in July 1776, saw action at Monmouth Courthouse, saw his hometown (Norwalk, CT) burned to the ground, and eventually be part of the “forlorn hope” that took Redoubt No. 10 at Yorktown, I shutter with pride, awe, and downright disbelief that such courageous people gave their all, yet, in a very short time, we find so many unpatriotic hucksters and minions who blather their lies and deceptions and “hug” the American flag. Shameful, yet, I believe we will prevail. Truth is on our side. Let Freedom Ring!!
“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered,”
This is the phrase that I feel sums up our efforts these past years standing against trump and the republicans.
Bless you, making time on Christmas Day to spread light!