Tuesday, October 21, 2008

10/16 – 10/21/08 400 years of American History

Other than Native American history, Jamestown artifacts are just about as old as we get in the USA. I’m still not sure why we tend to think of Plymouth Plantation as the first permanent settlement in the US when in fact Jamestown was settled in 1607, a full 13 years before Plymouth. However, the Pilgrims were motivated by religious freedom, whereas the Jamestown colony was a venture for profit. The kids especially enjoyed the re-created settlement with costumed interpreters and hands on activities. We even got to see replicas of the 3 ships the first settlers came in. I (lately dubbed “history geek” by one of my children - nice, huh?) especially loved the current archaeological dig at the original Jamestown site. Oh, the stories those artifacts told, and yet there are so many more stories untold.

The more I learn about the American Revolutionary War, the more I’m amazed at how clear it is to me (as it was to George Washington) that God caused the successes. For example, at the famous Delaware Crossing, the key to Washington’s plan was the element of surprise. Unfortunately, the night crossing took longer than expected and the men were not able to get to Trenton by first daylight. Had it not been for a sleet storm which kept the Americans well hidden even though it was daylight, the Hessians would have been out and seen them, thus eliminating the key to success – surprise.

The battle at Yorktown should have been a British success, but because of several unusual mistakes by Cornwallis, and several amazing provisions by God, the Americans won. The odds were not good, for example that the French fleet would get there in time. It actually arrived only 2 hours before the British. Also, had the siege, battle, or surrender negotiations taken only 5 days more, all would have been lost for the Americans when an overwhelming British fleet arrived. Had not a most unusual and irregular storm come at just the right moment, the British would have been able to escape to safety and there would have been no surrender at Yorktown.

Hands down, Williamsburg was our favorite. The actors and various portrayals of Colonial life gave us a good feel for what it would have been like. The artisans were magnificent. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were our favorite characters. I felt like we really traveled back in time to hear them. All the actors and interpreters were exceptionally well researched in their characters. This was definitely our favorite living history site - talk about making history fun (even if you aren't a "history geek").

James Madison was referred to as "the father of our Constitution" by his peers. With a visit to his lifelong home we learned more about this remarkable man. In order to come up with a totally new form of Government for this fledgling nation, he spent the better part of a year studying and reading books from all over the world in any of the 7 languages he spoke and read, including the ancient governments of Greece and Rome, as well as Biblical forms of government. He learned what forms of government worked and didn’t. For example, he learned that democracies always fail and therefore steered toward the republic government we have. We owe so much to the Great Little Madison, the father of our Constitution.

No comments: