Hard not to lament the loss of relevance the study of history has taken in our woefully misguided education system. Aside from it’s connection in well taught literature classes, as your informal survey suggests and a few interviews held by podcasters on YouTube, it is no surprise that most people under sixty lack historical context to the life of their country. Especially surprising is how little the “Ancestry. Com generation connects that personal history to the environment that produced their forebears. Their technologically interconnected minds can’t comprehend the rugged individualism that spawned the world in which all of this could be possible
When reading into the details of the Lexington-Concord thing, I was amazed at how many farmers dropped what they were doing and became Minute Men engaged in combat to fight a common enemy. I've read that only 3% of the population was actively engaged in fighting The Crown. How many would we get today?
I definitely lament the historical ignorance that has been fostered in our country. It brings with it the unpleasant smell of eventual doom. I pray we can reverse the trend someday, but I've a feeling that someday won't be soon.
(Man, it bums me out to leave such a downer comment, but I'm not going to lie about it or sugar coat it. Gotta speak the truth as I see it.)
Read a book a few years ago, now, called Founding Brothers, which provides some insight into struggle of personalities between Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Hamilton, and I think maybe Aaron Burrr and Madison. The most surprising thing, which I may have known at some point but forgotten, was how young most of them were, to accomplish what they did, in cobbling together such a disparate range of ideas about what kind of country they had just founded. It really is a miracle that we exist as a nation at all.
Damn! I'd forgotten completely about that. I really enjoyed reading it after so long. I'd forgotten how good he was. Thanks so much for sending it. Do we have anyone today with that kind of talent? Probably, but, if so,I don't know who.
Hard not to lament the loss of relevance the study of history has taken in our woefully misguided education system. Aside from it’s connection in well taught literature classes, as your informal survey suggests and a few interviews held by podcasters on YouTube, it is no surprise that most people under sixty lack historical context to the life of their country. Especially surprising is how little the “Ancestry. Com generation connects that personal history to the environment that produced their forebears. Their technologically interconnected minds can’t comprehend the rugged individualism that spawned the world in which all of this could be possible
When reading into the details of the Lexington-Concord thing, I was amazed at how many farmers dropped what they were doing and became Minute Men engaged in combat to fight a common enemy. I've read that only 3% of the population was actively engaged in fighting The Crown. How many would we get today?
I definitely lament the historical ignorance that has been fostered in our country. It brings with it the unpleasant smell of eventual doom. I pray we can reverse the trend someday, but I've a feeling that someday won't be soon.
(Man, it bums me out to leave such a downer comment, but I'm not going to lie about it or sugar coat it. Gotta speak the truth as I see it.)
I'm pretty certain everyone who reads Thinking Out Loud agrees with you. You know I do.
Read a book a few years ago, now, called Founding Brothers, which provides some insight into struggle of personalities between Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Hamilton, and I think maybe Aaron Burrr and Madison. The most surprising thing, which I may have known at some point but forgotten, was how young most of them were, to accomplish what they did, in cobbling together such a disparate range of ideas about what kind of country they had just founded. It really is a miracle that we exist as a nation at all.
I was just thinking about having to read/study Longfellow's account of that night in Jr High so very long ago.... https://poets.org/poem/paul-reveres-ride
Damn! I'd forgotten completely about that. I really enjoyed reading it after so long. I'd forgotten how good he was. Thanks so much for sending it. Do we have anyone today with that kind of talent? Probably, but, if so,I don't know who.
bd