The Lovely Abigail Adams

This has been a wonderful semester, and I have particularly enjoyed teaching the course on the American Revolution again. In addition to the Middlekauf text, the students had to read either Paul Revere's Ride by David Hackett Fisher or Deareest Friend by Lynne Withey. In this reading, the students had to maintain a book journal--thier own analysis of the material in the book. This assignment is less formal, but more involved than a book review.

Several of the students chose the biography of Abigail Adams, Dearest Friend. I am so pleased by how she (Mrs. Adams) is inspiring  these young people over 200 years after her birth. Feminists have latched on to Mrs. Adams and have attempted to make her an icon for their cause.  She took care of her home and family during her husband's many absences in his service to the young country. She earned the disdain of many of her contemporaries by involving herself in the politics of the day.
Abigail's father was a parson and raised her not only in the nurture of the Scriptures, but in an environment that encouraged "book learning" as well. Her deep love for her husband combined with the natural and nurtured inquisitiveness she possessed together almost seemed to compel her participation in matters outside the then typical sphere of influence of the woman of Colonial America. 

Feminists have seized upon this aspect of Abigail's life, and I think they have misinterpreted her heart's desire.  Scripture tells us that part of Eve's punishent was to desire her husband's place (Genesis 3:16), but that doesn't describe Abigail at all. Her desire was to support her husband--to maintain the home and family as he needed.  He often turned to her for advice and support, respecting her intellect and trusting in her absolute devotion to him.  She was free to speak her mind and disagre with John(which she often did), but she always put his best interest above her own.

Several of the young ladies in the course have spoken with me about this book and the life of our second First Lady. They seem, without exception, to be moved most by her love for God and for her husband. 

I am grateful to be teaching in an atmosphere where we can openly champion these values.

Catherine Drinker Bowen 1897-1973

One of my favorite historians is Mrs. Catherine Drinker Bowen; she penned marvelous biographies as well as an inspiring account of the American Constitutional Convention.  She researched her topics meticulously and passionately, searching for the story amidst facts, the narrative within the details. This year, I used her work, John Adams and the American Revolution to expand my lecture about Adams' role in the defense of the British soldiers following the Boston Massacre.  She took us all back to a Boston hostile to these "redcoats." I read much of her account to the class, and they loved it!

Mrs. Bowen fell under quite a bit of criticism because she did not pursue formal training (college degrees in History).  Yet, she was dedicated to both history and historiography. She knew where her interpretations of events and lives fell within the spectrum of others.  Like Barbara Tuchman and Esther Forbes, she did not pursue "women's history." My advisor, Professor Kermit Hall, gently admonished us that we needed more women historians, not women doing women's History.  He was so right!

As for Mrs. Bowen and her generation,  I want to say that as a student of history independent of a particular graduate program, she was free to really search for History as opposed to a "usable past" to promote a specific agenda.  In her day just as in the current, History represents a field with one of the most liberal and manipulative mindsets.  The recent trend is to tear down those that may have brought some "exceptionalism" to our past (the left does however always seem to give Jefferson a pass, though, despite his slave holdings and despite the fact that he ran and hid when the British came to Virginia!).  This past week, our family went to Barnes and Noble. I was thrilled to see a new biography of Ethan Allen. The review on the back made mention of how this marvelous new biography (I am paraphrasing) told us all of the failings of this once-revered character from the Revolutionary era.  Is that the goal? The goal should be providing an accurate (as much as possible) account of biography, and that might well sling a bit of dirt. However, that goal is a far cry from tearing down to tear down.

I am grateful for my education at UF in the History Department there, but sometimes I think the field is hurt by what and how we're taught--not the facts, but the agenda. Mrs. Bowen and her generation of true historians seem to be lost, relegated to the now-disappearing shelves of library books written before 1990. Barbara, Esther and Catherine all have their places on my shelves, and believe me, no dust is gathering.

The History of Historie

I started blogging some time ago when I saw Miss Linda's beautiful blog, Threads of Loveliness.  At that time she used this beautiful brown and aqua background from Michelle Baird's Shabby Creations. Miss Linda now uses a different background so I am going to honor her and Michelle with this as my new background. Everything old is new again! Thanks, Miss Linda and Michelle for your inspiration and creativity!

Those Were the Days

In graduate school, before Michael and kids, my little Church on Archer Road and the NBA were my world!  I remember trying to get research papers done early in the Fall term to clear my calendar for the beginning of the season.  This marvelous play is my all-time favorite. The Celtics were about to lose the game, their home -court advantage and probably the Eastern Conference Finals--this was the year when they struggled to win out of the Garden. To lose at home in this game would have ensured loss of the play offs and ended hope for a return to the Finals against the Lakers.

But in the last seconds of the game, the Leprechaun made his appearance. Bird stole the ball from a careless in-bound pass from Isaiah.  He threw the ball to the always-ready DJ who in turn made an impossible reverse lay up.  Now this was a game!

In grad school, I would go home when I could to watch the games with Daddy.  He passed away just about two months after Michael and I were married. I stayed a little while with Moma before returning to Statesboro. When I did get home, Michael had connected the cable for me so I could watch the season begin. We could not afford this luxury but he knew what the NBA had meant to me and to my relationship with my Dad.

In 1994, our oldest son made his appearance during the play-off season. As I awaited his arrival in a great deal of discomfort, I was actually able to watch a game being played on a tv in my room. The nurse came in and sweetly but firmly told Michael that it might be a good idea to turn off the tv; he sweetly but just as firmly wouldn't let her do it, and said, "I'm not the one watching it!"

These were Basketbal'ls greatest days: Larry, Kevin, Michael Jordan, Kareem, Dominique, Dr. J and other Titans- they were physical giants with a professional zeal and love for the game that seemed to outweigh their love for money. Where are they today?

LeBron James abandoned the franchise that supported him, all to avoid state income taxes. Sadly,  he is not alone in his avarice.  Today, the  2011/12 season  has been  put on hold so that players can fuss about the salary cap and owners can insist on greater profits. Why don't those people with so much time on their hands protesting Wall Street pay a visit to the homes of LeBron and others on both side of this ridiculous and incredibly poorly-timed lockout?

Our Own History Maker

John Thomas was selected to participate this summer in two different trips, both of which took him to D.C. and beyond.  The second of the two trips was part of the Liberty Education Tour, sponsored by the Reagan Legacy Foundation. Here he is with Michael Reagan. On this tour, he met Steve Hayes and Jonah Goldberg and actually talked to Ann Coulter (yikes! she scares me sometimes).  Dad was able to travel with him on either side of the tour, getting him to D.C. to meet up with the group and then attending his "graduation" from the program in California at the Reagan Library.

I didn't realize how tall John Thomas had grown--he is 3 inches shorter than his brother (who is 6'4). I think he looks pretty snappy in his red tie!

Go, Greta, GO!

I have always liked Greta van Susteren, but never more than lately when she has taken on the smarmy Tucker Carlson. Go, Greta, Go!

Comments?

Dear followers, I am having trouble responding to comments on this blog. I cannot even post comments on the blogs of my friends.  I am going to ask Virginia to help me straighten this out ASAP. Please stay tuned.

An Expanded Course

Some time back, I was able to offer a summer readings course in the history of the First Ladies of the United States. This course was so much fun to teach, and the students seem to enjoy it as well. Last year, the course was revised for a full semester and approved by the faculty as a permanent course in the catalog. YAY! Several of our graduating History and Humanities majors were unable to take the original readings course, and asked if the course could be taught this Spring term.  We rearranged my teaching schedule a bit in order to place this on the Spring schedule. I am so excited!

We will have so much more time to spend on each of the ladies. 

Sadly, we have lost Mrs. Ford since the course was first taught. And, Jackie Kennedy has been under a bit more scrutiny with at least two new books (although their contents is really old news). Years ago when I taught the joint enrollment students in TN, one of the young ladies started to do her research for the required term paper. She had chosen Mrs. Kennedy as her subject. I told her she could not use the Kitty Kelley book, and that she must generally try to avoid some of the more salacious material out there about "Jackie." Within a short period of time, this very nice young lady did exactly as I knew she would--she asked to change her topic.  Even within the confines of scholarly treatments of Mrs. Kennedy, finding something positive about her beyond her decorating skills and trendsetting styles proved difficult. I am surprised that everyone is so surprised by the new books "revealing" her less-than-generous attitudes toward everyone.

Having said that, Mrs. Kennedy was like all of us--she had her likes, dislikes and personal opionions which had nothing to do with our perception of her.  All of the First Ladies have probably committed this unforgivable sin--not living up to our images of them!

Hopefully, we can find something positive about each of them in this 16-week overview.

Herman Cain!

Having watched the Tea Party for the past months, I am more and more drawn to their values.  Although there are some Libertarians there, the Tea Party seems a bit different.  It seems to be a group of men and women who are plain ole working folks. I like that. That's all I will ever be.

Since we have been in Georgia, we have followed the career of Herman Cain. In his bid for the US Senate several years back, he conducted himself as a gentleman, and his stand on issues resonated with our own. On May 21st of this year, our family attened his rally in Atlanta where he announced his candidacy for the Presidency. He was not only a powerful speaker--he had something to say.

His victory in yesterday's Florida straw poll was stunning!  This has to be a blow not only to Perry and Romney, but to the tired old establishment Republicans as well as the Democrats.  Do you know who was probably most appalled by this victory? The Fourth Estate! They cannot wrap their minds around the idea of a Conservative black man, much less the idea that the Tea party isn't a political voice for the KKK.   My opinion goes for Fox News, too. They lean right, but don't lean toward non-traditional political groups. Chris Wallace felt comfortable labeling Michelle Bachmann a "flake."

The Tea Party really represents what Nixon called "the silent majority"--Americans with traditional values, a strong work ethic and pride in their Country.  They are not the lunatic fringe element nor are they the establish Republicans dedicated to protecting the wealth of a few. Michael just told me that the Wall Street Journal didn't even mention Cain in their article on Thursday's GOP debate. Maybe the Grand Old Party needs to realign ITSELF.

Paris Underground--A Post for Patsy

Patsy, this book, Paris Underground is the true story of Mrs. Etta Schiber, an American woman trapped in occupied Paris. She wrote this shortly after her escape and return to America. Mrs. Schiber was a widow who lived with a close friend, a British woman separated from her husband. These two ladies lived in a Paris apartment and were able to successfully hide and relocate British soldiers who had been trapped after Dunkirk.  A movie was made about Mrs. Schiber's story, but nothing compares to her account in written form. Her story reveals much about the mood of occcupied Paris. 

His Peculiar Treasure

Guess What . . .

Clio (the muse of History) is telling Virgil and Melpomene?  There is big news in the land of
Classical languages! Check it out at http://www.classicsinthewillows.blogspot.com/

Americans In Paris

For many years, I have enjoyed learning about the period of German occupation in France during World War II. Recently, I purchased this fascinating book by Charles Glass, Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation. In this work, Glass chronicles the lives of a number of Americans as they face the overwhelming presence of the enemy.

My favorite character thus far is the Countess de Chambrun. She was Ohio-born Clara Longworth, and her infamous sister-in-law was none other than Alice Roosevelt Longworth. The Countess is marvelous in her fearlessness and as my mother would say, her "gumption." This is a great read and I would recommend it to any who are interested in the era.

Living in the Past

This beautiful picture of Elizabeth and Phillip captures the beauty of a time long past and values that seem to be long lost.  Until just recently, I have been so excited about the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  What kind of dress will she wear? What will she be called? Kate or Catherine? I remember watching the wedding of Charles and Diana on a very small b & w television in our dorm. The heartbreak of that relationship and Princess Diana's tragic death made this upcoming wedding that much more promising--a loving couple with a bright future for a Nation steeped in the most wonderful traditions! So what's my issue?

A few days ago, I was reminded in an article of a fact I had put out of my mind:  Prince William and Kate have lived together.  The article congratulated "the Royals" for finally catching up with modern times by discarding those antiquated rules of morality.

As my husband says,
the world is changing, but not for the better.

Worshiping at the Feet of Baal

Having studied the Constitution's history and present since my first class in Constitutional History in 1982, I feel I have a somewhat "informed opinion" about the actions of the Court.  Since the Schenk case at the close of the First World War, the Court has taken it upon itself to defend the First Amendment with vigor. The famous and not so famous cases that have made their way through the dockets of history demonstrate that the Court has indeed pursued the promised "preferred positions" doctrine with respect to First Amendment freedom of speech and expression: in recent years amidst all of the clamor from the left that civil liberties were thrown under the bus by the Republican administrations, the Court has held firm in protecting the First Amendment.  In 1989, the Court ruled that burning the flag of the United States as a means of political expression was Constitutionally protected; in 2002, the Court ruled that "virtual child porn" was also protected by the First Amendment. The rationale here was that no children were actually harmed in the production of the images.  Now, the latest travesty:  Snyder v. Phelps, et al.  In this horrendous case, the Court upheld the right to protest at military funerals.  I was deeply disappointed that Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia joined in Chief Justice  John Roberts' majority opinion.  Only Associate Justice Samuel Alito had the courage to stand up to the "Emperor with no clothes."  The First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech was one of the most important features of the Bill of Rights--our country came into being because of the bravery of Thomas Paine and others who proved that the pen was indeed mightier than the sword--mobilizing colonial opinion to support the concept of independence. Bravo to Paine, Adams, Jefferson, and all these fearless men.  We must always stand by this freedom of political speech; however, in their zeal to show their adoration for this right and to highlight its "preferred position" the Court has come to worship a god that does not exist.  What would the founding fathers have thought about these cases which place a political ideal above decency and dignity? Madison and those men in Philadelphia in that hot summer of 1887   created an instrument of government to serve the people, not an empty god to be served by the people.

Arthur and his Times

This summer, we will be able to offer  the course on King Arthur and his times. I have wanted to teach this for some time! We will be using Malory's Le Morte d' Arthur as well as a biography of Malory himeslf.
Thomas Malory lived in an age when knights and chivalry were themselves under seige. The Knights Templar had all been destroyed by the French King, Philip IV (1268-1314). (When I teach about Philip, I refer to as the "history killer." ) "Bastard feudalism" had replaced the code of loyalty once held by European knights. In short, everything Malory was taught to hold dear had been destroyed by "changing times."

In this context, Malory wrote the fantastic tales of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.  These great stories and characters no doubt possessed some place in history, but as with the tales of Homer, much has been added over the years of passing the stories along.  Speaking of Homer, there is as much mystery about Malory as there is about the great blind bard from the ancient world the Aegean.  As Homer attempted to capture the glory of the days of the Trojan War, so too did Malory try to recall a time when fealty meant more than money; honor, more than pride.

We will have a grand time looking at Arthur and for Arthur in the stories of a man as enigmatic as that great Celtic King.