Independence Month

Independence Month? There is no such month; however, July might very well qualify if one were to be designated. Two of the world’s greatest democracies celebrate their independence in July. Citizens of the United States of America celebrate their freedom from the then tyrannical British Crown on July 4—Independence Day. The people of the French Republic celebrate their freedom from their own abusive monarchy on July 14—Bastille Day.

An understanding of the many events leading up to and occurring during the American Revolution is essential for the middle grade student. Dozens of histories have been written on the subject. As I have mentioned in previous blogs on other subjects, I favor the DK Eyewitness Books as the most engaging way to learn about a particular subject. Their book American Revolution accomplishes the requirement admirably. Not only is it well written, it is beautifully illustrated with contemporary artwork and maps, as well as photographs of pertinent artifacts. Stuart Murray, the author, has reworked the text recently to make it more readable by younger persons. 

Reading history might be considered boring to some middle-grade students, so a more thrilling read is a perfectly acceptable way to introduce young people to the importance of the American Revolution. In my opinion, the best novel ever written on this subject is Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes. Her historical novel won the 1944 Newbery Medal. I read the book when I was a middle-grade student shortly after it was first published. I have read it several times since. The fourteen-year-old protagonist is a messenger for the Sons of Liberty. As such, he meets John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Dr. Joseph Warren, and many other historical personages who helped shape the events of the American Revolution. If you read only one book out of my recommendations in this blog, make it this one.

In my review of middle-grade literature pertinent to the American Revolution, I came across a fascinating book that makes a usually dull subject more enjoyable. We all know the Declaration of Independence proclaimed the reasons for the colonists’ revolt, but the original document presented on a slab of parchment paper makes for some tough reading. Sam Fink has written and illustrated a delightful book entitled, of all things, The Declaration of Independence. He includes the complete text of the Declaration and cleverly illustrates the meaning of the clauses with wonderful drawings. This visual presentation will make for a better understanding of the sometimes-archaic terminology.

The task of identifying books to recommend for Bastille Day was a little more formidable than for the Fourth of July. The details of the French Revolution are not studied in depth in American schools, but I discovered one volume that particularly appealed to me. The French Revolution: The Fall of the Monarchy by John M. Dunn is one of a series of books about History’s Greatest Defeats. The book is concisely written, acquainting the reader with the key facts and the principal participants. The illustrations and the maps make for a comprehensive, yet compact, presentation.

Middle-grade readers may be more interested in learning about the French Revolution by picking up a good piece of fiction. Although it is usually rated for high school readers, I believe the best historical novel on this subject is Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. The brutality of the revolt will appeal to middle-graders who are enamored with the current dystopian literature. Since it might be difficult for younger readers, there are several abridged versions of the novel. One that should satisfy the curious is A Tale of Two Cities: Dimension Classics Abridged Edition (Illustrated), edited by D W Schlueter and illustrated by Liubou Soltan. It has been abridged to read like a novel rather than a study-guide.

I hope everyone in the United States and France in 2018 have had a great Fourth of July and a grand Bastille Day.

Our History, Our Nation, Our Voices

Discovering a personal story in my family history inspired me to begin my current work in progress, set in New England in the 1660s. The same people who fled the religious divisions and wars in England came to North America only to set up churches and governments with little tolerance for religious differences. My book is framed by that era of religious persecution in Massachusetts and I'm writing it for today's teens so they might understand that certain problems persist.  My family also includes Dutch traders and French trappers from the same era, and Danish immigrants who arrived following conflicts between Denmark and Prussia. Then there are my Scotch Irish folks, who having been subjected to English oppression, populated the Appalachian Region in the late 1700s.

 All of these people displaced native people with their settlement and many of them enslaved and profited from the labor of African people. Among my ancestors I find much to be proud of, and much that needs atonement for. But the institution they established and fought for that we all share is our democratic government and the value that our nation is "of the people, and by the people."

This democracy is messy and often unjust. We struggle to include all people with equal rights and privileges - but so far, we have endured.

Last night I helped organize a neighborhood meeting where we introduced candidates for our Congressional District. It was well attended and I was reminded again, of the power of our democracy. But I'm also reminded that with the free press under attack, the twisting of information in our digital-virtual age, and the questioning and restriction of voter rights, that our democracy is fragile. It is a living entity that must be nurtured and fed. This is the responsibility we've inherited.

My ancestors include men who were executed at the Tower of London, veterans of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, immigrants who risked hurricanes, disease, and starvation to settle here. I find translators of Ojibwe and Kansa, slave holders and members of the Underground Railway. There is a man who went insane from his experiences in World War II and another who served in the cavalry in World War I. This road is not an easy one.

So what about today? In my state, Nevada, almost 80% of the registered voters voted in the 2016 election. But in the 2014 non-presidential year, that number dropped below 50%. In the 2014 PRIMARY election, we had 19% of registered voters turn out. Yikes! One in five registered voters determined who might represent our state in the federal, state, and local governments. We are starving our democracy.

Our ancestors, no matter who they are, didn't endure hardships, fight for themselves and their children, stand up to oppression, only to see us sleep in on Tuesday morning and fritter away their legacy. They'd expect us to demand good clear information and the right to vote for all. I read and write about history because it gives our children an understanding and a foundation on which to build their future. It elucidates the human condition. And our condition right now is precarious.

No matter what your political bent, I urge you to stand up for our Republic, our press, and our right to vote. Learn about your candidates and vote in your primary. Take your kids with you to the polls (or the mail box).  If the Democracy fails, we've lost more than an election. We've lost a long held dream.

I'll end by quoting Abraham Lincoln at another turning point in our history. Please share it with your students and your children:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863