A Door to the Past

Quote for the day

2009-09-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

"If slavery be the destined sword of the hand of the destroying angel which is to sever the ties of this Union, the same sword will cut in sunder the bonds of slavery itself. A dissolution of the Union for the cause of slavery would be followed by a servile war in the slave-holding states, combined with a war between the two severed portions of the Union. It seems to me that its result might be the extirpation of slavery from this whole continent; and, calamitous and desolating as this course of events in its progress must be, so lorious would be its final issue, that, as God shall judge me, I dare not say that it is not to be desired."

John Quincy Adams
November 29, 1820
From the memoirs of John Quincy Adams, V, 210

Thoughts on Monticello, Thomas Jefferson, and slavery

2009-09-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

During my recent trip to Washington, DC I also stopped at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. Thomas Jefferson is rightly regarded as one of the nation's most important founding fathers, not only for his brilliant crafting of the Declaration of Independence, but also for his voluminous writings and legislative accomplishments (including the Virginia Act for Establishing Religious Freedom).

As I walked the grounds of Monticello, enjoying the extensive gardens and well-tended grounds, I wondered how a man so dedicated to liberty and freedom, the man who immortalized the phrase "All men are created equal," could reconcile his dreams for his new country with enslaving hundreds of human beings on his own plantation.

Historians have written volumes about this same question, and it's clear that Jefferson found slavery troubling, yet his record on slavery is not clearcut. Here's an interesting discussion about Jefferson and slavery:

Library of Congress: more than just books

2009-09-27T08:02:00.001-07:00

I just visited Washington DC, a virtual heaven for American history geeks like me. For two solid days I was able to drool over fabulous historic American treasures in all of the outstanding museums, contemplate our unique and successful form of government (even though I could insert several jokes here about the effectiveness of our Congress), and reflect on the concepts of liberty and freedom. Several new museums have appeared on the National Mall since my last visit in the late 1980s; my new favorite destination include the Holocaust Museums (everyone should visit this museum, especially the wacko Holocaust deniers and anyone who compares modern politicians to Hitler) and the Library of Congress.

On my only other visit to DC during my high school years, I evidently did not visit the Library of Congress and had no idea how utterly amazing it is. Of course, as a lover of history and research, I generally adore all libraries. Just walking into a library and smelling the distinct fragrance of old, well-used books just makes me giddy. But the Library of Congress is simply so much more spectacular than not only any library I've ever visited, but any other building in the United States.

The Library of Congress was designed to not just be a place to house books for the use of Congress, it was envisioned as a building to "show off" a bit; the building showed the world that the United States was a cultural equal to long-established countries in Europe, but without trapping of "royal institutions." The Library of Congress belongs to the people.

The Library is the oldest cultural institution in the US, as well as the largest library in the world. Originally established in 1800, the Library was housed in the Capitol until 1814 when the British set fire to many buildings in Washington during the War of 1812,destroying the library collection.

Thomas Jefferson offered his extensive collection of over 6,000 books to replace the burned library collection. Congress argued over whether or not to purchase the entire collection (many books covered subjects such as wine, literature, culture, and many were in foreign languages). Jefferson succeeded in convincing the Congress that his collection, while eclectic, would prove a valuable resource to future Representatives and Senators--all subjects could be important to our country, even if they did not seem useful at the time. The current Thomas Jefferson Building opened in 1897.

The architecture of the Thomas Jefferson building is stunning. Marble and gold gild accents the majestic arches, domes, and windows. Unlike European architecture, which frequently feature religious symbology, likening kings to angels, our library uses secular symbology. Small cherubs line the staircases, but they symbolize modern American trades, such as gardening, chemistry, printing, and astromony. Ceiling mosaics call out leaders in philosophy, law, science, theology, architecture, among other trades instead of solely religious leaders. The names of notable figures throughout world history, such as Homer, Emerson, Bacon, grace the interior of the building. My only complaint is one one woman is featured.

A contemporary guidebook boasted: "America is justly proud of this gorgeous and palatial monument to its National sympathy and appreciation of Literature, Science, and Art. It has been designed and executed solely by American art and American labor (and is) a fitting tribute for the great thoughts of generations past, present, and to be."

The Library of Congress is well worth a visit. However, before I visit the next time, I intend to do more research on the symbology of all of the architectural elements so I will better appreciate them. I also intend to make a trip to the Reading Room to check out some of the 130 million items the library houses.

Why I love history

2009-09-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

Reading about ancient Mesopotamia was boring to most fourth graders. Not to me. I vividly remember sitting in class, mesmerized by drawings of ziggurats, photographs of cuneiform stone tablets, and graven images in stone. I went home and found the "land between two rivers" on a globe and my imagination ran wild. How could people have built such amazing structures over 4,000 years ago? What were the people who lived there like? What was life like so very long ago? I remember pondering all of these questions all during that school year, and my interest in history never faded. Once I reached college, I tried to think of a program of study that I would not only enjoy, but that would be useful. I tried business, nursing, and a few other programs that only bored me to tears. I was always drawn back to history. I remember spending hours in the library pouring over journals and old books that creaked when I opened them. I remember the thrill of finding a primary source written in a cursive script that was hard to decipher--a hand reaching out to touch me from the past.

Now, 15 years after receiving a BA in history, I still love to discover secrets of the past. This blog will explore some of the historic topics I enjoy, including southern cultural and political history, native American history (especially the "clash of cultures"), and a smattering of ancient history.