I figured I’d break things up a little bit by posting something different, yet still relevant, every 7th post. This time, in honor of John Adams, I thought I’d post a book recommendation:
Way back when, I attended night school towards my Bachelor’s degree. Although it wasn’t my major, I had one very enjoyable American History class. The professor was so excited about his topic, and that translated directly to student interest, my interest. Afterwards, I decided to study up on it on my own.
At the time, it was really hard to find an enjoyable read in the genre. Most history books were either over-laden with so much sheer trivia, or were written like bad textbooks, just facts thrown on a page with little context and no interest.
Patriots is so different. It not only reads like a narrative, a story you can really sink into, it also infuses these real-life characters, these patriots, with soul. You feel the cantankerousness of James Otis, the steadfastness of John Adams, the wise logic of Ben Franklin, the practicality of George Washington. You can mentally participate in the debates these men had with each other, and even with themselves. You can actually experience the rebellion in its entirety, from the Boston Massacre to the surrender at Yorktown, and come out not only the wiser, but satisfied as a good book can only satisfy.
The good thing about a well-written book like Patriots is you can learn a lot about this country without feeling like you’ve been through the meat grinder of all-night cram sessions or final exams. This is how history should be. Nowadays, there are a lot of good books on American history that are also enjoyable to read, I’ll post more of my favorites in the weeks and months ahead. But Patriots was the first one that I read that fit that description, hence it’s the first one I post.
In the early 1800’s, westward expansion was really gearing up. The frontier represented opportunity. For settlers, it was the opportunity to find a new life. To the merchants in the eastern states, the frontier represented money. Settlers needed tools, and supplies, and seed. Settlers needed to sell their own products (timber, crops, cattle) to buy those tools, supplies, and seed. The merchants were ready to handle both sides of the equation. The nation, as today, ran on commerce. There were riches to be had on the frontier, that much was certain. But how do you transport all these people and goods back and forth? The answer was water.
I wanted to post an essay about the courage of black soldiers during the Civil War; about their bravery, their sacrifice, and the difficulties they faced. There is so much to tell, so much the average American doesn’t know. But I find myself distracted with more immediate concerns.
Agate Fossil Beds itself is nothing special. It’s just a couple of knolls in the prairie. But it does tell a fascinating paleontologic story. See, a couple of million years ago, there was this watering hole. Big herbivores loved this watering hole. Then, one day, it dried up. The herbivores started to starve. Then the predators came and ate them all up, but they too started to starve, for there were no more herbivores. Then the scavengers showed up and ate all the dead predators, but then they, too died, for there was nothing left to scavenge. All of them died in this big heap. A few million years later, paleontologists showed up, and wondered just what the hell happened! Was this some cultic suicide, did these Miocene animals drink some prehistoric Kool-Aid at the bidding of a dinosaur with a bad haircut wearing Ray-Bans? Or was it something more natural? It’s a neat story to those so inclined.
America In Context 
