Welcome to my blog. The week of 1–7 July 2011, I’m participating with more than two hundred other bloggers in the “Freedom Giveaway Hop,” accessed by clicking on the logo at the left. All blogs in this hop offer book-related giveaways, and we’re all linked, so you can easily hop from one giveaway to another. But here on my blog, I’m posting a week of Relevant History essays, each one with a Revolutionary War theme. To find out how to qualify for the giveaways on my blog, read through each day’s Relevant History post below and follow the directions. Then click on the Freedom Hop logo so you can move along to another blog. Enjoy!
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Early in June 2011, Austin (Texas) College archivist Justin Banks made a remarkable discovery among the items stashed in the college’s rare books vault. More than twenty years earlier, someone had donated an original copy of a pamphlet written by Cambridge history professor and classical scholar John Symonds. The pamphlet, printed in London in 1778, bashed Britain for taxing the American colonies without their consent. Banks commented that the thrust of the pamphlet “…goes against in a sense what the whole nation, England was doing at the time. They were at war with the American colonies.”
Actually, the war was quite unpopular among most citizens of Britain. They groused about it in coffeehouses, tearooms, and taverns. You don’t have to look far to understand why. During that time, Britain’s soldiers were painting every continent except Antarctica scarlet, fighting a world war. The American front was a money pit. Imagine what affect all that aggression had on the economy as well as the livelihood of the average Briton back home.
So who was making war with the American colonies? Think about it, then raise your hand if this scenario sounds eerily familiar.
In this blog, I’m taking advantage of a right patriots bought for the American people: the right to freedom of speech. These were patriots like my great-great-great grandfather, Joseph Moseley, who joined the 14th Virginia Regiment in March 1777, when he was twelve years old. He was issued a musket and uniform and paid monthly, and you can read his two-part story here and here.
This week, my guests and I have used freedom of speech to point out gems from history that were omitted from high school history classes and libraries. Those omitted details are often the lessons we should be learning about human nature, religion, government, and society. In other words, they’re what makes history relevant.
We aren’t learning from history very well. Why does this matter? Because every time we don’t learn a lesson, we risk making a costly mistake. Ask yourself what can be done about it.
The week of wisdom from history wouldn’t have been possible without you or my talented guest authors: Charles F. Price, Christine Swager, Tin Roof Teas (Ryan Hinson), J. R. Lindermuth, and Sheila Ingle. What worlds can they open for you? Browse back through the posts. Give these authors your patronage.
Then comment on something you learned on my blog this week that made history relevant to you. Thanks for stopping by!
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I’m giving away an ebook copy of my second and third books, The Blacksmith’s Daughter and Camp Follower, to two people who contribute a legitimate comment on my blog today or tomorrow. I’ll choose the winners from among those who comment on this post by Friday 8 June at 6 p.m. ET, then publish the names of the winners on my blog the week of 11 July. No eReader required. Multiple file formats are available.
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“A ripping good read!” — Ann Parker, author of The Silver Rush Mystery Series
