July 1; Day 23: If We Meet On The Streets

     In our second to last day of class our professor asks us if we meet on the street 10 years from now and I asked you what you remember from class how many of us will remember anything?  I sat back and reflected on his question for a moment.  My first thought as I would see him being wheeled around by his wife would be Wow!  He is still alive!  I guess God isn't ready for him yet!  But then after the question was proposed I would recall a few things.

     Right away I would think of the camel challenge and how it was tobacco that funded our country when our nation was still a baby.  Then I would recall that darn song Sympathy For The Devil that we had to listen to daily and even in the future I would find myself still listening to it and feeling that giddy freedom that devil can make us feel at times, even if it is wrong.

     I would remember learning about the Iroquois being of a matriarchal society.  I know I will remember that for the rest of my life as we have a family cabin on Iroquois St in a certain town.  I know that name and it will just stick with me.

     I will remember somewhat comparing the Revolutionary War with the British coming to take away their guns to what is happening in the US today.  I can still picture our professor performing a small skit of how the patriots would of acted like when that would of happened.

     I will tell him I recall Anthony Johnson who was once an indentured servant who became a slave holder himself after he paid his due time.  He ended up moving further north because he could sense a difference between the blacks and the whites in the south and they were starting to get different treatment.

     I learned more information on the battle of Trenton and how important it was that Washington won. I didn't know that he was about to lose his army at the end of the year if he would of lost that battle.  That information will be carried on with me.

     In small talk I know he will still be teaching, even wheel-chaired bound he may be as my children will also have him as a teacher.  My one older daughter (the one who didn't come to class) wanted to go to an out of state college in the next few years but after her hearing about my history class she is excited about coming to Ferris and having a professor like him.  He teaches with passion, even after all the years of teaching and I hope I can take that same passion with me when I teach history.  I know history isn't everyone's cup of tea but if they can learn to respect it and appreciate it than I know I will have done my job right of teaching it just like how my professor has done to me.

June 27; Day 22: Thoughts On Grant

     The majority of the discussion for today was on General Grant, leader of the Union Army towards the end of the Civil War.  It was told that he was near the bottom of his class at West Point and due to his drinking he was booted out of the army before the Civil War.  The Union Army was in desperate need of soldiers to lead the armies into war with the south the government reinstated Grant. 

     What was not discussed in class was bits and pieces of what I had heard from my own research on Grant.  His father was a very proud man and wanted his son to go to West Point.  Grant really was not interested in a military career at all.  He went just to please his father but he wanted out as soon as he could.  He ended up marrying the daughter of a southern family.  For a wedding gift they gave the newlyweds a few slaves.  Grant couldn't keep a job.  They ended up moving in with his wife's family.  No wonder he was tipping the booze bottle more than he should.  He was deemed a failure. 

     Little did Grant know at the time that he was destined for something great.  He just had to wait for time to pass for his moment to shine on America.  He had to walk in his path of failures before his great moment of leading the north to victory.  Many people didn't like him because of his policies and his drinking.  It was those policies, however, that helped the nation glue back together. 

July 26 : Day 21: Thoughts On The Movie Gettysburg

     Today in class we watched a tidbit of the movie from Gettysburg.  I have seen this movie once or twice.  Although it is a good movie I do find other Civil War movies to rank up on my favorites list like North and South made for TV movie and Glory.  But nonetheless it is still good. 

     It is hard to imagine the stress these men felt under Chamberlin's orders.  They could not move from their post.  There was no retreat or no surrender.  They were the last in the line of keeping the hill under the Union control.  They knew it was up to them to hold the hill "at all costs". 

     Up to that point the Confederacy has won every battle in the Civil War.  The south must of been feeling pretty good about themselves and pictured themselves being somewhat invincible.  The North needs a victory.  They could feel the South slipping further and further away from America's grasps. 

     They had been fighting all day.  No food, little rest and they were running out of ammunition.  The Union is worn down, physically, mentally and emotionally.  But somewhere inside of them they found strength to carry on and prevail. 

     The Union ended up winning that battle.  It was one of the more historic battles in the Civil War and a turning point for the war.  It must of felt like the Union Army opened up a can of whoop-ass out on the South.  It helped give the North morale to continue and win again in other battles. 

July 25; Day 20: The Start Of The Civil War

     We are finally starting topic 4 which is the Civil War.  In all of America's history this era would have to be my favorite.  I am looking forward to hear our professor's little unknown tidbits on in.  This will be a fun and exciting lesson to learn about. 

     I am not sure why it is my favorite in all of American history.  I liked that this generation women were still women and not trying to be like men like in WWII.  I like that gentlemen had a suaveness about them.  I like hearing about the stories of those who have fought in the war.  Camera's were first coming to use and they were being used on the battle scenes so this was the first war where America got to see what really was going on in the battlefield.  I can't place exactly what appeals to me about the Civil War.  It just does.  In doing research for my family tree I do have a past relative that served for the Union Army but died fighting under Grant at the Battle of Vicksburg.  Perhaps having a past family member serving and dying in the Civil War is enough personal reason to find interest in it.

     In the class I will sit like a sponge and soak up all the information I can.  Michigan has it's own ties in it too, like the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis was by General Pritchard's troops and he was from Allegan, Mi., a town I used to live in. 

     When I was a young girl I remember reading an article in the Saginaw News about an older gentlemen was still trying to clear his grandfather's name - Dr. Samuel Mudd - the doctor who tended to John W. Booth broken leg after he shot Lincoln.  I was impressed that someone with that close to that time era was still alive and was living in Saginaw right along with me. 

     Perhaps it is a little bit of everything as to why I love this time era.  Trivia I learned along the way of life implanted itself into my brain and turned it into something I enjoy learning about.

June 24; Day 19: Suprise Of An Exam

     Today we had our exam over Topic 3.  It covered between the end of the Revolutionary War to the beginning of the Civil War.  There was a lot of information covered in that time frame.  Our professor said we could use notes to compare Thomas Jefferson Republican style about him to the Federalist style of Alexander Hamilton.  Our test time was also moved from 11am to noon so we could have an extra hour of study time. 

     A couple of us gathered in the lobby about a half hour before class started and we started going over our notes together and asking each other questions about various topics.  We noticed it was getting close to 11am but we decided to stay in the lobby to go over the notes.  It was comfortable and quiet out in the lobby. 

     A few minutes after 11am another student came out to the lobby looking for us.  She had great news.  We are able to work in group to do the exam and that we can take our exam now.  This was wonderful news.  The class as a whole (or those who were there at 11) were discussing several different questions and how they came to their answers.  It was a nice open discussion.  We decided instead of talking across the room we slid the tables together so we were in a conference style of seating so we can see each other and talk out the questions. 

     Some people remembered questions from the study guide.  Another person really studied the Native American part and knew it well.  Another person studied the first packet and was knowledgeable about that part.  It was a nice collective mixture of who knew what.  I gave my imput on answers I knew too. 

     I think this worked out very well.  I like working together in groups and getting to know others in class.  We do not get much time for group discussions and this worked out nicely.  I am looking forward to class tomorrow to go over the results of the exam.

June 20; Day 18. Review For Test 3

     Topic 3 went by really fast.  We took a test over Topic 2 on Monday and spent Tuesday and Wednesday talking about the War of 1812 and on Thursday we are reviewing for the test on Monday.  The professor mentioned that we are not in high school and that we can read the material on our own.  He is right on that.  All the information we are going to need is right in the text.  We are grown ups that can read and manage our own studying skills. 

     On the other hand I am a bit disappointed in the fact that we couldn't go over some of the material in class.  I know it isn't the professor's fault as he is limited on class time and he needs to meet a deadline in a few weeks of covering everything in his class.  He tells certain points of history with such zest that it is fun hearing him speak on different topics.  I would of liked to hear him speak of Daniel Boone's exploration or Manifest Destiny and heading out west.  There is so much history between the ending of the Revolution to the beginning of the Civil War that we zipped right over it.  Our professor usually gives hidden trivia about our countries history, that I find interesting, that is not in most history books and I enjoy that.  Unfortunally, that wasn't able to happen this time.

     I wish his class was a longer class, either in time or extended over the full course of the summer.  It would give students, like me, a chance to hear more about our countries history in greater detail. 

June 19; Day 17: War of 1812

     I came home from class and showed my older children a youtube clip we seen in class, "Songs of 1812".  It basically explains how Canada was attacked and they returned fire by buring the White House down.  They laughed and thought it was funny.  Then there was a moment of silence and they look at me asking, "We lost the War of 1812?"

     As much as I hate to admit it but I, too, was ignorant of the War of 1812.  I did know Dolly Madison saved George Washington's painting.  I knew the Star Spangle Banner was written by Francis Scott Key at Fort McHenry but the correct war slipped my mind for a moment.  And we, as a family, have listened to Johnny Horton's song, "Battle of New Orleans" over and over again because we love that song.  But I never connected that song to the War of 1812. 

In 1814 we took a little trip

Along with Col. Jackson down the mighty Mississp

We took a little bacon and we took a little beans

And fought the bloody British in the town of New Orleans. 

     I regaled the story of what the professor taught us in class to my children.  I told them how we went and burned down their capital in York (which I guess is Toronto) and they came to D.C. and burned down our White House.  I asked them what two Michigan cities were taken over by the British and they guessed wrongly.  I helped them remember Detroit and Mackinaw were the answers because I knew once I said the answer they would know it.  The answer confused them even more.  They wondered if the British took those cities then how come they are part of America.  I explained that the British gave us back our land and basically gave us a spanking to remind us not to mess with them.  We talked about Francis Scott Key and how he sat nervously out at see eagerly waiting to see what flag would be flying after the smoke clears out of the fort.  Then they inquired how did The Battle of New Orleans play a part in the war.  I couldn't answer them.  I thought America sent the British packing in that battle but now I have to do more research on the battle.

     Upon looking up extra research I came upon a discussion forum where people were discussing who won the War of 1812.  Someone mentioned that they have friends who were still bragging about winning the war (They must of been from Canada).  Another guy replied with laughter saying how funny it is that this other guy knows someone who is STILL BRAGGING about winning, after all these years.  Most of the comments went on saying that the history books don't like teaching that war the right way and most sidestep the fact that America was acting a little big for its britches in starting a fight we were not yet ready to fight. 

     I guess I can say I learned new things today.  I knew there was a War of 1812 and I knew key facts about the war but I learned new information about how we invaded Canada, about how we lost the war and that America was not yet ready to fight.  I like wanting to learn more about our American history so that when I get home I want to learn more about it and sharing the findings with my children.