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Laurel; Thank you for your information on the DAR. Had no
idea as to their activities and you raise some excellent
points for all of us on this list. You point out that the
preservation and discovery of history is important to us on
the list and to the country at large. I think there is a
worth while article in this months Harpers Magazine on "Why
there is no American History" and deplores the lack of
teaching of American History in most states. The article is
fair and there is a large acceptance by the public in both
Canada and the United States that history is not really
relevant and at worst is useless. If it is bad in the United
States it is worse in Canada which never put its history
into any myths and culture.
Yet in researching my family's past I had to understand who
they were. I can only do this by appreciating when and how
they lived and what they thought. One can not do this apart
from a deep understanding of history. Names are just names,
until as Laurel points out, they become people to learn
about then possibly learn from. Americans are very poor at
teaching history (by in large) and then do not appreciate
their common heritage. If history is not taught it will be
lost along with a lot of core values that made the country
great. I found the same thing in Scotland. There too history
needs to make a comeback. My compliments to an organization
such as DAR that is making such a fine contribution to
culture and history, especially with children.
And a second thing is also worth acknowledging and that is
the responsibility and opportunity that members have on this
list to make a contribution to history through their
Sinclair research. I wonder how current social history would
be retaught with greater understanding if the Columbus myths
were corrected or that the lives of our ancestors made a
difference. For that matter if Jeffersonian descendants had
always realized they all were related, perhaps the
appreciation of Black History would have received some
acknowledgement.
And yes a vote of appreciation is added to that of Rebecca's
for John who an excellent historian in his own right and
Pete who has developed a new understanding of the explorers
for the world and for Laurel who has now shared that we even
had an officer in the Revolutionary War. I really like her
ideas on the contribution that our own children can
make.Well done.
Yours aye yours;
Neil Sinclair
Toronto/PEI/Argyll
Proudly American and Canadian
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