NYC and American History
We spent a Friday and Saturday in New York City staying with some close friends who recently purchased a condo in Brooklyn. All I can say is the NYC is an incredible portrait of diversity. We attended a Muslim wedding of Helen's college friends Friday night. Weddings, no matter what culture or lifestyle share the same spirit of joy and celebration.
In summary, NYC was overwhelming at first, but I found the city to have an incredible energy and spirit. I want to go back.
I managed to get some good reading time on the bus ride up. Currently I'm reading Howard Zinn "A People's History of the United States". It's an enthralling and eye-opening read, because he focuses on the history the slaves, Native American, impoverished immigrants, poor working classes, and women. I'm finding the sugar coated version of history that has been traditionally taught has not told of the true struggle and hardships of the disadvantaged classes. You can't help but parallel some of these struggles to modern problems today such immigration, subtle racial injustices, problems of the poorer working classes, and gay rights to mention a few. You can find, if you look hard enough that these groups of people are often at a disadvantage and the power in almost any governmental system leans and favors towards the financially privileged.
One paragraph I came across I immediately thought of the painting Spirit of '76 by Archibald McNeal Willard (1836-1918, an Ohio boy and a carraige painter by trade.
Now consider the following paragraph taken from the book, pg 36. At Stono, South Carolina, in 1739, about 20 slaves rebelled, killed two warehouse guards, stole guns and gunpowder, and headed south, killing people in their way, and burning buildings. They were joined by others, until there were perhaps eighty slaves in all and, according to one account of the time "they called out Liberty, marched on with Colours displayed, and two drums beating." The militia found and attacked them. In the ensuing battle perhaps 50 slaves and twenty five whites were killed before the uprising was crushed.
I wonder how if Archibald painted the depiction above, how the painting would look.
In summary, NYC was overwhelming at first, but I found the city to have an incredible energy and spirit. I want to go back.
I managed to get some good reading time on the bus ride up. Currently I'm reading Howard Zinn "A People's History of the United States". It's an enthralling and eye-opening read, because he focuses on the history the slaves, Native American, impoverished immigrants, poor working classes, and women. I'm finding the sugar coated version of history that has been traditionally taught has not told of the true struggle and hardships of the disadvantaged classes. You can't help but parallel some of these struggles to modern problems today such immigration, subtle racial injustices, problems of the poorer working classes, and gay rights to mention a few. You can find, if you look hard enough that these groups of people are often at a disadvantage and the power in almost any governmental system leans and favors towards the financially privileged.
One paragraph I came across I immediately thought of the painting Spirit of '76 by Archibald McNeal Willard (1836-1918, an Ohio boy and a carraige painter by trade.
Now consider the following paragraph taken from the book, pg 36. At Stono, South Carolina, in 1739, about 20 slaves rebelled, killed two warehouse guards, stole guns and gunpowder, and headed south, killing people in their way, and burning buildings. They were joined by others, until there were perhaps eighty slaves in all and, according to one account of the time "they called out Liberty, marched on with Colours displayed, and two drums beating." The militia found and attacked them. In the ensuing battle perhaps 50 slaves and twenty five whites were killed before the uprising was crushed.
I wonder how if Archibald painted the depiction above, how the painting would look.
posted by jjwoodee at 12:27 PM
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