The first time I read "Miracle at Philadelphia" was as a college student, I raced my way through the book, occasionally scribbling my highlighter in the side margins so it looked as if I had read far more than I actually had. My sole purpose for reading the book was to receive credit for the course, knowledge was way down on my list of motivators. I remember very little from that first read. Go figure?!!? I read it sometime later when researching for a class- this time I was the teacher and I needed information to augment my own teaching. Wow what a difference a decade and being invested in the readings makes
My experience with "Miracle at Philadelphia" reminds me of the quote by Walt Whitman, who wrote "The process of reading is not a half sleep, but in the highest sense, an exercise, a gymnast's struggle: that the reader is to do something for him or herself, must be on the alert, just construct indeed the poem, argument, history, metaphysical essay--the text furnishing the hints, the clue, the start, the framework." Why didn't I think like this in college? When I think of all the time I wasted reading books because I had to rather than because I wanted to I could slap myself upside the head!
The purpose of this blog BEFORE the travel seminar will be to help us collectively construct, argue, debate and build a framework for understanding the American Revolution from the Boston Massacre to the Constitutional Convention through our assigned texts -“Miracle at Philadelphia”, “John Adams”, & “1776”. Please post your insights regarding the texts while reading.
I look forward to hearing from you all.
Cindy
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Reading 1776 again has been a great experience as I found so many more details I must have skimmed over the first time. I especially loved the many quotes of people of the time. When my son asked me how Mr. McCullough could have known what had happened, I could refer to the journals and writings of the "actual people." I also appreciated getting to "know" George Washington more intimately: his discouragement with losses, his frustration in with Congress for lack of funds and inexperienced soldiers, his heartache at what he perceived as betrayal by his closest friends, and his jubiliation at accomplishing what was considered unattainable--winning at incredible odds.
ReplyDeleteSharon N
Well stated, I felt the same way. Wait until you read John Adams, I felt like he was walking out of the pages to meet me. Like Pam, when first Abigail then John Adams died I felt like I had lost two good friends.
ReplyDeleteI had started 1776 several times but never had the time to finish it. I love this book. It reads like a novel. George Washington was an amazing character. Talk about the right man for his time! As I read I was struck over and over with the impossibility of the Americans' situation and what a miracle it was that they won the war with such an inauspicious beginning.
ReplyDelete