In the classical model, one of the skills emphasized is using primary sources rather than textbooks for information. In history, primary sources have enormous impact. This week, I was in Boston to visit a graduate program... Boston. History. Primary sources. I sense a theme.
One day, in between question-and-answer sessions and visiting classes, I took to the streets of Boston to see, touch, and step on some of our nation's history.
One day, in between question-and-answer sessions and visiting classes, I took to the streets of Boston to see, touch, and step on some of our nation's history.
Bunker Hill, site of a 1775 Revolutionary War battle, looks very different today. Tall, pristine condominiums sit edge to edge along the roads up the hill. At the top is a 221-foot obelisk with stairs spiraling up to a lookout. 294 steps later, you find (besides a stitch in your side) a 360-degree view of Boston. Now imagine standing on that same hill, a little lower, but with fewer obstructions of view, and waiting "to see the whites of their eyes."
"One if by land, and two if by sea; and I on the opposite shore will be..." April 18, 1775. The Old North Church, the stage for that night's drama, is nestled in the midst of close-set brick buildings on Boston's north end. Inside are the box pews used by prominent members of the colonial community. 
A giant statue of Paul Revere looms in a brick courtyard on one side, but from the other, my first impression was of a house of God where people of Boston still meet to worship.
What are some of your favorite experiences of walking through (touching? seeing?) history?
I am reminded often that even when traveling long distances isn't feasible, every town has a history, and most of the time, people who remember it.
In small steps, I think these are the things we can do to prevent history being relegated to textbooks that are more appropriate for door stops than bedtime stories. What do you think?
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