Earlier this year there was a mini-series about John Adams on HBO starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney. I watched it with my dad and we both loved it! I'm a fan of the musical 1776 too. Yes, I know that both of those artistic productions take liberties with historical facts, but it's still fascinating to remember that the people who fought for the United States' freedom were real people. They undertook what no one had before: to overthrow their government and start a brand new one from scratch. It's amazing! I'm about 100 pages into David McCullough's book John Adams and it's fascinating (in spite of there being no dialogue). It really humanizes the men and women involved in starting this new government. I mean, those people worked so hard; they had the skills and training and education necessary -- it all happened at the right time and place, and we as citizens of the United States now are very lucky to benefit from their work.
My respect and gratitude for our founding fathers continues to grow as I learn more about them. I'm excited to finish reading John Adams. I would really like to read about General George Washington next....
I was lucky to get to visit my brother Aaron over Memorial Day weekend. He is living and working in Washington D.C. and was a terrific tour guide. We saw a couple of museums, and monuments, and explored Mount Vernon and Monticello.
Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's estate)
The Washington Memorial with my mom
Aaron and me in front of the Lincoln Memorial
Mom and me at the Jefferson Memorial
Aaron and me at the Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial (not really a founding father, but still a visionary person)
Aaron, Mom, me, and Dad at Mount Vernon (George Washington's home)
Happy Independence Day, friends!
3 comments:
What great pictures! Happy Independance Day to you, too!
I've been thinking about reading that John Adams book. Maybe I'll go put it on my good reads list right now. Thanks for the recommendation!
I've been wanting to read those too. Add them to my ever growing list of things I want to read. Did I actually ever have a time when I used to stare at my bookshelf and wonder what to read next???
SO jealous about your trip back east! I LOVE that area! I was fairly young when I was last there and I'd totally love to go again! I've been the places you have pictures of though!!!!! Well, maybe not the Roosevelt Memorial. I don't remember that one....
Post a Comment