The Uneasy Journey

         The Mayflower, which departed in 1620, had aboard it a boy named John Howland. The Mayflower wasn't an ordinary ship, it was a ship that would change history by bringing freedoms to those crossing the Atlantic Ocean. While they were on this perilous trip, there was a hostile storm that showed them no mercy. The storm, which was rocking the boat harshly, tossed them about. Conditions below deck were even more appalling as the passengers sat in wet clothing with turning stomachs. As they sat there crowded, cold, and scared, they prayed that the storm would soon subside. 

John Howland, however, could not stand it any longer. He wanted to be secluded from everybody else, so he climbed above deck. Unexpectedly, the ship rolled and John went overboard. Fortuitously, and at the very last moment, he grabbed a rope that had gone askew. As he hung over the dark and unforgiving sea, he knew that he was in a perilous situation. Amazingly, the other crew mates saw what happened. They decided that the best way to resolve this problem was to use the boat hook to save him. John was so stunned and glad they rescued him, he was speechless. When he was safely back where he belonged, everyone was telling the tale about how John Howland withstood the ocean with his luck. Overall they knew that this journey was far from over and certainly not going to be an easy one.

Thomas Jefferson

              Thomas Jefferson played an immensely instrumental part of the expansion in the United States. Jefferson was elected to the highest ranking office of our country, becoming the third president in 1801. Since the time the Americas gained freedom from England, they endeavored to expand the country westward. Unfortunately, the land belonged to France and it would require negotiations to secure. Fortuitously, France was facing a dire financial crisis. Napoleon, who some considered a tyrant, ruled the land to the west and had squandered his nation’s money on war. He was compelled to sell the land to fund his expansion campaigns in Europe. The Louisiana Territory consisted of 828,000 acres of land, and was sold for only fifteen million dollars! Each acre cost measly four cents which today can’t buy you a sweet-savory stick of gum!  Ultimately it was this expansion that proved Jefferson to be an adept leader and pillar of our nation. 

The Wizard Of Menlo Park

           



             The wizard of Menlo Park, also known as Thomas Edison, was one of the most prominent inventors of the twentieth century. During his youth, he worked as a telegraph operator. There his fascination with electricity grew expanded exponentially. As he matured, he decided to build a collaborative laboratory where curious creative souls like himself could develop their ideas. It became known as “The Invention Factory” because many zealous inventors nurtured their ideas there. Edison was always an astonishing, audacious, and diligent person, but the one thing he was known for was having perseverance. Incredibly, over his lifetime, he patented over one thousand inventions including the phonograph, and the light bulb, which made him a pillar in the scientific community. Thomas Edison was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal which is one of the highest awards to attain. Ultimately, The Wizard of Menlo Park was truly an exemplary person. 

The Trail Of Tears

            

               Elisi, the matriarch elder,sat at the edge of the village solemnly ,contemplating the future her tribe with trepidation. It was the 1830’s and something was definitely up, the white men population was growing, and fast. They were greedy and wanted more land to flourish in prosperity, becoming rich.The Cherokee tribe was a peaceful tribe and were content where they were. But Elisi feared change was coming.

On a normal sunny day a single child sprinted through a bustling crown of natives carrying an important message from the chief, her orders were to deliver it to the town elder, who the people of her nation would consult for any problems they had. The child, who was out of breath, rapidly came to a halt at the deserted edge of the village bearing a message. “ Elisi,” she said respectfully, “ the white men have come and want us to move to a new land far, far away!” The wise Elder looked at the child for a moment and then replied, “Sit down” The little girl sat beside her on a rock, “ see this earth we are sitting on?” This is the earth our ancestors have been living on for centuries”. “They have nourished and taken care of this land and we are not going to leave it” she proclaimed. “Tell them we have no intent of leaving”.  

The little girl kissed her grandma respectfully then ran back. As the child was running back, she stopped for a moment and thought if this would change anything in the future of her Cherokee tribe. A moment passed by and the child pushed her thoughts behind and sprinted back to the chief who was awaiting her arrival. She told the guards outside the reply from the elder,they thanked her and then she was dismissed.  Although she left when asked,the daughter of the chief snuck around the back and listened carefully, trying not to make a sound. By the time she got to her regular hiding spot, the chief was telling them that the had no intention of moving, and that was final. When the child turned around and saw the men, their faces were not white anymore, they were bright red burning with anger.

The pale men did not come back for a while and we thought everything was calm and peaceful again, well all of us except for Elisi. She was troubled that something devastating was about to happen, and warned that we should prepare for it. No one believed her because this was our land, and no one could force us from it, could they? But we had to tell her that we agreed with her, because she was the town elder, and was not to be disrespected. 

One day as I ran out of the door wanting to tell me grandmother I finished my first quilt! When I arrived, I stopped and stood still for a moment, soaking in the strange unfamiliar sounds I was hearing. My ears twitched like a rabbit waiting for a movement or sound, then out of nowhere I heard someone cry, “STAMPEDE”! I grabbed my grandma quickly  and pulled her in close behind the tree waiting for the wild horses to pass, but all that came were tame horses with pale men riding them!

They told us to get up, get packed, and start moving or they would use their weapons. The rest of the day was a blur. All I heard was crying, gunshots, and the panicking voices of my frightened tribe. I asked my mom where our new home would be, but she didn't know, nobody knew.

Over five thousand Cherokees perished on this perilous journey, and walked for one thousand two hundred miles. With starvation, whooping cough, typhus, dysentery, and cholera they struggled through the harsh terrain to only get to a place where they would barely survive, but in the end be moved again. So overall the Indian removal act is a stain in the American history and will never be forgotten.

How Rome Began

           Latin shepherds, who lived in small communities, founded the city of Rome. Courageously, the shepherds joined together into a strong army that overtook many surrounding villages to create a colossal empire. Although this is how it was really formed, there is a beloved myth that is told of it’s beginning. There was once a king named Amulius who had two sons. He knew that if he didn’t get rid of them, they would become king and take his power. So he threw them into the Tiber River to drown them. A servant, who took pity on them, saved their lives by placing them in a floating basket. Miraculously, they were discovered by a wolf and fed by a woodpecker. They were raised by this wolf until a shepherd found them and adopted both Romulus and Remus. After the king’s death, they built little villages and made walls around them. There are many different versions on how Remus died, but one story say that Remus was teasing Romulus because Remus built a colossal wall. Because Remus teased him mercilessly, Romulus responded in anger (I guess he was in a bad mood) and killed his brother. That is the truth and the myth behind how Rome was founded.

The History Of The Roman Goverment

            

             Rome went through three distinct stages. The first was a monarchy. It seemed like the kings would rule indefinitely, but their power came to a halt in 520 B.C.. The second stage was ruled by the Senate, which had to be made of noblemen, then later made of Plebeians. The third was emperor ruled. There was a senator that stood out from all the others, he was named Julius Caesar. The people liked him so much that they made him emperor, and he gained absolute power. The Senate, who had little power, killed Julius Caesar. The Senate thought that Caesar’s death would cease the rule of emperors but it didn’t. It lasted till 476 AD. And those are the three ages of the Roman Government.

The Biggest Tea Cup!

           

                On December 16th, on a crowded noisy street in Boston, an anxious boy named Paul awaited the something extraordinary event that was about to happen. His older brother and many others were a part of a group named The Sons Of Liberty; they stood up for what they thought was right and just. The night appeared to be ordinary to any unknowing person, but the few who were in on this plot, knew this night would change everything and they were brimming with excitement! All Paul knew was that he should stand right where his brother told him to because something exhilarating was about to happen.

               Let’s fill you in on the backstory. King George was ruling over both the Colonies and England, and he was happy. However the colonists were not as pleased with this arrangement because they vehemently opposed the excessive taxes placed upon them. Now he pushed them to the breaking point, he taxed them on tea! The Colonists were so mad that they decided not to buy the tea as an act of rebellion. So King George said the tea must be unloaded by December 16th. The Colonist decided they would comply with this demand, however they emptied the ship a little differently then he expected.

                   All of a sudden bursting through the crowd was none other than the “Indians” themselves! It was in that moment that Paul realized they were not in fact real native Indians, they were the Sons Of Liberty dressed up as such! They jumped aboard and axed their way through every crate of tea they could find. Soon all of the tea was steeping in the biggest tea cup the world has ever seen, the Atlantic Ocean.