History Center

"The Star Spangled Banner"

2011-09-17T03:17:00.000+09:30

It was September 14th as British ships under the command of Admiral Cochburne sailed into the Baltimore river. They had just burned Washington, the capitol of the United States a week ago. Among the buildings they burned were the President's Mansion (later called the White House), the Capitol Building and the Treasury. Now they were about to attack Baltimore, the third largest city in the nation. Aboard the ships were several Americans. Aboard the Admiral's flagship, a lawyer named Francis Scott Key and his friend John Skinner (who was also a lawyer) were there negotiating the release of a prisoner named Dr. William Beanes, a prominent man in his community who had been captured by the British on their way back from burning Washington. The negotiations went well after the two men showed the Admiral accounts from men in the British army telling of how Beanes had treated their wounds. The Admiral let him go, but they were to get off only after the shelling of Fort McHenry, a fort protecting the river. The men were basically now captured guests. The British ships opened fire on the fort with the flag made by a widow named Mary Pickersgill fluttering in the wind as the British fired shell after shell into the fort. Night fell as the Americans watched from the British ship. The only way they could tell the flag was still there was by the bombs that burst near the flag. That flag symbolized whether or not the fort had surrendered. If the flag was lowered, it would mean that they surrendered. The flag remained. Then came dusk. They tell if the flag was there or not. Then, as dawn broke, there was the tattered and torn flag still fluttering in the wind over the fort. The British gave up and let Key, Skinner, and Beanes go free. While they were still on the ship, soon after the dawn broke, Key wrote on the back of an envelope some words to a poem. When they arrived, Key set to work in writing a poem. He showed it to his brother who had it published under the title "In Defense of Fort M'Henry." It was written that it was to be sung with the tune, "The Anacreontic Song." It soon spread and became popular. On March 3, 1931, "The Star Spangled Banner" as it became known as became our official national anthem. It is that way today and is sung everywhere from the beginnings of baseball games, to the inauguration of the President of the United States.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm065.html

http://americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/

http://www.flaghouse.org/

http://www.150.si.edu/chap3/flag.htm

http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm

http://johnsmilitaryhistory.com/ftmchenry.html

http://www.scienceviews.com/parks/fortmchenry.html

http://www.usflag.org/francis.scott.key.html

http://maryland1812.wordpress.com/category/john-s-skinner/

http://www.homeofheroes.com/hallofheroes/1st_floor/flag/1bfc_anthem.html

Andrea Doria claims 16th Diving Victim

2011-07-29T01:22:00.002+09:30

http://easthampton.patch.com/articles/cops-investigating-divers-death-just-shy-of-55th-anniversary-of-andrea-doria-wreck

Thomas Jefferson's Presidency

2011-02-15T11:17:00.003+09:30

Political Party:
Thomas Jefferson was a Democratic-Republican, being against big government. He was against the government’s being involved in people’s private lives (which included speech and religion) and was for a strict interpretation of the Constitution which would cause the federal government to be quite small and the states to be largely independent united by a small government. He believed that anything that was not allowed to be done by the federal government according to the Constitution should be left up to the states according to the 10th Amendment. Today he would be called a Conservative or Republican if he was still alive.

Domestic Policy:
Thomas Jefferson was for smaller government and more states’ rights. He reduced the government, cut the number of soldiers in the army, stopped the Navy from growing, and reduced 25% of the debt. He even said that at 14,000 government workers, the government was too big. He also was for interpreting the Constitution literally. Even though he was for smaller government, the United States nearly doubled in size with the Louisiana Purchase in which he bought the territories that would later become several states from France who owned Spain, who owned the land for $15,000,000 at the time. He also supported agricultural developments in the U.S.

Foreign Policy:
America bribed nations from Africa to not attack American ships at the time of Thomas Jefferson. However, when Tripoli raised its price, Jefferson refused to pay and blockaded its harbor. The venture was unsuccessful and America made one last payment to Tripoli. One of the most important matters was the Louisiana Purchase. Spain owned much of the lands west of the Mississippi River. When Napoleon Bonaparte of France took over Spain, he also gained the lands. Napoleon offered Jefferson this territory and despite the Constitution not saying anything about expanding, bought the land for $15,000,000. The purchase nearly doubled the size of America and allowed for new settlers to come in.

Historical Events while in Office:
One of the most important events was the Louisiana Purchase. This in turn led to the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark and allowed more land for the United States which stretched from the western side of Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains towards the west. During his presidency, the 12th Amendment was passed which had new rules for running for president. Previously, the president and vice-president had separate ballots (which is why he was vice-president under John Adams even though he and Adams disagreed politically). Now, they were on the same ticket. The first ticket to win was Thomas Jefferson (in his run for re-election) and George Clinton.

Morality/Ethics:
Thomas Jefferson wasn’t the most moral president. In fact, he rejected Jesus Christ as the Son of God even though he professed to be a Christian. However, he did believe him to be a great moral teacher comparable to Socrates. He can be best placed as a Unitarian and/or Deist according to his beliefs even though he was raised an Episcopalian or Anglican. He was against slavery and even had the slave trade abolished while he was in office even though he kept slaves. He had some great ideas for the nation and protection against tyranny and preserving freedoms.

Defining Achievement:
Thomas Jefferson’s greatest achievement was the Louisiana Purchase. When it doubled the United States, it broadened the horizons for settling America and doubled America’s size. It also allowed ships to pass up and down the Mississippi River without as much danger of Indian attacks. It also caused Lewis and Clark heading an expedition to find where the Columbia River meets the Ohio River for better shipping which turned out to be the Pacific Ocean. It also allowed the port of New Orleans previously owned by France to be controlled by the Americans which was important to shipping up and down the Mississippi River. It was feared before that time that the French would close it due to the French Revolution and war against Great Britain.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson

http://sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/tjefferson.html

http://www.monticello.org/

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/jefferson.htm

http://millercenter.org/president/jefferson

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/thomas_jefferson.html

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/

http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdjeff.htm

http://www.americanpresidents.org/presidents/president.asp?PresidentNumber=3

http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/tjefferson.html

http://www.nps.gov/thje/index.htm

http://www.pbs.org/jefferson/

http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96apr/jefferson.html

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0760627.html

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres16.html

http://www.surfnetkids.com/thomas_jefferson.htm

http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bljefferson.htm

Woodrow Wilson Presidency

2011-02-15T11:14:00.001+09:30

Political Party:
Woodrow Wilson was a Democrat because of his liberal thoughts. He was for progression which included prohibition of women’s suffrage. He was also for making illegal child labor and other things. This was after the Roosevelt/Taft Republican era and he was for change, peace, protection, and prosperity. When he ran for president, one of the main issues with the democrats was states’ rights. One of the main issues during his second run for president on both the Democratic and Republican sides was keeping the United States out of WWI. His slogan during his second run for President was, “He kept us out of the war.” He was also for political reform which he had tried to do during his presidency.

Domestic Policy:
Woodrow Wilson changed his office from being equal with Congress to being the head of Congress. He also made sure that those in Congress would vote for his bills. He even personally addressed Congress about a tariff reform bill. He was for child labor laws, established 8 hour work days for railroad workers, regulated the labor conditions on board ships, established the Federal Reserve, established the National Park Service, created an income tax, provided for loans for farmers, and broke up monopolies and even getting rid of privileges that the rich enjoyed. Basically, he was for more government, more control, and more taxes.

Foreign Policy:
There were quite a few defining achievements for Woodrow Wilson’s foreign policy. While he was running for his second term in office, he promised to keep the United States out of WWI. However, with the sinking of the R.M.S. Lusitania due to a German U-Boat which killed 128 Americans and the Germans inviting Mexico to join them, Woodrow Wilson asked the Congress to declare war which they agreed to do. Wilson during this time turned his thought towards after the war and wanted to start the League of Nations which would promote world peace. Throughout his presidency, he believed that all nations should have a democracy and encouraged it.

Morality/Ethics:
Woodrow Wilson was the son of a Presbyterian minister and therefore morality played a part in his presidency. He was somewhat of a pacifist, but believed that war could be necessary. He tried to keep us out of WWI which failed when Germany started sinking their ships and tried to get Mexico to join them. In order to preserve democracy, he declared war. He was also thoughtful of others. When the feminists were protesting outside the White House 24/7, it was raining once and Wilson saw a lady standing there and so he asked someone to invite her into the White House. He was also for fair treatment and just dealings.

Historical Events while in Office:
WWI and the 19 Amendment were some of the most defining moments in his presidency. Again, he tried to keep us out of war but was forced to in order to protect the country. Wilson was previously opposed to women’s suffrage which caused them to protest against him but he changed his mind and supported the 19th amendment which gave women the right to vote. Another thing history remembers him for is coming up with the League of Nations which would help to put an end to more wars. He suffered from a stroke trying on a nationwide tour to gain national support after it was defeated in the Senate. The stroke left him an invalid for the rest of his life.

Defining Achievement:
One of Wilson’s main achievements was winning WWI. He reluctantly entered WWI after the sinking of the British passenger ship R.M.S. Lusitania and the U-Boats creating danger to ships, joining the Allies against Germany. Approximately 120,000 American soldiers would die during the war. The United States troops were led by General John G. Pershing who was one of the greatest generals in the United States history and one of the greatest soldiers at that time. Woodrow Wilson tried to keep the United States safe and comfort the people during this time. He sent aid such as soldiers, food, ammunition, credit, etc. to Great Britain and the U.S. fought until Germany stopped fighting in 1918.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/woodrowwilson

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1919/wilson-bio.html

http://millercenter.org/president/wilson

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2904

http://www.sparknotes.com/biography/wilson/section2.rhtml

http://www.woodrowwilson.org/

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWwilsonW.htm

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/w/woodrow_wilson.html

http://www.woodrowwilsonhouse.org/

http://www.americanpresidents.org/presidents/president.asp?PresidentNumber=27

http://www.biography.com/articles/Woodrow-Wilson-9534272

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres44.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/lia/president/pressites/wilson/WilsonH-brochure.html

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0760612.html

http://www.presidentsusa.net/wilson.html

http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/hall2/woods.htm

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/reform/jb_reform_wilson_1.html

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/woodrow_wilson.php

Ronald Reagan's Presidency

2011-02-15T10:55:00.003+09:30

Political Party:
Ronald Reagan began his political career as a professing liberal democrat. One of those reasons was because he was a spokesperson for the GE (General Electric) Company. Even though he was a liberal democrat, he did support Republicans Eisenhower and Nixon for president and even spoke against liberal medicine which he said would end our freedom. When the GE Company dropped him in 1962, he made the official switch to the Republican Party. When asked about why he left the Democratic Party, he said, “I didn’t leave the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party left me.” He was for smaller government and less government intrusion which made him not only one of the best presidents, but also a role model for other politicians to follow even today.

Domestic Policy:
When Ronald Reagan reduced the corporate and individual income tax by 25%, it was the largest tax cut in the history of the United States. This was one of the things he did that made his presidency so great because it created more jobs and allowed people to live better. He greatly reduced the federal government and even eliminated some of it. He reduced the taxes on the rich and increased federal spending on programs to help the poor. When the air traffic controllers went on strike, he ordered them to stop and when they didn’t he fired them and replaced them. Despite the good things he did, he wasn’t able to reduce the national debt which reached $1 trillion during his presidency.

Foreign Policy:
Ronald Reagan’s most defining part of his foreign policy was his actions towards the Soviet Union in trying to get them disarmed while the United States built up a nuclear arsenal. He was worried about an attack and there was some tension between the Soviet Union until a new leader came into office and agreed to stop his invasions of other countries and Reagan’s building of a nuclear arsenal was eventually dropped. His siding with the Jews in Israel also caused tensions between the United States and the other Middle Eastern countries which were mostly Muslim. The Libyans responded with an attack on American troops stationed in Germany. The Americans then bombed Libya including the private residence of the leader and he backed down.

Important Historical Events:
The Cold War was one of the most important things that happened during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Russia was communist and at that time America and Russia weren’t on the best of terms. Reagan upped the defenses a lot until Russia talked about peace terms in which America slowed on their defenses and the Russians gave up several countries that they were invading and slowed their defenses as well. Another thing that happened was Reagan’s tax cuts. Some taxes were dropped considerably and this created an economic boost that caused new jobs to be created and cause Americans to live better and more fruitful lives.

Morality/Ethics:
Ronald Reagan was a Christian was one of the most moral presidents in history. A lot of the federal funding was cut that went to abortion; he supported the teaching morality, ethics, and values in schools, and so on. He also encouraged legal immigration; spoke openly against communists and communism, and tried to make prayer and Bible reading in public schools legal by proposing a Constitutional amendment that made these things possible. The amendment failed though. He spoke without fear about issues and about how the Supreme Court has made unconstitutional decisions regarding abortion and was an advocate for notifying parents about a girl’s pregnancy.

Defining Achievements:
Ronald Reagan had several achievements like getting rid of some of the power in Washington, boosting the economy, and so on. However, one of his greatest achievements was in contributing to the downfall of the Soviet Union. The Soviets were the number one military power in the world and the United States was number two. The United States made more weapons and built up their defenses so much so that United States would become number one. When the Soviets finally wanted peace, Reagan willingly accepted it and weapons were no longer as mass-produced as before on both sides. Reagan allowed the United States to become the greatest nation on earth military-wise again.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/ronaldreagan

http://www.reaganlibrary.com/

http://www.ronaldreagan.com/

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001654/

http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Ronald_Reagan

http://www.presidentreagan.info/

http://www.americanpresidents.org/presidents/president.asp?PresidentNumber=39

http://www.nndb.com/people/359/000022293/

http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/rwreagan.html

http://www.biography.com/articles/ronald-reagan-9453198

http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres61.html

http://www.classbrain.com/artbiographies/publish/ronald_reagan.shtml

http://gardenofpraise.com/ibdreagan.htm

http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/reagan-tear-down.htm

http://www.nationalcenter.org/ReaganEvilEmpire1983.html

http://cstl-cla.semo.edu/renka/modern_presidents/reagan_speeches.htm

http://www.surfnetkids.com/reagan.htm

http://www.nationalcenter.org/ReaganEvilEmpire1983.html

Alzheimer's Disease

2010-11-27T05:19:00.001+09:30

Alzheimer’s disease is a disease that affects your memory and moods. It is the most common form of dementia. It happens when most of the brain of the person affected shrinks due to the loss of brain cells. This causes memory loss, confusion, mood swings, irritability, aggressiveness, and so on. The body’s functions decline, unfortunately to death. It mostly affects those who are over 65. It’s incurable and the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
It’s named after a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist named “Alois” Alzheimer. Alois Alzheimer observed a woman in the Frankfurt Asylum named Auguste Deter who was 51 years old. She would scream for hours at night, couldn’t remember, and wouldn’t even know what she was eating. She seemed to be consciously aware of her not being in her right mind, for she would sometimes say, “I’ve lost myself.” Alois interviewed her and became obsessed with her. Alois diagnosed her with what he called “forgetful disease” which we know today as Alzheimer’s disease. She died in 1906 at the age of 55 and Alois asked the director of the asylum for her records and her brain.
It has affected several famous people including former president of the United States Ronald Reagan, who once said in a letter in America, “I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease... At the moment I feel just fine. I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this earth doing the things I have always done... I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead. Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you.” Alzheimer’s disease later killed former President Reagan in 2005. Another famous person affected by the disease was actor and political activist Charlton Heston, but we don’t know if that led to his death in 2008.
Alzheimer’s disease is caused by “tangles” and “plaques.” Tangles are twisted fibers of a protein that develop inside dying cells. Amyloid Plaques exist between neuron cells and the brain. These cells have been found in abundance in the brain and have now been considered to be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease although we don’t know what causes the cells to act the way they do. They begin by destroying the hippocampus where memory is created. Afterwards, the disease spreads to the part of the brain where language is processed. In doing so, the person affected would have trouble thinking of the correct word for what they mean. After this, it spreads to the logical area (towards the forehead). The person affected then loses some ability to do something like solve a math problem, play chess and so on. After this, the disease spreads to the part where emotions and feeling take place (towards the top middle part of the head). The affected person becomes angry one moment, then happy the next. After this, the disease moves to the top back part of the brain where you make sense of your senses. The person affected might have hallucinations because of this. After this, it comes to the back of the brain where your oldest memories are kept. The person affected might not remember his/her parents, spouse, early life, or even his/her own children. After that, the disease spreads to the Cerebellum where your coordination is. The person affected might barely be able to stand or move much. The final stage is when the disease unfortunately spreads to the part of the brain that affects your voluntary and involuntary muscles such as breathing the heart beat. This kills the person affected. The process just described happens on average over a period of 8-10 years but can last 3-20 years. Again, there is no cure currently for Alzheimer’s disease.
Those with a head injury sometime during their lives or a family member that had it are likely to have it for some reason. As to the latter, some scientists believe that Alzheimer’s disease can have something to do with genes. Smoking is also said to increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Today, there are 1-10 people over 65 affected with Alzheimer’s disease and 50% of the people over 80 are affected as well. They can affect anyone and including those younger than 60.
There is a list of signs of the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease. They are memory loss, trouble doing a task you have become well acquainted with, difficulty with language, confusion and disorientation of your place and the time, poor judgment skills, abstract thinking, losing things (such as possibly a tooth brush or keys), changes in behavior or mood swings, personality alteration and the loss of initiative.
With Ronald Reagan, he began to not remember things soon after he got out of office. At his eighty-third birthday, he barely recognized a former Secret Service agent whom used to know well. His memory digressed further to where he would be discussing politics with his former Secretary of State, leave the room with the nurse and then return and not recognize him. Former President Reagan used to love to do puzzle pieces with his daughter, but now she had to get him simpler pieces and this time it was her reminding him to do the border pieces first. He died on June 5, 2004 of pneumonia. He had it for 10 years.
Taking a drug such as Ginkgo Biloba could help the person affected with his/her memory during his/her first stages of the disease might help and allow the person live independently but it only treats the symptoms and not the actual disease. In the advancement of the disease further throughout the brain, the person will have to live with some care. By the end of the life of the person affected, he/she will need total around the clock assistance in doing things such as eating and going to the bathroom.

The Battle of Harlem Heights

2010-11-27T05:18:00.002+09:30

Following the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, Washington’s army which numbered around 1,800 men were stationed on Manhattan Island. The British army which numbered around 5,000 men was still on Long Island. The Americans were commanded by Commander In Chief General George Washington, Major General Israel Putnam, and Major General Nathaniel Greene. The British were commanded by Major General Alexander Leslie. Around 9,000 men had made it safely to Manhattan as well, escaping without a shot fired from Long Island to Manhattan a few weeks before.
The British landed at Kip’s Bay on the 15th of September and caused the Virginian militia there to run. Washington was on the north side of Manhattan, and near Fort Washington and Fort Lee-each on either side of the Hudson.
On the 16th, Washington sent Captain Thomas Knowlton to scout out the British position south of them. He and his 120 men went from the northern plateau to Hollow Way on lower ground, and then up to the next plateau. They accidentally encountered some light infantry British picquets and they fired at each other. More troops came to the aide of the British and forced Knowlton and his men to retreat with the British pursuing them. They ran to Harlem Heights. The British blew a fox hunting call meant as an insult and the Americans were infuriated.
The soldiers lured the right flank of the British more onto the northern plateau and the Americans came around the flank cutting off any re enforcements that might have been sent. The British realized that they were being surrounded and under fire, retreated to Hollow Way. The Americans attacked. During the attack, Knowlton was killed. The battle continued until Washington called the troops back.
In the skirmish/battle, 70 British and about 70 Americans were killed. However, because of the battle, the Americans began getting their hopes up after the disastrous defeat at Long Island.
After that, General Howe released General Sullivan on parole under the condition that he would deliver a message to Congress asking to negotiate peace. Howe met with a delegation of Congress that consisted of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Rutledge to supposedly negotiate. The real objective however was to give Washington more time to prepare for the next battle. The supposed negotiations ended a few days after that.

The Battle of Brooklyn Heights

2010-11-27T05:17:00.001+09:30

General Washington and his army had retreated from the Siege of Boston, and came to New York because he knew the British would take it due New York due to its strategic importance. They arrived on Long Island, made fortifications, and waited to engage the British in conflict. It was August of 1776. Congress had passed the Declaration of Independence and had recently signed it on the 2nd of that month. Commanding the Americans were General George Washington (Commander in Chief of the American forces), General Israel Putnam (hero of Bunker Hill), and Major General William Alexander. The British were under General William Howe (Commander in Chief of the British forces in America at that time), General Henry Clinton, and General Charles Cornwallis.
The Americans had around 10,000 men while the British had around 20,000 Englishmen and Hessians (men sent to aide England by her ally, Germany). The British came to New York. Then, they came in boats (commanded by Admiral Howe, General Howe’s brother) across New York Bay and landed at Staten Island. They then crossed the Narrow to Long Island.
The Americans under General Nathaniel Greene tried quite hard to fortify the island. Greene worked so hard in fact, that he got a fever and General Putnam was put in his place. Howe meanwhile acted indecisive. The sails for the ships would be out one minute with the ships looking like they could sail at any moment, and then the sails would be brought down again. What he was actually doing, was getting as much information as he could from spies.
The ships finally were loaded with soldiers, the sails were put out, and the ships set sail for Long Island. As they came close to the island, they fired cannons into the forts. All the men immediately fell back under Colonel Howard to Brooklyn Heights. The British soldiers camped that night on Long Island. For the next couple of days, they didn’t seem to do anything. Every so often, unseen American riflemen would fire into the Hessian camp (Hessians were soldiers sent from Britain’s ally, Germany).
When night fell on the 26th, the British soldiers loaded their possessions and started their journey. They went towards Jamaica Pass. The British had found out that the back of the American lines at Jamaica Pass was not guarded at all. They were completely exposed there. As not to arouse too much suspicion, he sends General Grant with 2 brigades to attack General Stirling, and General De Heister (one of the commanders of the Hessians) to attack General Sullivan. While the Americans were preoccupied with fighting Grant and De Heister, Howe, Cornwallis, Clinton, and Percy were leading the British up Jamaica Pass. Men went ahead of the British Army and seized the people whom were along the road the British intended to take. Eventually, they got 14 year old William (a tavern-keeper’s son) to lead them to the Americans. William knew the way like the back of his hand and led them without difficulty. The Americans, British, and Hessians resume fighting, distracting the Americans from what is going on behind them.
2,000 re-enforcements arrive for Grant’s army and the 5,000 Americans retreat into the woods only to find themselves face to face with the British. The Hessians charge with bayonets, plunging them into the Americans they could overtake, while the Howe’s soldier’s fire volleys into the Americans on the other side. The ones that surrendered hoping to be spared were stabbed with the bayonets of the Hessians.
John Callender (he was a former commander of the artillery in Bunker Hill, but was accused of being a coward, and had his rank stripped from him) proved to be one of the greatest heroes of the battle. His men started running from the cannons and Callender told them to stop. They came back to their posts and continued firing. As the British come up the hill, his men run. Callender remains, firing his cannons. A musket is aimed towards him as Callender is ramming a cannon but a British officer stops the soldier from firing at Callender after seeing his heroism and bravery. Callender was taken prisoner and later exchanged. When Callender got back to the American lines, Washington sends for him to meet and shake hands with a man who was so brave in the face of death. Sullivan was also captured and taken prisoner.
Stirling is now alone with 400 men, and attacks Cornwallis’ forces which are 4 times his size. He miraculously succeeds in driving the British back to Cortelyou’s house. The battle becomes intense there. After 250 of his men are killed, Stirling surrendered his sword. Colonel William Smallwood‘s men gain the mill, but Howe’s cannons quickly get rid of them.
The remaining men jump and swim across Gowanus Creek. As they try to get across, the Hessians bury their bayonets into some of them. The creek is now crimson red as the rest flee to the edge of the island. A blanket of very thick fog develops for a while. During this time, the British dig trenches preparing for a battle the next morning. The Americans on the other hand, escape in boats to Manhattan Island where the main army is. As the fog lifts, the last of the men are loaded into the boats and push off without a single life lost. It was one of many times where God actually was clearly present in the Revolution, as you shall soon read.
In the British Army, out of the 20,000 men that arrived on Long Island, 64 were killed, 293 were wounded, and 31 were captured. Out of the 10,000 men in the American Army there at the beginning, 300 men were killed, 800 were wounded, and 1,000 were captured. This was just the start of several battles in New York.

Boston Massacre

2010-11-21T13:25:00.002+09:30

The recent rebellious acts of Boston against taxes levied upon the 13 American colonies by Parliament had sent soldiers to Boston. Massachusetts governor Thomas Hutchinson, a man much hated by Boston due to the governor’s removing of some of their rights had been replaced by General Thomas Gage (a veteran of the French and Indian War previously fought in America years before and now commander of all the British forces in North America). The town of Boston treated the soldiers kindly at first, but then the American citizens started getting irritable. The soldiers, some of whom deserted because they couldn’t bear to go through the town as if it were a conquered country while Boston treated them so well, stopped liking the town and they started seeing the American people as second rate citizens.
On March 5, 1770, Private Hugh White was on sentry duty in King’s Street in Boston. A captain was seen, walking down the street. Suddenly, assistant barber Edward Garrick called out that the captain had not paid his barber’s bill. The captain just kept walking as if not hearing Garrick. White, knowing the captain and wanting to defend the captain’s honor, insisted that the captain was a gentleman who paid his debts. Garrick, in turn, answered quite loudly and said that there are no gentlemen in the British army. White immediately hit Garrick with the butt of his musket, and Garrick ran off howling. Minutes later, Garrick came back with a mob of people. They came up and were crying out, “Kill the soldier!” They started throwing ice, snow, and pieces of wood at the sentry. White ran up the steps of the Custom House (the place where they collected the duties on imports and exports in Boston), and pounded upon the door. No one would let him in. White yelled “Turn out the main guard!” Captain Thomas Preston and 7 soldiers came out to the rescue of White. The mob, now around 300 men, continued to throw things at them. Then, they began to curse at them and taunt them saying, “Why do you not fire? Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! ” Others cried out, “Kill them, Kill them, KILL THEM!” The British soldiers, even though ordered not to fire, got so afraid that they panicked and fired. They fired singly though, and not in a volley.
A free black man named Crispus Attucks fell first with 2 bullets in his first. As the smoke cleared, 5 lay dead or dying including Crispus Attucks. Captain Preston and the other soldiers were held on the charge of murder. Mr. Forrester, a friend of Captain Preston, tried to get a lawyer for Preston and the men. Finally, John Adams and Josiah Quincy, Sons of Liberty and two of the best lawyers in Boston, agreed to take the case. Meanwhile, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere (Sam Adams was John Adams’ cousin) were calling the rebellion a massacre and considering the men who died as honorable men. Some those who died were in fact, just curious and watching the commotion and not taking part in it. The others, such as Crispus Attucks were a part of the mob trying to harm the British soldiers.
John Adams was able to get the trial postponed to August. Due to everyone being angry and wanting them dead. Many were saying Preston gave the order to fire, but Preston never gave it. Finally, the trial for Captain Preston began. Witnesses got up the courage to say that Preston never gave the order to shoot. Adams and Quincy were able to get the judge and jury to rule that Preston was innocent of all charges. One month later, the soldiers were put on trial. Through God’s grace and John Adams’ eloquence, all were found innocent of all charges.

Thoughts on Evolution/Atheism and How it Affects our Nation Today

2010-11-20T15:16:00.003+09:30

In reading this, I’m assuming you know the hypothesis of Evolution. If you don’t, please look it up and then come back to this article.
Evolution is taught in public schools, but a lot of people say that to teach Creation is unconstitutional. Something about this seems wrong. Evolutionists say that atheism is not a religion. When you look at it, atheists don’t believe in God and don’t go through any religious ritual and therefore say it is not a religion. If you look at it, evolution is a type a belief contradictory to other beliefs. Atheism is a type of worldview as well. Their thinking is that human beings are on the same level as an animal which is also contradictory to other beliefs. Looking at this, we see that atheism is a type of belief system that could be classified as a religion. Furthermore, people look at evolution as science. However, that fact is not right. In fact, Creation is more scientific than Evolution. Evolution has not been proven. Evolution has been around for centuries even with Socrates and became popular about 100 years ago. And yet we have yet to find any fossils that add up with evolution. Have these evolutionists ever thought that the reason we have yet to find the missing link is because it never existed? The science world doubted Isaac Newton’s “Law of Universal Gravitation” with the mathematical proof and so on until it was solidly proven, so why not challenge evolution which has no proof? If evolution were true, wouldn’t there be hundreds of fossils found? It seems unscientific to assume something is right because it is generally accepted with no proof. The hypothesis taught in schools was created by Charles Darwin, the very man that Karl Marx the founder of Marxism wanted to dedicate one of his books to. Charles was a former minister who rejected the Bible and accepted the ideas his own mind and other people including his own grandfather had made up. And yet, is it scientific to follow the imagination of some people and accept it as true? Some evolutionists accept it because it is one of the only alternatives other than accepting that there is a God who created everything. Some others mistakenly think of it as scientific and therefore, it would have to be right.
You may ask, “It is taught in schools, but how is it affecting me today?” In answer to this, I say that it affects our very culture and how we look at the world. In the area of abortion, evolution would mean we’re basically no greater than animals and therefore killing 1/3 of our population is like killing 1/3 of the chickens in the world. Furthermore, if evolution were true, we might as well do whatever we want because after death there is nothing. Life would be empty.
We have seen an argument against evolution, but why should we accept creation? The Bible in and of itself is proof. The Bible is made up of 66 books written over a period of 1,600 years, written by over 44 different authors. These books are reliable historical documents which record supernatural and historical events all of which are true and none of any of the books are contradictory in teaching and accounts. Furthermore, the Bible was written in 3 different languages which were Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. I’d advise you to find me such a collection anywhere else. And the very first verse in the Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This very sentence proves evolution wrong. The Bible proceeds to explain God creating the whole earth in 6 days including human beings. God then rested on the 7th day in the world. After this, the Bible talks about the first people, Adam and Eve, and how they disobeyed God and therefore introduced to sin to the human race forever. That is why God sent His Son in human form to take the punishment we deserve. The Bible explains how we are today, and why we are the way we are. And that is sinful, in need of the cleansing grace of God. And this isn’t earned either. It’s a gift of God to you if you only believe in Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection 3 days later is enough to save you so that Jesus’ perfect record is transferred to you. To say evolution is right is calling God a liar. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Furthermore, Titus 1:2 says, In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” When Paul wrote these things, Genesis had been around for thousands of years.
You yourself are proof. You have body 11 systems, a computer called a brain, cells in your eyes that can identify colors, bone structures that can repair themselves, an immune system that fights off any foreign invaders, and so on. It is illogical to say that it just happened. Furthermore, we have matter. Matter didn’t just happen, it had to begin. It seems more logical to say there is a God that designed and built everything than to say, “Boom! It just happened.”
Back to the first statement, “Evolution is taught in schools, but Creation isn’t because they say it would be unconstitutional.” First of all, was it unconstitutional to teach Creation up until the last few decades? I don’t think so and neither did the Founding Fathers. The belief of creation has been accepted since the nation’s founding. In fact, every time the Declaration of Independence is read, you either say that atheism is wrong or the Founding Fathers were wrong because it mentions “Nature’s God” and creation. Not only that, but Providence which implies that we were founded upon a reliance upon God. Now, some Founding Fathers were wrong in their beliefs of Christianity (like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams), but Creation and Christian Principles are what we were founded upon. Church services were in fact held in the rotunda of the Capitol Building almost every Sunday up until after the Civil War. These services were attended by Presidents and some of the Founding Fathers and they didn’t denounce it as unconstitutional. So, what did the Constitution mean in the First Amendment? It was meant so that the Government wouldn’t do as England did and establish a church and therefore persecute other religions. It was meant to protect others from religious persecution and give freedom to the people, along with restricting the government from that power. However, I can’t remember reading that the government can’t have any religious expression.
John Adams said, “It is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue.” This basically means our foundations must be morality and religion. And when we compromise morality and religion, we compromise our foundations and the building which represents the United States, one of the greatest nations in world history would collapse and the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave” would become the “Land of the Slaves and the Prison of the Prisoners.” This reveals how important it is for us to elect and get people to run for offices that have the guts to impeach members of the Supreme Court when they make an unconstitutional decision and stand uncompromisingly in what is right based on biblical principles no matter what everyone else does. Yet, whose fault is it that this our nation is compromising? It’s our faults. We are the ones who need to stand and teach others the truth, give them the Christian Worldview. That is what we have almost completely lost in the United States. When we don’t teach the truth, when we don’t do something about evils in the world, we allow evil to prosper, more so if unopposed. If the Americans submitted to Great Britain in 1775, we would be in a different world than we are now. One of the greatest nations in history would not have come had those men in 1776 voted against the Declaration of Independence. This is the same today. We need to declare independence from the world of lies and deceit and declare our dependence on God who made us and gave us this nation. If we stand on atheism, it will destroy us. If we stand on Creation, we may just save the United States before she collapses.

TULIP

2010-11-20T14:56:00.001+09:30

Let me begin by saying that if you disagree with me, I encourage you to look at the Bible and find any biblical basis in refuting TULIP. This is here to teach you about TULIP and possibly change your mind if you disagreed with it in the past. If you choose not to believe this, that is between you and God.

During the period of the Reformation, a man named Jacob Armenia created 5 points of doctrine that were contradictory to the beliefs of the Calvinist. Therefore, the Calvinists came up with 5 points to refute the Arminianists and these 5 points form an acronym called TULIP. Below are the five points:

Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints

The first, Total Depravity, means that we are sinners. We are all the way affected by sin. We are rotten to the core. Romans 3:23 says, “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:10-12 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Both of these verses say that we are all sinners must therefore, I have come to the conclusion that we are incapable of saving ourselves.

The next, Unconditional Election, means that God doesn’t look at the merit of a person in His election. He sees chooses them according to His will. Ephesians 1:4 says, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” God predestined us according to the good pleasure of His will.

The third point is Limited Atonement. This basically means that Jesus Christ died bearing the sins of the elect but was sufficient for all. Matthew 1:21 says, “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” Isaiah 53:12 says, Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The fourth, Irresistible Grace, means that God’s call to be saved cannot be resisted by the elect. John 6:37-40 says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:44 says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Only those called by God will be saved.

The fifth and last point is Perseverance of the Saints. Romans 8:29-30 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.” John 10:27-30 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” Jude 24 says, “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—.” Basically once you are redeemed and sealed, you’re saved. Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Once we’re saved, we’re sealed for “the day of redemption” and there’s no falling away for you who are truly saved.

The Ark of the Covenant

2010-11-20T14:50:00.001+09:30

The Ark of the Covenant has been one of the most famous items of the Temple and Tabernacle. It was a gold box with a lid called the Mercy Seat and two cherubim on the Mercy Seat. Inside the Ark were the two tablets that had the Ten Commandments inscribed upon them by the finger of God, a gold pot with manna that was sent from heaven to the Israelites in the desert, and the Aaron ’s rod that budded which showed the Israelites at that time that God had chosen Aaron as His High Priest.
The Ark was about 2.5 cubits (45 inches) long, 1.5 cubits (27 inches) wide and 1.5 cubits (27 inches) high. It was composed of a wooden box overlaid with pure gold and molding on top of that. There were rings all four corners with two poles made of acacia wood overlaid with gold on each side going through the rings. Since no one could touch the Ark on pain of death, this was the only way to carry the Ark. The Mercy Seat or lid was 2.5 cubits long and 1.5 feet wide, made of pure gold. There were two cherubim on either side of the Mercy Seat that were one with it. They had wings pointing towards each other, faces looking at the Mercy Seat, and were made of hammered gold.
In the Tabernacle, you entered through the east gate representing Jesus and the first piece of furniture you came up to was the altar where you sacrificed the animals for sins. The next piece of furniture was the laver where the priests would wash their hands symbolizing the confession of sins and the washing in the Word of God. You then went into the Holy Place inside the tent. On your right was the Table of Showbread with twelve pieces of bread representing Jesus (the Bread of Life) and on your left, lighting up the room, was the golden lamp stand representing the Holy Ghost, whom illuminates Christ. Across the room and right before a veil was the Altar of Incense which represented the prayers of the believers. You go through the veil to enter the next room, the Holy of Holies. Inside that room was the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat, where God would have spoken to those He meant to speak to like Moses and so on.
The Ark of the Covenant has recorded in several places, starting with the wilderness in Exodus where it was made according to specific instructions by God in Exodus, to when the First Temple was built. The Ark is known for its holding the Ten Commandments and also for killing people. We know that according to the Bible, the Ark did indeed hold the Ten Commandments and that God killed some people via the Ark of the Covenant. When the Philistines returned the Ark to the Israelites and they were moving the Ark through the streets, it began to tip over, and one man put his hand on the Ark to balance it, and he was killed. Now it is a misconception that the Ark did anything. Whatever supernatural things happened like striking people dead or causing people to have a plague of hemorrhoids (which happened to the Philistines when they captured the Ark in battle) came from God. And yet, it is some sort of holy object and was to be treated as such. In fact, only one group of people, Levites in a family called the Kohathites, could carry the Ark by the poles, and even they couldn’t touch it.
One thing that boosted the search for the Ark was Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. In the movie, Indiana goes to Egypt in search of the Ark in order to stop the Nazis from finding and taking it whom are also believing it to be the source of some great power. Indiana finds it in a pharaoh’s tomb, and it’s captured by the Nazis. Indiana gets it back, and then the Nazis re-take it. The Nazis take the Ark and Indiana to a remote island to open it. When they open it, spirits come out and all of the Nazis are killed except for Indiana and his former girlfriend with him who don’t look. They take the Ark to the United States and the United States put it into a crate and put it into a large storage room in the midst of many other crates. First of all, I don’t think that the Ark is in Egypt. Its whereabouts still remain uncertain. Secondly, I don’t know if the Ark would do this. Since Jesus came, and the New Covenant was established, I don’t know if the Ark would do that anymore. It’s clear that God killed people via the Ark, but I know that spirits wouldn’t be in there. There’s no biblical record that I can remember that supports that part. For all we know, it might very well be in some storage place. I don’t know. But what I do know is that we have an intercessor Jesus Christ before God. That’s all that really matters.
The Ark has not been recorded in the Bible since the priest found Torah scrolls by the Ark during the reign of King Josiah. According to a collection of books not inspired by God (as determined by the Protestants in creating the KJV) called the Apocrypha but included in the Catholic Bible, Jeremiah hid the Ark before the destruction of the First Temple in a cave. Whether or not this is true, I don’t know. It has also been thought that it was destroyed by the Babylonians, who raided the first temple, and others have searched for it and some have claimed to find it. Some say that it was hidden by the prophet Jeremiah in a cave. Personally, I don’t think that if it does still exist, it shouldn’t be found due to the possibility of some sort of idolatry, or a fight over it. The Ark still has yet to be found unless you count Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark and is still one of the greatest biblical treasures left undiscovered.

The Reformation

2010-11-02T01:36:00.000+09:30

The Reformation officially began on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg. However, before Luther, men like John Wycliffe (the very first known person to translate the Bible into English) and Erasmus started the spark that kindled when Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door.

Martin Luther was outside in the middle of a thunderstorm in the early 1500s. The thunderstorm was so bad, that Luther was afraid and called on St. Anne and said that he’d become a monk if God would spare his life. As a monk, he confessed his sins to the priest so much that the priest told him to come back when he committed serious sins. Martin later said, "If anyone could have gained heaven as a monk, then I would indeed have been among them." He was sent to Wittenberg, Germany to study and teach. Bibles during those days were rare and those found were mostly written in Latin. In Wittenberg was a Bible and as a monk, he knew Latin. He began to read the Bible and soon came upon the fact that it was not by visiting relics, confession to a priest, fasting, or any works of man, but instead the work of Jesus Christ and His death to save us from our sins. He later said this: "This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness.”

Soon after this happened, the Roman Catholic Church started to take indulgences (money given to the church with the promise of salvation, getting a family member out of purgatory, or other things). The indulgences were for people to give money to the building which is now St. Peter’s Basilica and the givers would get salvation. Martin Luther in response on October 31, 1517 nailed 95 theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg. These condemned the false teachings of the Roman Catholics and the Pope and started a fire. He was later excommunicated from the Augustinian Order of which was part of and put on trial. When asked if he would recant his works, he refused. He was expelled from the Roman Catholic Church. Luther married a former nun and started the Reformation Movement. His efforts led to the return of church teachings that grace is by faith and not of works lest any man should boast. He translated the Bible into German for the common people of Germany could read it for themselves which influenced the translation of the Bible into other languages as well.

There things led to another denomination started by Ulrich Zwingli. Luther and Zwingli couldn’t be reconciled due to differences in the Lord’s Supper and decided to go their separate ways as Paul and Barnabus had done after their dispute about whether or not to take John Mark on a missionary trip. The denomination started by
Zwingli started the Reformers.

Around this time also came Anabaptists who believed that baptism is for those who believed in Christ and not for infants. This idea was opposed by Luther and Zwingli. Zwingli even persecuted them. Then there came John Calvin (who was converted around 1528-1531), and he lived mostly in Geneva. He led a reformation in education and the people’s thinking in Geneva where he preached at least once a day.

Afterwards there came William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible into English which later got him strangled and burned at the stake. King Henry VIII (the King during the time of William Tyndale’s death and founder of the Anglican Church) ordered that Bibles be printed in English and used in every church in England in 1539. Tyndale’s last words were, “Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes!” The Bible now in English by the order of Henry VIII was apparently the answer to Tyndale’s last prayer. The New Testament was even from William Tyndale’s translation.
After Henry VIII died, Edward (the son of Henry’s 3rd wife) became king. He lived until he was 16, but was a Godly king. He surrounded himself with great men such as John Knox. I even heard he would weep whenever he ordered someone to be put to death. When he died, “Bloody” Mary (a Catholic) became queen; she made Catholicism the national religion in England again and persecuted Protestants. The Protestants were burned at the stake, beheaded and imprisoned. Yet the faith didn’t die. After Mary died, Elizabeth (mostly protestant and the daughter of Anne Boleyn) became queen. She issued the Golden Age of England. After Elizabeth died, James I became the King of England.

The Puritans read the Bible and realized that the Church of England was corrupt and therefore set out to correct/purify the church. After realizing that purification was impossible, the Puritans separated from the Church of England and were called Separatists from then on for that reason. The Puritans became so persecuted that they left England for Holland. They decided that they couldn’t live in Holland for cultural, reasons and some of them went to Plymouth, Massachusetts to create a colony and send for the rest later. Upon landing, the Puritans created a contract that created the government. This later influenced the Constitution therefore influencing us even today.

After the Puritans were there for a while, a man came to Massachusetts named Roger Williams. He started a new colony called Rhode Island, and it had one of the first governments that had religious toleration. It became a safe haven for Jews, Quakers, and others and helped with the founding of America. In 1639, Roger Williams became a Baptist and established the first Baptist church in America. Soon afterwards, the Anabaptists, Congregationalists (a branch of the reformation), Episcopalians, and so on came to the shores of America.

In 1775, the Revolutionary War broke out and lasted until 1781. This started a new nation that would tolerate any religion but was mostly Christian and founded upon Christian principles. In the 1800s, William Miller a Baptist minister “studied” the Bible and said that he could tell when Jesus would come from his so-called studies of the Bible. When Jesus didn’t come on the date of his prediction, he said he was mistaken and set another date. When Jesus didn’t come then, several of those following him branched off and formed the Seventh Day Adventists.
From this information, we can say that one man and former monk Martin Luther started the ball rolling that produced one of the greatest nations in the world where people can worship God freely without fear of government persecution. In the Rotunda of the Capitol Building, the heart of the very place where our government has compromised the very foundational principles upon which our nation was founded, there are paintings of the Puritans with a Bible open praising God for safe passage to America and the ‘baptism’ of Pocahontas. These and other hidden gems in our nation’s history are still there but not exactly publicized. It is our duty as Christians and Americans to show these to the world!

There is also a drawback. In today’s society, there are churches of varying denominations in various locations. Some church-goers leave a church with a belief or pastor you don’t like instead of trying to reform their teaching or their leader in order to affect the congregation. This can be done with simply trying as best you can to remain at peace with the pastor and congregation while trying to show them their fault as Luther and the Puritans had done.

In celebrating Reformation Day, it is not merely an alternative to Halloween also celebrated on October 31. It is a privilege to honor God for His work for the Reformation. Not only when Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses on the door of the church at Wittenberg, but for sending Zwingli, Calvin, Tyndale the Puritans, and all of those who stood up for what they believed was right according the Bible and stood with their conscience no matter what the cost. In not compromising but standing, their efforts have led to a Reformation that today affects almost the whole world. Every time we preach the Word of God to someone and share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, we owe our thanks first to God who was faithful and rose up people to bring us back to the Bible after a while of very little people finding out the truth and bringing about a change that spread to the whole world. Second we owe our thanks to all who carried on the Christian truths throughout the ages until now. This includes not just the great men such as Calvin, but all of those who were/are Christians such as those who live a destitute life but are an encouragement to others, the preacher of the smallest church, or even kids who share the gospel with their schoolmates. It is now our duty and privilege as Christians to carry on our heritage and the torch of faith burning with the fuel of the blood of Jesus Christ to the generations to come.

Joshua Noble

Button Gwinnett

2010-10-31T00:56:00.002+09:30

Button Gwinnett was born to a Welsh Parish (Samuel) and an English mother (Anne) in Gloucestershire, England. His exact date of birth is uncertain, but he was baptized on April 10, 1735. Button was given the best education that his parents could provide at their class/level in society and wealth. He became a merchant in Bristol, England when he got older.
Gwinnett was married at the age of 22 to Ann Bourne and they had 3 children whose names were Amelia, Ann, and Elizabeth Ann. He immigrated to America in 1757. He became a merchant in Charleston, South Carolina but after two years there, his business failed and so he moved to Savannah, Georgia in 1759. He became a general trader there. In 1770, he sold all of his merchandise and moved to St. Catherine’s Island, Georgia which he bought. It was there that he became a planter on the 10 mile (14,000 acre) island. He became active in politics and was elected in 1769 to the Georgia Commons House of Assembly.
Gwinnett became so much in debt that he got out of political life entirely in 1773 and sold most of his possessions and land. He led opponents against the Christ Church Parish which had authority from the British crown over them. For instance, the people had to pay them a certain amount of money by order of the King. These opponents were Whigs whom were becoming popular in English government. In 1775, war broke out between the British and Americans when they fought in Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts.
Gwinnett was appointed to a command in the Georgia Continental battalion, he but resigned to avoid controversy and to take up a position as a delegate to the Continental Congress. It was on January 2, 1776 he was elected to the Congress along with his friend Doctor Lyman Hall and future political enemy, George Walton. In Congress, he was very much involved in committee work. There is no record that he played a part in the debate over the Declaration of Independence, but he did vote in favor of it on July 2 of 1776. It was signed by John Hancock (president of the Congress) and Charles Thomson (the secretary), but the document was lost so they made a better-looking Declaration. All of the delegates to Congress (except for those whom were opposed, absent, or both) signed it on August 2, 1776. Gwinnett was later re-elected to Congress in October of that year.
In 1777, Gwinnett’s supporters got the control of the Provincial Congress and made him the Speaker. He is said to have come up with the basis of the first Constitution of the State of Georgia. He and his supporters got rid of any officers in the militia that weren’t as zealous about the Whig Party as their opinions were on how they should be. This was the first time that Colonel Lachlan McIntosh and Button Gwinnett came in conflict. He ran for Brigadier General, but he was defeated by Lachlan, which only intensified their rivalry. During this rivalry, George Walton sided with Lachlan and Doctor Lyman Hall sided with Gwinnett. You must remember that Gwinnett was an Englishman and quite proud of himself. His not getting the position hurt his pride so severely that he considered Lachlan one of his personal enemies from then onward.
When Georgia’s President Archibald Bulloch died; Gwinnett was named as his successor. Gwinnett was elected by an almost unanimous vote with exception of George McIntosh (Lachlan’s brother) who voted against him. Again, Gwinnett was an Englishman, and so when he got to this office, he mistakenly thought that this was a sign of the people recognizing his superiority over them. As President, Gwinnett had no military power over Lachlan but did try to aggravate, thwart, and irritate him any way he could. Gwinnett called for a plan to send troops in British-owned Florida and capturing St. Augustine in order to secure the southern border in 1777. He named himself to head the expedition after Lachlan refused to go along. Lachlan instead accused him of making the move purely for political reasons. Lachlan was opposed to the expedition anyway and refused to take part. Gwinnett had some difficulty with the expedition and requested Lachlan’s help, but Lachlan refused. The expedition nearly failed and was halted, and they reached Savannah on March 26, 1777.
Before the expedition, Gwinnett was running for governor, and after getting home, he lost the campaign. Later he was exonerated of any misconduct he was accused of during his campaign. On May 1, 1777, Lachlan McIntosh, in front of the General Assembly, denounced Gwinnett harshly including calling him “a scoundrel and a lying rascal.” On May 15, 1777, Gwinnett challenged Lachlan to a duel. Lachlan accepted the challenge. On May 16 (the next day), they met and dueled at 12 paces on some land that possibly belonged to James Wright, a former Royal Governor. Both Lachlan and Gwinnett were hit. Lachlan was hit in a leg and soon recovered. Gwinnett was mortally wounded in the waist. Unaware of the extent to Gwinnett’s wound, Lachlan asked Gwinnett if he would like to duel again. They didn’t get a chance to because Gwinnett died of his injuries three days later on May 19. Button Gwinnett was buried somewhere in Savannah’s Colonial Park Cemetery, though the exact location of his grave is unknown.
Lachlan was later accused of murder by Gwinnett’s supporters and he was put on trial but he was found innocent of the charge and he joined Washington at Valley Forge. Lachlan played a role in creating the government of the United States and his descendants were in the Civil War fighting in the Confederate Army.
Today, there are counties named after Gwinnett, McIntosh (and his family), Walton, and Hall. Gwinnett’s signature is the rarest and most valuable (one signature sold in 1979 for $100,000) of the Declaration of Independence signers. He is currently the most famous of the Declaration of Independence signers from Georgia, and his signing of the Declaration of Independence is the most famous of his actions.

The Beginning of the World

2010-02-11T12:57:00.000+09:30

How did the world begin? It didn't begin trillions, billions, and not even millions of years ago. How did we begin? It wasn't from monkeys. Instead, God created the earth in 6 literal days and rested on the 7th. The differences from evolution/atheism and creation, is that creation has proof and evidence and evolutionism has none of those things. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" Genesis 1:1. This is proof enough. However, some will still be in denial even though they know the truth and know that it's true. Let me begin by proving that the earth is only thousands of years old. Isaac Newton's Universal Square Law shows that the moon is attracted to the earth, and the earth is attracted to the sun. If the earth were more than millions of years old, either the earth at first wouldn't have been able to support life, or the earth would be quite close to the sun. Therefore, the earth is not more than millions of years old. Furthermore, there are errors as far as evolution of man is concerned. First of all, just because monkey and human skulls look similar doesn't mean that they evolved. And, there is supposedly a missing link. This supposed missing link doesn't exist, and we will never find any evidence to support it. Here's something you might not know. Did you know that Charles Darwin never claim to be an atheist? This doesn't mean he wasn't truly saved, but he never claimed the teachings of atheism. A friend of mine said well when he said that atheism was just a belief that makes people feel smarter. This is a false doctrine, and can not be proven. The very fact that you exist proves that there is a God. To say we evolved, would be like finding the Mona Lisa in a jungle and saying that the canvas evolved, and the colors came on by the sun and colors of the surrounding jungle. Your human body is so wonderfully complex, that there has to be a maker and a designer. As Ray Comfort said, "All you need is eyes that can see and a brain that works". Such is true. After looking at all this, you who have seen this evidence, if you believe in atheism after reading this, then it means you are more than likely denying what you know to be true. All things scream that God created them. Your body is the evidence that God is the creator and maker. I plead with you to accept Jesus Christ the Son of God, who "was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1-4). He who created you is also Just because you have sinned against Him. He is perfect, and cannot allow anything that isn't pure to be His. Therefore, we all deserve to go to hell to be punished, tormented, and separated from God for eternity. Yet God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son that was born of a virgin, lived a Holy, Perfect, and Sinless Life. He was a human being just like us, but He was the Son of God and therefore was(is) perfect. God's chosen people Israel rejected Him and one of His own apostles (Judas Iscariot) betrayed Him. He was brought to the ancient Romans who were in authority at that time, and had Him crucified. On that cross, He bore God's wrath for every sin the you and I ever committed. And if you simply believe in Him, He will transfer His perfect and sinless to you. Simply confess that you're a sinner, and ask Him to forgive you while believing in Him and He has promised that He will. He's so wonderful, that He loves sinners like you and me. Don't hold off this decision. It'll be the most important one you'll ever make.

Joe Wright Prayer

2009-11-15T04:47:00.000+09:30

This is a very interesting and true prayer:

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good,," but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We confess:

We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it Pluralism.
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of your will. I ask it in the Name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Salvation

2009-09-22T10:57:00.000+09:30

Brethren,
I praise God that you are saved by the redemption of His blood. As for the unbelievers, I ask that you'll come to the Lord in repentance of sin. Admit that you're a sinner to God, and ask Him to come into your life it'll be the most important decision that you'll ever make. It changes your soul and it's destiny in this life, and in the next. You who are a child of God, I thank God that He will welcome you into His kingdom of glory. For we are bondservants of the Lord Jesus Christ. We were once dead and slaves to sin, and now we're set free from sin and made alive by the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus bought us with the price of His blood, and we are now His servants. He is the kindest master we'll ever have. I ask the unbeliever to trust God today.

2009-09-22T10:37:00.000+09:30

Men and women of the faith in Jesus Christ,
I feel compelled to tell you this. Thus says the Lord, "Listen to my servant lest you be damned. You have ignored and disobeyed his commandments and letters with which I spoke to My people. If you are in need of repentance, first turn to My gospels, and then turn to Paul My servant. He lays out the gospel message and turns it into My laws. Hypocrites, it is clearly before you, but you don't see. Therefore, pray for the Lord of the harvest to send out workers of help you understand their meaning. You are damned unless you follow My ways, for I am the Lord. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Antichrists and False Prophets have come into you midst, pretending to be of the Father. I tell you the truth, that they are not. Study My word, for God the King will bring you into judgement unless you repent and turn from your wicked ways. I am the Lord."

"Trust in Me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. I am the Lord."

Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,

Joshua Noble

Rising waters/Jesus as Savior

2009-09-22T10:09:00.004+09:30

Brethren in the faith of Jesus Christ,
There have been floods in Georgia. Even in my home town of Douglasville. I urge you who are battling these waters to come to faith. Though the waters will recede soon, you must know Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for your sins and there's ample proof of Him everywhere. He died so that you can live and have salvation. I write nothing new, for what I tell you has been taught for 2,000 years. All who declare that Jesus Christ is Lord and has faith that He died for them and rose on the third day has everlasting life. In everlasting life, you see that everyone dies. Job, a man and servant of the Most High God, said, that "though worms destroy this body, my flesh, shall I see God". This is true for every believer. Though your body is in the grave, you have a spirit. Sons of Perdition are condemned along with those who refuse to believe in Jesus Christ even in death shall be tormented in hell. Heaven will be filled with those who have the seal of God written on their hearts which is mentioned in the book of Hebrews. New believers will notice a sudden change in themselves, and others will notice a change in them. They will be filled with the Holy Ghost, and practice righteousness which comes by faith. Though not all do miracles (miracles come from God even when the condemned do it), they still have the grace of Jesus Christ. They have assurance of heaven. Do not be discouraged I say again, by the rising flood waters. Christ will be your savior if you invite Him into you heart. The flood you see, is from God. I don't know why these things are happening, but I do know that it's all within God's will and He guided every raindrop to earth. Since you are more precious to him than a raindrop, then you are a child in God's eyes. If you don't accept Jesus Christ, He will deny knowing you and will disown you, casting you out where there is weeping, and gnashing of teeth (as described by Jesus). If you are truly His son, remain strong and God will reward you through Jesus Christ His Son. I ask you brethren who are in the faith to remain strong and trust in Jesus. Those who don't know Christ, I plead with to accept Christ. It's by no merit of mine nor yours that we are to be saved, but by faith in the blood of Christ Jesus the risen Lord and Savior.

May the Grace of Christ be with you.

Your brother in Christ,
Joshua Noble

Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy Comparisons

2009-09-07T10:50:00.004+09:30

Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846, and Kennedy was elected to Congress 1946.

Lincoln was elected president in 1860, and Kennedy was elected in 1960.

Lincoln's secretary had the last name of Kennedy, and Kennedy's secretary had the last name of Lincoln.

Both lost their children while in the White House.

Both had Vice Presidents (later successors) with the last name of Johnson.

Both Johnsons were southerners.

Both were shot in the head on a Friday.

Lincoln's assassin was John Wilkes Booth born in 1839.

Kennedy's assassin was Lee Harvy Oswald born in 1939.

Kennedy was in a Ford automobile, and Lincoln was in a theater called Ford's Theater.

Lincoln was assassinated in a theater and the assassin ran and was killed in a warehouse (tobacco barn).

Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and the assassin ran into a theater.

Both assassins were killed before being brought to court.

Buddhism

2009-08-29T03:04:00.003+09:30

Buddhism was founded by a man named Siddhartha Gautama. He was the son of a warrior and he lived in a palace during the time of Daniel and Jeremiah when Israel was in captivity of the Babylonians in the east. Siddhartha’s father saw much suffering, pain, and starvation outside his very walls, so he kept his son from going outside his palace walls and seeing all that was going on. However, one day, he snuck out and saw the pain and suffering. He left his fortunes, wife (his wife was more than likely betrothed to him or chosen by his father beforehand) and new-born son to find the cause of all that was going on, and destroy it.

He became a monk, searching for enlightenment. He starved himself and once, was carried by the gentle current while bathing into rapids and he almost went over the waterfall if it hadn’t been for a branch which he caught just in time. He decided that being a monk was pointless. One day, he decided to just sit there under a fig tree until he was enlightened. He was tempted by Mara (which is either Satan in disguise, one of his angels, or a story derived from Jesus’ Temptation in Matthew 4:1-11). After resisting the ‘evil one’, he was enlightened and renamed Buddha.

Buddha began preaching in Bodh Gaya, India. He won thousands of followers, deceived by a great lie created by Satan. He traveled all over India, teaching for 45 years until his death. All his teachings were written down, and put into a book which is their scriptures.

Instead of the 10 Commandments, the Buddhists follow what they call, “The Four Noble Truths”:

1. Life consists of suffering including pain, misery, sorrow, and fulfillment.

This is true enough, but there can be fulfillment, and that is only through Christ Jesus.

2. Everything is Impermanent.

This is half true. All souls, along with the word of God, and God Himself shall last forever. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God shall stand forever”.

3. In order to eliminate suffering, you must eliminate desires.

This saying can be true and false. It is logical, but Matthew 7:7-12 tells of how we are to desire and seek the Kingdom of God and knock on the door. Therefore, some desires are righteous while some are evil such as lustful desires or covetous desires. The Bible continuously tells us that we are to desire His words, and seek His commandments.

4. Desires can be eliminated by eight points. These are:

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Awareness
8. Right Meditation

These 8 points are the things that categorize a Christian. The Buddhists follow what they think is right, when it is the words of Satan. Satan makes things look good, and healthy, when it really destroys your soul. As I mentioned earlier, some desires are righteous, and some are evil. The right ways, are mentioned in the Bible. They are pure thoughts (Matthew 5:8), clean speech (Romans 3:13), righteous actions (Matthew 11:19), God-honoring livelihood (Proverbs 3:9-10), righteous efforts (Job 39:19), spiritual awareness (I Kings 8:38), and daily meditation (Psalm 19:14).

More of the laws of Buddha, are 5 precepts. They are:

1. Taking the life of any life form (the Buddhists believed that after you died, your spirit was reincarnated into an animal).

2. Stealing

3. Sexual Immorality

4. Lying

5. Intoxications

All except the 1st one, are basically what the Bible says not to do. After you die, your spirit is either sent to Hell and afterwards the Lake of Fire, or your spirit is sent to Heaven and afterwards, the New Earth. You can obey the laws as much as you want, you can do miracles in the name of Buddha (which is the power of Satan) or of the power of Jesus Christ, but you can’t get into Heaven without first believing Christ as God’s Son who died and rose again as the scriptures predicted. The Buddhists believe that if your life ever was filled with many desires, you would be reborn into an animal, or a human. If your life has no desires, you will go immediately to the ‘Paradise Realm’. There are supposedly 33 realms of heaven and hell. You supposedly have to go through all parts in order to reach the final destination.

U.S.S. Indianapolis In The Words Of The Survivors

2009-07-29T23:32:00.012+09:30

South Dakota native spent 110 hours in shark-infested water By Steve Youngsyoung@argusleacer.comPublished: August 19, 2007. A man floats in the Pacific Ocean for 110 hours, surrounded by sharks, driven to delirium by the blistering sun and by the cold, black night, haunted by empty life jackets once filled with survivors.
How does he come through all of that? How does he live when hundreds in the water with him do not? And how is it that this one man grows old now when the slow torture of time in the ocean drove so many other young men to choose eternity instead?
Sixty-two years after Sioux Falls native Edward Brown survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis, he is still looking for those answers."I'm hoping in the hereafter that I will be able to look back and see the path I took, see all the different twists and turns," Brown says from his home in Santa Maria, Calif. "Then maybe I'll know why it was that I was saved and didn't die. I had cancer twice, too. So I say to myself, 'What in the heck are you doing here? What are you supposed to be doing?' "
They are not easy questions for a man who grew up on Sioux Falls' north side and went on to survive the worst single at-sea loss of life in the history of the U.S. Navy.

The story of the USS Indianapolis resurfaced again this month when the Discovery Channel aired "Ocean of Fear: Worst Shark Attack Ever," about the heavy cruiser's sinking and the shark attacks its crew endured.
It was just weeks before the end of World War II - early on July 30, 1945 - when the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese sub as it chugged unescorted toward the Philippines after delivering the components for the atomic bomb that would be dropped on Hiroshima. The ship sank in 12 minutes. Three hundred of its 1,196 crew members went to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean with it. Nine hundred sailors and Marines were plunged into the ocean, a few making their way into lifeboats, most bobbing in the water with only life jackets.
In a series of miscommunications, the Navy didn't even realize the ship was missing. By the time an American pilot looking for Japanese subs stumbled upon them 4 1/2 days later, only 321 crewmen were still alive.
An anti-aircraft gunner, Brown was sitting on the platform of his gun mount, putting his shoes on, when the torpedoes hit. Flames shot 300 feet in the air. He thought the aviation fuel or a gun magazine had exploded. It didn't take long to realize the ship was beginning to list and turn. They were sinking. Seventy feet above the ocean's surface, Brown prepared to jump. His buddy, Danny Spencer, told him to stop, that he was going to kill himself. What other choice did they have, Brown said?
He leaped feet first, bounced on his rear end off the armor plating on the ship's bottom and into the water, swimming furiously until he was at least 200 yards away."It was eerie," he says. "The moon came out, lit up the whole sky. The ship's nose went into the water. The propellers were still turning. And then it was gone, and the clouds came in, and it was pitch black again."

At least two other South Dakotans went down with the ship. One, 22-year-old Ensign Telford Frank Morgan of Warner, worked in the radar room. He probably was sleeping when one of the two torpedoes detonated near his quarters, his brother, Ron Morgan of Warner, says.
"All indications were that he was killed right away," his brother says.Ron Morgan was about 10 years old the day they got the news back home. The boy often spent his days riding back and forth to the Warner elevator from the grain fields with area farmers. That day, however, he came out of the house and found his father sitting alone on the stoop.
"I said, 'What happened? Did it rain too much and the farmers can't combine today?' " Ron Morgan, 71, recalls. "That's when he told me about my brother. It was awfully sad."
David Driscoll of Lead, a lieutenant junior grade, also was aboard, probably working his shift as a communications officer, his sister, Jo Dougherty of Sioux Falls, says.Driscoll had gone to Mass and communion earlier, the family learned - a fact that always comforted their mother, his sister says.
"They say the last words out of the communications office were, 'My God, let's get out of here,' " Dougherty says. "That was probably him."Driscoll was 28 when he died, an accomplished pianist who had studied music at Harvard and UCLA, his sister says.
As the ship sank, 900 men went into the water, in bunches and in singles, to drift for 41/4 days in an area that covered 100 square miles. Brown was part of a group of 366 who hooked their life jackets together as they counted off. By the end of their ordeal, only 66 still would be alive.

In those equatorial waters of the South Pacific, the 19-year-old South Dakotan found himself a long way from his prairie roots.
Brown was one of seven children. His father, George, was a building supplies salesman. The family lived on North Duluth Avenue, three blocks from St. Joseph Cathedral. Brown grew up catching bluegills and crappies with a cane pole and a bobber on his grandfather's bridge over by Cherry Rock Park.
His gang used to hang around Canary Field near East 10th Street and wait for foul balls to sail into the parking lot. Once they snagged a baseball, they retreated to Covell Lake for their own games, often taping the ball with electrical tape to make it last as long as they could.
In high school, Brown played tackle and end in football for Nusier Salem at Cathedral High. His younger brother, Dan, was the better athlete, eventually playing for the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1955 Orange Bowl.On his 18th birthday - Oct. 16, 1943 - Ed Brown got his draft notice. With the help of the nuns at Cathedral, he managed to defer it to Jan. 17, 1944, so he could get in all the academic requirements to graduate. That January evening, after playing in his last high school basketball game, he boarded a train for Idaho and rode off to World War II.
Two months later, he was steaming toward the South Pacific and major invasions in places called Okinawa, Guam and Pelileu. In fact, they were invading Saipan when he got his high school graduation notice. "Obviously," he says, "I couldn't go."Eventually, the USS Indianapolis ended up in San Francisco, docked at Hunters Point, when they got word they were taking a large and secret crate on board for transfer to Tinian in the Northern Marianas Islands.
All liberty was canceled because they were sailing the next day. But Brown and his buddy, Chuck Bruneau, had made plans to meet two girls at a dance hall. So wearing dungarees over their navy blues, the two slipped off the ship that evening.
The next morning, around 5 a.m., the gangplank was being raised, and the Indianapolis was preparing to pull away when Brown came running, his hand waving wildly, to the ship."I've given a lot of talks over the years," Brown says. "People always say, 'What if you had been caught?' My response was, 'I'd probably have gotten court-martialed and would have missed the swimming party.' "
If only, he says, he had been so lucky.

In the water after the explosion, the 900 survivors thought help would come soon. Radio operators on board insisted they had sent distress signals to the Navy of its fate and position. But the messages were not received or went unnoticed as military officials prepared to drop the bombs.
No one missed the Indianapolis. Initially, Brown and others in his group were swimming in a large oil slick. The smell was putrid, sickening, he says. But it likely saved their lives, coating their skin from the searing rays of the sun.
At first, their hours were filled with idle conversations, Brown says.
"Picture yourself with a handful of people in a swimming pool," he says. "You're there for hours and hours, then you run out of conversation. Then we're just kind of loafing around, doing a lot of nothing."At one point, his buddy Danny Spencer asked what he was thinking.
Brown replied: " 'Give me land, lots of land, under starry skies above. Don't fence me in.' You know, Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters sang it. We started singing it. Then I got hit in the mouth by a breaker and was choking. That was it."In his book, "In Harm's Way," author Doug Stanton describes how, 36 hours into their ordeal, the survivors began encountering mako, tiger, blue and other sharks.
The predators fed on the deceased and the wounded, Stanton wrote. The glassy sea would erupt with screams of men being attacked. Others would be pulled under the water, their life vests shooting back to the surface empty, the straps in shreds. Stanton estimated at least 200 of the men were victims of shark attack.
"The sea was a bloody mess of bits of clothes and drowning men with arms and legs sheared off," Stanton wrote, based on his interviews with survivors. The "patterns of attacks in low-light conditions, particularly at twilight and in the dawn hours, soon established itself as the rhythm of the men's days: the sharks would attack in the morning, then cruise the wounded and the dying all day, feeding again at night on the living. "Brown says he never experienced any of that. "I saw them circling, but I didn't see anybody attacked by sharks," he says. "I had one that went through my legs that felt like a Santa Fe Super Chief, a streamlined train. But that was it."

He saw plenty of other horrors, however. By day, the sun blistered them to the point of extreme dehydration. At night they shivered from the cold, their body temperatures plummeting in the 85-degree water.
Despair drove many of them to death. They simply removed their life vests and slipped into the depths."I told a lot of mothers and wives afterward that that's what happened," Brown says. "Drowning isn't a very bad way to go. You just go to sleep."
Though they were told not to drink the sea water, many succumbed anyway. They were usually dead within hours, Brown says, their bodies unable to process all the salt.
Others snapped as they watched planes pass in the distance. "Why is no one coming?" they kept asking, Brown says. "Where are they?""One morning, a sailor swam up to where I was and said, 'Hey, there's an island over there, and the Seabees are drinking beer and they won't let me have any,' " Brown says. "A bunch of guys took off their life jackets and started following this guy. We never see them again."
Stanton wrote that in the early hours of Aug. 2, 1945, some of the survivors started turning on each other, thinking there were Japanese attackers among them. Sailors started stabbing each other with knives. "Hypothermia, dehydration ... the onset of starvation ... was turning the minds of these boys inside out," Stanton wrote. "In a matter of 10 minutes, an estimated 50 boys were killed. The melee had the intensity of a flash fire."
At one point, Brown says an officer told one of the sailors in his group to take off his life jacket so the officer could put it around his feet for protection against the sharks.
"I told the kid, 'Don't be silly. Keep it on,' " Brown says. "The officer told me, 'I'm going to have you on report.' I said, 'Who in in the world you going to report it to?' "By the third or fourth day, Brown's eyes barely rested four inches above the water. His body was covered in salt-water sores.
He remembers staring sleepily into the sky late into his ordeal when it suddenly filled with a huge black-and-yellow Western Union telegram. The message was to his parents. It said their son was believed killed in action."It covered the whole sky," Brown recalls. "I got rid of that thought quick. I was never going to give up."
It was halfway through the fifth day when Lt. Chuck Gwinn, searching for Japanese subs with his patrol plane, spotted the oil slick and the men in the water. One of the first to respond to Gwinn's call was Lt. Adrian Marks, a 28-year-old Indiana native. It was Marks' plane that landed in the ocean and rescued Brown and 55 others.
"I'm sure within minutes, I'd have been dead," Brown says. "I was dozing off. I don't think I would have woken up. I was exhausted."Of the 321 men pulled from the water, four died within a week, including Chuck Bruneau, the buddy Brown had snuck out with before they shipped out of San Francisco.
"That was maybe the biggest heartbreak ... for me," Brown says.
'Things like that happen'
Afterward, the ship's captain, Charles B. McVay, became the only Navy captain of World War II court-martialed for losing his ship. He was found guilty of failing to perform a defensive zigzag in enemy waters.
The pain of that tragedy was something McVay couldn't escape. Brown says Christmas, Easter and other holidays would roll around, and his captain would receive letters from mothers and wives that read, "If it hadn't been for you, my son or my husband would be with me for this holiday.""It weighed down on him," Brown says, so much so that on Nov. 6, 1968, McVay stood on the back porch of his home in Litchfield, Conn., and killed himself with a revolver.
To a man, his crew supported their captain to the end, Brown says. Thirty-two years after McVay's death, in October 2000, Congress passed a resolution exonerating him for the loss of the USS Indianapolis. President Clinton signed the resolution.
For Brown, who attended South Dakota State University for a few years, then ended up as a salesman in California, the ghosts of the Indianapolis haven't been as haunting."I don't believe it changed me," he says. "We all realized we were in a war, and things like that happen in war. You lose friends; I accepted that. I witnessed it, and I got through it."
The truth is, if he really sits and thinks about the 110 hours he spent in the ocean, about the searing heat and the cold nights and the friends who disappeared from their life jackets, Brown might not have to wait for the hereafter to find out why he survived. Having had years to ponder it, he now thinks it has everything to do with his South Dakota upbringing.
"I grew up in a family that was very competitive. And I went to a high school, Cathedral, where we were always the underdogs.
"We always had to fight to the end. Our teachers and coaches always taught us that. We were not allowed to give up. So I never thought about giving up, not in all that time I was floating in that ocean. It's because I played for the underdog, Cathedral High School. That's why I survived."'

It was because of God's grace and mercy that Edward Brown was saved. God still had and has a plan for his life. He just gout out of the hospital, battling cancer which he's had several times. The wind and the waves obey God, why not the sharks? Their lives were in God's hands. Even though God decided that some had completed the lives that He gave them and let them die, others he chose for His glory to survive. The Indianapolis was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's flagship. When the Japanese bombed the 'Iny's' home post of Pearl Harbor (the Indy was in California for maintenance), the crew of the USS Indianapolis threw things overboard to lighten the ship (including FDR's furniture) and went full speed towards the Japanese in the Pacific Ocean to engage the enemy. They never caught up with the Navy of the Japanese, but it was during that time that FDR announced war with the Japanese. The Indy won 10 Battle Stars during WWII, including from the battle of Iwo Jima. Once, a Japanese suicide bomber attacked the ship. The plane dove and dropped a bomb that caused damage to the Indy, before crashing into the ship itself. The men pushed the plane overboard, and then fought to keep the ship from sinking. They succeeded, and the ship was repaired in California where Captain Charles Butler McVay III was given the orders to deliver some important cargo to the Island of Tinian. They loaded a mysterious crate of which only 2-3 people on the ship knew exactly what was in it. Captain McVay didn't even know anything about the crate, except that he was supposed to deliver it. He delivered it successfully to Tinian, and it was then taken to base. The Indy was then ordered to the Island of Okinawa for gunnery practice. It was a foggy night, when Japanese submarine captain Hashimoto fired 6 torpedoes at the unsuspecting enemy. Two rocked the ship. One hit in the middle, and one hit towards the bow. Out of the 1,196 on board, an estimated 900 men made it into the water. For 4 1/2 days, the men dwindled among life rafts and water-logged life vests which were not designed to be buoyant for that long. They battled sharks (blue sharks, tiger sharks, and mako sharks), hypothermia, exposure, and delusions. Finally, they were rescued. 321 were pulled out of the water, but 4 died shortly after. In all, 317 survived the disaster. Only about 79 are still alive today.

http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=30825

I had to change some things due to some inappropriate language. However, everything else is correct.

Crucifixion

2009-04-11T02:44:00.005+09:30

Crucifixion is one of the most famous means of ancient execution. It was first recorded as being used by the Persians, then the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Macedonians, and the Romans. The most famous crucifixions are that of Jesus, Peter the apostle, and Spartacus. After being sentenced, Romans would whip and torture the prisoner to weaken him and therefore shorten their lives. Then, they were usually made to carry the heavy beam of their own crosses to weaken them further. If they made it to the place of crucifixion alive, they were laid on a cross where nails would be driven into his wrists (although most depictions inaccurately depict nails in the hands), and one in both feet usually in the ankles. After that, they are raised up and stay there for a long period of time with the slowest suffocations ever. Meanwhile, there's nails in their bodies and their hanging there as air is very slowly drawn out. Most last for days or possibly a week. During this time, Roman guards are posted to make sure they don't escape. Sometimes, if the nails don't disable their feet, the guards will take large hammers and break the legs. The Romans had the most efficient yet cruel way of crucifixion. The other nations just nailed or tied them to a tree and left them there sometimes posting a guard or two. The effect was always the same though. As mentioned before, the most famous was crucifixion was that of Jesus of Nazareth. He claimed to be the Messiah, and was taken before the Sanhedrin where they took him to Pontious Pilate demanding his death. Pilate tried to calm them but couldn't. To stop them from turning into a mob, he ordered him to be crucified. Jesus was whipped and scourged as prophesied. Then, he was hung on a cross. As he was dying, he became thirsty. They gave him vinegar as prophesied. With the last words "Father, into Thy hands, I commend My spirit", he died. He raised from the dead after being in a tomb for 3 days. When he raised himself from the dead, there were holes where the nails used to be. Some of his other apostles were crucified. Peter was crucified and according to legend, he thought himself unworthy to die like Jesus so he had Romans put the cross upside down. Nearly a year later, Andrew Peter's brother was also crucified. And also like his brother, he thought himself unworthy to be crucified like Jesus. So, he was crucified with the beams making an X. The cross of Saint Andrew is now used in the flags of the Union Jack, Scotland, Florida, and Alabama. The apostle Phillip also was crucified. There are only two archeological evidences that exist. One is an ankle bone found in a tomb with a nail driven into it. Another one is not solid evidence, but it's the Shroud of Turin which is an ancient burial cloth with an image of a man, with nails in his body and a thorny crown just like Jesus. We don't know how the image got on there, or what the image is composed of.

The Britannic

2009-03-19T06:55:00.001+09:30

How the ship sank.

Only known photograph of the sinking.

This is what the Britannic would have looked like.

After the sinking of the Titanic, news reporters were all asking about a rumor that a ship called the Gigantic was going to be built. The White Star Line denied it so that they wouldn't loose credibility so they switched the name to Britannic. It was begun in 1914 but WW1 broke out and she was transferred to his Majesty's Royal Navy and was converted into a hospital ship. It made 5 voyages across the Mediterranean Sea and on the 6th, Violet Jessop and John Priest were both on all three sister ships
but were both unaware of each other's presence. They were going to pick up more wounded soldiers and they were sitting down to eat when they heard an explosion at 8:12 A.M. and every one was woken up. At 8:45, they started lowering lifeboats without an order from Captain Charles Albert Barllet whom was trying to beach the Britannic on the Island of Kea, 3 miles away. At 8:45, the ship is listing so bad, that they can't lower lifeboats. Just a few minutes later, she sinks with the loss of 30 people. There are no survivors alive today.

Jesus Christ

2009-02-12T02:20:00.010+09:30

As a Christian, I feel that it is necessary to explain Jesus. Many Jews of today are still awaiting a Messiah, and some have decided that it has been too long since the prophesies, that the scriptures must have meant something else. I tell you that there are 109 prophesies that predict the Messiah. The first prophesy, is in Genesis where it says that the serpent would strike man's heel a Man would crush his head. The serpent as most of us know, was Satan indwelt. The Messiah must also be a descendant of Abraham. It says in Genesis again, a nation shall be born of him. This takes out 1/3 of the earth's population, since Abraham was a descendant of Shem, of whom received the blessings of Noah. The blessing was passed on to Isaac, then Jacob afterward called Israel, then Judah. The line goes down to Boaz, the husband of Ruth. After that, their grandson was Jesse the father of King David. God again promises that the Messiah will be of the line of David. David's son was Solomon. Through a series of events, Joseph and Mary the parents of Jesus, were both the descendants of David. This makes them very very distant cousins (although they didn't know it). Now that I've finished with telling you that the bloodline of the Messiah must be very specific, I will tell you the qualifications of the Messiah. Isaiah 7:14 says that the Messiah must be born of a virgin (which indicated a supernatural birth). Mary was no married to Joseph, and was pure. In Micah 5:2, it states that he must be born in Bethlehem. In Psalms 34:20, it says that he was pierced, but not a bone was broken. Psalms later says that they divided his garments and cast lots for them. Later on in Zechariah, it says that he must be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver. The one that Jews dislike, is that in Isaiah, it says that he will be rejected by his people. They will ignore, and even hate him. The Bible/Torah also says that he will save his people from their oppression. Now, who in all the world must possess these qualifications? Who has been born of a virgin in Bethlehem, of the direct line of David, hated by His own people, betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, had his garments divided, and saved his people from their oppression? Jesus Christ fulfilled all these prophesies mentioned, and all the others of the 109 prophesies. You must understand that he is the Lord of our lives. When he saved his people from oppression, it wasn't physical as many Jews think. It was spiritual. He saved people from death. He died on the cross like a thief, and rose again on the third day. His rising from the dead proves that he saved us from death. We all have done many bad things. The Bible and Torah calls that sin. If we just ask him to forgive us, he will cleanse you. With you surrendered to Jesus, you are forgiven for all that you have done. Not only that, you will never die. When believers in Christ "die", they are sent to rest, waiting for God to come back a second time, in which he will create a new heaven and a new earth. I invite you to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior.

The Empress of Ireland

2009-02-07T01:54:00.002+09:30

The Empress of Ireland was launched on January 26, 1906 and was 570 feet long and 66 feet wide. She was 9 hours into her voyage from Quebec, Canada to Liverpool, England carrying 1,477 passengers when a blanket of fog came down all of a sudden. It was May 14, 1914 and Captain Henry George Kendall was keeping a lookout for anything. Immediately, there were lights and they were coming closer at a great speed and then it hit the starboard side and scraped a huge hole. Then, the lights vanished. The impact was hardly felt and the water came in at 60,000 gallons a second. Those on the lower decks on the starboard side never even had the chance to wake up before water came over their heads! The only passengers that had the slightest chance of getting a life jacket on were on the top decks. The boats were being lowered quickly but all were full. In all, only 4 lifeboats were launched. Captain Kendall just stood there, watching all those people scream, panic, jump, and Kendall did nothing to regain order. instead, he ordered his Chief officer to help lower the boats. The
Chief Officer was never seen again. As the ship listed a little more, Kendall was thrown overboard from the bridge and landed next to a lifeboat where he was pulled in. The Empress then stopped when the water had consumed half the ship. There were about a hundred standing on the port side. Then, the ship gracefully slipped beneath the waves into the freezing St. Lawrence river. The captain then began rescue operations and picked up dozens of people from the water. They were later picked up by the Storstad which was the ship that sank her. 465 people survived including 4 children (out of 138) and 42 women (out of 279). 1,012 died. The owner of the Storstad was forced to sell her for $750,000 after a Law Suit was won by the owners of the Empress of Ireland for $2,000,000. Salvage efforts have gone slowly. There is a hole from where the U.S.A. had blasted their way to get a bullion of 6 billion dollars. Only the most experienced divers can go down there and they can see things like the Steward's Dormitory where sixty stewards never had a chance and now are in a
jumble of bones. The wreck is a graveyard and , like the TITANIC, we must think about that if anyone goes down there.

The Lusitania

2008-10-23T03:57:00.000+09:30

The Lusitania was built by Cunard and was sure that this ship would put the White Star Line which was the company that the TITANIC. It was completed on June, 1906 along with it's sister ship, Maurentania. The Lusitania was christened by lady Inverclyde because Lord Inverclyde, (the ship's owner) died earlier that morning. They were the biggest, grandest, and fastest ships afloat and even set a record across the Atlantic Ocean carrying the Blue Riband . The ships had all of the latest technology and the most famous people on board.

The Germans were beginning to attack English ships and sinking them with submersibles. This was often a very common threat. The Maurentania was transformed into a army transport and was rented by the Royal Navy for 150,000 english pounds. The Royal Navy also paid the Cunard 64,000 english pounds to use the Lusitania as a mail transport. There was a submarine (U-20) spotted off the coast of the English Channel, headed straight for the Lusitania.

The Lusitania was told that a submarine was in the area but the wireless operator ignored the message and it didn't go to the bridge. It was 30 miles off the coast of Clear Sound Island. It was May 7, 1915 the passengers were just sitting down to breakfast when a huge explosion erupted. Then, there was a second explosion. Immediately, water started coming into the hold. The order was given by Captain Turner to begin to lower the lifeboats but the crew was already loading and lowering. The lifeboats were lowered so quickly, that some of them were flipped over dumping the passengers into the sea. The Lusitania sank in 18 minutes. On the way down to the bottom, most of the boilers exploded causing great damage to the ship. 1,198 people died out of the 1,959 on board.

The bodies that were not recovered on the shore of Queenstown, Ireland were more than likely trapped in the wreck. Mrs. Stephens was one of the bodies recovered and on the way to America, the ship carrying her remains was sunk by U-20: the same submersible that killed her on the Lusitania. Today, the wreck is barely distinguishable except a few bones and personal belongings.

John Wilkes Booth

2008-10-01T07:21:00.002+09:30

John Wilkes Booth was born on May 10, 1838 to Junius Brutus and Mary Ann Holmes Booth. Junius Brutus and Mary Ann were English immigrants, of whom came to America in 1821. Junius Brutus was a tragedian actor, and was one of the most famous actors during that time. After they got to America, they bought a house on a quiet farm in southern Maryland. John Wilkes Booth was the 9th child of ten, being named after an English politician whom he was distantly related to. As an infant, his mother was sitting by the fire when she saw the flames seem to twist and curl to spell the word, “Country”.

He grew up on the farm and then went to Military School. However, he quit because his father had died and he needed to help his mother manage the farm. He didn’t like being a farmer and wanted to do something with his life. He decided to join his older brothers, Edwin and Junius Jr. in acting. They made their debut in 1855 playing in Shakespeare’s, Richard III. He was a poor actor, this being his first time but the people were kind to him because of his great father. He left his brothers and joined a traveling theatre, and that gained him a little fame. He left and then settled in Surrattsville, Maryland just outside of Washington D.C. in which he was acting at Ford’s Theatre. In 1859, extreme abolitionist John Brown was captured at Harper’s Ferry. John volunteered into the army and witnessed John Brown’s hanging along with Thomas Jackson, soon to be known as Stonewall Jackson. After his term as volunteer expired, he rejoined Ford’s Theatre becoming one of the most famous actors in the country. In 1861, the civil war broke out. Booth was for slavery, and was a confederate sympathizer. As zealous as he was for the south however, he made a promise to his mother that he would not join the confederate army, so that he could take care of her since all of his other brothers were off in other parts of the world. Although he wasn’t a part of the army, that didn’t mean he couldn’t help the confederates. He traded supplies and secrets with them, acting as a spy. He acted rarely, and one time was in front of President Lincoln, in “The Marble Heart”.

John became more and more involved in the secret service of the confederacy, and soon began a plot with Lewis Paine, David Herold, George Atzeroldt, John Surrat, Michel O’laughlen, and Edward Spangler. The Secret Service of the Confederacy leant Booth $1,500 so that he and his co-conspirators could kidnap President Abraham Lincoln. 4 times, they had come very close to doing so, but something always went wrong. When Lee surrendered to Grant which ended the war, the plot turned from kidnapping to murder. The group grew smaller, and now only David Herold, George Atzerodt, and Lewis Paine remained. They regularly met at the Surratt Boarding House, owned by Mary Surrratt the mother of John Surratt just outside of Washington D.C. They were waiting for the right moment in which to strike, and it came when the manager of Ford’s Theatre told Booth that Lincoln was going to attend that night, to see the play, “Our American Cousin” while Booth was picking up his mail there. This was the big break. The 4 met at the Surratt Tavern, and they devised a plan. Booth would kill Lincoln, and Grant who was supposed to attend the theatre with him. George Adtzerodt was to kill Vice-President Andrew Johnson at a hotel he was staying in. Lewis Paine was to kill Secretary of State, William Seward in his home. David Herold would assist Lewis Paine.

Our American Cousin began at 9:00 P.M. Booth was hanging around the stage, drinking whiskey or talking to people that recognized him. At 8:58, Booth used an underground tunnel that led to the front lobby. He slowly crept up the steps. Meanwhile, the Lincolns were enjoying an evening in celebration of the war. General Grant had cancelled his going with the president, so Major Arthur Henry Rathbone and his fiancée, Clara Harris, accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln. Booth moved up the stairs that led to the boxes, of which overlooked the stage. He came to a small room that led to the president’s box. He barred the door, barricading himself inside. He entered the president’s box, silently. The actors were sending the crowds into waves of laughter. At 9:00, one said, “Why don’t you learn them manners you sockdologizing ol’ man-trap. Just then, Booth fired the 44 caliber derringer pistol at Lincoln’s head. Lincoln slumped over, and Major Rathbone attacked Booth. Booth dropped the pistol, pulled out his knife, and stabbed Rathbone in the arm. He jumped on the banister and jumped to the stage 10 feet down. However, as he was jumping, his spurs caught the flags which made his ankle come down twisted, and made him break his tibia. He limped to the middle of the stage and yelled through his pain, “Sic Semper Tyrannis”! Then he ran across the stage, leaped on his horse, and galloped away before anyone could stop him. John came to a bridge that was guarded, since it was closed that night. He came up to the guard, and the guard asked him what he was doing. John lied, and said that he lived in Surrattsville, and said that he was in town on business and stayed there too late. The guard let him pass, and he went on his way. He was soon met by David Herold, and they both rode off. At 1:30 A.M., they went to the Surratt Boarding House where they picked up some guns. At 4:30 A.M., they came to the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd, a confederate sympathizer. Now Booth and Mudd knew each other, but Mudd didn’t recognize him. Herold told Mudd that he had fallen off his horse, and wounded his leg. The doctor brought Booth upstairs, where he had to cut away Booth’s boot. He put a splint on the leg, and let him rest in the guest bedroom where he and Herold slept. The next day, Muud went to town and heard the news that Booth had shot Lincoln. Mudd immediately recognized that they were at his house, alone with his wife two small children. He ran to the farm, intending to order them out. By the time he got to his home, Booth and Herold were seen just over the horizon. They came to Samuel Cox, but he had heard of what they did and would have nothing to do with them. They then came to Thomas Jones. He was a confederate sympathizer as well, and said he would help them cross the Potomac River. It was not safe however, so they hid in the Zekiah Swamp. They hid there, during which time Booth was supplied by Jones. He was most eager to hear the reaction of the country. He was shocked, and surprised at the response. He thought that he would be a hero of the south, but even Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee condemned him. He used a day book as a diary, and this was filled with self-righteous, lying statements. Some were true and helpful though. After 5 days of sleeping in the Zekiah Swamp, Jones finally felt that it was safe enough to take the fugitives across the Potomac River. They snuck out into the river in the dead of night, and even passed an ironclad, patrolling the waters without being seen. They finally made it across into Virginia. They went to the farm of a man named Lucas, a freed African American. They asked if they could sleep in the cabin, and Lucas refused. Booth forced Lucas at the point of his knife to let them sleep in his cabin. :Lucas and his family all slept outside. The next morning, they took some food and continued south, hoping that in the deep south, he would be honored there. On the way south, they were sore and were looking for a place to rest and stay the night. They met 3 confederate soldiers returning from war. They were taken to the home of Richard H. Garrett. They stayed there for several days, until finally Garrett told them that they could only stay one more night and be off by morning. They had to sleep in the tobacco barn as well. During the night however, the one of the Garrett boys slipped a lock on the door so that they wouldn’t steal any horses. The union soldiers finally caught up with them, surrounded the barn, and told them to come out with their hands up. Booth cried out, “I won’t surrender, but my friend here wants to”. David Herold held out his pistol, and took it. They then took Herold. Booth still wouldn’t come out, so they set fire to the barn, hoping to burn Booth out. He stayed in there, pacing with a gun in his hand. He headed towards the door. Then, one of the soldiers named Willie Jet took aim and fired. He meant to hit Booth in the arm in order to immobilize him, but instead he hit him in the neck. Booth fell, paralyzed. The soldiers dragged him out of the barn, and laid him on the steps of the Garrett house. Booth drifted in and out of concienscness for the rest of the night until early morning. As dawn was breaking, he said “Tell my mother, I died for my country.” At 7:45 A.M., he told the soldier next to him to lift up his hands. He looked down at them and said “Useless, Useless”. He then died. His body was buried under a warehouse to avoid mistreatment, and later given to the family, where he was buried next to his father. To this day, noone in the Booth family is allowed to talk about or even mention his name. David Herold, Lewis Paine, George Adtzeroldt, and Mary Surratt were hanged. Dr. Samuel Mudd, Micheal O’laughlin, and Edward Spangler were sentenced to life in prison, but were paroled by President Johnson. Dr. Mudd’s name was wrecked, and made into a phrase used all the time. It’s where tells you, “You’re name is mud.” The Mudd family are still trying to restore the doctor’s good name. John Wilkes Booth’s name still lives on as the worst villain in this nation’s history.

How the Declaration of Idependence Came to Be

2008-08-14T05:10:00.003+09:30

"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for a people to dissolve the political bands which connect them with another." the first words of the piece of paper that made this nation free.

It was June 30, 1976 and the 15 continental congress was about to convene with John Hancock residing. When they were all settled, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia stood up saying "Mr. Speaker!" "The chair recognizes Mr. Lee of Virginia" replied President Hancock. Mr. Lee then proposed that a Declaration of Independence be made. America was a colony of Great Britain during that time but the people began to think of themselves as Americans instead of Englishmen. A civil war was being fought because King George tried to take away freedoms and make them pay large taxes. The congress was made to help the Americans with their financial problems and supply them. However, the congress soon felt like a government. So, after the proposition was made, it decided that they would vote on it July 2 so that the delegates could get the permission to vote on the matter since all messages had to be delivered by horseback or ship during that time. After that, Benjamin Franklin stood up and proposed someone to write the draft of the Declaration. After that was decided, John Adams of Massachusetts stood up and nominated Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. And so, it was finally decided that he would write it.

And so when he got to his room in Pennsylvania, he sat at his desk and worked long into the night until he finally completed what he thought was a masterpiece. A couple of days later, he brought his draft to the men assigned to help and judge what it should say. Among them was Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, John Adams, David Livingston of Virginia, and John Rutledge of South Carolina. There, only a few passages got through. In the draft, Thomas tried to accuse King George of enslaving colored men and that didn't fly especially with John Rutledge. The draft was read on July 2, 1776 but New York didn't have instructions to vote for or against the Declaration. By July 4, the message was received and all except for John Dickinson of Pennsylvania voted for and signed the Declaration Of Independence.

This turned the war from a civil war with the "mother country" (England) to the Revolutionary War. It's because of this document that this nation is free from tyranny and religious persecution as it promises. When George Washington read it to the former continental army; now army of the United States, it spurred the men's heart's on to victory.

The Titanic

2008-08-12T06:24:00.000+09:30

(I have a blog called the TITANIC GAZETTE so I'm a little obsessed. So thanks for visiting my blog).

The Titanic was built in Belfast Ireland when two men named Joseph Bruce Ismay (president of the White Star Line) and Lord Pirrie (the owner of Harland and Wolff) had the idea for three sister ships called the Olympic, Titanic, and Gigantic (later renamed Britannic). The Titanic was built in 1909-1912 with Harland and Wolff building her and White Star Line owning her. When the ship's hull was completed in 1910, the hull was launched into the sea and gave everyone a cold seawater bath.

She then went to the Southampton, England dry-dock where she was fitted with hot and cold running water, elegant wall panels and furnishings, tiles and carpets, and the engines. She was 882 1/2 feet long(that's as long as 3 1/2 football fields!), 90 feet wide, and 11 stories high. She carried 2,200 passengers.All the latest and newest technology had been added and she was the most popular ship in the world. One of the dining rooms could seat 554 people! The public places include a lounge (style of the Versailles Palace), a smoking room, a reading and writing room, and a Grand Staircase that goes five flights. The Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage on April 10, 1912. On board was John Jacob Astor (the richest man in America), J. Bruce Ismay, Thomas Andrews (the designer of the ship and new owner of Harland and Wolff), Margret (Molly) Brown (the wife of a wealthy miner), and many many others. She was captained by Edward John Smith (a successful captain, was called "The millionaire's captain", and was going to retire after the maiden voyage).

The Titanic stopped at Cherbourg, France on the morning of April 10 and Queenstown, Ireland on the 12th to pick up more passengers. It was April 12, 1912 when the Titanic received her first ice warning and then came an out-pour of them. On April 13, the weather was getting chilly and there was tiny chunks of ice seen. On April 14, the ship increased speed and was sailing in perfect weather. That night, the ship struck an iceberg in the moon-less night. The iceberg made several gashes in the hull and they began to fill with water. The passengers were awoken, given lifebelts, and told to go up on deck. The rule women and children first was used and many innocent lives were saved (including Molly Brown). J. Bruce Ismay got into one of the last lifeboats and left over 1,500 on his ship to die (he was later made a coward and scapegoat). Astor was last seen helping women and children into boats and afterwards, walking one of his dogs on the deck (his body was later recovered). Thomas Andrews was last seen helping women and children into the boats and then staring at a painting of Plymouth Harbor in the Smoking Room where the ship later broke in two (his body was never recovered). Captain Smith was last seen heading towards the bridge (his body was also never recovered). When the ship's stern was high in the air, the ship broke in two and then gracefully slipped into the waves. The Titanic left 705 people in 20 small boats. The survivors were later picked up by the Carpathia and went on to New York. The Titanic was discovered in 1984 by Dr. Robert Ballard and the Titanic is now being broken and eaten by rust. Furthermore, there, pirates and thieves that steal things from the ship and the grave of 1,500 souls.