I love this stuff! Don’t blame me, it’s genetics. Mom and Dad were both history buffs and history teachers. I can’t seem to help myself when something historically interesting grabs my attention. Nerd. Whatever. So be it. This blog will take advantage of something historical, educational, and in keeping with my online friends and associates.
How is this literary? Follow me with this. I was in Starbucks, yeah I know you want to say, “Again?!?”
Anyway, I was in Starbucks and saw an interesting headline in the latest issue of USA Today. They published an article entitled, “America’s ‘Whatever’ War,” written by Rick Hampson. Of course I took immediate offense to that accusatory title but I was wrong. No, the article does not discuss our attitudes about Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, or anything like that. It’s all about the War of 1812.
I know what you’re thinking. Now you want to say, “Oh. That war. Whatever.” See???
USA Today’s Mr. Hampson shares a very well written article that contains a lot of “I-didn’t-know-that” content. It also tells us all about what Canada is doing to celebrate.
Oddly enough, I was also alerted to an article written by Joy Neighbors, one of my cemetery friends, which speaks of the exact same topic. Timing is everything. On her blog, A Grave Interest, Joy shares even more tidbits about this somewhat confusing piece of our history. It seems that several things we are all familiar with originated at this time. How can we I not know these things?
- Francis Scott Key, and The Star Spangled Banner
- The term “Uncle Sam”
- The original lyrics of Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans”
Yeah, I had to look up that last one. I knew I had to know it but I couldn’t figure out why. Go listen to it, then you’ll say, “Oh, I know that song.” (If you’re on Facebook, come over to the blog so you can get access to the links.) Joy’s article on A Grave Interest shares just how the lyrics were written for that song — it was actually another great teaching idea. Poetry and song lyrics are literary, by the way. At least I see them as such.
The anniversary of this fallen-off-our-radar war is on Monday. The date Canadians will be commemorating, partly on our behalf, is June 18, 1812. We have such good northern neighbors!
Why did I just have to share this? Must be the caffeine. It’s all Starbucks’ fault. Again.
We grabbed an alligator and we powdered his behind and when we shot the gator off the gator lost his…behind. Oh yeah, that was my era.