Appreciating our American History

Pop quiz: Which American president died on July 4th? Some of you may have answered John Adams. Correct. Some may have answered Thomas Jefferson. Also correct. In fact Adams and Jefferson died on the very same day. But… did anyone answer James Monroe? He, too, died on the 4th of July, yet years later. Isn’t it amazing that three of our first five presidents died on the date which celebrates our country’s independence?

Pop quiz finished.

Moving on….On a less sunny day while camping near Shenandoah, we explored Monticello, the estate of President Thomas Jefferson. What a accomplished man. The entry foyer contained a plethora of artifacts, many reflecting his interest in native peoples. His library was remarkable. Most impressive to me was a device Jefferson used that held a pen in a position that mirrored the position of his hand; as he wrote a letter or any document, the mirrored pen created a copy. Ingenious! We enjoyed walking the grounds, seeing blooming tulips, and the extraordinary vista down the mountain.

A few days later, we visited the Highlands estate, home of President James Monroe. Monroe purchased the land at the suggestion of Jefferson. Accordingly, they became neighbors. The original home, built in 1799, burned to the ground a few years after the Monroe had sold the property to the Massey family. A guest home that had been constructed remained, having survived the fire. When the estate became a national historical site, the guest home was incorrectly assumed to be—and presented to visitors as—Monroe’s home. In 2015, archaeologists uncovered the foundations of Monroe’s original home and determined the guest home had been constructed from trees dating to 1815-1818. 

On our last day near Shenandoah, we ventured east to Mount Vernon, farm home and estate of President George Washington. The view across the Potomac River is stunning (lead photo at the top of this blog). Over time, Washington acquired numerous smaller farms, expanding his estate to eight thousand acres. He was a farmer at heart and loved learning and utilizing innovative farming techniques and tools. Though Mount Vernon is undergoing renovation, we enjoyed strolling across the grounds, visiting Washington’s tomb, and experiencing an abbreviated tour.

As we returned to Shenandoah, we stopped at the Manassas Battlefield Monument. Two Civil War battles occurred on Henry Hill near Manassas. Interestingly, it was during the first battle that Confederate Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson was dubbed “Stonewall Jackson” for his uncanny courage; he remained on his horse at front of his troops, unflinching as the Union soldiers approached. In 1865, Union soldiers built a monument to the fallen soldiers from the two Manassas battles.

Hope you’ll come along for the ride to our next destinations… West Virginia and then Kentucky!