(Originally Published Saturday, August 28, 2010 – Blogger: One Daughter’s Point of View)
During his farewell address to the American people, President George Washington urged the young republic “…to promote, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge.”
Flash forward to the modern era.
This month school children across the country are returning to school for the start of an exciting new year. OK…so in some cases, maybe the parents are more excited than the students.
But the ladies of my DAR chapter are very excited about the possibilities of a new school year! You see, we do a lot of work via our committees. And one of our most important committees is American History. And one of the biggest things that this committee does is promote an essay contest focused on an aspect of American History.
I know, you’re sitting there and reading this with your mind racing to know – – ‘Exactly what is the essay topic this year??’
OK, so maybe your mind isn’t exactly racing. But the essay topic does involve a famous American who raced through the countryside, raising the alarm, “The British are coming! The British are coming!” Or did he?!?
This year marks the 275th anniversary of the birth of Paul Revere and to mark this anniversary, the NSDAR has selected the topic of Paul Revere for the American History Essay Contest. The exact essay topic is “In celebration in 2010 of the 275th anniversary of the birth of Paul Revere, pretend you are Paul Revere writing your memoirs. Relate various accomplishments for which you wish to be remembered in the annals of American history.”
We invite all students in the 5th – 8th grades to enter this contest and write the memoirs of Paul Revere. He was an ordinary young man who lived in an extraordinary time and lived a life with lessons for us all. Students may be surprised to learn that this hero was a short, stout man in his forties who was actually captured by the British the night of his famous ride.
I invite everyone to learn more about Revere this fall. Let me know what exciting details you uncover. And, if you know a student interested in the contest details, let me know. Essays are due by January 1, 2011.
By the way, as Paul Revere rode through the countryside, on the night of April 18th, many other patriots set out to deliver warnings. There were probably as many as 40 riders carrying the news of the British army’s advancement. Revere did not shout the famous phrase “The British are coming!” According to his own account, he said “The Regulars are coming out.”
A Robynn’s Chirps 