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Why we have a new section added (4U2C)

I and many of my fellow writers are troubled by the laws currently being passed in Florida, my home state, and other at least 13 other states. Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a very complex belief that countries, states, and large organizations use racial discrimination to harm and discriminate against minority races. Governor Ron DeSantis pushed a bill in the Florida legislature that bans teaching anything related to CRT in schools.

What he is doing is preventing teachers from telling anything that might "embarrass" any nationality. Thus, make teaching of actual history, when many acts committed by our county should embarrass all of us, impossible. Not only the injustices committed against African Americans like Jim Crow Laws, lynchings, and segregation, but things such as the Trail of Tears where their land was taken from Native Americans and they were marched to reservations in Oklahoma, the Japanese Americans and German Americans who were both placed in internment camps during WWII. These are facts. Not teaching them in school will not change them, just create a nation of citizens who are ignorant of history.

Another bill recently passed is the Parental Rights in Education bill better known as the "Don’t Say Gay bill." Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, a gay Democrat said, "We are in distress because this bill is yet another attack on our community. This bill goes way beyond the text on its page. It sends a terrible message to our youth that there is something so wrong, so inappropriate, so dangerous about this topic that we have to censor it from classroom instruction."

Although proponents of the bill say it doesn’t restrict teaching about events such as the bombing of the gay nightclub in Orlando and similar, it does prevent LGBTQ children from feeling they are okay. If gay history makers are discussed in lessons, their sexual orientation will never be mentioned. The suicide rate among this group of youths is alarming. The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention and intervention group, learned that 42 percent of LGBTQ young people considered suicide last year. Why take away a possibility of giving them a positive role model like themselves?

Yes, I know I am rambling on, but the point here is that I want to do something to give young people (and older ones too) stories of true history. I am joining with some friends in presenting stories that showcase minorities in history and LGBTQ people who have contributed to society.

Some of the stories may cast our country and our ancestors in a bad light. So be it. If our country made mistakes, it makes us bigger and better to own up, rather than cover up. If seeing our nation as less than perfect bothers you, don’t visit the 4U2C page. If you want to learn the truth, head there. If you are a writer and want to post a true history story with a travel angle, send it to me.

Colonial Williamsburg Where Past and Present Meet

Kathleen Walls
Published 5-19-2022

Williamsburg is one of those magic places where history is ever present. Williamsburg was founded between 1630 and 1633 when some Jamestown settlers moved there. Jamestown's capital building burned twice, the second time In 1698. The locals in Jamestown were tired of the unhealthy climagte and decided to permanently move the capital Williamsburg. The once small community grew and prospered until a later governor, Thomas Jefferson, moved the capital to Richmond. Williamsburg retuned to its early small village status.

Auburn, New York: The Spirit of Tubman

Renée S. Gordon
Published 5-18-2022

Harriet Tubman was born 200-years ago in Maryland and embarked on an extraordinary journey that continues to resonate throughout US history. Her story serves as an example of courage and perseverance against seemingly insurmountable odds. She employed her uncanny ability to conquer any situation  functioning as an Underground Railroad conductor, abolitionist, lecturer, suffragist field nurse, Union spy and scout, and in 1863, leader of a Union raid resulting in the destruction of Confederate supplies and the liberation of hundreds of the
enslaved.

Buffalo Soldiers In the Heart of America

There have been no American military engagements in which African Americans have participated at some level. In the 1600s British colonies blacks were used to defend against Indian attacks. Massachusetts’ 1636 law was one of the earliest documented laws to state that “all able-bodied Negroes” had to report to serve in the militia. Enslaved and freedmen were among the 9,000 African Americans serving in the Continental Army as Patriots, largely in integrated units. During the War of 1812 it is estimated that 15% of the soldiers and sailors were of African descent and General Andrew Jackson called for “free colored inhabitants of Louisiana” to enlist in the US Army on Sept. 21, 1814 with the promise of equal pay. The Civil War witnessed Union enlistment of approximately 200,000 African Americans, an estimated 100,000 once enslaved, resulting in a death toll of nearly 40,000.

Experience Southeast Texas

Renee S. Gordon
Published 3-30-2022

Native Americans settled along the shores of Sabine Lake in what was to become East Texas more than 1,500-years ago. In 1528 Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca and three of his men, including Estevanico an African, became the first Europeans to travel into the interior of Texas. They were followed, nearly 200-years later, by transient Spanish, French and Englishmen. In the 17th-century the lake became a draw for traders of legal and illegal goods, settlers and pirates like Jean Laffite.

The Not Too Little Zoo That Can

Kathleen Walls
Published 3-29-2022

Gulf Shores Zoo became a household word as "The Little Zoo That Could" when a prime-time documentary told how the zoo's saved its animals in 2004 before Hurricane Ivan struck Gulf Shores. It all began in 1989 when Joey Ward built a small, community zoo on his family's land just a mile from the beach. He named it Zooland Animal Park. By 2000 it had grown and was renamed The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.

Shelby: Land of Rythym and Roots

Kathleen Walls
published 3-34-3033

Shelby in Cleveland County is just 45 minutes west of Charlotte but a completely different world. Creativity reigns here. Two music legends were born in Cleveland County, Earl Scruggs and Don Gibson. Art is all over Cleveland County. Museums are unique. Shopping and dining is laid back and individually owned not chains.

Virginia Beach: The First Resort

Renee S. Gordon
published 3-20-2022

Native Americans, namely the Chesepians, inhabited the South Hampton Roads region of Virginia for thousands of years prior to first contact with English colonists on April 26, 1607. Three British Ships sent by the Virginia Company, sailed for 4 months, landed on Cape Henry and erected a wooden cross on the spot where they came ashore. Captain Christopher Newport, the first English tourist, was first to go ashore to reconnoiter and found “freshwaters, faire meadowes," and “goodly tall trees”. A second party built a small boat and visited the areas’ land and waterways. On May 14, the ships relocated to Jamestown and established the first permanent English settlement.

Norfolk, Virginia, Home of the Brave

Renee S. Gordon
Published 3-9-2022

Native Americans inhabited the Norfolk region, in a settlement known as Skicoak, for thousands
of years prior to the establishment of a European colony in
1636 and in 1682 Nicholas Wise sold 50 acres of riverfront
property to the Virginia General Assembly to found Norfolk.
Fifty years later it was the largest town in the colony. During
the American Revolution the busy port, shipbuilding industry and transportation of goods made Norfolk a prime target for a British attack and on January 1, 1776 they destroyed two-thirds of the city. Citizens torched what remained to prevent confiscation by the British. The city was rapidly rebuilt and again established prominence as a port linking transportation between North and South

Cape Henry Lighthouse's Unique Keeper

Kathleen Walls
Published 3-9-2022

Cape Henry Lighthouse, the 4th oldest lighthouse in the United States, was authorized by President George Washington in 1792. In 1881, the government constructed a second lighthouse 350 feet from the first. The lighthouses are a fun place to visit but there is something more in their story. Lighthouses are beacons of hope, and Cape Henry Lighthouse offers a story of one man's hopes. From May 10 to July 26, 1870. Willis Augustus Hodges served as the first African American lighthouse keeper at the Cape Henry Lighthouse.

Winston-Salem, Where Two Cultures Collide

Kathleen Walls
published 3-6-2022

Can you imagine a culture of socialistic church members in a society where the church controlled all aspects of life and owned all property in the settlement and smoking, drinking and partying was forbidden ever finding common ground with capitalistic tobacco manufactures?

Seek the Exceptional in Clearfield County, PA

Renée S. Gordon
Published 2-3-2022

Western Pennsylvania’s Clearfield County is as close to a recreational paradise, replete with natural wonders, numerous outdoor activities, unique tasting trails and culinary delights, as any traveler can imagine. All season recreational offerings make any time opportune for a trip to the county’s wild side. More than 100,000-acres of State Forest and Game Lands allow sport hunting and game viewing. Those who prefer water-based experiences can choose from more than 250 lakes and rivers in which to fish, swim, boat or canoe.

Amelia Island:Like No Place Else on Earth

Kathleen Walls
Published 2-1-2022

It's no wonder Amelia Island is such an interesting place to visit. The blend of cultures that have created this special place differs from any other place on earth. It lived under eight flags. It was special to people from pre-Columbian Timucuans to pirates and con men, as well as hardworking settlers from many countries. Today, it's a wonderful vacation spot with fewer crowds than the better-known Florida beach towns. Here are just some of the best things to do on Amelia Island.

Discover Aiken, South Carolina

Renée S. Gordon
published 1-30-2022

The city of Aiken, named after William Aiken, SC Railroad’s first president, was founded in 1835 after railroads entered the area in 1833 and the world’s longest line, 136-miles, connected the Savannah River with Charleston. In 1871 Aiken County was formed from portions of four existing counties.

Ball’s Bluff Battlefield

Story by Tom Straka
Photographs by Pat Straka
Published 1-6-2022

The Battle of Ball’s Bluff was a small one by Civil War standards, but a consequential one. It occurred early in the War on October 21,1861, by accident, just a couple of months after Bull Run (or First Manassas). The battlefield is on U.S. 15 in Leesburg, Virginia, just before the highway crosses into Maryland on to the Antietam and Gettysburg battlefields. We’ve passed it many times and recently had the time to visit. It turned out to be a well worth the stop; it is a small battlefield, but an interesting one that abuts the Potomac River. The 300-foot bluff is surprising, while being so close to the ocean, it contains 100-foot cliffs, is covered with outcroppings, and only a single steep trail led up to the top. Union troops had to cross the Potomac River twice to reach the battlefield, as Harrison Island stood in the middle of the river. Union pickets protected the island during the crossing, taking cover behind entrenchments for protection from hostile Confederate fire.   

Tampa Bay:The Place to Play

Kathleen Walls
Published 12-17-2021

Tampa Bay is one of Florida’s most popular playground areas. It has such a variety of attractions even a picky group will find something each party will enjoy.

Horne Creek Living Historical Farm

Story by Tom Straka
Photo by Pat Straka
published 12-16-2021

Horne Creek Farm is a living history farm, a North Carolina Historic Site, and the actual Hauser family farm (as opposed to many living history farms that are relocated farm buildings or rebuilt farm buildings). This is the real thing, allowing visitors to experience farm life in North Carolina’s northwestern Piedmont circa 1900. The site features the family’s original farmhouse (with original furnishings), a tobacco curing barn, a corn crib, adjacent fields under cultivation, and even a heritage apple orchard. The Site also offers programs ranging from old fashioned ice cream socials to an annual corn shucking frolic. There is a visitors' center with exhibits and a gift shop. This living history is a chance to learn about the rural past, a chance to see, smell, touch, and hear things once common in rural North Carolina.

Fort Dobbs State Historic Site

Story by Tom Straka
Photo by Pat Straka
published 12-5-2021

 During the COVID-19 pandemic we have visited attractions that were primarily out-of-doors and generally not that far off the highway.Fort Dobbs State Historic Site meets those requirements, being nearly at the intersection of Interstates 40 and 77, just north of Statesville, North Carolina. Most forts in the South were associated with the Revolutionary or Civil Wars. Fort Dobbs is a French and Indian War fort. It is the only state historic site associated with that period in North Carolina. The site is similar to Oconee Station in South Carolina, visited last October and described in an ARGH article, in that it is mainly a blockhouse and it is situated on what was back then the frontier, the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.