Archive for December, 2008

Last Monday I headed to Guymon-an almost 7 hour drive from my home. The wind was obviously “whipping up a storm” as I passed I-35 and entered into the northwest quadrant of our state. With continual 40 mph gusts I spent many miles dodging tumbleweeds that were rolling across the highway-and, unfortunately, I managed to smash into several of those icons of the plains. Outside of Fort Supply hundreds of giant wind turbines were churning, creating power for towns. What would Washington have thought of the American grasslands and this channeling of wind power? He certainly considered the west to be the future of our country. Although the original main entrance to Mount Vernon, the General’s home, faced east, Washington changed it to the west side where he believed America’s successful future would evolve. I think he would also have been mesmerized by the hauntingly beautiful, barren landscape of the treeless range. NOTE: A great geography/language arts lesson for students would be for them to pretend they are Washington on his famous horse Nelson crossing Oklahoma in the 21^st century. How would he compare the stark prairies and dry arroyos with the lush green forests and half mile-wide rivers of the Virginia? What would he think of the oil wells and pumping stations? Would he venture near the wind turbines and listen to their methodical whooshing while theorizing their use? Continue reading The Panhandle, Trenton, and Horizontal Snow »

Recently the George Washington Oklahoma Teaching Ambassador visited Crescent, Oklahoma.  A cold front hit as school was beginning and the wind was definitely “coming down the plains!” Inside the school’s library the atmosphere was warm, cozy, and inviting. All morning the ambassador met with elementary pupils-and even some high school students joined in the fun! In the afternoon, teachers participated in a workshop on George Washington. This great group of teachers enthusiastically became involved in the learning activities, as witnessed by these photographs.

Peters Elementary in the Union School district welcomed the George Washington Oklahoma Teaching Ambassador to their school.  We had very “active” learning sessions and one can tell by the pictures that all had a wonderful time!

This fall I had the opportunity to stay on the grounds of Mount Vernon.  Teachers who attend the Summer Institutes also reside near the Mansion-just one of the great reasons to apply for the educational experience.  I arose early one morning in October and ventured through the grounds.  As the fog meandered in from the Potomac River, the stroll became an almost surreal historical experience. It was easy to imagine that the General was coming back from his early morning ride, and he would appear at any moment through the autumn mist. Although I never did encounter anyone on horseback, some of my photographs from that hauntingly beautiful morning accompany this article.

On this day, in December of 1799, George Washington had only a week to live.  The General was outside in inclement weather on December 12th and came down with a sore throat that worsened rapidly.  As Martha Washington and their family gathered around the dying Washington, he is said to have whispered these last words: “’Tis well.”  I have been pondering what our first President meant by this phrase.  Was he speaking of his very full and successful life?  Had he perhaps been thinking about the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown?  Initially, I thought Washington may have meant our country had achieved freedom and was on its way to becoming a successful republic, but recently a new thought occurred to me.  I was doing research on the slaves at Mount Vernon and realized that Washington’s  servant, Christopher, stayed in the bedroom through the many long hours of  that last fatal illness.  Perhaps Washington’s eyes fell upon Christopher and he thought of his solution to the only “unavoidable subject of regret-slavery” (to paraphrase Dr. Peter R. Henriques in his book “Realistic Visionary”).  The General decided to free his slaves in his will. Perhaps in Washington’s last moments, he believed his example would inspire other slave owners to follow his lead, thus our country would be “well” because we all would be truly free.  If anyone has another idea about what Washington was thinking when he uttered, “’Tis Well,” please respond with your impression.

Nation to Nation – National Distance Learning Program

February 20, The Oklahoma History Center

George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens and The Oklahoma History Center invite Oklahoma teachers to a special day-long workshop focusing on how George Washington’s Indian policies, enacted during his two terms as president, shaped 19th-century American policy.  From his job as a surveyor to his military responsibilities on the frontier to his role as the first elected leader of a new country, Washington had varied contact with Indian tribes on the continent.  Our panelists will explore how his beliefs and practices shaped his policies, and how those policies were, or were not, carried out in his legacy.  Moderated by Gerard Baker, Superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Park, the panel will include a number of Washington and Native American historians.  Notable art historians will also discuss how the concept of the west is depicted through art in the 18th and 19th centuries.

This program will be filmed by the Fairfax Network and broadcast nationally on March 23, 2009.  Registration is FREE and will include lunch and a reception at the conclusion of the program.  Please contact Jan McClaren, The George Washington Oklahoma Teaching Ambassador, at jmcclaren@mountvernon.org. Please respond as soon as possible.  Seating is limited.  The final program schedule will be sent to registrants in early January.

This program is produced by the Fairfax Network in partnership with George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, through a generous grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.