Lewis and Clark (9/1)

Use the readings (Introduction v. 1 p. 311-3333) as a basis for your own musings, anecdotes, or personal reflections. In other words, allow your mind to make connections between what you read, past reading...


While I was reading I became very interested in the part when it was talking about the Lousiana Purchase and the exploration of Lewis and Clark.  I lived out in Washington, extremely close to the mouth of the Columbia River, for 3 years.  I moved there when I was in 4th grade and had never even heard the names of Lewis and Clark and by the time I moved to Texas at the end of 6th grade I was a self-proclaimed skilled Lewis and Clark expert.  The work those two did and the adventures they embarked on had fascinated me when I lived out there.  I was hungry for knowlegde about them and I believed they needed to become more important in other parts of the United States and children every where should learn about them because they had made such a huge difference after the Lousiana Purchase.  After I moved to Texas I realized that Lewis and Clark were just a quick mention during history classes and that was about all the credit they ever got, slowly my fasination with them wore away and I became more interested in a great number of different things.  I never knew my knowledge about them would come back to help me.  I was a junior in high school when my world history teacher, who was always my sisters furture mother-in-law, knew I had lived in Washington.  During the small segment of Lewis and Clark time I was called on by her to share my information and elighten people with my understanding.  To this day I still get excited every time I see something about them or come across a Sacagawea dollar.  Reading about Lewis and Clark in this part of the introduction vol. 1 was so fun for me to remember just how proud of I am of not only being an American but proud of living in Washington and proud to say I have been to the mouth of the Columbia River and stood were Lewis and Clark have both stood.

"American" (8/23)

How have your definition and ideas of American identity been challenged? Have they changed? If they have, articulate why and how. If they haven't, defend why your definition and ideas are still applicable.

I remember exactly where I was on September 11, 2001 and I will never forget how I felt and how things happened.  From that moment on my definition and feelings of being an American were changed, I believe that day has affected a great number of people who call themselves American.  I cannot put my definition into an exact set of words for me it is more of a feeling.  When I think of being an American the words pride, freedom, patriotism, and dreams come into my mind quickly.  All those words evoke a sense of warm and overwhelming feeling of being American and being proud to come from a land where people should feel they are free to be themselves.  To me, being an American does not matter what color your skin is or what your heritage is or anything of that matter.  To me, being an American is about feeling pride for this country and all things that represent America.  Back to my point about how September 11th changed how I felt about this land and all things I am proud of about being an American.  I was in 7th grade and even i felt the feeling of being attacked and of being hated.  I did not like how that made me feel but I was still proud to be an American.  This day changed me and even more made me realize that being American has nothing to do with what color your skin is or where your ancestors come from but about feeling proud to come from such a great land and standing up for anyone and everyone who also has the same feelings of being an American.