Travel

We took a short trip to Vincennes and New Harmony, Indiana. While in Vincennes we visited Grouseland, home of William Henry Harrison and the George Rogers Clark Memorial (middle photo) where you can see several Revolutionary War burial sites. We spent a couple of hours in New Harmony where you can get an excellent cup of coffee at the establishment pictured. I am more and more amazed by the 19th century era of American History. Harrison had a wonderful home built (400,000 bricks) and he thought of everything, indoor well, all walls were brick which made it more difficult for angry locals to shoot you and it was harder to burn the house down. The sacrifice these men made for our nation is amazing. I know they had their faults, I've heard all that, but when compared with the people we elect today they were saints. I have always been disappointed with our treatment of Native Americans but can't seem to find any example of someone else who handled a similar situation any better. I would like to think we could have allowed them to continue to live their lives without relocating them.

As I look over all the change that occurred from 1800 to 1900 it truly fogs my brain to try and come up with what should have been done. As Bob Dylan sang so eloquently, "the times they are a-changing." That was the case, once Independence was won, a new Constitution established and the government began making "internal improvements," the future almost seems to be set in stone. The people here first were now in the way of progress. I know in 2010 what many people think when they hear I don't carry a cell phone with me........strange person.