In 2026, we celebrate the United States of America鈥檚 250^th birthday 鈥� also known as the semiquincentennial (a word so convoluted that spellcheck doesn鈥檛 recognize it, so we have decided America250 is simpler). As we do so, we should take some time to reflect on what we think we know about our bold declaration of independence and the American Revolution that followed.

Here are some common misconceptions about the revolutionary era that show popular memory doesn鈥檛 necessarily reflect reality.

鈥淭he British(?) are Coming!鈥�

Legend has it that in Boston on the evening of April 18, 1775, silversmith and now folk hero Paul Revere watched for flashing lanterns from the Old North Church 鈥� one if by land and two if by sea 鈥� and when he saw the two flashes, he jumped onto his horse for his midnight ride through the Massachusetts countryside yelling the 鈥淏ritish are coming!鈥�

This shout brought out the militia in Lexington and Concord and also warned Sam Adams and John Hancock, two revolutionaries who some believed were the target of this secret British military mission. Armed and ready for the British soldiers to enter their villages, early the next morning, the militia fired the first shots of the American Revolution and pushed the Redcoats back to Boston. A fighting war had begun.

If one ponders the date for long enough, one might see the problem with the words that Revere allegedly shouted. In April 1775 (and for 14 months thereafter), Revere, the militia, and everyone he woke up were still British. Most likely, he shouted 鈥渢he Regulars,鈥� 鈥渢he Redcoats,鈥� or 鈥渢he king鈥檚 men,鈥� were coming, which all have less catchy rings to them.

Washington鈥檚 (Perilous?) Crossing.

If we can鈥檛 believe our ears regarding Paul Revere鈥檚 Midnight Ride, we also cannot believe our eyes about one of the most famous images of the American Revolution, Washington Crossing the Delaware. The giant (12 feet by 21 feet) painting depicts Christmas evening 1776 when the United States鈥� independence hung in the balance.

General George Washington and his army traveled from Pennsylvania where they would surprise Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, New Jersey.聽 After a tough few months which included the evacuation of New York City, these victories helped restore the Americans鈥� morale.

German American artist Emanuel Leutze painted the image in Germany almost 75 years later. Meant to inspire German revolutionaries more than serve as an exact depiction of the event, the painting is filled with inaccuracies. It contains a flag that did not yet exist, ice bergs that did not appear in the Delaware River, Washington positioned in a manner which unnecessarily courted the danger of falling overboard, too much light for the crossing, and far too small a boat (in 2011, Mort Kunstler painted a more accurate version).

Yet, at the same time, others have praised Leutze鈥檚 version for sacrificing precise details for a larger truth. His painting has a wide cross section of Americans including farmers, riflemen, a Scotsman, two future presidents (Washington and James Monroe), men from a variety of states, an African American, and perhaps a woman. Thus, it is the archetypal American melting pot and conveys Americans鈥� determination in the time that tried men鈥檚 souls.

All Colonists were not Team Rebel.

We know that 13 original colonies revolted against British rule. In 1776, however, Britain had more than 30 colonies stretching from Canada through the Caribbean. Among those was Florida. Technically, Florida was two colonies (East Florida and West Florida). One would think that the two Floridas would have excitedly joined their neighbors to the north in rebellion as they had only been British colonies for 13 years (having been under Spanish rule from 1565鈥�1763).

Yet, when news of the Declaration of Independence reached St. Augustine, instead of embracing the document, the settlers reaffirmed their loyalty to the king and hung effigies depicting two leading revolutionaries that Revere had warned: John Hancock and Sam Adams. The former was the first signer of the Declaration of Independence and the president of Continental Congress, and the latter was a Boston radical, better known today as a brewery owner.

Why didn鈥檛 the Floridas revolt? Frankly, they disliked the British colonies more than they disliked England. They saw themselves as connected to the British Caribbean colonies, which also remained loyal to the king.

The Legend Behind A Cherry Tree.

In myth busting about the American Revolution, one can also tackle George Washington 鈥� he did tell lies, he didn鈥檛 chop down a cherry tree (that anecdote was invented by 19th-century bookseller Parson Weems), and the once commander-in-chief didn鈥檛 win many major battles in the early years of the revolution. However, Washington, if anything, is underestimated for his contributions to American history.

Washington did what many of his contemporaries considered to be unthinkable 鈥� he gave up power. Not once but twice.

When the war ended in 1783, Washington was a conquering hero who could have asked for anything. Instead, he simply requested retirement to Mount Vernon. Later, he returned to politics at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and then was elected the nation鈥檚 first president in 1789. After serving two terms, he retired again (the constitutional provision limiting a president to two terms didn鈥檛 come until the 22^nd amendment in 1951).

Thus, he set a precedent that president would not serve for life but instead would rotate regularly out of office.

A Day to Celebrate 鈥� But Which Day?

None of the above should stop you from celebrating in July. After all, as one of the declaration鈥檚 authors and our second president John Adams wrote in letter to his wife about Independence Day, it 鈥渨ill be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.鈥擨 am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival . . .聽 It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other.鈥�

Other than omitting hot dog eating contests, this sounds fairly accurate. Alas, nothing is ever simple. Adams wrote this prediction on July 3, 1776, about future July 2s (not July 4s).

On July 2, the Continental Congress voted to declare independence. Two days later, on July 4, its members adopted the Declaration of Independence with John Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress, putting his John Hancock on the document.

Historians just have to ruin everything, don鈥檛 we?

As a 67-year-old retiree, Amy Lendian wants you to know it鈥檚 never too late. Never too late to start over; to go for your dream career; to earn your college degree.

When the 麻豆原创 Online history student assumes her spot at the console at Kennedy Space Center to lead the facility systems engineers for the upcoming historic Artemis II launch, that affirmation will echo within her once more.

鈥淚 always believed in myself and felt that I could do this,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t really is never too late.鈥�

Turning a Setback Into a Comeback

Lendian spent the majority of her adult life building her career as a fire protection engineer, helping design sprinkler systems and other fire safety infrastructure.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. The construction industry came to a screeching halt. In her 60s, she suddenly faced unemployment.

鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ho is going to want to hire me in my 60s?鈥� 鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut I made it my job to find a job. And not just any job. I set out for my dream job in the aerospace industry.鈥�

She logged in every day on her home computer to research job listings, dressed as if she was headed to an office. She sought career counseling. She joined virtual seminars to learn new software and online tools she knew she鈥檇 need to master if she wanted to break into the field. She learned how to rework her resume to leverage her relevant skills.

Her strategy and persistence paid off. She got a call back for a fire protection systems engineer position on base at Kennedy Space Center.

Finding Her Place in Space

On her first day at KSC, she attended a briefing where they discussed etiquette while serving on the console. She says it took her a moment to process what she was hearing.

鈥淚 stayed up to watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. I have a photo of myself as a kid standing in front of an Apollo rocket. And you鈥檙e saying you want me to be on the console during a launch?!鈥� she says. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥業鈥檓 here. I arrived.鈥� 鈥�

Lendian served on the console for the Artemis I launch in November 2022.

Although she has since retired from her formal position with KSC and moved to Chicago, she is still employed as a part-time consultant and will be there again for Artemis II managing the fire protection systems on the launchpad.

Finishing What She Started

Her late-stage career change inspired her to consider other dreams she had yet to realize. A big one has been nearly 50 years in the making.

Lendian was 19 years old when she attempted college the first time. She enrolled in the University of South Florida鈥檚 electrical engineering program in the late 1970s. But after three years, she stopped her studies because she got married and needed to support her new family.

In 2021, she decided to resuscitate her dream of a college degree. She transferred her old credits into the program at Eastern Florida State College, earned her associate鈥檚 degree and looked to enroll in one of 麻豆原创 Online鈥檚 degree programs so she could manage school with her full-time job.

The history degree she is working toward is affiliated with one of the top online institutions. 麻豆原创 ranks No. 6 for Online Bachelor鈥檚 Programs nationally according to the U.S. News & World Report.

鈥淚 want that bachelor鈥檚 degree,鈥� Lendian says. 鈥淚 am doing this for me. I am going to do something that I love (history). And I am going to graduate.鈥�

The clay tablets are the first of their kind found in the region and are still being interpreted. Early findings indicate they provide a greater insight about the people who lived there and the significantly consequential events they encountered.

Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, an associate professor of at 麻豆原创, and a team of researchers have been carefully uncovering culturally significant Middle Bronze Age (1800 BCE) discoveries at Mesopotamian site of Kurd Qaburstan, which is situated in the Erbil region in northeast Iraq.

A significant portion of human development and history may be traced back to the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia, in and around present-day Iraq.

The study of these new tablets could reveal important details about the city鈥檚 connections with its neighbors during the Middle Bronze Age and its historical significance. For example, by studying people鈥檚 names, word choice and writing styles, scholars may better understand literacy in the region and the city鈥檚 cultural identity, Earley-Spadoni says in her .

Hidden History

The Middle Bronze Age in northern Iraq is poorly understood due to limited prior research and the inherent biases of the available historical sources, she says.

鈥淲e hope to find even more historical records that will help us tell the story of [the city] from the perspective of its own people rather than relying only on accounts written by their enemies,鈥� Earley-Spadoni says. 鈥淲hile we know a great deal about the development of writing in southern Iraq, far less is known about literacy in northern Mesopotamian cities, especially near Erbil where Kurd Qaburstan is located.鈥�

Mesopotamia, with its dense network of ancient cities in the fertile plains along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers near the Persian Gulf, is often regarded as the birthplace of urban civilization. These cities, preserved as towering tells, mounds formed by centuries of accumulated cultural debris, have captivated scholars for generations.

鈥淲e know quite a bit about Mesopotamian cities in the south, and that’s considered the traditional heartland of cities,鈥� Earley-Spadoni says. 鈥淲hen people think about where cities first arose, they imagine cities in southern Iraq, like Uruk. We seek to fill in this gap in the scholarship by investigating a large urban site, one of the few that’s ever been investigated in northern Iraq.鈥�

New Areas Uncovered, New Questions Raised

Earley-Spadoni and researchers have been working in two primary areas: the northwest residential neighborhoods and a newly discovered administrative complex identified as a lower town palace, which was theorized to exist based on findings made in 2022.

Researchers used technologies such as magnetometry, which allows researchers to peer through the ground to see architectural plans, to help excavate the site.

The research is valuable its own right and helps shed light on regional history and worldwide heritage, she says.

鈥淭he focus of the research is the organization of ancient cities, and it’s specifically the organization of Kurd Qaburstan,鈥� Earley-Spadoni says. 鈥淵ou may have heard of King Hammurabi, who erected the famous law code. So, this is about that same time almost 4,000 years ago. We decided that this would be an interesting place to investigate what it was like to be an everyday person at a city during the Middle Bronze Age, which has been an understudied topic. People like to excavate palaces and temples, and very few residential areas have been excavated.鈥�

Excavations in the palace revealed monumental architecture, human remains and evidence of destruction, suggesting a significant historical event. The complex, identified through geophysical surveys, is being excavated to establish its characteristics and better understand its function.

In the northwest neighborhoods, exterior courtyards, clay drainpipes, and household refuse were uncovered. Excavated pottery included everyday items such as cups, plates, bowls and storage jars. Some of the pottery was surprisingly well-decorated and carefully made, hinting that private wealth may have been more common than expected, Earley-Spadoni says in her fieldwork summary report.

Animal bones found with the pottery suggest that residents enjoyed a varied diet, including domesticated meat and wild game. This level of variety of diet is unexpected for non-elite populations in Mesopotamian cities, based on limited current evidence.

These findings may challenge ideas about sharp divisions between elite and non-elite lifestyles in ancient cities. The material culture and dietary practices reflect a community where some people lived relatively well and suggests that further research and analysis is needed to answer lingering questions, Earley-Spadoni says.

鈥淲e鈥檙e studying this ancient city to learn very specific things about the ancient inhabitants,鈥� she says. 鈥淔irst, to what degree did they plan their environment, or was it just the result of an organic process? We also want to know how social inequality worked in this ancient city. Were there very poor people and very rich people? Or was there possibly a middle class?鈥�

Encouraging Findings and a Promising Future

The city鈥檚 historical importance could be even greater if it is identified as Qabra, a major regional center referenced in Old Babylonian monuments like the famed Stele of Dadusha, according to Earley-Spadoni.

There are many clues that give credence to the theory that Kurd Qaburstan was the prominent city of Qabra that has been referenced in Old Babylonian steles 鈥� or ancient monumental slabs. One such clue is that there are ample signs pointing to Kurd Qaburstan serving as a major regional administrative hub, she says.

鈥淜urd Qaburstan is believed to be ancient Qabra, an important regional center mentioned in the records of other city-states,鈥� Earley-Spadoni says. 鈥淭he presence of writing, monumental architecture, and other administrative artifacts in the lower town palace further supports this identification since the site must have been an important city of its time.鈥�

The tablets are still being interpreted but there are some early encouraging findings that help illuminate the greater identity of the people of Kurd Qaburstan and the era they inhabited, she says.

鈥淭he first of the three tablets was discovered in a trash-filled deposit along with building rubble and human remains,鈥� she says. 鈥淚ts context suggests dramatic events, possibly evidence of ancient warfare.聽We hope our work in 2025 will tell us more about this story.鈥�

The research and excavation efforts are funded through the U.S. National Science Foundation and in partnership with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The work occurred from May to July 2024, with previous work conducted from 2013 to 2023 by a team from Johns Hopkins University that included Earley-Spadoni.

Researcher鈥檚 Credentials:

Earley-Spadoni joined 麻豆原创 in 2016 and became an associate professor in 2022. She earned her doctoral degree in near eastern studies in 2015 from The Johns Hopkins University. Earley-Spadoni鈥檚 research consists of spatially oriented investigations of expansionary state development in the ancient Near East and she directs the Kurd Qaburstan Project in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

In Pennsylvania, I learned about the Native American tribes of the region, about places like Independence Hall and Gettysburg that were significant in American history, and about individuals and groups important to the state, including William Penn, Phillis Wheatley, the Quakers, Benjamin Franklin and Richard Allen.

Additionally, I learned that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was home to the largest free Black community in the new nation, in part as a result of the passage of the Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in March 1780. This act also provided for the emancipation of enslaved persons after holding residence in the Commonwealth for six months.

And while I also learned about some of the inequalities that placed Black Americans in Pennsylvania in second-class status, many of the circumstances known to Black people living in the South were not part of the everyday realities of Black people in Pennsylvania.

Juneteenth simply was not part of my K鈥�12 educational experience.

A combination of the words 鈥淛une鈥� and 鈥�19th鈥� 鈥� Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of emancipation of enslaved people in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation is significant because it legally ended slavery in the United States. Many Black Americans have long celebrated Juneteenth as an unofficial Independence Day.

Juneteenth became an official federal holiday June 17, 2021. Numerous states have also made it an official holiday and some other states have provided it as a paid holiday for state employees. While celebrations occur in most states, we as a country have an opportunity to officially commemorate this important day in every state. As citizens in a democratic society, it is important for all of us to learn how each of us have moved through the history of this nation and celebrate our triumphs together.

These celebrations of freedom from enslavement include church services, parades, parties, festivals, speeches, dramatizations and music. These celebrations and gatherings offer opportunities to remember the trials and tribulations our ancestors endured as enslaved peoples, to learn more about the history of Black peoples in the United States, and to teach valuable lessons to others about the past and present experiences of the African diaspora in the United States. These celebrations and opportunities have facilitated ongoing community discussions regarding economic and educational development of the Black community, public dialogues on the lived experiences of Blacks, the development of African American museums and monuments, and ongoing research on the Black experience in the United States to include the development of research centers and institutes.

Juneteenth is also significant to the legal history of this country.

First, the Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order, a legal power held solely by a sitting president of the United States of America and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. As with a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court or a bill passed into law by the U.S. Congress, an executive order becomes effective upon signature. This is one of the early lessons we learn in school about how laws are developed and implemented in this country.

An important fact often excluded from school curriculums is that the Emancipation Proclamation expressly granted freedom only to those enslaved people in the Confederate States, which included Texas. It did not bring relief to enslaved persons residing in border states that were loyal to the Union.

Second, the Emancipation Proclamation opened the doors to the 13th and 14th Amendments. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, and the 14th Amendment defines and identifies citizenship and the rights associated with citizenship. The relationship between the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment rests in the notion of freedom and the rights and responsibilities of freedom.

The executive order (1) declares freedom for enslaved persons, (2) supports such freedom through the federal government and its military entities, and (3) prevents the dissolution of such freedom, stating it 鈥渨ill do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.鈥�

The relationship between the executive order and the 14th Amendment is connected to the equal protection clause as well as a specific area affiliated with citizenship: serving in the military. President Lincoln declared that freed persons 鈥渨ill be received into the armed service of the United States鈥︹�� Lincoln also makes one responsibility clear to freed people: 鈥淚 hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence鈥︹��.

The proclamation notes that freedom shall not be repressed. This is what I believe to be the primary significance of Juneteenth.

While President Lincoln clearly declares twice in this document that all persons held as slaves within any state or designated part of a state shall be free, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two months after the surrender at Appomattox Court House, slavery remained unchanged in Texas.

The law alone did not change or eliminate slavery in the United States. In fact, the defining event of June 19, 1865, was the arrival of Union Major General Gordon Granger in Galveston and his subsequent orders directing federal troops to seize control of the state to ensure all enslaved people were freed.

While I was not afforded the opportunity to learn this part of our nation鈥檚 history as a public school student, knowledge of this historical moment in our country has enriched my experience as a citizen of this country and has reaffirmed the tremendous growth we have experienced as a nation.

These celebrations and opportunities led to a new federal holiday. Juneteenth became an official federal holiday June 17, 2021. Numerous states have also made it an official holiday and some other states have provided it as a paid holiday for state employees. While celebrations occur in most states, we as a country have an opportunity to officially commemorate this important day in every state. As citizens in a democratic society, it is important for all of us to learn how each of us have moved through the history of this nation and celebrate our triumphs together.

References
-Online

-Books
Anderson, J. (1988). The education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1945. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press.

Taylor, C.A. (2002). Juneteenth: A celebration of freedom. Greensboro, NC: Open Hand Publishing.

-Articles
Jeffries, J.L. (2004). Juneteenth: Black Texans and the case for reparations. Negro Educational Review, 55, 2/3, 107-115.

Hume, J. & Arceneaux, N. (2008). Public memory, cultural legacy, and press coverage of the Juneteenth revival. Journalism History, 34(3), 155-162.

Blanck, E. (2019). Galveston on San Francisco Bay: Juneteenth in the Filmore district, 1945-2016. Western Historical Quarterly, 50(2), 85-112.

Theodorea Regina Berry is 麻豆原创鈥檚 vice provost and dean, College of Undergraduate Studies. In her role, she drives efforts to offer students in her college robust programs while supporting university-wide initiatives to advance undergraduate education, take learning beyond the classroom, and promote greater student success. Berry works closely with the university鈥檚 provost, fellow deans and leaders of academic units to create and sustain a learning environment that enables students to thrive academically, professionally and civically.

Amy Larner Giroux, associate director of the Center for Humanities and Digital Research (CHDR) in the College of Arts and Humanities, has been researching burial sites in St. Augustine National Cemetery through her work with the National Cemetery Administration. She came across two separate graves, each containing a group burial of six warriors marked with a headstone inscribed 鈥淪ix Unknown Indians.鈥�

鈥淎s a historian who works in cemeteries, it bothers me when a headstone has incomplete or unknown information about the person buried there. They deserve to have their names restored,鈥� Giroux says. 鈥淭hey deserve to be recognized for who they were. And you can鈥檛 get that from a headstone that says 鈥楽ix Unknown Indians鈥�.鈥�

After five years of digging through U.S. Army records and correspondence dating back more than a century, Giroux discovered the names of 10 chiefs and warriors from the Cheyenne, Kiowa and Comanche tribes who were imprisoned and died in Fort Marion between 1875 and 1878.

The names of the recovered individuals are:

• Chief Grey Beard (Cheyenne), who is buried in Piney Grove Cemetery in Baldwin, Florida
• Chief Co-a-bo-te-ta, or Sun (Kiowa)
• Chief Lean Bear (Cheyenne)
• Chief Mah-mante (Kiowa)
• Ih-pa-yah (Kiowa Warrior)
• Big Moccasin (Cheyenne Warrior)
• Starving Wolf (Cheyenne Warrior)
• Spotted Elk (Cheyenne Warrior)
• Nad-a-with-t (Comanche Warrior)
• Chief Mo-e-yau-hay-ist, or Heap of Birds/Magpie Feathers (Cheyenne)

Based on Giroux鈥檚 research, the National Cemetery Administration plans to replace the 鈥淪ix Unknown Indians鈥� grave markers with headstones that list the names of the fallen warriors, their death dates and their native nation affiliations.

During the Plains Wars, Fort Marion was used as a prison for prominent warriors and chiefs in hopes of demoralizing their nations into surrendering to the U.S. Army. Prisoners were forced to suppress their native heritage and become a military company in order to assimilate, drilling and performing guard duty for themselves. Capt. Richard Henry Pratt instituted and enforced the policies of forced assimilation that started in St. Augustine, and continued through boarding schools like the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which Pratt founded in 1879.

鈥淚t’s important to me to make people understand that all these prisoners had families, it wasn鈥檛 just that they died here 鈥� their families lost them here,鈥� says Giroux. 鈥淚’m hoping that the information I鈥檝e found can help give the descendants of the prisoners some understanding and closure about what happened to their kin when they were here in Florida.鈥�

鈥淲atching Norene interact with her ancestor鈥檚 face on a touch screen and study the family resemblance was powerful.聽That was one of the defining moments of all the work I have done.”聽鈥� Amy Larner Giroux, 麻豆原创 faculty

The National Park Service put Giroux into contact with Norene Starr, outreach coordinator for the Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples鈥� executive branch and a direct descendant of Chief Heap of Birds and Big Moccasin.

Part of Giroux鈥檚 research resulted in a 3D digital model of the 1877 bust created from Cheyenne Chief Heap of Birds, the great-great-great-grandfather of Starr. The bust was created from a life mask of Heap of Birds鈥� face, created only three months before his death.

As Giroux connected with the National Park Service and the Cheyenne and Arapaho people, several events were conducted in November (which is Native American Heritage Month and National Veterans and Military Families Month) to memorialize the fallen warriors and educate the public. Alison Simpson, command historian of the Florida National Guard, Denny Medicine Bird, Veterans Affairs coordinator and Giroux acted as liaisons to the National Cemetery Administration on events in the cemetery to honor the prisoners鈥� military service. Through these events, Giroux met more descendants of the prisoners she researched from the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations.

鈥淚’ve been working in cemeteries for most of my career,鈥� Giroux says. 鈥淏ut this is the first time, other than my own family work, that I’ve impacted living people. And that emotional impact has been extremely rewarding.鈥�

The first of the memorial events was held on the evening of Nov. 15, 2022, in Piney Grove Cemetery in Baldwin, Florida, to honor Cheyenne Chief Grey Beard. In 1877, Chief Grey Beard jumped out of the window of the train bringing prisoners to St. Augustine. 鈥淔reedom was more important than living,鈥� Giroux says. The guards were told to recapture him, but he was shot instead.

For Chief Grey Beard鈥檚 memorial ceremony, Giroux met with Marcy Galbreath, retired associate lecturer in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric (DWR), and members of the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations at the cemetery. The members sang for Chief Grey Beard to assist him on his journey to the next life. Giroux and Galbreath were honored to be included in the ceremony.

The next morning, Gordon Yellowman, Peace Chief of the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations, spoke with National Park Service rangers about how they could better educate the public about the experiences of the prisoners at Fort Marion. The exhibit on the imprisonments of 1875 through 1878 is changing based on input from native nations to include stories told from a native perspective. Previously, exhibits were mainly told from the perspective of the U.S. Army.

鈥淔uture visitors to the fort will be able to see both sides of the story,鈥� Giroux says.

Throughout Nov. 16-17, 2022, Flagler College presented a series of events entitled, 鈥淗i Vi Mitz Mak a be o ta, Honoring the Historic Footprint of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Warriors at Fort Marion, 1875鈥�1878.鈥� During the events, Giroux gave a presentation, 鈥淪o Many Miles Towards the Rising Sun: Cheyenne, Kiowa and Comanche Burials in Florida 1875鈥�1877,鈥� in which she spoke of the 10 men who died in Florida.

Throughout early November 2022, flags flew over the Castillo de San Marcos to represent each of the families of the native nation members who died there. On the afternoon of Nov. 17, 2022, a final ceremony was held in the courtyard of the fort to honor them. A riderless horse was brought in wearing the moccasins of Helen Heap of Birds, granddaughter of Chief Heap of Birds. Then, a National Park Service ranger performed a roll call, naming each of the Cheyenne who died during their imprisonment and whose names were discovered. The ceremony concluded with a three-cannon salute.

“He called the name of Chief Grey Beard 鈥� silence. And then he went through each of the names of the dead to the end of the roll call. It was very emotional,鈥� Giroux says. 鈥淧eople need to know what happened at Fort Marion and understand why it happened. I hope sharing these stories makes people less likely to forget what happened there.”

The events ended with a keynote presentation given by Dorothy Firecloud, the National Park Service Native American Affairs liaison. At the end of the reception, Giroux and others were honored by being wrapped in a Cheyenne blanket.

The findings of the 麻豆原创 and Flagler College research teams have left a lasting impact on families and future visitors to the fort, but their work is far from over. Giroux, Galbreath and 麻豆原创 collaborators Mike Shier, research specialist in CHDR, and Jeremy Carnes, postdoctoral scholar in DWR, are continuing their work with Starr and Yellowman. They continue to search for the names behind the unmarked headstones in St. Augustine National Cemetery, hopefully bringing more indigenous stories to light. Max Bear, director of the Historic Preservation Office of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, has invited Giroux to Oklahoma to speak with the native nation about her research and the experiences of their ancestors.

History is never static or set in stone. The story of America鈥檚 past is continuously unfolding; it carries a heavy impact on contemporary life. New research allows us to challenge the ways we have come to understand the world around us. As once-buried stories are unearthed, the dissemination of new perspectives brings the public closer to the truth, and families closer to peace.

Barbara Gannon, associate professor of history and coordinator of the , has been involved with the Supply Vault for Student Veteran Success since the project鈥檚 inception.

鈥淥ur vision is to use this vault as a way of welcoming veterans to the 麻豆原创 community,鈥� says Gannon. 鈥淰eterans鈥� homecomings can be difficult, but we want to use this to ease their transition to 麻豆原创 and higher education.鈥�

The vault offers a collection of school supplies selected by student veterans for student veterans, including noise-canceling headphones, wireless keyboards, voice recorders, blue light glasses, smart notebooks and external hard drives. These items are provided to student veterans at no cost.

鈥淲e also want to introduce them to the 麻豆原创 Community Veterans History Project,鈥� Gannon says. 鈥淲e want them to know that we value them and their stories. The supply vault is also a tangible way of letting them know of our gratitude for their service.鈥�

Fundraising for the vault came from the 2019 macram茅 Yellow Ribbon Project. In partnership with the Central Florida Yellow Ribbon Project and local artist Victoria Walsh, 麻豆原创 students, faculty, staff and community members macram茅d trees lining Memory Mall. Twenty-eight of the 30 trees were sponsored by colleges, departments and organizations, including the College of Arts and Humanities.

For history student Michael Richardson, the vault holds a personal significance. As a U.S. Navy veteran, he鈥檚 closely familiar with the struggle of returning to civilian life following military service, not to mention the difficulty of adjusting to life as a full-time student.

鈥淭he adjustment from service really was a nightmare,鈥� Richardson says. 鈥淚t was the hardest thing I鈥檝e ever had to do 鈥� going to classes. I would literally drive all the way and sit in my car, but I wasn鈥檛 able to go in. I dropped out of school for about three years.鈥�

With the help of therapy and getting involved with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, Richardson was able to return to his studies and found a passion for history. At 麻豆原创, Gannon recommended he get involved with the Veterans History Project. , he became a research assistant with the project and was instrumental in the planning and execution of the vault.

鈥淚 started doing research, and I started looking at all the stuff around me that I had been using,鈥� says Richardson. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 like, 鈥極K, these are the tools that have made me successful as a student; things that I鈥檝e had to kind of piece together for myself for the last six years.鈥欌��

Richardson鈥檚 experience as both a veteran and 麻豆原创 student gave him a unique perspective when planning and procuring items for the vault. Having experienced the difficulties of reacclimating to civilian and student life himself, he understands how simple items such as noise-cancelling headphones and voice recorder pens can make a huge difference in the day-to-day life of student veterans.

鈥淭here are so many triggers that a lot of [student veterans] won鈥檛 even know they have,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f I can help them avoid even one stressor in their day 鈥� helping them to get over those hurdles will help them be better Knights.鈥�

To govern the domain justly, with minimal tantrum/rebellions, we look to the wisdom of the ancients.

Ancient emperors liked to present themselves as gods to awe their subjects into compliance. Rulers also liked the attention; it flattered their vanity to be worshipped. One night, my mind flashed to this insight as a dinnertime squabble brewed between my two youngest.

My baby boy was ready to graduate to the highchair, which of course led his sisters to want to sit in it, too. Thankfully, the oldest was too big, but my second daughter was small enough to fit. Forget the booster seat, once a symbol of big girl status. She wanted the highchair.

Earlier in the day I鈥檇 lectured about Cleopatra, the first century BC Egyptian queen, and I had the answer. My daughter wanted to feel special 鈥� to bask in the attention of her siblings 鈥� and what better way than to be Cleopatra making a procession among her adoring subjects?鈥�

So I called her booster seat the 鈥淐leopatra chair,鈥� and buckled my little girl in. I made sure the seat was attached securely to its chair, and I picked up everything鈥攄aughter, booster seat, and chair鈥攁nd paraded her around the kitchen like the queen of Egypt on her throne.

Thrilled, she ate happily and forgot about the highchair. We still call the booster seat the 鈥淐leopatra chair.鈥�

The rulers of antiquity often faced a surveillance problem when trying to enforce their laws. Transportation was slow, communication was difficult, and the loyalty of underlings charged with carrying out an edict was always suspect.

My wife and I have faced a similar problem recently when the eye doctor recommended that my son wear an eye patch a couple hours a day to correct the treatable condition called lazy eye.

鈥淢y students laugh when I tell them Western Civ helps me be a better father. Ancient history is, for them, something so old it can鈥檛 possibly be relevant to life today. But I鈥檝e found the opposite is true.鈥�

My son naturally hates wearing his eye patch. He鈥檚 a toddler, so there鈥檚 no reasoning with him, no rewarding him, no bribing him. He doesn鈥檛 even care about getting to look like a pirate. We put the eye patch on him, but as soon as we turn our backs, a tearing noise inevitably follows. There goes another patch.

The Roman dictator Sulla devised a clever鈥攁lbeit violent鈥攕olution to his problem of enforcing his will when he couldn鈥檛 be everywhere. He publicly branded his opponents as enemies of the state who anyone could kill on sight. Whoever performed the assassination got to keep a portion of the dead man鈥檚 property.

Now, Sulla鈥檚 policy, called 鈥減roscription,鈥� sounds like a terrible model for parenting. However, I realized, if I stripped out the cruelty, I had a solution to my surveillance problem: expand the number of people invested in carrying out my wishes.

So I declared a 鈥渢ickle proscription鈥� on my son. Whenever anyone sees him touch his eye patch, they must tickle him into submission.

My daughters love it. They watch their brother like a hawk, keen to tickle him if his hands wander close to his face. My son enjoys it, too. Sometimes he touches his eye patch just looking to get tickled, which is fine as long as it stays on.

Thanks to a little Roman ingenuity, my wife and I don鈥檛 have to watch every movement of our son鈥檚 quick little hands for two hours every day to make sure his eye stays covered. We can get other things done.

My students laugh when I tell them Western Civ helps me be a better father. Ancient history is, for them, something so old it can鈥檛 possibly be relevant to life today.

But I鈥檝e found the opposite is true. The old Greeks and Romans have real insight into my 21st century problems.

And, yes, knowing a little about Cleopatra can help anyone raise their children.

David Head is an associate lecturer of history at 麻豆原创. He can be reached at聽David.Head@ucf.edu.

The聽麻豆原创 Forum聽is a weekly series of opinion columns from faculty, staff and students who serve on a panel for a year. A new column is posted each Wednesday on聽麻豆原创 Today聽and then broadcast on W麻豆原创-FM (89.9) between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday. Opinions expressed are those of the columnists, and are not necessarily shared by the 麻豆原创.

George Washington, the man who invented the inauguration speech, crafted an address that speaks to what unites Americans.

Washington took office in a precarious moment. The previous government, the Articles of Confederation, had failed and nothing guaranteed there would be a second president if Washington faltered. Washington鈥檚 words as he assumed office announced his goal: a nation unified despite its deep disagreements.

His inauguration took place in New York City, then the country鈥檚 capital, on April 30, 1789. Congress, though supposed to meet in early March to certify the results of the presidential election, couldn鈥檛 muster a quorum until April. The delay revealed the indifference of the new representatives and senators toward the new government. Rhode Island and North Carolina didn鈥檛 send any representatives at all. They hadn鈥檛 ratified the Constitution yet.

The sole required part of a president鈥檚 inauguration is to recite a specific oath of office. But over the spring, as Washington saw he would be elected president, he decided he should also give a public address.

According to the Constitution, the sole required part of a president鈥檚 inauguration is to recite a specific oath of office. But over the spring, as Washington saw he would be elected president, he decided he should also give a public address.

Washington鈥檚 speech followed his taking the oath, which he completed publicly while standing on the second-floor balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street. As the crowd cheered and huzzahed its acclaim, he repaired inside to address Congress.

The speech itself was brief. A mere 1,400 words, it might have taken less than 10 minutes to deliver. The speech advocated no specific policies. But what Washington lacked in innovative ideas, he made up for in his vision of the nation鈥檚 destiny.

鈥淎mong the vicissitudes incident to life,鈥� , 鈥渘o event could have filled me with greater anxieties鈥� than learning he would become president. He felt unequal to the task, he said, but he could not resist being 鈥渟ummoned by my country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love.鈥� Washington, who hungered for fame as much as any renowned leader, played coy, but with a purpose: He signaled that he was not ambitious for power as famous men often were or as liberty-loving Americans feared.

Fortunately for our democracy, he demonstrated that America and its president would be something different.

Washington continued with an exhortation to unity. But he didn鈥檛 lecture his audience or shame people for their disagreements. He didn鈥檛 offer sappy bromides that no rough-and-tumble politician believes. Instead, he recalled the shared sacrifice of the revolution and what he saw as God鈥檚 providential care for guiding the United States, his words turning his listeners鈥� minds to what they鈥檇 accomplished together and to the beliefs they shared.

鈥淣o people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand, which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States,鈥� the president said. 鈥淓very step, by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation, seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.鈥�

Washington didn鈥檛 need to state the implications outright: Just as the nation had achieved its independence together, it could launch the new government together.

After a brief allusion to a Bill of Rights and his promise to accept no salary but only reimbursement for his expenses, Washington closed by once more invoking 鈥渢he benign parent of the human race.鈥� He called for divine blessing on officials whose 鈥渆nlarged views鈥� along with 鈥渢emperate consultations鈥� would frame 鈥渢he wise measures on which the success of this government must depend.鈥�

That鈥檚 the spirit presidents should always emulate: a humble symbol of unity. Washington鈥檚 words are a reminder of what the American people have accomplished, his manner serious but hopeful.

It鈥檚 a difficult task. A president is a political figure, and politics means making choices that anger some people. But presidents should speak 鈥� especially on Inauguration Day 鈥� with devotion to the country, including the people who didn鈥檛 vote for them.

David Head is an associate lecturer of history at 麻豆原创. He can be reached at David.Head@ucf.edu.

The聽麻豆原创 Forum聽is a weekly series of opinion columns from faculty, staff and students who serve on a panel for a year. A new column is posted each Wednesday on 麻豆原创 Today and then broadcast on W麻豆原创-FM (89.9) between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday. Opinions expressed are those of the columnists, and are not necessarily shared by the 麻豆原创.

Florida has had a far-reaching effect on the presidency dating all the way back to George Washington, before the region was even a state.聽The film, written and produced by W麻豆原创 veteran television journalist Buddy Pittman 鈥�74 and senior lecturer Clark, looks at the long-standing connection between the state and the White House.

The 50-minute documentary examines the environmental efforts spearheaded by several president, the space program, and landmark political moments that occurred here, including Richard Nixon鈥檚 Watergate 鈥淚 am not a crook鈥� speech and George W. Bush鈥檚 Sept. 11, 2001, press conference following the World Trade Center attack. The film also uncovers some of the little-known Florida stories that have involved presidents.

Clark wrote the book in 2016 as the presidential campaign got underway.

鈥淚 had worked with Buddy Pittman on the [W麻豆原创] Road Trip series for several years and when I suggested a documentary, Buddy embraced it,鈥� Clark says. 鈥淲e realized we had tremendous resources on campus.鈥�

Appearing in the documentary with Clark, who is the author of nine books, are 麻豆原创 faculty members Amy Foster, Barbara Gannon, David Head, David Morton 鈥�14MA 鈥�19PhD, and Lori Walters.

The film is narrated by long-time CBS News radio reporter Peter King, who is known for his coverage of NASA and the space industry.

鈥淲麻豆原创 has dedicated itself to telling community stories as Central Florida鈥檚 Storytellers. It鈥檚 our commitment to the community to educate, engage and inspire through our content,鈥� says Phil Hoffman, W麻豆原创 executive director. 鈥�Presidents in Florida comes at an interesting time in history, with Florida taking a major role.鈥�

The traveling display, the third and final stop in the United States, presents artwork, artifacts, interactive devices and multimedia experiences to show the effects of the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which buried the Roman city of Pompeii.

Life and Death in Pompeii will be a 麻豆原创 webinar presentation and discussion at noon Friday, Nov. 6, about the era and what was going on at the time of the eruption. Historians of art, archaeology, and classical languages and literatures will present their research. Ilenia Col贸n聽Mendoza will moderate the symposium and a Q&A will follow each of three topics:

• 鈥淕reek and Roman Myths in the Houses of Pompeii and the Bay of Naples鈥� with Robert Vander Poppen, an associate professor of classical art and archaeology at Rollins College.

• 鈥淧ublic Entertainment in Pompeii鈥� with Edward Dandrow, an assistant professor of history at 麻豆原创.

• 鈥淧ompeii: Cultural Heritage and Preservation鈥� with Margaret Ann Zaho, an associate professor of art history.

Registration for the online program is required.

The College of Sciences has scheduled Zoom virtual talks and Q&As to help exhibit visitors walk back in time. The one-hour programs begin at noon and are recommended for those 13 and older. Reservations can be made by clicking on the program titles:

Dailies and Delicacies: Getting a Taste of Pompeii 鈥� Nov. 19 with Lana Williams, associate lecturer from the Department of Anthropology. Williams, a bioarchaeologist, specializes in research of human health and diet.聽Her program will discuss the food and drink of the day: fresh breads, herbed olives, raisin wine, posca (cold, watered-down vinegar), peppery fish sauce and other items

Fleeing Pompeii: Bodies Frozen in Time 鈥� Dec. 10 with Sandra Wheeler, associate lecturer from the Department of Anthropology. Wheeler, who specializes in bioarchaeology, will talk about the research undertaken on so called 鈥渁sh mummies,鈥� the city鈥檚 inhabitants whose bodies were preserved in the volcanic eruption. Ash from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius covered them and formed formed a shell around their bodies.

Learning From Lasers: Uncovering Pompeii With Chemical Laser Analysis 鈥� Jan. 14 with Matthiew Baudlet, associate professor from the Department of Chemistry. Baudlet, who specializes in spectroscopy, will discuss the research of Pompeii using laser spectroscopy.

Some original Pompeii frescos that were buried under ash will be part of the science center鈥檚 ongoing exhibit 鈥� as well as some frescos made by elementary school students from Lake Eola Charter School. The plaster-and-pigment examples were made as part of the 麻豆原创 Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment (CREATE)鈥檚 Extended Classroom Experience program.

CREATE introduced the children to the art and science of making frescos, a painting technique common in ancient times. Their tile frescoes depict plants and animals similar to the frescos found in Pompeii.