Sobering

 On Wednesday, July 8 at 6 pm museums across America held a reading of the Declaration of Independence. All at the same time on the same day, large or small.  And our museum was part of the event.

Our museum has new travelling sign boards displaying what happened historically nationally after we declared our independence.  The national events were on the top row and Lowell's history in perspective on the bottom rows. 

This sign board explains why there is a Lowell.  We had here, in this area, in the confluence of the Flat and Grand Rivers the largest concentration of ermine in Michigan at the time.  When you see a royal wearing a robe with those black spots?  Those are ermine hides, the black tipped tail was what the royals wanted and likely came from here.  

That cabin in the photo?  It's the only drawing that exists of the first fur trade cabin in the area.  

            A replica was built a few years ago near the best guess spot where the original once stood.  

Our daughter stood on the porch of the museum, originally a home built in 1873, and explained to the gathering about the combined meeting all across the country and specifically Michigan, for the reading of the Declaration.

We had a respectable group come to hear.  It was church quiet. 

And the Declaration was read. 

I must say here, being political for just a moment, that this was the first time I've ever heard the entire Declaration read or read it myself.  We all grow up knowing what it meant but how many of us actually read it word for word?  We grow up thinking the document was the end of our affiliation with England but it was only the start.  I used to tell the kids at school,  "No, no, no. The Declaration was a letter we sent to King George saying, DECLARING we're done being your colony. George replied, "Um, I don't think so." Then there were eight years of war to prove our point and then the work began to actually DO what we wanted.  And we had to work hard for that.   

I sat there listening and was aghast at the similarities to today, the accusations against King George III, the reasons for our turning away from his rule, the call to do so, the obligation to do so.  I kept nudging PH as point by point was read of his 'crimes' against us.  

Remember the term historically used to describe King George?  The Madness of King George?  Well, here we are.