A me rican Es s e nc e
American Essence FO R E V E RYO N E W H O LOV E S T H I S C O U N T RY
The Return of the Buffalo
JANUARY 2022
With great care and effort, the buffalo was reintroduced to the Great Plains decades after being wiped out
Classical Education Experts weigh in on what the study of the true, the good, and the noble can be for today’s students
Magical Encounters
VOLUME 2 | ISSUE 1
Award-winning wildlife photographer Colin Tyler Bogucki on discovering his special connection with animals
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Contents
Features 8 | Kevin Sorbo
While shooting Season 5 of “Hercules,” the actor had a near-death experience and discovered his unwavering faith in God.
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10 | Under the Surface
Ocean photographer and animal lover Renee Capozzola takes up the camera to capture stunning, award-winning images of our planet’s alluring sea creatures.
16 | Casey DeSantis
Florida’s First Lady opens up about her battle with cancer, and her hopes for the state’s future.
20 | The Mark of History
Howard Zerwitz regularly handles letters from Napoleon, writings in Mark Twain’s hand, and documents signed by President Lincoln.
26 | From Ashes to Beauty
A tragic fire helped transform wildlife photographer Colin Tyler Bogucki’s relationship with nature.
36 | Raising a Forest by Hand
46 | Deep Sea Valkyries
Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient Josh Grzywa helps veterans heal through trauma-counseling retreats on the open water.
50 | For Whom the Bell Tolls
Benjamin Sunderlin’s obsession with the study of bells eventually inspired him to start his own bell foundry, bringing the age-old craft to the United States.
54 | O. Henry House Couture
Furniture A North Carolina family preserves the tradition of handmade upholstery, creating enduring heirloom furniture pieces.
58 | Luxury, by Way of Italy
Botanist Charles Bessey saw the grassy hills of north central Nebraska and realized the potential for populating a forest there.
Ippolita Rostagno wanted to ensure Italian artisans could practice their trade for generations to come—so she brought Italian design brands to America.
40 | Preserving the Pollinators
62 | Got Neon?
Bees are our most important pollinators, helping to propagate crops and fuel the ecosystem. That’s why we need to protect our native bee population.
44 | Rescuing Donkeys
Donkeys are companion and working animals, and places like The Farmette keep them from a fate of slaughter. 2
Neon Williams is the last remaining company in New England still crafting neon signs, illuminating local businesses and movie sets alike.
66 | Why I Love America Terryn Boucher reflects on the importance of balancing faith and reason in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
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102 History 68 | The Return of the Buffalo
Once known as the “Thunder of the Plains,” the buffalo was all but gone when President Theodore Roosevelt and others helped reintroduce it in the early 20th century.
72 | John Adams’s Productive
Persistence With a zeal and sincerity that countered his well-known foibles, the future second president forged financial agreements with the Dutch at a crucial moment.
74 | The World Travels of Squanto
Squanto intended to return to his home after years away, but disease had struck the region and all had perished. Instead, he ended up helping the Pilgrims.
76 | Nathan Hale
In 1776, spies were not military heroes but the lowest of the low. Yet George Washington needed information he could not trust to such hired guns—he needed a volunteer.
78 | The Saving of Mount Vernon
If not for the efforts of some 19th-century ladies, George Washington’s home estate may have been reduced to a mere paragraph on a Virginia historical plaque.
82 | Trade Secrets
Along the bustling streets of colonial America, businesses were filled with working craftsmen who passed their trades down to select apprentices.
86 | Civil War Ironclads
The Battle of Hampton Roads, with the Monitor and the Merrimack, forever changed how wars would be fought on water. ISSU E 1 | JA N UARY 2 0 2 2
26 A Love of Learning 88 | A New Start for Our Family
When a student had trouble processing his emotions, one teacher’s kindness offered the care and support needed for a fresh start.
90 | Students as Decision-Makers An elementary class project showed how treating students as young adults can yield results beyond our expectations.
92 | What Is Classical Education?
Experts weigh in on the question of the year, explaining why a classical education helps students develop wisdom and virtue.
98 | Ownership of Education
Anyone who’s been with small children knows they are full of questions, and their questions are the launching pad for their ownership of education.
100 | Back in the Classroom
Teachers reflect on what it was like when schools finally reopened and they could see students in person again.
Arts & Letters 102 | Jeweled Birds of South
America Attacked by the “hummingbird craze,” artist Martin Johnson Heade was the first American to visit South America to personally observe and paint the subjects.
46 106 | Restoring a Living Landmark Celebrating its 250th anniversary, the Carmel Mission is considered one of the best-restored missions in California.
112 | The Bonds That Reunited
America The Robinson House stood through our nation’s bitterest domestic conflict and became a key element in its reconciliation.
The Great Outdoors 118 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon
The world’s largest trees (by volume) have been preserved since 1890 through the U.S. National Park System.
124 | Plan Your First Backpacking
Trip Ready to explore America’s wilderness this winter? Equipped with these tips and guidelines, backpacking won’t be so daunting. 3
Features | Hope
Legendary Journey
The Kevin Sorbo Story
After 5 seasons of playing the strongest man in the world, the actor had a near-death experience that strengthened rather than diminished his faith—guiding a pivotal turn in his prolific career WRITTEN BY
Rachael Doukas & Laura Doukas
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evin Sorbo, most recognized for his starring role in the critically acclaimed television series, “Hercules: The Legendary Journey,” is strong in more ways than one. While performing in the show that made him a household name, Sorbo trained in the gym every day for six hours, no matter how far into the night filming took him. Workout after workout, his physique became the embodiment of awesome physical strength. But his inner strength comes from a different place. Sorbo grew up in Mound, Minnesota, where his mother worked as a nurse, and his father taught junior high. At the time, Mound was a tight-knit community surrounded by bays, lakes, and sledding hills, and most notable as the birthplace of the Tonka Truck. Living in this Midwestern city was a very down-to-earth upbringing that Sorbo deeply appreciated; he credits it for his outstanding work ethic and strong moral character. Over the years, Sorbo developed a passion for the arts that grew so strong that the residuals he earned from print modeling and commercial gigs would cover his entire college tuition. He was able to persevere in an industry known for rejection by pushing ever restlessly forward, no matter how many times casting directors passed on him for roles. Finally, he landed the role of a lifetime as star of a prime-time television show. While shooting Season 5 of “Hercules: The Legendary Journey” in 1997, Sorbo discovered his unwavering faith in God. Fully committed to his role as the strongest man in the world, 38-year-old Sorbo unconventionally performed most of his own stunts. After all, he was a natural athlete skilled in football, basketball, and many other popular sports. Little by little, the actor started to feel a problem arising in his left arm, and what began as a tingle ended as a near death experience.
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“I couldn’t figure out what was going on,” Sorbo recalls. “I went to see my chiropractor. I’m laying on the table and a voice starts yelling in my head, ‘Don’t let him crack your neck.’” The voice persisted, but he ignored it. The chiropractor proceeded to crack Sorbo’s neck. As a result, an aneurysm was triggered in the actor, resulting in hundreds of blood clots, three strokes, and a recovery period of three years. “I remember being dragged into the ER at Cedar Sinai in Los Angeles,” Sorbo recalls. “And I just looked up at the sky and said to myself, wow, I’m going to die today.” It would be the last time he would ever question his inner guidance. Sorbo describes his road to recovery as a “long, long journey” discovering how nearly dying actually saved his life. “I always had faith,” he says. “I never needed faith until this roadblock came into my life.” Despite the intense hardship this health crisis would bring, he never lost his faith and never blamed God. “I think so often people lose their faith when bad things happen, but it opened up a door for me.” After the incident, a process of self-reflection began, and the trajectory of Sorbo’s life completely changed. He discovered a deep desire to take on projects that were, as he describes, “God First,” or uplifting, meaningful, and inspiring.
“I always had faith. I never needed faith until this roadblock came into my life.” —KEVIN SO RBO
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Kevin Sorbo’s career has been busier than ever after he became determined to create films with a message of hope.
At first, finding roles that resonated with his newfound spirit proved difficult; it was becoming increasingly challenging for Sorbo to connect with characters who did not bring a positive message to the screen. He wanted his performances to change the lives of his audiences for the better, not discourage or disturb them. There were some networks and studios producing content in line with this criteria, but not enough content to fulfill his passion. Eventually, Sorbo realized there was only one way to amplify his vision of hope: develop his own projects. With the help of his beloved and equally talented wife, Sam, Sorbo formed his own production company, Sorbo Family Film Studios. The firm has quickly established itself as a leader in the development of content emphasizing the importance of faith and family. “I want people to wake up and get fighting for the good things in life, instead of all this anger we have out there,” ISSU E 1 | JA N UARY 2 0 2 2
says Sorbo. The power couple is making movies that provide a refutation of the, as they state, “reckless rejection of values that the media generally messages in film, TV, and elsewhere.” The decision to create uplifting content with an emphasis on forgiveness and redemption is certainly a road less traveled in Hollywood. “I’m a big fan of Robert Frost, and that poem really hits home for me,” says Sorbo. “I feel that Jesus took the road less traveled, and a lot of people now are beginning to take it.” The audacious end goal, in Sorbo’s own words: “I want to make the road less traveled into a super highway.” If numbers are any indication of success, Sorbo is well on his way to creating bumper-to-bumper traffic. One of his most successful projects of late, “God’s Not Dead,” impressively surpassed $140 million worldwide with a mere $2 million budget. It turns out, hope is a pretty lucrative subject. • 9
Features | Autographs
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Autographs | Features
far left Howard Zerwitz has been collecting autographs, letters, and other artifacts from around the world. left A document signed by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, appointing a postal official in Wisconsin, signed on March 30, 1861 (close-up of signature below).
The Mark of History The niche business of collecting historical letters and documents WRITTEN BY
Christine Colbert
PHOTOGRAPHED BY
Tatsiana Moon
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sold a Napoleon letter yesterday,” remarked Howard Zerwitz. This kind of thing isn’t unusual for him, since Zerwitz’s American Historical Guild (AHG) provides historic autographs, documents, letters, and other artifacts to collectors around the world—all reflecting historic events. Zerwitz has sold letters and documents from every American president, as well as letters from people like Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and Mark Twain. In his niche Long Island business, Zerwitz has been dealing with pieces of history for some 40 years. Yet he wasn’t particularly drawn to history during his school days. His love for history, and his desire to preserve it carefully and accurately, has grown gradually—alongside his collections. Zerwitz works with documents and artifacts that begin in the $500
to $1,000 range, and increase in value according to their rarity and historical significance. He reports that his clients include small-business owners, doctors, teachers, police officers, and Fortune 500 CEOs. “They all share a love of this nation’s history,” he explained. “In view of the modern range of communication,” he laments, “letters are a dying form of correspondence.” For this reason, he enjoys preserving historical letters for future generations.
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From Ashes to Beauty How a tragic fire helped transform one man’s relationship with nature WRITTEN BY
Skylar Parker
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Photography | Features
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A bull moose crosses a creek in early summer at the Eagle River Nature Center in Chugach State Park, Alaska.
ature has always been at the forefront of photographer Colin Tyler Bogucki’s life. Growing up, he and his family lived in Outing—a small town in “Lake Country” in Northern Minnesota. Surrounded by woodland and lakes, he felt it was the perfect place to grow up. “I was outside all the time and always connected to nature,” he said. Swimming, fishing, and hunting were a few of his passions. In 1991, Tyler attended college, studying psychology. After completing his coursework in 1995, he traveled to Alaska for an internship at a counseling center, where he immediately fell in love with the untamed wilderness. Journey to Alaska Equipped with a Minolta point-andshoot film camera, he drove all the way to “the last frontier” in his little Toyota pickup truck. Tyler considers that trip as the greatest journey of his life. Struck by the natural beauty and scenery, he was hit with newfound inspiration. Words flew from his pen onto paper, taking the form of elaborate poems. “And I just had to keep pulling over and writing all these lines that were coming to me as I was driving,” he said. Tyler would go on to spend many days capturing the many wonders of wildlife through pictures and poems. “I didn’t want it to end. I didn’t want to arrive in Anchorage—I just wanted to keep journeying because it was so inspiring,” he said.
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Raising a Forest by Hand Reaching Nebraska’s grassy Sandhills region in the 1880s, ranchers found themselves among haystacks—until botanist Charles Bessey stepped in and planted some pines WRITTEN BY
Ronald Ahrens
The pre-dawn fog rises above the Niobrara River, located in Valentine, Nebraska.
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Forests | Features
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he hills bear all manner of fantastic shapes,” Charles Bessey observed, noting that they sometimes featured open pockets of bare sand in blowouts and were “provokingly steep and high.” Bessey was describing the Sandhills, the area of post-glacial dunes wrought by mighty winds in north-central and northwestern Nebraska. Aided by his botany students from the University of Nebraska (today’s University of Nebraska– Lincoln), he cataloged a treasure of plant species in 1892. Yet besides spurges and gooseberries, herbaceous plants such as smooth beardtongue, and grasses such as Eatonia obtusata, he found the potential for forestation. “He was convinced that the moist soil of the Sandhills would support forest growth,” the historian Thomas R. Walsh wrote. Nebraska had gained statehood in 1867 but still had enough untouched areas to be “a virgin natural laboratory,” as Walsh described it. And there were so few trees for wood, shelter, or shade. Bessey had been pushing the state legislature to reserve Sandhills tracts for tree planting. In 1891, urged by the top forestry official in Washington, D.C., he started a test plot at the eastern edge of the Sandhills, which encompassed an area about the size of New Jersey. Ponderosa pines were a big component of the experiment’s 13,500 conifers. With the initial indication that they would do fine, he started a campaign to convince people that forestation was practical. After all, as Walsh noted, “the area was once covered by a pine forest that was destroyed by prairie fires.” Bessey had come to the University of Nebraska in 1884, lured from Iowa Agricultural College (today, Iowa State University) by an offer of $2,500 per year. He was already the author of “Botany for High Schools and Colleges,” the nation’s first textbook on the subject. His motto of “Science with Practice” indicated a teaching philosophy that mixed laboratory and field work with classroom instruction. ISSU E 1 | JA N UARY 2 0 2 2
Charles Bessey at his lab at the University of Nebraska (today’s University of Nebraska–Lincoln).
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He was one of a small group of professors at the prairie university, attended by just 373 students in the year he arrived, but he had an outsized and enduring influence through his popular botany seminar. A top student in the 1892 cataloging project was Roscoe Pound, who claimed the university’s first Ph.D. in botany, then distinguished himself as a legal scholar and served two decades as dean of Harvard University’s law school. Throughout the latter years of the Gilded Age, Bessey kept hammering away at the idea of national forests. To Gifford Pinchot, head of the national Division of Forestry, he wrote, “In the Sandhills, we have a region which has been shown to be adapted to the growth of coniferous forest trees, and here we can now secure large tracts which are not yet owned by private parties.” Pinchot had the ear of President Theodore Roosevelt, who in 1902 set aside 206,028 acres in two reserves in the Sandhills. “This was the first and only instance in which the federal government removed non-forested public domain from settlement to create a man-made forest reserve,” Walsh explained.
“The cutting away and total destruction of the forests is a crime against the community as a whole.” — C HA RLES BESSEY
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Features | Craftsmanship
Got Neon? Our nation’s darkest times have sparked a renaissance, with New England’s last remaining neon artisan making iconic beacons for everything from movie sets to local businesses WRITTEN BY
Alice Giordano
left Among Neon Williams’s clients is a retired airline pilot who wanted to restore a vintage American Airlines sign.
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Craftsmanship | Features
“It’s interesting: neon can be vintage, but it can also be very modern.” —DAVE WA LLER
left Neon Williams has been making neon signs by hand for 87 years.
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atch the movie “Free Guy,” and you’ll see how Neon Williams helped garner glowing reviews for the big screen action flick. “Yeah, we made about 13 signs for the movie,” said Neon Williams co-owner Dave Waller, proudly. The company’s glass-bending works of art are carefully scattered throughout the Boston-based movie, including a penguin holding an ice cream, a fish, and Waller’s favorite—an eerie, flickering, 16-foot fictional Pleasure Hotel sign. The latter was made for a scene filmed in a gritty Chinatown alleyway. “It seemed to be a place where all the restaurants dump all their grease,” Waller playfully bemoaned. His company is already working on more signage for another major Hollywood movie in production. In 2019, Dave and his wife Lynn bought Neon Williams, a company that has been making neon signs for some 87 years. It’s located in an ungentrified industrial area of Somerville, Massachusetts—an ironic setting for the revival of a celebrated craft dimmed at the turn of the millennium. Neon lights, the long-celebrated iconic beacons of classic roadside diners and aged hole-in-the-wall bars, were replaced by the allure of cheaper, modern lighting. So went the 5 miles ISSU E 1 | JA N UARY 2 0 2 2
of gas-filled tubes that once lit up Boston’s fabled Citgo sign, which today is illuminated by 240,000 LED lights as it still stands over Fenway Park. The Wallers—Massachusetts natives who cringe at the controversial conversion of the giant Citgo sign—bought the neon company mostly for nostalgic reasons. After all, who could let the lights go out on a company responsible for Boston’s cherished signs, such as the neon-lit Paramount Theatre marquee and other legendary illuminations? The company also had its place on the big screen long before “Free Guy.” Its neon handiwork can be found
throughout the 1978 movie, “The Brink’s Job.” Of course, the Wallers also wanted to make a profit with their new venture. But soon, the light at the end of that tunnel got, well, a little, unexpectedly fuzzy. Not long after buying the business, the pandemic hit, causing an untold number of American businesses to go dark, including many around the Boston area, leaving Neon Williams wondering if it would be next. But as Dave Waller put it, the pandemic was, surprisingly enough, like lightning in a bottle for the company. 63
History | American Revolution
Nathan Hale
A Patriot to Remember WRITTEN BY
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t’s the fall of 1776 and New York City is under attack. The Declaration of Independence had birthed the United States of America barely two months earlier, and there was no turning back for the colonists. General George Washington had freed Boston in March and was slowly turning his army into a genuine fighting force. All eyes are now on New York City. The British first invaded Staten Island, then defeated the Americans on Long Island, forcing Washington’s retreat to Manhattan. The colonial General is now planning a counterattack to keep from losing all of New York City. As both sides dig in, Washington knows he will lose New York unless he can obtain good intelligence on the troop movements and fortifications of the British. There is only one way to get that information — General Washington needs a spy! But this is before the days of spies and agents holding a special lore in American culture. In 1776, there is no CIA, no MI6, no Mossad, certainly no loyal American intelligence network at all. In 1776, spies are the lowest of the low, not military heroes. They are hired guns, unsavory and untrustworthy. Spies are killed upon capture and are respected by none. Washington knows the information he needs cannot be trusted to that type of man. He needs one of his trusted officers for this particular task. But he could not, would not, demand such a dangerous and demeaning mission of just anyone — he wants someone to volunteer. Late at night, Colonel Tom Knowlton quietly gathers his officers in a tent at a secret location away from prying eyes and ears. But the men in this meeting are no ordinary group of 76
Rick Green
officers. These men are an elite special force group that Washington has recently formed — they are literally the very first American Rangers. In hushed tones, the Colonel asks for a volunteer to answer the General’s call. His request is met with dead silence. Finally, an older, gruff officer breaks the silence and says, “I am willing to be shot in battle, but I am not willing to be hanged like a dog.” In other words, there is no honor in this mission.
Knowlton tries further to persuade, but eventually gives up. As he is turning to leave and tell General Washington he has failed, a young man, standing in the doorway of the tent, steps forward, and simply says with a steady voice, “I will undertake the mission.” He has arrived at the meeting late, ill with a fever, but eager to serve. The courageous volunteer at the door is none other than Nathan Hale. Captain Hale is only 21 years of age, well-educated, and by all accounts of the ladies, a handsome fellow to boot. At the top of his Yale graduating class at the age of 18, Hale is a seriously devoted Christian, planning to become a minister of the gospel. Fresh out of college, Hale was serving as a teacher when the war broke
out. A well-accomplished speaker and debater in college, he argued that the higher education of women was being neglected. Therefore, in addition to serving as teacher for the Union Grammar School in New London, Connecticut, he has been teaching a group of ladies from 5 to 7 o’clock each morning. After a year of teaching, “the shot heard round the world” was fired at Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775. Hale, still in his teens but enrolled in the local militia, attended the town meeting in New London and stood to speak. “Let us march immediately,” he said, “and never lay down our arms until we obtain independence!” The word “independence” had not yet been spoken of publicly in his town, but the courage of this young man shook the community from its slumber of colonial submission. He then shook the hand of each of his students, prayed with them, and left for war. Now Captain Hale finds himself volunteered for the most dangerous and most degrading mission he could imagine. Standing outside Colonel Knowlton’s tent, under cover of darkness, Hale’s good friend from college, Captain William Hull, tries to change his mind. Hull stresses the dangers of the mission, the likelihood of death, and the dishonorable legacy of being a spy. Nathan is unmoved and responds by pointing out that there is honor in a mission so necessary for the cause — his General and his nation need him, and he will do what duty demands! Hale makes his way behind enemy lines and, with his Yale diploma in hand, poses as a teacher looking for a new job. Over the course of several days, he is able to map out the British troop locations and fortifications. With this extremely valuable information hidden AMERI CAN ESSE NCE
American Revolution | History
above The bronze statue of Nathan Hale at Yale University.
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“I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” —N ATHAN HA LE
in the sole of his shoe, he is captured before he can make his way back across enemy lines. The evidence is right there on his person. There is no denying what he was there to do. He is sentenced to hang the next morning. Unable to sleep, as he is contemplating his fate, he begins to come to grips with the fact that he has failed. He has failed his mission, his General, and the cause. Hale requests a member of the clergy but is refused. He requests a Bible and is refused. He is finally given paper and pen to write final words to his family. As he calmly pens this final letter, he purposes within his heart to do the only thing he could still do to help the cause for which he is willing to die. The next morning, as people gather to watch the hanging, he is given a chance for last words. Summoning his best oratory, and quoting heavily from Joseph Addison’s 1713 play “Cato,” Captain Nathan Hale gives a passionate defense of the American cause of freedom. British soldiers begin heckling and mocking him for dying for what they say is a worthless and hopeless cause, but Hale closes with these immortal and inspiring words, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” Hale’s composure, passion, determination, and oratory change his ignoble fate, and greatly influence the very concept of patriotism. As women in the crowd weep aloud, and even hardened enemy soldiers are moved by his words, the image of a disgraced traitor is transformed into an honorable patriot, sacrificing for a worthy cause. Nearly two-and-a-half centuries later, we can now see the tremendous success of what Nathan Hale believed was a failed mission. In voluntarily giving his life, he inspired hope for the cause, stirred conviction and belief in what the Americans were fighting for, and accomplished a far greater purpose than producing the recon maps for which he had left camp to serve General Washington. This article is adapted from Rick Green’s “Legends of Liberty, Timeless Stories of Courageous Champions.” • 77
A Love of Learning | Classical Education
What Exactly Is Classical Education? Experts weigh in on the question of the year, explaining why a classical education helps all students to cultivate virtue WRITTEN BY
Krista Thomas
Dr. Daniel Scoggin Dr. Allyson Barnes
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Martin Cothran
Jeremy Tate
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Classical Education | A Love of Learning
“Our founders were immersed in Aristotle, enlightenment philosophy, political philosophy.” —J EREMY TAT E
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isdom and virtue are traits strived for in a classical education, a study of the true, good, and noble. The following experts—those who promote the transmission of classical education— define what classical education is and can be for today’s students. And, more importantly, why doaes it matter today?
Dr. Allyson Barnes Barnes serves as Senior Faculty and Director of Credential Program at The Institute for Catholic Liberal Education. American Essence: How did you become involved or interested in classical education? Barnes: Like so many, I had a run-of-the-mill K–12 public education. It really wasn’t until graduate school at the University of Dallas, which has long been committed to Liberal Arts and the Western tradition, that I began piecing together my own “classical education” through the study of literature, rhetoric, philosophy, and Latin. It was late in the game, and I felt like I was just waking up; I wanted to keep learning. I did that through teaching! I started in a classical school in the inner city of Dallas, and I’ve continued to work in classical education ever since. I was able to research and write on classical education for my dissertation, and, from my work as a high school teacher, I’ve written a couple of books for the classroom: “Rhetoric Alive: Practicing Persuasion” and “Rhetoric Alive: Senior Thesis Student Workbook.” I’ve recently left the classroom to join the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education in their beautiful work of renewing this kind of learning in Catholic schools. It’s an honor to be a part of its revival.” AE: What is the best definition you give when someone asks, “What is a classical education?” How is classical education different from today’s education? ISSU E 1 | JA N UARY 2 0 2 2
Barnes: There are a lot of different answers you might hear to this question. Some people think that a tell-tale sign of a classical education is the study of Latin; for others, it’s a “Great Books” education. Still others, influenced by Dorothy Sayers’ “The Lost Tools of Learning,” understand classical education to be a kind of developmental model that takes grammar, logic, and rhetoric as particular stages of a child’s development. However, the best distinction between classical education and the typical, post-Dewey classroom is really in terms of the goal. Modern education is utilitarian: the goal is to get a job, to learn information to later employ in that job. It’s a power model. Classical education, on the other hand, seeks to educate the child as a “human qua human.” And what is the true telos of the human? Wisdom and virtue! More accurately, wisdom and virtue are understood as a discovery and an embracing of reality. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, modern education wants to conform reality to the will, while classical education wants to conform the will to reality. A quick look at human history shows that it’s the classical model that points students toward human flourishing—putting them on the path, as it were. Once the purpose of education has been established, then you can go back and look at what materials best suit it or what format it should best use. I do believe you end up with the Great Books—in the upper grades, at least—and attention to a child’s natural development. But those are after, not before, determining education’s purpose. AE: Best book you would recommend on what a classical education is... Barnes: It depends on what you’re looking for. For teachers and homeschool parents designing their own curriculum, I’d reach for “The WellTrained Mind” by Susan Wise Bauer; it’s an excellent, practical resource. “An Introduction to Classical Education” by Chris Perrin is an easyto-read, 45-page bird’s-eye view of how classical education is understood, particularly in reli93
Celebrating Bonds
That Reunited America The history behind the Robinson House WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY
Bob Kirchman
A view from the E. Claiborne and Lora Robins Sculpture Garden featuring “Neptune Virginia Beach Maquette” by Paul DiPasquale, which sits across from the Robinson House.
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Architecture | Arts & Letters
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o-day gladdens the hearts of all true Americans, the spectacle of a re-united country, knit together in real brotherhood of its citizens and in the bonds of an honorable, cordial and lasting pacification—and not least, the spectacle of veterans of the Army of the Potomac joining hands with veterans of [the] Army of Northern Virginia, to establish, as we here to-day establish, this “Lee Camp Soldiers’ Home.” —Colonel Archer Anderson, Address on the opening of Lee Camp Soldiers’ Home, May 20, 1885
Richmond’s Robinson House, like many venerable Virginia homes, has stood as a witness to much history. This is the story of a house that from its humble beginnings in 1828 grew to become the three-story edifice it is today. It stood through our nation’s most bitter domestic conflict and became a key element in a beautiful story of reconciliation—a home for indigent and disabled veterans of that fierce conflict. The house’s namesake, Anthony Robinson Jr., originally constructed a simple summerhouse for his family amid a beautiful stand of oak trees known as The Grove. Robinson, an officer of the Bank of Virginia, was married to Rebecca Webb Couch, who grew up in Goochland County, Virginia. Couch’s parents were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers) who had moved to Goochland from Philadelphia and had freed their slaves. When she married Anthony, Rebecca became the mistress of slaves. The enslaved workers were most likely some of the craftsmen and laborers who helped build and advance the house. The property eventually developed into a 160-acre farm, and the Robinsons also grew to be a family of 11 children. The simple cottage was enlarged and rebuilt in the Italianate style in the 1850s. Around 1860, the Robinsons sold their city house and made The Grove their full-time residence. ISSU E 1 | JA N UARY 2 0 2 2
Richmond’s Robinson House, like many venerable Virginia homes, has stood as a witness to much history. Anthony Robinson died on June 28, 1861, as the Civil War was beginning. He left Rebecca 48 acres and divided the rest of the farm among his children. His sons Samuel, Starkey, and Edward served in the Confederate Army. Another son, Channing, was unable to serve because of a disability and became a clerk for the War Department. He would become his mother’s primary caregiver since the war had devastated the family financially. During the final weeks of the Civil War, Union troops occupied the house and grounds at the invitation of Mrs. Robinson in exchange for protection from looting.
Mrs. Robinson’s granddaughter, Elizabeth Overton Robinson, wrote of the time: After the evacuation of Richmond … an encampment was established on the grounds by a division of the Union Army. The servants’ quarters and the home were freely invaded by the soldiers and the situation was dangerous. … Our grandmother dispatch[ed] a manservant to the commanding general with a request that he establish his personal quarters in the home. …Years afterward my sister met the nephew of this general [who] heard his uncle’s stories … of the charming lady who’s stately courtesy was unfailing to her wartime guest. 113
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