Post by Doris McCraw
writing fiction as Angela Raines
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For this writer/researcher I think a lot about history. In school, we learned names, dates, and big events. Let's face it, that can be boring and make one think that history is set in stone. For me, nothing could be further from the truth. History stagnant? I think not. Yes, dates, names, etc. do stay the same, but the surrounding information, the people involved seems to grow. New research techniques, new information, and re-examinations seem to add to our better understanding of what led us to where we are and what we know.
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As Colorado Springs gears up for its sesquicentennial there has been a lot of offerings that can be shared with more than the people of this city. I offer up some of the links and other options in case anyone is interested.
https://www.cspm.org/exhibits/cos150/
https://www.cspm.org/scholarseries/
https://ppld.org/history-symposium
Some of these programs will be virtual, so my thought is, anyone can take advantage of the events. While the links don't do justice to their content, the post would be way too long if I but in the details of each.
I do confess, reading the book " Why Learn History (When It's Already on Your Phone)" by San Wineberg, also makes me rethink some of what I was taught in school. Also, please remember that was a long time ago.
Additionally, a couple of online lectures have piqued my interest. One was from an associate professor at Adams State College:
War and Peace in Comanchería: Anza, Paruanarimuco, and San Carlos de los Jupes
Presented by: Dr. Charles "Nick" Saenz
In 1787, Comanche headman Paruanarimuco approached Juan Bautista de Anza, then governor of Spanish New Mexico, to request the establishment of a town at the confluence of the Arkansas and Saint Charles Rivers, just west of modern Pueblo. San Carlos de los Jupes, as the town became known, was an exceptional and ultimately short-lived experiment. This talk seeks to situate it in relation to Spanish and Native efforts to contain the expansion of the Comanche Empire through intercultural diplomacy and integration within an evolving system of trade.
Charles Nicholas Saenz is an associate professor of history at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado, and the former president of the Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and a graduate degree from the University of California, San Diego.
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The other was a CSPM program which I am including the link on ' When the Civil War Came West':
Hope you enjoy these pieces of history as much as I do. Happy listening and see you next month.
Colorado and Women's History
Thank you for sharing, Doris. I'm going to check out the links you shared. Both my wife and I enjoy spending time in Colorado, and we love discovering the history of the West.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. I hope you find something of use in the varied offerings. There was more that I could write in one post. Doris
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful celebration you'll have . Wish I could travel to Colorado Springs and meet you and Kaye. I love the anecdote about Charles Lindberg in the first link you posted. Beautiful exhibits, especially the fringed rodeo queen outfit, split skirt and vest. How wonderful that it has been so carefully preserved. Dr. Nelson's talk was very information. Her book about When The Civil War Came West would be a wonderful research book for historical writers. Thanks for posting this, Doris. I've always loved Colorado because of its beauty and history, but appreciate learning so much more about its colorful history. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteIt is my pleasure, Elizabeth. History is so rich and I love to share it. This should be a most interesting year. Doris
DeleteYou had me with the title, Doris. I agree with you. History could never be stagnant for me. I always appreciate you tidbits about Colorado. It was our first home out west before relocating to Montana. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michael. History is a living thing in my mind. Also, Colorado gets into your blood, and it took a strong hold on me. Doris
DeleteThe area around modern-day Pueblo, CO has a long tradition of being a meeting place. (Trade post, etc.) It was the end of the Trappers Trail from the original trade post at Fort Laramie, and the beginning of the Taos Trail to trade in Nuevo Mexico.
ReplyDeletePueblo where the Fountain and Arkansas meet has such great history, I agree. Pike, Beckworth, and so many others came through that area. Always something new to learn. Doris
DeleteDoris,
ReplyDeleteI agree wholeheartedly with your words:
"...but the surrounding information, the people involved seems to grow. New research techniques, new information, and re-examinations seem to add to our better understanding of what led us to where we are and what we know..."
Archaeologically, as dating and investigating technology has evolved and become increasingly sophisticated, all sorts of previously held 'truths' in history are being refuted and redefined. I love it when the 'facts' of something we learned all those years ago in school (ahem) are found to be incomplete and there is more to the story. It stretches the mind and makes us look at history from a different, and more expanded, perspective.
So true. You nailed it! I keep digging and reading and I'm never bored. Doris
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