My paternal family came here in the 1700's to escape the religious persecution of Quakers in England. They settled along the coast of North Carolina. After the Revolution, they were shunned by the Quakers for immorality. They moved to Georgia looking for gold when the Cherokee Trail of Tears was instituted. From Georgia, they moved to Alabama.
My maternal family came eastern Scotland. They too came in the 1700's after the Jacobite rebellion to escape reprisals from the English against the Scots who supported the independence of Scotland.
My maternal family also settled on the North Carolina coast not far from my paternal family. Both families fought in the Revolutionary War. My maternal family received rewards for the service to the new country during the Revolutionary War. They moved to a swamp in Mississippi not long after the Revolutionary War.
Both families joined the fight in the Civil War. Three great grandfathers joined the Confederate Army. One great grandfather joined the Union Army. Two were captured at the Battle of Vicksburg. One was killed in the Battle of New Orleans. Since they were poor dirt farmers, they joined the Forces to fight for states rights not slavery.
My family story could be the story of most of us in this country, for we come from all the earth.looking to escape from persecution, a sordid past, and with hope for a new beginning. Some many of us have an idealistic viewpoint of our Nation's history for we have not always heard what it was really like.
The early settlers came and fought the Native Americans for ownership of the land that were backed by the governments of Europe. The Europeans were looking for resources to strengthen their nations. Some colonies were founded by religious refugees. Some were established by nobility, while others were splinters of other colonies. The early colonists were under the control of many European Countries as colonies changed hands due to the spoils of war. The amalgamation of so many different nationalities created deep divisions. Economics also played a role. Geography also played a part.
The colonies did united to defeat the British. When it came time to establish a government, there were major hurdles to overcome. The convention was called to amend and change the Articles of Confederation. The convention settled for the formation of a new government. Questions arose about the legislative branch. What about bigger and more populated states vs smaller states. Should the executive branch be 3 people or one person. How do slaves count in counting the population of a state? What rights do states have?
When the dust was settled, the Constitution was ratified. While we would like to think, they all were one the same page, they were not. We have developed an idea that our fathers were saints and what they spoke was like the Sermon on the Mount. We developed this ideal that our nation is the light of the world, a city sit on a hill that call all nations to be just like us.
The men who framed the constitution were far from perfect. The Constitution is made of compromises. . There were those in the convention who wanted a strong central government and those wanted a weaker government with each state having the right to override the federal government.
For 237 years, we have struggled to understand the constitution. We fought a major war that divided us. We are far from being united nor are we perfect in our actions. We have committed acts that we often condemn other countries do. We are not a city sitting on a hill. We are a group of immigrants from all faces of the earth who have united in the struggle to be the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Today, I rise and stand at attention with my hand over my heart repeating these words,
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all."
God Bless America! May God continue to heal the wounds of division, lift up the banner of love, cleanse us of hypocrisy, and lead us to what is right, what is just, and what is fair. AMEN!
