Wiliam Penn's "Holy Experiment"

 

"Now I would have you well observe, That I am very sensible of the unkindness and injustices that has been so much exercised towards you by the people of these parts of the world...to make great advantages...sometimes by the shedding of blood...But I am not such a man...I have great love and regard for you, and I desire to win and gain friendship but a kind, just and peaceable life..."                    -William Penn letter to Native Americans

William Penn, a converted Quaker, wanted to found a colony based on religious freedom and the Quaker concepts of a good and fair society.  He was able to set his “Holy Experiment” into motion when King Charles II repaid a 16,000-pound debt by deeding William land that would be named Pennsylvania (Penn's Woods) after William’s popular father. Added to this was land from the Duke of York, future James II, that would become Delaware.

Penn invited people of all religions to join him in his new colony where freedom of religion would be the law. His “City of Brotherly Love,” Philadelphia, was his dream city of Quaker ideals. He also insisted that the Native Americans be treated as equals and that their land be purchased at fair prices which lead to sixty years of peaceful relations,

Even the City of Brotherly Love needed a night-watch for those who might try to take advantage of those who believed in peace.

As with other colonies established for religious freedom, the Quaker population was soon vastly outnumbered by other religious groups. But the concepts of equality and freedom of religion remained in the fabric of the new colonies of Pennsylvania (1681) and Delaware (originally founded by the Dutch in 1638), helping establish these concepts critical to the future United States. While Penn’s ideas prospered as did his colonies, he himself received no financial gain and died in poverty.  He saw this as a small price to pay for his “Holy Experiment.”

Iroquois Confederation

The Mohawk warrior with his famous hair style that framed the European view of Native Americans for generations was one of the original five nations of the Iroquois League/Confederacy. The first five member nations were the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga and Seneca. In 1722, the Five Nations of the Iroquois  became the Six Nations with the addition of the Tuscarora. When it was formed, the Iroquois Confederacy became one of the earliest existing participatory democracies in history.  Ben Franklin was so impressed with the Iroquois Confederation that he incorporated many of its systems into his concepts for the fledgling American Republic.

The tribes united for peaceful relations and mutual protection as early as the 12th century (some sources say the 13th, 14th or even 15th centuries). The Confederation formed a council of up to 56 chiefs from the tribal clans and villages. In Council, each of the tribes has one vote on decisions on civil affairs relating to the Confederacy. Of interesting note is the fact chiefs were appointed by the women clan elders who also had the power to remove chiefs they felt were no longer qualified for the position.

The Clans of Six Nations were:
Mohawk-Wolf, Bear and Turtle
Oneida-Wolf, Bear and Turtle
Cayuga-Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Sandpiper, Heron and Hawk
Tuscarora-Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Sandpiper, Deer, Beaver and Eel
Seneca-Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Sandpiper, Deer, Beaver and Eagle
Onondaga-Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Sandpiper, Deer, Beaver, Hawk and Eel

The Iroquois name for their League was Haudenosaunee or People of the Longhouse. Their Confederacy was the best organized and therefore the most powerful and effective of the tribes of the North East, even with a population at its greatest of less than 20,000, in the mid-1700's. Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, they were powerful Allies for the British against first the French and then the American Revolutionaries.

At the height of their power the Six Nations of the Iroquois controlled territories that stretched from modern South Eastern Canada, Western New York, to Michigan and Eastern Illinois. They, therefore, controlled more than 2,670,000 acres (4,173 square miles) of land.  In 2021, they owned only 86,716 acres, the rest was lost through treaties, wars, purchases and eminent domain. 

Over 125,000 Native American consider themselves as members of the Iroquois Confederacy today. Most are located in the United States while around 25% live in Canada.

Ancient American Cave and Rock Art

For thousands of years, Native Americans artists have expressed their thoughts, feelings, religious concepts and the like through rock wall art.

This form of art is divided into two broad categories Pictographs and Petroglyphs. 

Petroglyphs are images carved directly into the rock face and by their very nature

are more durable and long lasting then Pictographs. This is due to the fact that Pictographs are

designs that are painted onto the face of the rocks. 

The meanings of the designs can be complex, basic or even unknown in Modern World.  

In many cases various tribes have different designs for the same concept. 

Regardless of their meanings, Native American rock wall art

is a beautiful expression of the talents of long dead artists and in some cases extinct cultures of

the first peoples of the Americas.

 

Man Made Fire in the Sky

 

Fireworks are almost as old as the invention of gunpowder by the Ancient Chinese. From the earliest days when gunpowder was first created, its use to entertain as well as destroy has been a fact of life. Countless billions have been thrilled by the explosion of color that has lightened the night sky in celebration. From the birth of a monarch to the birth of a nation, victories, milestones and great achievements have all been given the fireworks treatment. These celebrations bring enjoyment to all when man has used fireworks to ignite the night sky.

Attackers from the Sea-Let the Coastal Artillery is the Answer

                                                                              

When an enemy warship appears, coastal artillery was the first defense. This 32 pdr. smoothbore, muzzle loader could fire solid shot, explosive shell or the dreaded hot shot into the vulnerable wooden sailing ships of the early 19th century. The structure with a chimney in the background is a furnace to heat up the cannon balls (hot shot) so as to catch wooden ships on fire. Even today, fire onboard any ship is many a sailor's worst fear.                                            

Largely hidden behind angled ramparts up to ten meters (30+feet) thick, the artillerymen and their pieces were well protected from return fire. Batteries of heavy coastal artillery in stone, brick or earthen forts such as this protected key harbors and seaport cities throughout the 19th century world. 

Each fort would have a massive "bombproof" magazine as seen to the left that stored ammunition for the cannon. The other building to the right was the barracks for the forts garrison of soldiers. 

These pictures are from Fort McNab in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A traditional "star fort," Fort McNab was built to protect Halifax Harbor from possible American attacks during the 19th century.

Above is a model of a wooden frontier "Star Fort" with a cannon in the lower right redoubt. The star name is in reference to the corner redoubts that jut out like the spokes of a star.

                                                                              

Horus the Protector

 

Horus God of the Sky and Kingship, son of Osiris and Isis, was one of the main protector gods of the Ancient Egyptians as his mortal enemy was the deity who killed Osiris-Set the god of darkness and evil. Horus could be either be seen as a falcon or as a human with a falcon head. As Horus was worshiped from pre-dynastic Egypt to the Roman Era, his religious powers and responsibilities changed but not his falcon appearance.

This pair of ancient Horus statues are part of the Smithsonian collection in Washington D.C.

Aphrodite-Venus

 

Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love, Passion, Beauty and Sexuality seems to be deep in thought. To the Romans she was the Goddess Venus. Aphrodite, while married to Hephaestus, was known for her unfaithfulness and many romantic adventures with other gods and men. As she had at least 15 children from five different companions, her promiscuous reputation seems well warranted. 

While Aries-the God of War was her most powerful lover, her involvement in the start and progression of the Trojan War was her greatest direct influence upon the lives of humans. The latter was through her involvement in "the Judgement of Paris" where the Prince of Troy was asked to choose which of the Goddesses Aphrodite, Athena or Hera was the most beautiful.  Paris chose Aphrodite, after she promised him the beautiful Queen Helen of Sparta, gaining the wrath of the other two goddesses and dooming Troy in the coming war.  The Romans claimed this was one of the events that led to the founding of Rome-but that is a story for another day.

As a side note the name month of April is taken from Aphrodite.