This past week featured stories about a number of American heroes. Theodore Roosevelt makes a passionate speech about the role of public service in a Constitutional Republic, Annie Oakley joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, and demonstrated the role of Second Amendment rights in female equality, the Mexican-American war is sparked, colonists arrive in Virginia and a famous explorer dies in battle.

Look forward to stories this week about the one year anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden, the first European Constitution being enacted with the help of an American Revolutionary War hero, and the colony of Rhode Island taking a stand against British tyranny.

Enjoy!

The Man in the Arena

On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt gave a rousing speech in Paris that he called, “Citizenship in a Republic,” but is more commonly referred to as “The Man in the Arena.”
The speech is a powerful reminder about the importance of political leadership; the challenge of maintaining a free Republic and the virtue of those who serve it honorably regardless of success or failure.

Annie Oakley: Supported women’s equality by embracing Second Amendment rights

On April 24, 1885, the legendary female sharpshooter, Annie Oakley (Phoebe Ann Mosey), was hired by Nate Salsbury to perform in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. She could perform a wide range of tricks with a rifle, such as shooting cigarettes out of people’s mouths.

So far from God, so close to the United States

On April 25, 1846 a border dispute escalated into full-fledged war between the United States and Mexico. A small American unit of Dragoons was attacked and captured just north of the Rio Grande in Texas, which had recently been annexed by the United States. This incident was called the “Thornton Affair” after the American dragoon commander, Cpt. Seth Thornton.

Settlers arrive in Virginia and the New World opens up

On April 26, 1607, on the forested shores of Cape Henry in southern Virginia, three ships arrived from England, holding the first permanent English settlers.

The settlement, founded by the Virginia Company, only consisted of men who were searching for natural resources to sell back in England. The leadership of the settlement found Cape Henry too dangerous for their fort, so they wandered into the Virginia wilderness and chose an uninhabited, swampy area, known as Jamestown today.

Zebulon Pike: An American hero who made ‘America the beautiful’

On April 27, 1813, a legendary American explorer died in a successful attempt to take the city of York, which today is called Toronto.

The 34 year old Lt. Col. Zebulon M. Pike was killed by the shrapnel from an explosion in the Battle of York, which took place in the War of 1812 against the British. America had lost a most able soldier and one of the chief explorers of the newly acquired land from the Louisiana Purchase.