Thursday, July 2, 2015

The Early Americas at the Library of Congress

We all read about it in grade school and high school and beyond. But it's not until you actually see artifacts and maps and personal stories does the history come alive. We pass through the Early America's exhibit at the Library of Congress whenever we attend a presentation in the Middle Eastern/African Division. But we have not spent a lot of time actually looking at the articles that are on display. So I took a walk over one afternoon and explored the  place in the beautiful Jefferson Building. One of the key features is a map that is one of the first - if not the first - to label America as a separate continent. It's so tiny compared to the rest of the world all those centuries ago. The names of Cortez and Aztecs all sound familiar, but I needed to read again about the significance of it all. I never take for granted where we live and what is available to us here in Washington. Most of the folks I pass by come from somewhere else and are visiting here to see history and culture showcased in a beautiful backdrop. I always look forward to my afternoon walks. This one was so very enlightening. 








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