Wow! American History come to life! Neither one of us knew much about Fort Necessity in southwestern Pennsylvania nor it’s amazing role in American History. We came here to learn and learn we did. This was the site of the opening battle which as truly the first world war. We know it as The French and Indian War and the Europeans refer to it as The Seven Years War. Five weeks earlier a young George Washington and his troops were involved in a skirmish that left a French Army officer dead. Washington’s troops hastily erected this wooden fortification in the meadow and prepared for the retribution to come. The battle at Fort Necessity on 3 July 1754 resulted in Washington’s surrender and the burning of the fort but ultimately lead the the War for American Independence. The beginning of turning the world upside down happened here!
London’s Imperial War Museum in Southwark founded even as the First World War raged offers insights into the myriad costs of the wars of the 20th and 21st Centuries. It was a most disquieting but valuable reminder of the myriad costs of war.
The two of us have long been fascinated with the history of canals and their role in the history of transportation, industrialization, and more recently recreation. This stay in London has given us new opportunities to explore and learn more about how canals contributed to the growth of this great city and how they are being used and preserved today.
It was a most educational visit to the newly renovated National Portrait Gallery at Trafalgar Square in Central London. We were intrigued with the contemporary approach to presenting British History.
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