h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hiya Jimi. I've been working on a University project that might cross paths with some interests of yours. You've compiled a laundry list of articles on Pennsylvania, with historical overtones, and I have a project that involves both. It's on the formation of the United States, and is basically a historical analysis of the Revolutionary era. Some pieces that would travel well with it might include a bit on Pennsylvania State House/Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, bios of famous Pennsylvanians like Ben Franklin, etc. Interested in joining in? The center of the project is here: http://www.h2g2.com/A415865

Going there now....

...OK, I'm back.

Sign me up to do an entry about the draftsman who penned the final copies of the Declaration of Independence. I did a paper on this in college as well as the travels of the Declaration from its signing to its current place in the National Archives.

Also, I'd be happy to write up a few famous incidents like Valley Forge, the Crossing of the Delaware, and the Battle of Brandywine. I'm afraid my knowledge of the Revolution is rather limited to a Pennsylvania perspective as my father dragged to me battlefields all across the state. (I've been to Yorktown, Bunker Hill and Lexington and Concord, but only once each - unlike Pennsylvania's battlefields which I'm probably qualified now to give tours of. Don't get me started on Gettysburg! )

Thinking about this fun time period in our nation's history has put me in the mood to do a write-up on the Whiskey Rebellion and the Hot Water Rebellion also, but perhaps in a few weeks.

I'll try to get started on the projects I mentioned in the very near future. I'm off on holiday with my family this weekend - going to some French and Indian War battlefields south of Pittsburgh (am I turning into my father?).

Good idea for a University project! I'll let you know in this forum when I get my entries done.



- X

Cool! Your help on the War piece will be especially helpful, since that part has been dragging... didn't realize how much there was to write about in 6 years of campaigning. I've got some good stuff already on Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, and the 1777 Hudson River campaign that culminated with Burgoyne's surrender at Saratoga. With the stuff you have volunteered, that will then leave me with the southern campaign, from the loss of Charleston to the win at Yorktown. Hey, what was the name of the guy Mel Gibson is playing in "The Patriot"? I think we'll need a little fact-vs-fiction on that guy's involvement, but I'll be damned if I can remember his name... makes it hard to research, don't ya think?

I was thinking, in some of my idle moments, that once this project was complete, a project on the Civil War might be a worthy pursuit... oh, wait, didn't want to get you started on Gettysburg...

OK, just a bit about Gettysburg. If you ever get the chance to go there, do the walking tour. Believe it or not, one of the best is a self-guided tour that was written for the Boy Scouts.

There's a real spine-tingling feeling as you walk in the footsteps of Pickett's men from the woods across the field, over the road, and up the bare slope to the copse of trees at the 'High Water Mark'. That's an incredible distance to cross under fire.

But I'm getting started....

Then I guess I'd better stop you no..

I made mention of your planned contributions on the project page. Let me know if I got the idea horribly worng.

As an update. I haven't forgotten about this project. I'm researching diligently and should have some pages posted by the weekend. But don't hold me to that...

What was it that DNA said about deadlines?
A whooshing sound?

No es problema. I'm still digging through the War, focusing on the campaign in the South right now. I think I should finally get around to putting some of this stuff together, probably in pieces, so it doesn't seem so overwhelming to me.

I did a little side project on the journeys of the Declaration of Independence since its signing in August 1776, though it's still rather rough. I've also got a working draft for Valley Forge, but I want to add some bits about touring the battlefield and stuff.



Slowly, I'm getting through this...

Thanks for the additions. I've put them up on the project page. I know how you feel about slowly getting through all this... in fact, I'd probably better put something up on the Revolution before the Towers decide I've abandoned the project. I'll be utting the final touches on the Hudson River campaign in a couple of days, and I'll upload it to H2G2 so there will be tangible evidence that I'm still working on it. Sorting through all the tangential story threads has become quite a chore... an enjoyable chore, but a chore nevertheless. One of the tangential threads may become a full work... I'm beginning to think a full bio of Benedict Arnold is not only justified, but necessary. I'd better get through some of this other stuff before I take on additional project, though.

Incidentally, according to the University rules, I'm supposed to recruit a sub-editor to work with on this project. I don't think you count, since you're a contributor. You have the inside track, though... who do you know that would be interested in the job?

I dunno...
Dirk Gently is another Yank who lives in Pennsylvania, but he's in school at the mo and I don't know if he'd be available.
Looneytunes always does a great job subbing entries, how about him?

You're right, Looney does great work. However, he has some rather strong thoughts on America in general, so I don't think it will be a field that would interest him. I've asked Asteroid Lil, since I remembered she does subbing, and she's a Yank who would probably enjoy the project. If she replies negative, I'll give Looney a try.

I had a discussion with Peta in the egroups University forums, and as a result, I have decided to change things around just a bit. It seems that they want University projects to actually come to an end at some time, but that if we wanted to keep tooling around with the subject matter, we could simply open new University projects on related subjects. So, since I've already noted that the part on the actual fighting could be a University project in and of itself, anything related will be put off for the moment. I'm going to go ahead and put the finishing touches on the Hudson River Campaign, but after that I'm plunging into the Constitution article. That should just about finish things up from my end for this phase.

As for anything you want to add, I'll keep the current project open until you tell me your stuff is finished, and then I'll let the Towers know to close the project. Your Valley Forge article would probably be a good traveling companion for the next University project, better so than this one, and if you still want to write about the Delaware and Brandywine, I'd like those to go with the next project, too.

Sounds like a plan.

Maybe by the time your next project gets started, I'll get my thumb out and do some writing!

I'm not going to be able to do something on the drafter - it's much shorter than I remembered.

And I'll get cracking on the other bits and hopefully, finish the Pennsylvania/New Jersey campaigns by the end of the weekend.

...By which I meant Thanksgiving weekend. I've got a fun little entry called Battle of the Barrels, I'm nearly finished with the Invasion of Philadelphia. Brandywine and Germantown will come together rather quickly. Now I just need something about Washington's Crossing of the Delaware....

And I still want to add a bit to Valley Forge.

It's coming together - I love it when a plan comes together.

btw: Battle of the Barrels is at http://www.h2g2.com/A477867

Cheers!

- X