The Power and the Glory

Oh what is the pulse wherein lies the glory glory drive across a bridge into history down a furrow into time for us the glory began across the sea when men dared to dream of a new column new world the year was 16 and they called the place to which they came Jamestown it was a tiny island in the river James in the land that is now Virginia these are the ships and this is the place see for yourself and look well for the glory began here among them were giants of spirits like the bold and adventurous Captain John Smith though he had led a mutiny and arrived in Chains he had the strength and the faith and he stayed and saved the coffee look well and remember for the glory began here a hundred and four Englishmen on three little ships carpenters bricklayers soldiers stonemason even a barber and a tailor they came on these three ships and out of their coming was born American but the miracle didn't just happen for they and those who came after them slaved in the fields and labored and sweated and built a fort on the bank of the river and they kept watch over their fort some of the savages were friendly and from these they learn how to take game from the forest how to grow food and tobacco from the rich virgin land they even started an industry the making of glass for export for every land new or old must trade with others and when the game could not be shot in the crops failed they starved look well and remember for 700 of the 900 settlers who came in the first three years perished starved here and died but those who were left at faith in a promise the promise of a better tomorrow tomorrow came came back to Jamestown and remembered from every land they came Queen Elizabeth the second the only reigning queen of England ever to visit America came and paid homage visited the old port to jamestown in the lovely young Queen and the handsome prince philip thrilled to the part the subject of another British monarch centuries ago played in the building of America remembered how this new world broke with the old and how the breach was healed and how an unshakable alliance was built between the new world and the mother country an alliance that stands as a monument to the glory that began here out of the suffering and hardship at the early days at Jamestown eventually came growth new settlers came and the frontier was rolled back great plantations sprang up in 1699 the seat of government was moved to Williamsburg the colony still ruled by the crown grew in strength and in spirit George the third had ascended to the British throne and the people began to chafe under the ever tightening laws he imposed upon them at William & Mary College in Williamsburg young men studied and learned men like Thomas Jefferson lived and worshipped here and thought of the future and prepared others were thinking of the future too from the printing office in Williamsburg flow the virginia gazette which chronicled the events the spirit and the growing resentment of the new world against the old look well and remember for great men passed this way down Williamsburg's mile-long duke of gloucester street from the College of William and Mary at one end past the shops and the stores and yes even the taverns like this historic old raleigh tavern where plans for a new nation were laid a new nation free of the British yoke and at the end of the street the spirit found its voice in this the capital where the auditory of inspired men echoed through the house of burgesses Patrick Henry stood here and hurled his defiance Caesar had his Brutus Charles the first his Cromwell and George the third may profit by their example if this be treason make the most of it later in Richmond the same Patrick Henry lifted his voice to the heavens is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery forbid it Almighty God I know not what course others may take but as for me give me liberty or give me death here and throughout the thirteen colonies the spirit of Independence took wings onwards here George Mason brought forth his declaration of rights the basis for the Declaration of Independence we who the truths to be self-evident that all men are created to eat here was drafted Virginia's historic resolution introduced in the Continental Congress by richard henry lee these United colonies are and of a right ought to be free and independent states the Revolution was on up and down the lamb the war rage lexington concord new york Ticonderoga Valley Forge Savannah Kings Mountain and finally Yorktown war came back to its spawning ground yorktown look well and remember so there was glory here too lord cornwallis have moved the british army into Yorktown the French fleet had defeated the British squadron in September and had sailed into the Chesapeake Bay to begin a blockade of the enemy ships in New York River Cornwallis could not escape the siege of Yorktown was about to begin cornwallis strongly fortified his position with earthworks and readouts Washington and Lafayette converged their armies on Yorktown from the north south east and west French and American soldiers marched and surrounded the British by the sixth of a turbo the Allied troops entered the first siege line French to the left the Americans to the right French began their artillery bombardment DM October the ninth two hours later Washington himself touched off first American Canada the Allied artillery firing at point-blank range founded Cornwallis's defensive but the British were dug in securely and their readouts hell two of the enemy readouts occupied commanding positions on the right of the battlefield they would have to be stormed the Allied leaders plan their strategy for diversion Washington ordered a faint attack at the left hand of the line here the French artillery positions the attack on the redoubts was ordered for October 14 Alexander Hamilton led a small detachment of American troops they crept up on redoubt 10 with unloaded guns and fixed bayonets in 10 minutes the readout was taken with only nine killed and 31 wounded when the British still held another night with the French well the honor of taking they launched their attack cornwallis was not ready to give up not yet french advanced on the readout and they may be answered with musket and cannon hello Mason ho whatever the backbone of the British resistance was broken I have turbo the 18 the women of Yorktown would walk on the battlefield a new nation had been born surrender terms having been signed the opposing armies marched out under the warm Sun October the 19 Cornwallis is 8,000 troops marched to an old English cube world turned upside down the moment had come the British laid down their arms surrender their colors world and cased the sword of Cornwallis was surrendered I look well and remember for here a promise was fulfilled perhaps you think it's a long way from the battlefield at Yorktown to a 4-h club event it is down the furrow of time but how far in terms of the promise and how far from the glory look well and see for yourself yes America has come a long way time and technology since Cornwallis gave up his sword longtown today we have built a great america of industry Commerce and agriculture industries of research and development and make tough jobs like farming easier but a machine requires an operator and an operator must develop knowledge and skills it takes infinitely more knowledge to farm successfully now than it did when the jamestown colonists first planted the indian corn more knowledge than when jefferson formed at monticello more skill than when the colonial plant is supplied George Washington's armies successful farming with today's machines begins on the tractor and the best way to learn is by doing skill duty foresight and honor those are the things that American youth learns in the 4-h clubs where the youth of today is the promise for an even better America that they will do the job that they will make the best better this is the promise and this is the glory