#plains of abraham

[vox-anglosphere]

The Battle of Quebec on 27 June 1759 changed the face of North America forever. The future of Canada changed hands in one hour.

[jtmportland]

I climbed Mt. St. Helens yesterday. I’ve done it twice before, but both of those trips were in snow (which is arguably easier than doing it on a hot summer day). I was struck by how arid the terrain is (despite getting 90+ inches of rain each year). Prior to the eruption in 1980, this land was a dense temperate rain forest with towering Douglas firs, Sitka spruce and Western hemlocks. Now the surrounding terrain is covered with impermeable silty tephra. But nature has a way of healing itself, and each summer these plains are covered with delicate wildflowers. It’s been estimated that ~7,000 large mammals such as deer, elk, cougars and bears were killed, and thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of small animals died from the volcanic eruption. Today, the mountain supports a large population of deer and elk. Several years ago, Mountain goats were reintroduced and that population is now thriving. I wasn’t expecting to see any, but I came across a dozen or so. They aren’t goats at all, but members of the antelope family. They can be aggressive, so it’s wise to keep a safe distance when viewing them. I did ... and I survived. (The distant mountain in the last photo is Mt. Adams, ~30 miles east of Mt. St. Helens)

[mey-rin-is-fabulous]

Spent all day wondering where the Martello Towers were and we finally found not just one but two. This is tower 1. 4 were built but 3 remain. They never saw battle and were built around the time of the war of 1812 in case Americans tried to invade Quebec City

[maypoleman1]

13th September

Death of General James Wolfe

The Death of General Wolfe by Edward Penny (1714-1791). Source: ArtUK website

On this day in 1759, General James Wolfe was killed at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham at the very moment of British victory. The battle was the climax of the Seven Years War in North America and comprised the final defence by France of its most populous colony, that of Quebec. The town was well defended atop the precipitate Heights of Abraham, but the precociously brilliant Wolfe (he was 32), the commander of the attacking British forces, had a detachment of soldiers scale the Heights and attack the French in the flank, even as they were drawn up to face the main British army approaching them across the Plains. The sneak attack demoralised the French troops, who eventually broke and fled. Wolfe however received his third and final wound even as the enemy scattered. The general lived long enough to ask if the battle was won. When assured it was, he said ‘I die contented’ and promptly expired. The victory for which Wolfe became famous led to the conquest of Canada by Britain and the end of the French empire in North America.

[rabbitcruiser]

Thomas Jefferson Day

Thomas Jefferson, a founding father of the United States, was born on April 13, 1743. He held many roles and did much during the formative years of the country, including being the main author of the Declaration of Independence and the country’s third president. He wrote his own epitaph, highlighting what he most wanted to be remembered for: “HERE WAS BURIED THOMAS JEFFERSON AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE OF THE STATUTE OF VIRGINIA FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND FATHER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.”

Thomas Jefferson Day is a legal observance, but it is not a public holiday. A joint resolution approved on August 16, 1937, authorized the President of the United States to proclaim April 13 as “Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday” each year. The following year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Presidential Proclamation 2276 to designate the day. Subsequent presidents have made similar proclamations. In Alabama, Thomas Jefferson’s birthday is officially celebrated on Presidents’ Day, along with George Washington’s.

Thomas Jefferson was born at the Shadwell plantation in Albemarle County, Virginia. His mother, Jane Randolph Jefferson, was from a prominent Virginia family, and his father, Peter Jefferson, was a planter and surveyor. After graduating from the College of William and Mary in 1762, he began studying law. As there weren’t official law schools at the time, Jefferson studied under a Virginia attorney. He began his work as a lawyer in 1767.

He married Martha Wayles Skelton on January 1, 1772. They had six children, but only two daughters lived to adulthood. Martha died in 1782 at the age of 33, and Jefferson never remarried. Besides keeping himself busy with politics throughout his life, he had many other interests, including gardening, architecture, music, and reading.

Jefferson was a member of colonial Virginia’s House of Burgesses between 1769 and 1775. He wrote “A Summary View of the Rights of British America” in 1774, which brought him to a wider audience. It said that the British Parliament didn’t have the right to use authority over the colonies. He was then selected to be a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. During this time, a panel of five was chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence. Of the five, which also included John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, Jefferson was chosen to write the draft. It was adopted on July 4, 1776.

In the fall of 1776, Jefferson resigned from the Continental Congress and was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, which was formerly the House of Burgesses. In the late 1770s, he drafted the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. It was a notable forerunner to the First Amendment, and Jefferson thought it was one of his most substantial contributions, being important enough to include in his epitaph. After his time in the Virginia House of Delegates, he was Governor of Virginia from 1779 to 1781.

Following the Revolutionary War, Jefferson was part of Congress, which was known as the Congress of the Confederation at the time. He served from 1783 to 1784, and then became Minister to France in 1785, taking over the position that Benjamin Franklin had held. Because he was overseas, he was not able to attend the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

In the fall of 1789, Thomas Jefferson returned to America and became the first secretary of state. He helped found the Democratic-Republican Party, which opposed Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist Party, a party which wanted a strong central government with strong powers over the economy. Jefferson believed in a federal government with a limited role and believed in strong state and local governments.

He ran for president in 1796 and received the largest amount of votes after John Adams, so he became vice president. He ran against Adams again in 1800, and this time beat him. But his electoral vote count tied that of his running mate, Aaron Burr, and it was up to the House of Representatives to declare Jefferson as president. Because of this, the Twelfth Amendment, which stipulated separate voting for president and vice president, was ratified in 1804.

Jefferson served two terms as president and was in office from 1801 to 1809. During his first term, in 1803, he helped orchestrate the Louisiana Purchase, in which the size of the United States doubled with the purchase of land for $15 million from France. Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on an expedition, known as the Corps of Discovery, to explore the new land. With this trip, information was gathered about geography, plant and animal life, and American Indian tribes. During his second term, which he secured with over 70% of the popular vote, Jefferson worked to keep the country out of the Napoleonic Wars. He implemented the Embargo of 1807 after merchant ships were getting harassed by France and Britain. It was an unpopular move, though, as it shut down American trade and hurt the economy; it was repealed in 1809. Jefferson did not run for a third term in 1808.

After his presidency, Jefferson retired to his home, Monticello. “Monticello” means “little mountain” in Italian. Indeed the home is located on a small mountain, on the edge of the Shadwell property where Jefferson was born. He had begun clearing the area for a home in 1768. He designed the home and gardens himself, and he continually worked on the house throughout his life. Art and gadgets filled the rooms, and he kept records of everything that went on at the plantation.

During his retirement years, he also helped found the University of Virginia. He helped design both its buildings and its curriculum. He also made sure it wasn’t a religious school and that there wasn’t a religious litmus test in order to attend it.

In 1815, he sold his 6,700 volume personal library to Congress, to replace the books that had been destroyed by the British in the War of 1812, when they burned the Capitol, which housed the Library of Congress at the time. Jefferson’s books became the foundation of what became the Library of Congress’s new library.

Although Jefferson is revered as one of the founding fathers, he is not a man without contradictions and shortcomings. He was a promoter of liberty and wrote “all men are created equal,” but was a slave owner throughout his whole life, during which he owned a total of about 600 slaves. He believed blacks were inferior humans and didn’t think coexistence would be possible if they were free. And although he never remarried after the loss of his beloved wife, Martha, he went on to father more children with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. Some of the slaves that were in his bloodline were freed after his death, but most of his slaves were sold.

Thomas Jefferson passed away at Monticello at the age of 83, on July 4, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. As if the date of his death wasn’t ironic enough, fellow founding father John Adams died on the same day. Thomas Jefferson died first, but Adams did not know that Jefferson had died, and his last words were “Thomas Jefferson survives.” Jefferson was buried at Monticello. Monticello was sold off following his death to pay debts, but a nonprofit organization acquired it in the twentieth century and it was opened to the public in 1954.

Source

[officialyourdailyinspiration]

Abraham Receives the Promise

According to what is written: “I have appointed you a father to the multitude of the nations, before God, in whom you believed, who gives life to the dead, and he calls those who are not as though they are.” — Romans 4:17 | Aramaic Bible in Plain English (ABPE) The Aramaic Bible in Plain English Copyright © 2007; 8th edition Copyright © 2013 All rights reserved. Cross References: Genesis 17:5; Isaiah 48:13; Isaiah 51:2; John 5:21; Romans 4:18; Romans 9:11; 1 Corinthians 1:28

[bantarleton]

Major-General James Wolfe, by J S C Schaak, 1766, after a drawing by Captain Hervey Smyth (Wolfe's aide-de-camp), 1760. National Army Museum, London.

[lorereadsclassics7]

Mr Van Helsing, what is more important here? Misogyny or getting Lucy a transfusion?

Like if he said it was because of the narcotics or anything else besides them being women I wouldn't have said anything but that's just rude

[magnetothemagnificent]

Literally every conversation with a colleague/peer in the academic field I'm in (anthropology, with a focus on human prehistory and human evolution) upon them learning I'm an observant religious Jew goes like this:

Person: "Sorry if this is a personal question, but how do you.... y'know......deal with it?"

Me: "Deal with what?"

Person: "Y'know...... y'know......your religion......"

Me: "Meaning?"

Person: "Well, um, how old do you believe the earth is?"

Me: "I follow the geological consensus, which is approximately 4.5 Billion years"

Person: "But......but.....your Bible says that it's 6,000 years old....."

Me: "Technically 5,783 years, so you're wrong there, haha"

Person: "Okay but how do you....how do you reconcile that with science?"

Me: "I don't need to reconcile it. They're not in opposition."

Person: "??"

Me: "The plain text in the Tanakh states that it has been 5,783 years since the creation of Adam, and consequently the world. Judaism has never been about taking the text in the Tanakh plainly, there's always deeper meanings. Who's to say that the 5,783 years aren't just the years since a couple named Adam and Eve met and copulated, triggering the begining of the lineage of Abraham, Moses, and the entire Jewish lineage, and that the six days of creation aren't six phases which are actually pretty in-line with our understanding of evolution?"

Person: "But.....some people believe that it's literally been 5,783 years since the earth was literally created!"

Me: "Okay..... that's what they believe. I don't see how it should bother me, especially considering we're in the field of anthropology where we try to study other patterns of belief, not cast judgement upon them."

Person: "But other Jews believe that!!!"

Me: "Again.....why should that affect my religious and academic senses of self? Judaism has never been a monolith of belief, anyway."

Person: "But-"

[xiyade]

star trek 2009's saving grace is the cast, everything else? 🤢😡🤬

[vox-anglosphere]

Both General Wolfe & General Montcalm died of their battle wounds

The Battle of Quebec surrendered New France to the British Empire

[cryptotheism]

i might be misinformed here but it kind of sets off alarms in my head that the demiurge is interpreted to be the abrahamic/"old testament" god. it feels like it can easily be linked to antisemitism

Gnosticism is a mixed bag like that. Some of them were Jewish, some of them were Christian. Some of it was newly-minted Christians trying to distance themselves from Judaism via direct antisemitism. Some of it was Jewish groups using new takes on biblical mythology to criticize other Jewish groups. Some of it was just plain old Jewish mysticism. (There's also Muslim mystics that got really into the book of Enoch but they didn't show up until later.) The Mediterranean in the 2nd-2nd century was one of those big cultural breeding grounds of history.

So, some of the more woo-y antisemites these days fucking LOOOVE gnostic mythology for the exact reasons you're describing. Imo it's a yellow flag.

Weirdly enough, it's usually the more unorthodox flat-earther types that latch on to Gnosticism as a vehicle for antisemitism. Gnostic mythology is often just as critical of Christian institutions as it is of Jewish textual interpretations, so hardcore Christian traditionalists have a hard time squaring it.

Generally, if you're the type to interpret Gnostic mythology as "Ialdabaoth is the Jewish god" you're also the sort of rabid evangelical who thinks the Catholic Church is secretly controlled by Jews.

[mey-rin-is-fabulous]

Some buildings and cannons. Martello Tower 2 and another canon. That paved walkway was once a ditch. A statue of Joan of Arc. More Plains of Abraham. The Joan of Arc garden and one last shot of the Plains and the Citadel at sunset

[rabbitcruiser]

Battle of the Plains of Abraham: the British defeat the French near Quebec City in the Seven Years’ War, known in the United States as the French and Indian War, on September 13, 1759.  

[oldbaton]

To put into perspective what a big deal Biden's surprise visit to Ukraine was. No US President has stepped into a warzone that was not under American control since Abraham Lincoln during the civil war. He had no protection from the US military besides a skeletal secret service detail. He had to quietly travel 10 hours by train. He even boarded this train in plain sight as clearing the station of people would have been too obvious. (INSANE that he was not recognized). This is like. A REALLY big deal.

[devourable]

So, I love all of your OCs so far! I’ve been wondering: how would the yanderes feel about a darling with a young kid? (To make it simple, other parent isn’t in the picture, aside from maybe sending money.) Please, thank you, and have good day!

i decided to answer this for all of my yandere ocs bc im a sucker for found family/single parent tropes 🫶 cw! spoilers for future ocs + mentions of child neglect

🚼 the yanderes x single parent darling

⛪️ | abraham would be a bit surprised, to say the least. but he comes from a community where people get married and have kids the moment they’re out of high school (if not the moment they become adults) so while he would be sort of caught off guard, he’d adapt pretty quickly. he’d definitely fantasize about becoming a little family unit, probably even subtly propose the idea of expanding every so often. he wouldn’t exactly love your child — at least, definitely not the way he loves you — but you wouldn’t be able to tell with how well he treats them.

🚬 | the delinquents would be more like four older brothers more than anything. theyre all a bit too young to take on a proper parental role, nor would any of them have a real desire to, but they’d definitely have fun sharing their singular shared braincell with your kid. your child would probably grow up to be a massive little troublemaker thanks to their influence, but that’s why you love them, right? if the other parent is still involved one way or another though, they’d immediately put a stop to that. no reason to be involved with your ex now that they’re in the picture.

🌲 | mykolas would be curious of your child. he’s never seen such a young human up close before (considering he was always accused of eating them) so having a chance to actually be around one would be a new experience for him. he’d quickly start to refer to your child as his own, calling them his cub more than their name and carry them around on his shoulders or head whenever they go out together. it wouldn’t be uncommon to see him protectively curled up around them while they’re taking a nap.

🪸 | similarly to mykolas, the mermaids would be sort of curious about your child, though arguably less so as they have seen human children before. they have a very vague understanding of how to care for your child and would constantly search the sea for things that could come in handy for caring for them — you can expect to have a constant supply of eroded toys and suspiciously good quality clothes for them. they’d also try to teach them things that they’d teach the fry of their pods, though obviously they can only do so much teaching something that isn’t meant to live in the sea lol.

💪 | valentina grew up as a parentified older sibling, so while she wouldn’t particularly enthused about taking the role again so soon after getting out of it, she’d be capable of adapting to the role. she knows how to take care of a child and would ensure your kid’s cared for when they’re being watched by her, but she probably wouldn’t be able to establish much of an emotional connection to them without making an active effort to. but she does love children, so she’d learn to love yours too.

👑 | althea would hate your child. plain and simple. she’d view them as the living embodiment of you not keeping your promise to her, of you giving your love to someone else before she had the chance to have you to herself. while she’d never overtly mistreat your child, she’d be incredibly cold toward them and try to find reasons to avoid interacting with them. they’d be spoiled relentlessly with the hopes that if she gave them everything they’d need to live, neither you or her would have to deal with them.

🥩 | rhodes wouldn’t think much of your kid for the most part, but they’d express a gentle fondness for them the few times they do meet them. they’d affectionately greet them, offer them a treat, and hold a little conversation with them to keep them busy for a bit while you run errands or eat or whatever you need to do. they’re kind of awkward with children given they have nothing in common with them and have little experience with them, but surprisingly they’re a natural with yours.

🫀 | melchior has no interest in human kids. therefore they wouldn’t care much for yours, seeing your child more like a pet or something along those lines rather than a sapient being. their treatment of them would reflect that; they wouldn’t be necessarily mean or anything, but they’d be a bit patronizing and talk at them more than they’d talk to them. it isn’t out of malice, they’d genuinely think that that’s how you interact with children and any attempts to correct them would be met with confusion and frowns.

🕷️ | the alt kids would be wonderful parents to your kid. they’d more or less be sort of a mix of abe and the delinquents, but with the added bonus that they’d care deeply for your child as they’d see them as an extension of you rather than a mix of you with someone else. they’d come up with a system to help your child have a good upbringing and stick with it — faust would take up helping them study, anton would teach them manners and etiquette, and delta would help them with their social life. they’re so good for you and your child, see? they live for the idea that them treating your child well and loving them will make you love them all more in turn.