Standing the test of time ~ Some personal effects of General Andrew Jackson; seventh president of the United States.
How will you – or I – be seen in the future; say, one- or two-hundred years from now? What legacy will we leave? How will we stand up against the changes of mores and values that take place over time?
I had cause to think about this last week while visiting The Hermitage, the home and plantation of Andrew Jackson, the controversial seventh president of the United States.
Magnificent eastern red cedar (juniperus virginiana) in the grounds of The Hermitage.
“He blazed new trails and opened new possibilities. He was loved and loathed… revered and reviled… but seldom ignored.” – The Hermitage
The legacy of General Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) is mixed indeed.
He was part of the Revolutionary War for American Independence by the age 13, and later, as Major General of the Tennessee Militia in 1812, he was responsible for leading a force of militia and irregulars to victory against the British at the Battle of New Orleans. But, he also participated in a number of questionable duals: leading to at least one death.
He adopted an orphaned Creek Indian boy, Lyncoya, (c1811-1828) and raised him with his nephew, whom he also adopted. But, he signed off on the Indian Removal Bill (1830) which forced Native American nations from southeastern United States (Cherokee, Muscogee [Creek], Seminole, Chickasaw, Choctaw and others) off their lands. In what is now called the Trail of Tears, Native Americans were forced-marched, suffering great hardships and loss of life, out of their homes and to the “Indian Territory” in what is now Oklahoma.
He reputedly adored his wife, Rachel, and in true frontier style, married her before she was officially divorced from her first husband. He defended her honour vigorously, and blamed his political opponent, John Quincy Adams, for her death after a particularly dirty political campaign. Even so, Jackson ridiculed the fight of women for the vote.
After Jackson’s first electoral campaign of 1824-1825 – where he received the most popular and electoral votes, but was defeated by John Quincy Adams in the House of Representatives – the Democratic Party was formed as a vehicle to lobby for him, leading him to win in his second campaign. In spite of several controversial decisions, he won a second term, serving the maximum-allowable eight years: from 1829-1837. He was a champion of “the humble members of society – the farmers, mechanics and laborers…” And yet he sent troops to quell labor disturbances on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canals.
His belief in democracy was like that of the Romans: only open to free white males. Voting rights for women, Blacks and Native Americans were never even considered. His own estate, The Hermitage, which he bought and operated from 1800, only prospered on the backs of the 150 slaves which he owned.
As I walked around the property, which is now owned and operated by the Ladies’ Hermitage Association, these contradictions were very much at the forefront of my thoughts.
The mansion at The Hermitage was designed with a “Greek Revival” style facade to symbolise American’s love of liberty and democracy.
Orchards and gardens are a large part of The Hermitage’s extensive grounds.
Bill, one of the costumed “Historical Interpreters” who act as guides within the manor. No photography is allowed inside the house.
Daisies in the gardens.
Surrounded by gardens: the tomb of Andrew Jackson.
Delicate life: small dragonfly against the tomb of General Andrew Jackson.
One of the many memorials and headstones in the Jackson family plot: Thomas Donaldson Lawrence, Jackson’s great grandson.
Butterflies in the gardens of the family plot.
Cosmos around the headstones.
The slaves’ quarters are well away from the main house.
Some of the modest cabins which served as slaves’ quarters have been restored.
Alfred was born (as a slave) at The Hermitage and lived and worked there all his life. He was still on the property when it became a public museum, and, at his request, is buried in the family plot.
The reason for the slaves: cotton plants are labour-intensive, and plantation owners did not believe they could grow a competitive crop without free workers.
A delicate cotton flower hides among the green stems and leaves.
The corn crops have died all over the United States this year as a result of drought conditions.
Turkeys in the grass – on the run.
Bell at the back of The Hermitage mansion.
The ultimate in irony? Bobble Heads of President Andrew Jackson, Uncle Sam and other presidents in The Hermitage Gift Shop.
Winds of change? A bronze horse sits in the gift shop window.
While Jackson reserved his idea of “democracy” for a select few, what he did was to set in motion a process of political party politics. The Democratic party, his legacy, was an electoral machine whose organization and discipline would serve as a model for all others. The groups he excluded from power have used the process he set in place to redress the balance.
Eight years was not the “maximum allowable” time Andrew Jackson could have been president. There was no limit then.
Franklin D. Roosevelt served for 12 years and was actually elected to four terms, which would have totaled 16.
This was changed by adoption of the 22nd amendment to the US Constitution on February 27, 1951. Since that time, no one can be elected president more than twice. Anyone who succeeds to become president can only be elected once, if they serve for more than two years of someone’s term.
Therefore, as a practical matter, the absolute limit on how long someone can be president now is 10 years.
Thus Lyndon Johnson, who became president after the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, was still able to run for reelection in 1968. If he had been reelected, his total time in office would have been more than 8 years but less than 10.
On the other hand, if Gerald Ford had been elected in 1976, he would have been limited to one full term in office, plus the 2 1/2 years he served once Nixon resigned from office in 1974.ReplyCancel
I grew up in the Canadian prairies, not so far from the Alberta badlands.
OK – so we lived in the city, but we did have old wagon wheels in the back yard and a wild and overgrown gully behind our home. It was cowboy and Indian country: I have dim memories of watching reruns of The Roy Rogers Show on the flickering black and white television with my neighbour in the basement of his house before we’d go out and play at being Roy Rogers or Dale Evans ourselves, galloping across the lane and through that gully where a freeway now runs.
I also have dim memories of visiting “The Hoodoos” in the badlands near Drumheller, Alberta.
So, I was really excited at the chance to visit what the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service calls the “definitive Badlands”.
“For centuries humans have viewed South Dakota’s celebrated Badlands with a mixture of dread and fascination,” says the official Badlands National Park brochure. The combination of hot dry climate, soft sedimentary rocks, clay-rich soils, and erosion from wind and rain produces a landscape of fantastic shapes and subtle colours.
Badlands Loop Road
Grasses on the Badlands
Rock formations around the Cedar Creek area, Badlands National Park, SD.
Rock formations around the “Window Trail”.
Small badland bird.
It pays to keep your ears, not just your eyes, open!
Peaks, gullies and buttes
Some visiting children explore the badlands, using them like a natural jungle-gym.
Plants at the edge: narrow-leaf yucca.
Just outside the National Park, but still in the dry prairie landscape, there is a little general store which provides a home to native prairie dogs.
A prairie dog standing guard.
A black-tailed prairie dog outside its hole.
Prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are part of the squirrel (Sciuridae) family.
Kids love feeding the prairie dogs.
Prairie dogs have a complex form of communication, and seem to take turns guarding the colony.
Watchful prairie dog.
Prairie dogs love peanuts.
Peanuts
Sunset over the badlands.
Night falls over the badlands.
It’s a magical, mystical place and I would have loved to have stayed longer and explored further.
But, it wasn’t quite like my childhood memories of the badlands, and I didn’t see Roy or Dale…
Leuk, dat je ons laat zien waar je bent opgegroeid. Leuke foto’s heb je voor deze serie gekozen Ursula. Ik wens je een fijn weekend, DietmutReplyCancel
I read a travel article some years ago, defending taking the “more travelled” road occasionally. I quite agree: as much as I like to get off the beaten track and away from “tourist spots”, there is something to be said for seeing iconic places for oneself.
Old Faithful Geyser and Old Faithful Visiter Education Center from Observation Point.
So it was with Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park’s best known geyser. The postcards and travel shows might do it better, but there is nothing quite like being part of the crowd, sitting or standing under a relentless Wyoming sun, waiting for the trusty geyser to erupt.
Old Faithful was named by members of an early exploratory team, the Washburn Expedition of 1870, for its consistency. Today, the park rangers calculate and post the expected time of the next eruption, plus or minus 10 minutes, so visitors know when to gather around the viewing platforms.
The limestone-encrusted grassy mound that is at the centre of the wooden seats and boardwalk isn’t very impressive…
… as people from all over the world and all over the country jockey for a vantage point.
Boiling water and steam spew into the air.
Intervals between eruptions vary from 50-127 minutes, and eruptions last from one and a half to five minutes. The performance started with what looked like smoke signals, as puffs of steam rose into the air. Then the boiling water followed before it all went quiet again.
“Is that it?” asked a little boy in the crowd.
I confess, I felt a little let-down myself. But that wasn’t it; there was more.
Eruptions average 30-55 meters; this one was pretty high.
Yellowstone National Park is home to the world’s largest concentration of hydrothermal activity: geysers, hot springs, mud pots, fumaroles (steam vents), and travertine terraces – and it was thanks to Old Faithful and these other features that the land was protected in the first place, as we learned from one of the park rangers.
Ranger Darlene, in her uniform modelled on the earliest “rangers”: the US Cavalry, entertains young and old with her telling of Yellowstone Park history.
Ranger Darlene had her audience transfixed as she related the story of the park’s early history, complete with wildlife poaching and the almost-complete-demise of the buffalo. Although over two million acres was set aside as the world’s first National Park on March 1, 1872, the idea of preserving the wildlife that lived in the area came much later.
The Upper Geyser Basin, which includes Old Faithful, has four other geysers as well as examples of hot springs, mudpots and steam vents. Just a short climb to Observation Point and a walk around Geyser Hill gave us easy access to many of these. We couldn’t believe the beauty and variety of natural forms and colours.
A male mule deer, hiding in the woods as we walk up to Observation Point.
A young couple watches the geyser activity from Observation Point.
Castle Geyser through the steam and sulphur haze, from Observation Point.
Solitary Geyser was small but predictable: every four or five minutes it would burble up.
The mineral deposites and heat-loving algae and bacteria around Solitary Geyser make beautiful patterns.
Sulphur and steam rises, yet plants grow around the edges of the Solitary Geyser pond.
Sulphur steam makes the colours softer: Solitary Geyser.
Plants on the Edge: a clump of grass survives surrounded by mineral deposits and “thermophiles” (heat-loving organisms).
Waters bubble delicately at Ear Spring.
The geysers of the Lion Group steam and “roar” before erupting.
Sawmill Geyser was one of my favourites because of the delicate streams of water it emitted regularly.
Sawmill Geyser
Scalloped Spring
The clear blue waters of Crested Pool are the result of constantly boiling temperatures keeping bacterial growth down. You can see the boiling around the edge.
Castle Geyser’s cone is thousands of years old and the platforms are even older.
The next lot of visitors watches from the Old Faithful Visiter Education Center as, right on cue, Old Faithful erupts yet again.
Old Faithful and the assortment of geysers and hot springs in the immediate area were so much more amazing than we had anticipated. The facilities are beautifully designed and managed, making much of this area accessible to almost anyone. This is one time when the “more travelled” road is well worth following!
Of course, as I said earlier, the park comprises over two million acres. It is so much more than just Old Faithful – but that will have to wait for another time.
what a wonderful trip and your photography is amazing, thanks as always for including us in your travels. Looking forward to the next installment 🙂ReplyCancel
[…] we had only a short visit, we did, of course, visit Old Faithful, taking the time to walk to the overlook, and to visit other geysers in the area. We also walked […]ReplyCancel
Olympic fever has gripped the television-watching-world. As I write this, the games are well into their second week and the people of the United Kingdom seem to have thrown themselves behind their Olympic athletes.
Two weeks before the games started, however, the people I talked to in London were grumbling about the inconveniences the games were causing and were expressing doubts about the city’s willingness or readiness to play host. I’ve lived in two previous host-cities, and I was sure they would have a change of heart once the games commenced. But with rain, gloom and traffic-grid-lock, Londoners were not convinced.
So, we were happy to leave the pessimism (if not the rain) behind us and drive southwest to the green fields of Wiltshire, and the medieval city of Salisbury. There, the shop-fronts, at least, were celebrating the upcoming games. To our surprise, so was Salisbury Cathedral!
Tourists huddled under umbrellas in the rain en-route to Salisbury Cathedral.
The Walking Madonna by Elisabeth Frink (1930-1993)
“London 2012”: Concept torso by Ben Dearnley, outside Salisbury Cathedral.
“London 2012”: The “concept torso” by Ben Dearnley features the London skyline on the inside to celebrate the UK’s role as Olympic host nation.
Salisbury Cathedral has an Arts program, and when we were there the cloisters of the cathedral were playing host to a series of works by the contemporary British sculptor Ben Dearnley (1964- ) in honour of the games. I was thrilled by this for two reasons: I love sculpture; and entry into the cathedral itself was prohibitively expensive for the short time we had available to us.
Intended to echo the classical sculptures of competitors from the original Greek games, these beautiful works are modelled on some of the UK’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes and focus on the ‘power zones’ central to their sports.
“Adam”, a concept sculpture featuring a keyhole in his arm to symbolise inner strength, sits at the entry to the cloister arches. (Salisbury Cathedral)
Louis Smith, Gymnast: Bronze medal Olympics 2008; Silver and Bronze medals Olympics 2012; European Champion, 2012.
Ade Adepitan, MBE, Basketball: Bronze, Paralympic Games 2004; Paralympic World Cup Champion 2005.
Oscar Pistorius, Athlete: Multiple Gold Medallists; Paralympic Games 2004/2008; Paralympic World Cup 2005; “Blade Runner” Olympics 2012.
Mark Foster, Swimmer: Olympics 1988/92/96/00/08; World Champion 1993/99/00/04 – in the cloisters of Salisbury Cathedral.
Salisbury Cathedral cloisters are reflected in the sabre of Alex O’Connell, Fencer: Olympics 2008.
Steve Williams OBE, Rower: World Champion 2000/01/05/06; Gold Medallist, Olympics 2004/08.
Lee Pearson OBE MBE, Dressage: Gold Medallist Paralympic Games 2000/04/08, is joined with his horse in this stone sculpture.
Concept sculpture: “Eve” celebrates all the female athletes at the London 2012 games. Behind her, a video presentation shows Ben Dearnley talking about his artistic inspiration and process.
These classical, yet modern, sculptures were a wonderful foil for the early English Gothic (1220 – 1258) cathedral. They were also a timely reminder that Olympian efforts come in all shapes and forms: physical, artistic and architectural.
The beauty and balance of the archways of the cloisters are an example of gothic architectural grace.
Flower-shaped keyholes look onto the spire (circa 1300) of Salisbury Cathedral.
Salisbury’s spire, Britain’s tallest contrasts elegantly with the glass and chrome roof of the cafeteria and gift-shop.
[…] my husband and I spent some time in Ireland (For blog posts see: Ireland) and England (eg: Salisbury and Brighton), and we were looking forward to a few days in Cornwall – all during a […]ReplyCancel
An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
If you walk Ireland’s Dingle Way, many a road will rise up to meet you. If you walk it during the wettest June in recorded history, much rain will fall soft upon your face and much rain will pound upon your head. Some winds will, indeed, be at your back – but many more will whip the plastic raincoat around your ears and impede your progress. And, you may despair of the sun shining ever again!
Or so it was for us, as we walked the 167 or 179 kilometres (depending on whom you believe) from Tralee to Camp and back again, around the Dingle Way. It was ten days of rain, wind and occasional sun – and it was marvellous. It must be VERY special in good weather!
We had booked our walk well ahead of time with “Footfalls”, who manage Irish walking tours: both guided and self-guided, which is what we were doing. They sent us travel notes and maps, booked our hotels, suggested places to eat, and got our bags from A to B. Once we got ourselves to Tralee, making use of the rather excellent Irish buses (Bus Éireann), we just had to walk the planned route, along mostly well-marked (albeit muddy, rocky and narrow) trails, to get ourselves to our nightly destinations.
Our first day of walking – “Day 2” – lured us into a false sense of security. The sun was shining and the birds were singing as we set off along the canal and across the River Lee to find the path around Slieve Mish Mountains, overlooking Tralee Bay.
The trail following the canal leading out of Tralee is well used by walkers and runners, and lined with modern buildings.
Life on the canal: a family of swans
Foothills of the Slieve Mish Mountains provide a backdrop to a modern thatched resort-complex.
A boat tied up on the River Lee – we think it might have been there a while!
Mudflats and clouds on the River Lee, at the mouth of Tralee Bay.
Once we cross the River Lee, we are into quiet country roads ~
~ and before long, we are passing bucolic fields.
Fuchsia grows wild all along the country lanes.
For a short while, we are amongst fields and farms ~
~ following roads bordered by hedges of honeysuckle, brambles, fuchsia and wild roses.
After what seemed like a long climb up a dwindling road, we carefully crossed a gateway onto the rocky paths and boggy grasslands of the Slieve Mish Mountain foothills.
The Tonavane Walk into the Slieve Mish Mountains.
Bog Cotton
The creeks are just marginally wetter than the bog-lands surrounding them.
Shire horses and sturdy ponies use the foundations of a ruined house to keep their feet dry on the bog.
The patch of lilies growing within the frame of the ruined house was a surprise!
One of the ponies was curious about what I was up to. Tralee Bay and the North Atlantic can be seen behind.
We saw more than a few sheep as we picked our way over the rocks and through the boggy patches; most, however, turned tail and scrambled away as soon as we were near. I was happy to catch this lamb with its mother.
The wet, black bog reminded me of The Beverly Hillbillies and their “black gold”.
We crossed numerous creeks…
… and countless styles.
Rocky piles formed partial fences.
All around the foothills, we had views of the North Atlantic, and parts of the Dingle Peninsula ahead.
Eventually, we worked our way out of the open bog and into forested paths, to find ancient ruins: this one of an old house.
Killelton Church, built in the 10th or 11th century with thick walls…
… made of piled rocks.
Outside the ancient church grounds, we find more fuchsia ~
~ and wild strawberries.
Finally! We come around a bend over Camp, our stop for the night.
We had no rain this day (the first and last day without rain for the whole of our walk – indeed for the whole of our stay in Ireland), but our boots were muddy and our pants were wet to the knees from the bogs we had sloshed across.
“I’ve seen worse!” our hostess laughed as we hobbled into our night’s accommodation.
So, we knew we were in good hands – and ready for the challenge of the next day’s adventure.
Ursula, great post.. May I ask what photographic gear did you bring on this trip..did you carry both cameras? Lenses? How did you protect them from the rain/weather?
It looks like a walk I would love to do. I may just have to follow you around on your adventures..
Catherine, thanks for your visit. 😀
You know me! I carried the lot: the 5D I got in exchange for my 7D, which I mostly use with the 16-24, but occasionally with the 70-300; my old 400D which generally sports the 24-70; my iPhone and my IXUS – all of which I used. 🙂 I was also carrying a little macro which I don’t think I used at all. We even carried the tripod one day, but with the rain, my enthusiasm for standing in one place was a little low, and so it never left its case. As for rain protection: two sleeves I bought from a nice lady in Cambodia, plastic ponchos from Australia and a couple of umbrellas from England; sometimes all of the above!ReplyCancel
Lisa Brockman -August 2, 2012 - 9:56 pm
Looks like fun! Looking forward to the following days . . .ReplyCancel
Hi Ursula, I’m sure those rocky roads played havoc with your hip.. however what a magnificent countryside. Looking forward to the next instalmentReplyCancel
Hey, Lisa and Signe!
Glad to have you both back. The walk was indeed “challenging”, but ultimately worth it. I hope to get back to the photos from the other days soon. 😀ReplyCancel
dietmut -August 4, 2012 - 9:13 am
Urusla, ik heb een prachtige wandeling met je samen gemaakt. Prachtige landschap. Ik wens je een fijn weekend, DietmutReplyCancel
Anna :o] and Dietmut,
Thanks so much for joining us on our long road. It is always a pleasure to have your company! 😀ReplyCancel
Elsie Ritchie -March 29, 2013 - 8:37 pm
Dear Ursula I would like to use in a privately printed family history two of your pictures from your walk called the Dingle way to illustrate the countryside The farmland i am looking for was half way between Camp and Annascaul and I would appreciate a boggy way and a view across farmland in that area. the farm itself was called Lougherbegg and was near a village called Lougher Hoping to hear Elsie RitchieReplyCancel
Thanks for your interest, Elsie. I’ll email you.ReplyCancel
Elsie Ritchie -March 29, 2013 - 8:41 pm
Dear Ursula I live in Sydney and would welcome a visit from you if you should be in the area if you felt it necessary to see what i do regards ElsieReplyCancel
[…] hue. And, as the skies opened and the rains fell on our heads on the second day of walking along The Dingle Way in County Kerry, we could easily understand why it was all so lush and […]ReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
As I said earlier: a mixed legacy.
Of course, as I said earlier, the park comprises over two million acres. It is so much more than just Old Faithful – but that will have to wait for another time.
Lovely history lesson Ursula – love the pics, especially the daisy one.
Anna :o]
I love that you don’t just visit places Ursula, you absorb them, what a wonderful trait, even better that you share it.
as to the legacy, ask me after Saturday LOL
Many thanks to my two Liverpool Ladies. 🙂
Eight years was not the “maximum allowable” time Andrew Jackson could have been president. There was no limit then.
Franklin D. Roosevelt served for 12 years and was actually elected to four terms, which would have totaled 16.
This was changed by adoption of the 22nd amendment to the US Constitution on February 27, 1951. Since that time, no one can be elected president more than twice. Anyone who succeeds to become president can only be elected once, if they serve for more than two years of someone’s term.
Therefore, as a practical matter, the absolute limit on how long someone can be president now is 10 years.
Thus Lyndon Johnson, who became president after the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963, was still able to run for reelection in 1968. If he had been reelected, his total time in office would have been more than 8 years but less than 10.
On the other hand, if Gerald Ford had been elected in 1976, he would have been limited to one full term in office, plus the 2 1/2 years he served once Nixon resigned from office in 1974.
Many thanks for the correction, David. 😀