Let Freedom Ring

The Philadelphia Faith and Freedom Tour
The Birth of America's Liberty

I get so sad when someone tells me that they don't like to study history. History is the most exciting of subjects! I could live and breathe history every day and never learn enough.

The problem with the typical study of history, I believe, is that textbooks are BORING. They really are. The best, most exciting way to learn history is through living history and breathing history. To truly understand what happened in the past you have to make yourself understand how those people felt and lived.

My father loves to read about the Civil War. As a child we traveled many summer vacations throughout the southern US stopping at almost every Civil War battlefield along the way. As a concession to my mom (who loves old, historic houses) we also visited the homes of famous people along the way. Many of these battlefields, museums and homes had "living history" exhibits with people dressed and acting in the period that they represented. That is the ideal way to learn history.

If you can't travel for whatever reason Vision Forum has a great resource that can allow you to "live" history right in your home or car. Let Freedom Ring is a 13 CD listening tour of multiple historic sites pertaining to the founding of our wonderful country. You get to be part of a "bus tour" going from place to place with wonderful guides teaching you about the cultural, religious and historical heritage of different landmarks.

This is not a boring textbook type history course. I was captivated while listening. If you close your eyes you truly feel like you are right there on the tour yourself. I learned so many interesting tidbits, although I have repeatedly studied this time-period of history (most recently this year!). At $45, the 13 CD set is a value and much cheaper than a family vacation!

If you are looking for a way to interest your students in the study of early American history be sure to check out Vision Forum's many resources. I would also encourage you to travel to a nearby historical monument and just soak in the history. There is something about standing on the ground that a historical moment took place......I can't really explain it, but history is so very exciting! Give it a try!