The absence of new postings is nothing personal, mind you. I have a perfectly good explanation. Namely, I went out of town (yes, again), and – since my return to the good ‘ole State ‘o’ Texas – have been desperately trying to catch up at the office.
The good news is that I am currently working on several new entries (complete with photographs) that I’ll be posting in the very new future. Until then, have patience my dear grasshoppers…
In the interim, consider the following:
Joseph Plumb Martin was a private in the 8th Connecticut regiment of General George Washington’s Continental army. He kept a journal faithfully during his seven years in the military, and – in the subsequent quotation – frankly assessed his fellow soldiers:
“They put me in this regiment, half New Englanders and half Pennsylvanians. Folks as different as night and day. Myself, I’d rather be fighting with a tribe of Indians than with these Southerners. I mean they’re foreigners, can’t hardly speak English. They don’t like me either. They call me that ‘damn Yankee’. That’s about the nicest thing they say.”
- A) At this point weren’t they were all “foreigners” to a certain extent?
- B) With the possible exceptions of the Dutch and Swedish, Pennsylvania was settled predominantly by English settlers. Therefore, we can conclude that most of them were fluent in English (seeing as though most of them came from jolly ‘ole England in the first place).
- C) We can also deduce that the Pennsylvanians’ apparent trouble with the English language was not caused by a lack of access to a form of generalized education. I say this because the first public school in the original thirteen colonies was opened in Philadelphia, not New England. This, of course, makes sense when it is remembered that Mr. Martin stated that his Pennsylvanian counterparts “can’t hardly speak English.” Obviously, Mr. Martin, who lived in New England, didn’t have access to an education that would teach him the finer points of, say, grammar.
- D) I’m sure that Pennsylvanians would find it humorous to discover that they were once described as being “Southerners”. I know I do, and I’m from Texas.
As you may remember, I love to poke fun at New Englanders. This is mainly because I don’t understand the logic behind which states are part of “New England” and which ones are excluded. In fact, I do not think that logic plays a part in it at all. Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island all just got together and decided to form a club because they weren’t “cool” enough to play with the popular states like New York and New Jersey.
Anyway, I’ve talked about this before HERE. This is just more fuel for the fire (or something like that).
Okay, talk amongst yourselves…
10 comments:
Deals: I think it's hilarious that you read his journal entry and THAT much about it came to mind.
Also, and this is my Terrell education talking (meaning, I would have been better educated if I grew up under a rock): I thought the New England states were the first colonies? Like, the first 13 colonies? No? I'm that ignorant?
Mmkay. I won't argue.
I believe that Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Maryland were part of the original 13 colonies, and they're not so much New England-ish. I agree, though, that one tends to think of the original 13 as being waaaay up north. If you look at a map, though, you'll see that they're all on the east coast. Easier access, and all that. And now feel free to tell me to shut up...if you can tell someone to shut up when they aren't actually speaking...so, feel free to tell me to stop typing.
The thirteen original colonies were Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia.
Of course, out of these original thirteen, only Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island got to join the elitist “New England Club”, despite the fact that all of the colonies at this time were part of ENGLAND!! Not only that, but each and every one of the original thirteen was settled predominantly by the English to begin with. Virginia was named for Queen Elizabeth I who was known as the “Virgin Queen” (hence Virginia), and Maryland was named for Queen Henrietta Maria of…where?...oh, right England. New Jersey is New Jersey because land was given to the Governor of the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel. New York is named for the Duke of York (brother of King Charles II), and New Hampshire is named for Hampshire County back over in…what?...that’s right…ENGLAND, again!
As far as I am concerned, New England should include each and every one of the original thirteen colonies. Of course, no one (obviously) asked me, which is why it still doesn’t make since…even today.
(Stupid New England)
ahahaha I like that you apologize and offer hope of new posts and then ,i guess to appease us, you allude that this post will be short and sweet, an appetizer of what is to come, and then you launch into the new englanders about their ellite club.
All I know is that if you tell anyone from Virginia that they are either a northerner or yankee they turn all green, bust out of their clothing and become much like the Incredible Hulk filled with rage that you would insult them in such a way. But in regards to Texas they are northerners so I don't care and now do it more to make them angry (that and I like to watch people turn into big green monsters - I even make the Hulk sound effects as it happens).
Here is my question, does this mean that all those elitest states claim the new england patriots as their team? And if so how stupid is that.
I can understand why Virginians would be angry at being called northerners, because the term and its connotation has less to do with geography and more to do with culture. It's the same reason why I laugh at Texans for calling themselves Southerners. But I also understand the fun of doing something just to irritate people.
Hmm but JLR are we southwesterners? Becuase that makes me think of those people out in Arizonia living in houses made of adobe with all the crazy pastel colors. Nope, Texans as TEXANS, we are a region all to our own. And darn proud of it (sometimes a bit too proud but we would never admit that to anyone).
Hm. I feel so left out being from Minnesota. No one upset with how we speak... like those dang southerners! I would rather fight with a tribe of Indians as well.
Except, of course, if you are from Beaumont. Beaumont isn't really part of Texas. If space monsters from a far and distant planet traveled by worm-hole to Earth and sucked Beaumont up into their spaceship and flew away, I would - most definitely - not shed a tear. Let the space monsters get hives on their back, and have no place to eat lunch everyday except Chili’s. Boo!
ahahaha Deals you do harbor a lot of bitterness to Beaumont (which I guess I can't blame you for)
That is funny to hear Pennsylvanians being described as Southerners. I'm from Pennsylvania and never heard that before. If anything, we're Northerners or you could call us Middle Atlantic.
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