One of the most interesting aspects of history to me is how historical events are portrayed in different types of popular culture. Whether it is media from the time period or from more recent times, I always enjoy seeing the different perspectives that people can come up with for the same historical event. The Vietnam War is probably the most opinionated U.S. historical event and it is always cool to kind of see different takes on what people believe. A Philadelphia rap group known as Jedi Mind Tricks decided to throw their hat into the mix and make a song about differing views on the war from a soldier's perspective. Given that the views are two very extreme opposites, it is still pretty neat to see what today's artists have to say about such an important American event. It should also go without saying that the artists' views are not my own.
*****Warning: The lyrics are explicit so please use discretion when watching*****

Who thought reliving historical events could be this fun?!?!?!?

Take some time to enjoy some light hearted history because everyone loves them some Michael Cera. (This isn't historically accurate, bonus points to anyone who can come up with the real version of how these historical events played out.)

A Real Life National Treasure

A real life National Treasure has been found by Lorianne Updike Toler at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The United States Constitution is one of the most important documents in all of world history. It may seem like a little patriotism is shining through when I say that, but it is absolutely true. It is amazing how a legal document of 7,591 words can be so effective that it is one of the longest lasting constitutions in the world. The thing that sells me on the validity of the Constitution is the fact that it is a living document. The Founding Fathers knew it would be an imperfect document and therefore understood the need to have the ability to amend any problems that the may run into hence the use of amendments.

The particular draft discovered by Ms. Toler was drafted by a lesser known player in the framing of the Constitution, James Wilson. Wilson, who was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was a lawyer who resided in the Philadelphia area. Wilson's credentials are quite impressive. He was elected to the Continental Congress twice and was eventually chosen to serve as one of the original justices of the Supreme Court appointed by George Washington. Wilson's appointment to the Committee of Detail enabled him to be extremely hands on drafting the Constitution. It was within his position in the Committee of Detail where Wilson was the brain child behind the Three-Fifths Compromise and backed a popular vote election for Congress and the presidency. Wilson was often considered the most learned (meaning educated) of the politicians involved in the framing of the Constitution. The discovery of an early draft of the Constitution made by Wilson helps us to bring to light one of the less famous but very important Founding Fathers.