Staten

Fourteen billion years ago, forged in the crucible of the Big Bang, a story began.

It is the story of all of us; the story of every man, woman, and child who ever lived and walked on Earth. It is a story that connects all of us to each other and to the stars of space from whence we all came. By connecting every discipline of academic inquiry, from literature and music, science and mathematics, art, technology, theatre, religion, weaponry, warfare, and civics, history comes alive as we explore fourteen billion years of civilization in the greatest story ever told: mankind - all of us. It is a story of triumph and tragedy, with tales of valor and courage; epic tales of adventure and sacrifice and of ordinary men and women who, under uniquely extraordinary circumstances set in motion from the moment the universe began, accomplished extraordinary things that changed the world. Our story, and who we are as a people, begins by understanding that we, as Americans, are a relatively new chapter in the ongoing story of mankind. The story of western civilization is the story of how peoples and nations moved from the tyranny of absolute monarchy to the liberty of democracy and republicanism. From the moment civilization first appeared in the Nile River Valley and Mesopotamia, through the battles for democracy between Greece and Persia, and the fight for the empire and glory of Rome; every step up the ladder of science, every masterpiece of the Renaissance, and every voyage of discovery, from Columbus to the first heroic step upon the Moon, western civilization has been dedicated to one idea: you are not what you were born; you are what you have it in you to be.

Welcome to American Civics: The Story of All of Us.

Week of September 9, 2019

The cradle of civilization and the birthplace of mankind is in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia and North Africa. It is here that humanity took the first steps up the ladder of freedom from the tyranny of despotism to the glory of republicanism and democracy. Three thousand years before the birth of Christ, great civilizations reached skyward in an attempt to define the universe and the larger world around them. This week we explore the the stunning beauty of Hammurabi's Code and the cuneiform writing of Sumer before we move on to the glory of the pharaohs of Egypt. The monuments to absolute monarchy and the desire for eternal fame still tower over the sands and echo across time.

This Week in American Civics:

Homework due on Tuesday: The Fertile Crescent

Homework due on Thursday: You Be the Judge - Hammurabi's Code

Homework due on Friday: Life in Egypt

Homework due on Monday: The Keys to History

Monday, September 9 - "Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent": Travel into the heart of ancient Mesopotamia and Sumer to learn about life in the Fertile Crescent and why civilizations first sprang up between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The birthplace of civilization for all mankind marks the first steps up the ladder of excellence as we explore the beginnings of law and government where it all began.

Tuesday, September 10 - "Hammurabi and the Code": It is the original law code that has survived from ancient times. The Code of Hammurabi is so important to the development of civilization, law, and government that it is still cited as an influence to this day. There's a reason Hammurabi's portrait hangs in the United States House of Representatives, and everyone can cite some aspect of the code. Its most famous passage might be "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," but life in Mesopotamia is hard. It's even rougher if you're one of the jokers who decides to fight the law. The law wins. The law always wins.

Wednesday, September 11 - "Patriot Day": Eighteen years ago, the skies over America went dark above the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, and a field in Pennsylvania. Today, American Civics pauses to give honor to one of the most defining moments in the most recent pages in the story of all of us. Join us for our special lesson commemorating and honoring the three thousand patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives upon the altar of freedom.

Thursday, September 12 - "The River of Life": The Nile River is the longest river on Earth, and it is the only one that flows north. Explore life in the Nile River Valley and how civilization developed in Egypt. The gods of Egypt smile upon us as we go into the heart of the civilized western world. From Osiris and Isis to the lords Horus, Anubis, Thoth, the princess Ma'at and the dark traitor Set, the role and influence of Egypt continues to impress and influence us thousands of years later. The first, true, unified nation of the west begins its march to glory and rises from the life-giving floods of its sacred river.

Friday, September 13 - "Inventors": On an unforgiving planet, most species will fail. But one species will discover a set of keys that unlock a pathway to the future. Fifty thousand years ago, mankind begins its long march to freedom and mastery of the planet in the heart of Africa. Join Mr. Staten, Academy Award nominee Josh Brolin, and the scholars of the History Channel for episode one, Inventors, of the epic twelve part miniseries: Mankind: The Story of All of Us.

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