If you play board games you must know mumblety-peg...right?

In recent days, I find video games to be a very big time passer. But, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, there was no Halo or Black Ops, so what was to be played? Back then board games were a popular way to spend time for soldiers and peasants alike with games from backgammon in 1645 that we still play (at that time called tables), to games that nobody plays anymore like mumblety-peg and.

There are many games we still play that are from the 1600s and 1700s such as solitaire, backgammon, chess and cribbage. We may play these games differently, but the concepts are the same: You try to take out the opponent's king in chess, you try to get card combos in cribbage, and you try to line up all the cards into the sides in a specific order in solitaire.

These games have all been played since at least AD 1700 and were often played by people in the American, French and industrial revolutions for fun. On top of the many still played and remembered games, there are a few from the revolutions we don't still remember. mumblety-peg was a game where both players would have a pocket knife and throw it into the ground as close to their feet as possible and the person who loses each round had to pull a peg out of the ground with their teeth (hence the name, mumblety-peg)
I personally love to play board games, even classic ones like solitaire. As you can see, in the 1700s board games were how people spent a lot of their time.

Backgammon board
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backgammon

-JewelsArePrecious

Sources: Wikipedia, Slate.com, 

Madame Roland: Political Influence Through Feminism and Literature

Madam Roland

Born to the name of Marie-Jeanne Philippon on March 17, 1754,  Madame Roland became one of the most influential women in the French Revolution.  The only surviving child of eight pregnancies, she was talented student at school, and found her interest in literature. She was extremely strong willed, and with an excellent education, and enthusiastic support from her parents, she grew older to become a writer and feminist. She enrolled in convent school for a year, providing her with a religious look on the world, this lead to her interest in philosophy. After her year of convent school, she focused on studying independently, reading many books, including works by Voltaire and Montesquieu, which developed her philosophical view.

In 1770, she married Jean-Marie Roland de la Platière, a French philosopher at the time, who very soon became deeply involved in the political scene of the French Revolution. This involvement by her husband led her to find a new way to express herself, including collaborating in works by her husband, including Dicctionare des Manufactures, and especially an addition to Encyclopedie Methodique. Further, in 1774, she and her husband moved to Lyon, which resulted in the creation of many new relationships with friends and allies. Starting with letters to a journal called Patriote Francais, she and her husband started to assert their support for a French Revolution, soon moving to Paris in 1779 to insert themselves into much more engaged environment. Leaders of parties such as the Jacobin Club met with her to discuss the rights of the people, and to decide upon strategies that would be put to use in the transition of France from a monarchy to a republic that benefited the people.

The Execution of Madame Roland

She was a well spoken women, who worked her way slowly into the very center of the political conversation, where she could persuade the leaders of some of the largest political parties. In 1972, Madame Roland and her husband left the Jacobin Club to form a separate party called the Girondin.  The Girondists hope was to bring freedom to the people of France, while also providing control and leadership. After the surrender of Louis XVI Madame Roland pushed for her husband to become Minister of the Interior, in which she succeeded in doing. This seemingly created what was almost an alternative monarchy, one they may not of been the most ideal of her views, but created a new goal for her, one to push her husband to the highest degree.

Considerably her largest political influence came on June 21, 1792, when she wrote a letter to King Louis XVI demanding the King to pledge loyalty and cooperation to the newly created republic, and if not, to face the consequences of increasing the civil arrest. Almost a year later, on June 1, 1973, Madame Roland and other Girondist party members were arrested for treason and political activism. In prison, Madame Roland completed some of her most important works. She had never preferred to write, but between her arrest and execution, she had written her memoirs, which were collected and put together by visitors who came to see her, and took her finished pieces. Her memoirs were later published in 1975, two years after her death.

On November 8, 1793, Madame Roland, or Marie-Jeanne Philippon, a feminist, writer, and political activist, was executed at the guillotine in the Place de la Révolution. She had wanted to prove that women were important to political success, and she had achieved her goal, even dying as a citizen of the republic, not of the monarchy. Before her death she turned to face the clay statue of liberty that sat there in the square, and remarked to the crowd with the quote for which she is remembered:
 "O Liberté, que de crimes on commet en tom nom!"
("Oh Liberty, what crimes are committed in thy name!")

Bibliography

"Madame Roland." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2017.

"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Roland"

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Jeanne-Marie Roland." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 July 2005. Web. 08 Feb. 2017.

"https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jeanne-Marie-Roland"

All For One, One For All!

       I am sure most of you have read or heard the story of The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, If not I will give you a brief description of the story (don't worry no spoilers) and give you some insight into where it came from.

First I would like to explain the story. The Three Musketeers was set in the 1700s and was based on a young man named d’Artagnan. He leaves his home and heads toward Paris where he hoped to join The Musketeers Of The Guard. Young d'Artagnan did not actually become part of the guard but his three closest friends did join, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. They lived by the motto "all for one, one for all!" which came from d'Artagnan. They went on great adventures together across France and all throughout the French Revolution. They were the “dream team” of the French Revolution.

d'Artagnan runs into the Three Musketeers on his way to paris, he offends them and they challenge him to a duel to prove their superiority and excellence. In the first duel d'Artagnan starts to fight Athos when the "police" of the town come to arrest them for illegal dueling. They soon get into a fight and although they are out numbered they still win. After King Louis XIII hears of this battle and that d'Artagnan seriously injured one of his best fighters he enlists him in the King's Guards. This was just the beginning of their journeys ahead. This group goes on to do many great things during the French Revolution.

          This story was and still is a very popular and well known tale from the French Revolution. I sincerely recommend it. It is filled with action, tragedy, and love good for any reader.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.

The Guillotine: A diary entry from Charles-Henri-Sanson

January 21st, 1793

      Today King Louis XVI was executed; at my hand, I should mention. I am the royal executioner. My job is to pull the murderous rope that held the blade in the wooden frame, then release it over the neck of the criminal. I've seen many bloody heads roll, but the leader of my country was definitely the most profound. The job of the royal executioner has been in my family since the beginning of the guillotine, and the execution of the first convicted felon by the blade. They call me "The Great Sanson". A name I feel like I have earned. The whooping cheers as I lower the blade fill my heart with joy. If there isn't a crowd, the execution is moved to a crowded, public space because the example of what happens to criminals isn't shown if there aren't many people to see it. The guillotine was invented as a more humane form of capital punishment than hanging. I mean if they didn't I would be out of a job.

   The King's execution was especially difficult, due to the screaming hordes. The very strange thing was that the people happy about the end of the King's reign opposed the very ideals that the guillotine symbolized. During The Storming of The Bastille, you could hear chants about releasing the prisoners. They didn't just want them released only to be executed, but to be free for crimes they weren't guilty of. Of course I'm not against the guillotine, I just think it a bit hypocritical of the hordes of people. Many of the people who attend the executions have an eery unquenchable thirst for blood shed. Even as the man causing blood to be shed daily, I don’t crave it like they do.

Source:

http://www.history.com/news/the-guillotines-first-cut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo5BBHtn4tM

https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/kat_anna/guilitine.html

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-louis-xvi-executed

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Henri_Sanson

https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist151/French%20Revolution%20II/album/slides/execution_king_color.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9Iqbe4UaLAE86_U9mbacS574GWUbcVuBgNwdj1A1GZmr3KcU0wTCmh_iyfp6Y5hw1AkGioSDgs1hjnPKhpr0_gdV7Q1aHnS1iQdMFw02sgc_FOQflk3JVB9EbeEyaZaB47B3UdImJAI/s1600/guillotine.gif

A Tale of Two Cities Review

The Original First Print

'A Tale of Two Cities' Review

By Tara K. Zic

‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens. That’s a title that made an everlasting impact on the literary world. I decided to write about this extraordinary novel, not only because of my extreme fascination with the French Revolution and love for literature, but also because I feel everyone should take away some knowledge about such an amazing and famous novel. Everyone should be knowledgeable about the French Revolution, an important era in human history.

‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens is a historically fictional tale of several people and their happenings before and during the French Revolution, their actions and the ensuing consequences. The book starts with the evolution of the characters that play a role in the revolution. The book continues to follow those same characters and how the revolution affected and changed their former lives forever. These changes resulted in bitter sacrifice, hate, love, and violent death.

Execution by Guillotine, a very common death
during the French Revolution, well described by
Charles Dickens

One book - how much impact could it possibly have? I pondered that question for a very long time before coming to the conclusion that the book being published isn’t the impact. It is the awareness of our history as a human race. This book spread awareness of how independent these characters are and how much they go through to just play such a minor role in such a big revolution. Think about approaching near death, just to be a minor figure in such a catastrophic revolution of over a million citizens. This book teaches the reader to be independent and that it can take over a million committed people to make a united stand.

After reading the summary of ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, I came up with a few questions for Charles Dickens. So, I decided to write a letter to Sir Charles himself.

July of 1863

Dear Sir Charles,

After learning about your miraculous novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, I have a few questions. First, I would like to ask what inspired you to write this fantastic novel? Clearly, from the knowledge I have gained about the French Revolution, it is an amazing era. However, I know that you lived after the French Revolution. So, what inspired you to go back in time and dig deeper and research it? What caused you to talk about resurrection? Are you religious? Do you believe this could really happen? In your book, there are so many amazing locations, several of which are places in France, a place I dream of going. Did you travel to these places to dig into exquisite detail? Wow. In the novel you talk a lot about Darry, the narrator for most of the story. Would you say you centered ‘Darry’ off of yourself or an acquaintance? I know when I read a book, I think of the main character as someone I know based on the characteristics the author gives him or her. If there is an protagonist, I often imagine them as myself or a good friend and the antagonist as someone who fits the evil description. What about his true love Lucy? Is she like someone you admire in your life? I simply love your work and am eager for your response!

Well Charles, I hope to hear from you soon!
Madame Tara

Sources:

"A Tale of Two Cities." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2013.

"A Tale of Two Cities." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 June 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2013.

"French Revolution." - Simple English Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2013.

Les Miserables and the French Revolution

Les Misérables and the French Revolution

By: Katie McClanan

The French Revolution was sparked by France's bankruptcy due to the enormous cost of previous wars. France's inefficient financial system was unable to repay this debt, a problem worsened by an unjust system of taxation. Meanwhile, the royal court at Versailles was seen as being isolated from and oblivious to the hardships of the lower classes. Amidst a fiscal crisis, the common people of France were increasingly angered by the incompetence of King Louis XVI, fueling radical opinions. The lower classes revolted against the taxes and the King in 1789, starting the French Revolution. The plot and characters in Les Miserables represented the common street life in Paris during this time period.

Summary:

Les Miserables is a musical and now movie about the hardships of the lower classes in France before and at the start of the French Revolution. It starts with the lead character, Jean Valjean, as a prisoner, simply for stealing a loaf of bread that his sister and her family needed to survive. After doing his time, he is released, only to break his parole and run away from everything to find a better life. A priest takes him in and gives him food and a place to sleep for the night. During the night he attempts to steal precious silver from the church. When he gets caught the priest lets him go free, but makes him promise to make a better life with his new found small fortune and become a honest man. Valjean becomes a successful factory owner, now the boss of Javert, the police officer who had kept him prisoner for so many years.

One of the workers in Valjean’s factory is named Fantine, she has a child and her man left her. Now, given that she lives on the streets, she sent her daughter Cosette to live with an innkeeper and his wife, while she does everything that she can to pay for the child. Fantine is unaware that they are abusing her daughter and using her as forced labor for their inn. She is later fired from her job at Jean Valjean's factory, because of the discovery of her daughter, who was born out of wedlock. She is also slowly dying of an unspecified disease.

Javert arrests Fantine, but Valjean intervenes and orders Javert to release her. Javert resists but Valjean prevails. Valjean, feeling responsible because his factory turned her away, promises Fantine that he will take in Cosette as his own and give her a happy life. Fantine dies with Valjean next to her in a hospital bed. Javert comes to see Valjean again and admits that after being forced to free Fantine, Javert reported Valjean to the French authorities. The authorities have identified someone else as the real Jean Valjean, and have him in custody, and plan to try him the next day. Valjean is torn, but decides to reveal himself to save the innocent man. Although soon after he turns himself in he escapes to save Cosette. Valjean and Cosette flee to Paris.

Eight Years later the rumbles of the French Revolution are beginning in Paris. Marius, the young revolutionary, falls in love at first sight with the now beautiful Cosette. Éponine, ragged and poor, had always supported Marius in his opinions and has an undeclared love for him. She is heartbroken that he had fallen in love with Cosette and felt more lonely than ever. Éponine finds Marius and sadly tells him that she found Cosette's address, which he had asked her to do. She leads him to Valjean's and Cosette's house, he and Cosette then finally meet and declare their love for one another.

Valjean and Cosette are forced to move to England because of threats, but Cosette is heartbroken given that she had just found her love. The following day, the students revolt and erect barricades in the narrow streets of Paris. A townsperson  spots Javert and informs everyone at the barricade that Javert is a spy. When Marius arrives at the barricade, the "revolution" has already started and the battle had begun.

As he turns back, the man who took the fatal shot for Marius earlier calls Marius by his name. Marius discovers this man is Éponine, dressed in men's clothes. As she lies dying on his knees, she confesses that she was the one who told him to go to the barricade, hoping they would die together. She also confesses to saving his life because she wanted to die before he did.

Valjean arrives at the barricade and immediately saves a man's life. He is still not certain if he wants to protect Marius or kill him, given that he is Cosette’s lover and he thought that she was too young to be in love. But in the end he takes Marius’ unconscious body back to safety, where Marius reunites with Cosette. They get married very soon after as Valjean was on his deathbed. The newlyweds come to him and he confesses that he was to one to save Marius’ life on the battlefield. Then with all of the people he loved around him, Fantine appears to finally lead him to heaven.

Review:

This movie is one of my favorites because every song is a masterpiece to listen to, and the characters all seem so realistic. In this musical Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, the playwrights, did an absolutely amazing job of capturing the feel of the French Revolution and how every person was fighting for their lives and beliefs. I would have to say that my two favorite characters are Éponine and Jean Valjean. Éponine is an amazing character because of the empathy that develops for her throughout the storyline. Almost everyone has loved someone who didn't love them back, and the fact that she sacrifices her own life to save his is so heartwrenching that she is just a relatable character for most viewers.

Jean Valjean is Les Miserables’ protagonist. You go through the story along his side as the tables turn with him and Javert countless times. He sings so many great songs and is an all around amazing character, given that he bounces back from a prisoner at the start. He is also such an admirable character because of his resiliency throughout the story, coming back from nothing and turning himself into an honest man.  

Éponine

If I had the honor to play a character in this show I would choose Éponine. She sings one of my favorite songs named, “On my own” in which she laments about her hopeless love for Marius. She gets to display such rich emotions that it would be so fun and interesting to play her. She goes through despair, determination, love, optimism, sadness, longing and so many more emotions throughout the storyline. She does not play an extremely large role, but a memorable role, and she is also one of the key characters. Although any role in this musical would be an honor to play if  got the chance to.

There is such an abundance of songs that it is hard to choose just one favorite. I would say there are a maximum of one hundred spoken words in this show, given that the writers did such an amazing job of expressing the plot through song. 

One of my favorite songs is, “Who am I?” sung by Jean Valjean. This song is sung when he is debating weather to turn himself in or not when an innocent man is accused of being him and would be licenced to a death sentence. Another favorite of mine is, “Do you hear the people sing?” sung when the low class people are rising up to revolt. They are singing about how they are thowing away their lives as slaves and how they will start a new era of hope and joy. “There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!”- a quote from the lyrics. It is a truly inspirational song and show altogether. Les Miserables is a must see for 2013!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_miserables