Off to England (and the past three years)

Nearby England Countryside (The North Pennines AONB landscape. Photo: Diana Jarvis/Greentraveller)

I am reviving this blog for a new purpose; to visually chronicle my stay in England. Yes, I have been blessed with the opportunity of returning to the land of my ancestors for an academic year, and to be among the few of my family to see it since my grandfather flew his B-17 bomber from East Anglia into Europe in defense of Christian civilization. Unlike Col. Reynolds, I will be situated in the Northeast of England, working on the final stages of my doctorate in history.

By God's grace, my teaching career has gone splendidly the past three years. I have taught the Founding of the American Republic and Foundations of the Modern World (Western Civ. I & II) for Northwood University, as well as pioneering a history of technology class (from the industrial revolution to the computer revolution). I also taught Survey of European History Since 1500 and Historical Study for Saginaw Valley State University (2014-2015). From 2013-2015, I spent many hours in the Midland historical society library and drafted a book on the history of Midland, covering the period from 1890-1930. In the fall of 2015, I was accepted in the doctoral history program at Central Michigan University (with 4 years of funding in fellowships/assistantships) and finished the coursework last year. I passed my comprehensive major exams just a few months ago in Early Modern European History and United States History. My dissertation will be on London coffeehouses and Colonial American taverns.

Central Michigan University partners with the University of Newcastle towards a joint PhD program. I will spend a year studying at Newcastle and will have two weeks in London for archival research. Lord willing, I leave Sep. 12th, a date which, as some of you may remember, has always been associated in my mind with departure. I return to the States in May. God has blessed me with a wonderful church and I have worked out a boarding arrangement with a very hospitable family during my stay. For privacy concerns, I will refer to them as the Mr. and Mrs. W________. What will follow on this blog will be a series of frequent updates with accompanying pictures of my pilgrimage in England. Feel free to comment as you wish (politely, of course).

Enjoy,
Wesley


This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle...
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England (Shakespeare, Richard II)

Pictures from the Conference

Entire album here...

International Graduate Historical Studies Conference at Central Michigan University

We at CMU enjoyed hosting another successful history conference, with very fine graduate projects from students all over the world. I had the very incredible honor of presenting my paper on Sir Edward Elgar and British Imperialism to Harvard intellectual historian Dr. David Armitage. His critique was extremely helpful, and having come from England and growing up with Elgar's music, he enjoyed my research and interests.

Michigan Academy Annual Conference

Victorian Michigan Farm

(©photo by Rodney Campbell, courtesy of morgueFile.com from americanfeast.com)

Yesterday, I attended the annual conference for the Michigan Academy of Science Arts & Letters. Many great scholars from all over the state (and some outside it) presented very thorough research papers. My own work on Imperialism and its contradictions on the cultural history of Edwardian Britain in the music of Sir Edward Elgar was favorably received. I hope to gain more critical attention on my work during the International Graduate Historical Studies Conference at Central Michigan University. While driving to Holland yesterday, I journeyed past the beautiful "Bundee Hills" again, amid the rolling farm country and dense old woodlands of the Michigan countryside. Snow still lay on the ground; dazzling. As I sped past the ancient farm houses of wood and stone, the old country churches, and a few rustic inns on the byways of our Michigan roads, the words of the poet Longfellow wafted into my memory:

As ancient is this hostelry
As any in the land may be,
Built in the old Colonial day,
When men lived in a grander way,
With ampler hospitality.