The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

A Milestone 2/2/2000

by Dessa Rodeffer
Quill Editor/Publisher

2 February 2000

What an exciting time to be in the beginning of a new millennium! Today is a milestone in itself with just the date (2/2/2000) being a once in a lifetime experience for most of us. It feels like a fresh start, this year 2000.

Of course, most of us would do better looking back a couple of hundred years to pre-civil war days rather than looking back 1000 years to the year 1000.

Not many of us talk about our ancestors from that far back except those really into their genealogy.

I was curious about what the world was like one thousand years ago, so I did a little research.

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, beginning in the year 1000, the feudal lords established a period of peace and security in Europe. Towns sprang up along trade routes of Europe and peasants learned better farming methods and gained new land for farming by clearing forests and draining swamps. This period began economic growth and weakened the feudal systems.

Prior to this (400-900), disease, famine, war, and a low birth rate kept the population small with the average person living to only 30 years.

In the early 1300s, wars, disease, droughts and floods, and economic problems caused civil wars.

Political changes and cultural and economic growth moved Western Europe out of the Middle Ages into the period known as the Renaissance. This period where scholars and artists became less interested in religion and more concentrated on understanding man and his world, began in Italy and contributed greatly to the growth of democracy, according to the World Book.

"The Reformation" began in the 1500s in Europe to bring about changes in the Roman Catholic church, which had lost much of its influence during the Renaissance. This brought about Protestantism with such reformers as Martin Luther leading the reform in 1517.

Within 40 years (1557), the Reformation had led to the establishment of Protestant churches in nearly half of Europe. This division was the start of a series of religious wars from 1618-1648.

It was around this time the first British attempt to establish a colony came in the United States in 1585, but failed at Plymouth Rock.

In Europe, this weakening of the Catholic church lead the kings to increase their power to maintain peace among the people.

In the 1700s powers were set that would dominate much of Europe for the next 200 years. Britian and France became the leading European powers.

During the great age of European Discovery which began in the 1400s - one in specific was Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator in the service of Spain. He sailed to America when he sailed from Spain to the West Indies in 1492.

But it wasn't until the 1600s that the English made the most important challenge since the Middle Ages against the power of kings in Europe in a Civil War, abolishing the monarchy for 10 years.

In 1689 the English established a Bill of Rights which allowed the people to revolt against their government. This idea spread to many other countries.

Meanwhile, in 1607, 100 British colonists reached the coast in Jamestown, the first permanent British settlement.

During the next 150 years, a steady stream of colonists came to America facing much hardship, disease, and Indian attacks. However, with hard work and determination, they were able to establish farms, plantations, towns, roads, churches, schools, and to begin small industries.

Their political practices and social beliefs were a major influence on the history of the U.S. :a democratic government, :individual freedom - :and hard work.

In 1636 - Harvard - the first college in the colonies was founded.

In 1647 - Massachusetts established the first colonial public school system.

In 1649 - Maryland passed the first religious toleration act in North America.

In 1704 - The Boston News-Letter, the first successful colonial newspaper began publication, and

In 1752 - Benjamin Franklin flew a homemade kite during a storm to prove that lightning is a form of electricity.

And of course, the rest of American history is more common knowledge after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Several of us were talking at The Quill the other day, of how young our country really is. Since we have known several who have celebrated their 100th birthday, the U.S. seems a lot younger to us.

It was only 224 years ago this July that we gained our independence. When we think about it, that is the age of two 100 year old people and then a 24 year old.

That is hard for me to comprehend when most of the fighting in the war for our independence and the civil war happened before I was born. History for me always was far off and unrelated to my peaceful life in Stronghurst..

But this new era of change in the new millennium has made a lot of us stop and think. We see the changes in the span of our lifetime, or even one hundred years and find it is phenomenal.

The climb to the year 2000 has seemed slow and insignificant until this last year. It is much like the long hard climb to the top of a mountain. Once you reach the top you are full of renewed strength and excitement for the feat.

And the view looking back over the hard climb is so much easier to see.

You finally see all the accomplishments that have been made and it is enough to make the hair rise on the back of your neck.

You and I have witnessed much progress. We can move on in anticipation of exciting changes and accomplishments of which our children will be a part of.

Everything from refrigeration, electricity, the telephone, the automobile, huge tractors and combines, airplanes, the space shuttle, to dishwashers, microwave ovens, laser surgery, transplants, scans, and the cure of many diseases has come about since America was settled. And this is just a thimble full of what has happened in a few select areas.

Many were just happy when they had an inside "John" about 50 years ago, but now there are cushioned seats, dual shower heads and Jacuzzi, television, phones, and even fireplaces in some such as my daughter has in Las Vegas. It's not a bad idea when you step out of a cool bath, but a far cry different than our ancestors have had.

The most exciting changes come in the health field. If today's technology was around in 1973 when my father died of a heart attack, a simple check of his cholesterol and a balloon procedure that opens clogged arteries, may have prevented his heart attack, and may have saved his life.

Cancers that were considered fatal years ago are treatable, even curable today with prevention and regular checkups.

We have not gotten past the need to keep a check on our health, the same as we do on our vehicles to keep them in good shape, but we now have some pretty amazing answers to our health problems.

Now, that we have taken a good look down the hill from which we came, let's get ready for the amazing things in the year 2000.

Take notes, and keep your eyes open for opportunities..... "ya ain't seen nothin' yet!"