While history books provide students of American history with basic information on key events in our nations history, nothing provides a glimpse into the lives of the people who have shaped our nation more than their actual words.
For those who study the Revolutionary War, the thoughts of two of our nations founders, preserved forever in the form of the letters they exchanged during their long marriage, provide a tantalizing look at not only the challenges they faced but at the deep love and respect they shared for one another.
The words of First Lady Abigail Adams will come alive once more when the Wayne County Historical Society welcomes historical interpreter Kim Hanley to Wooster as part of the Voices From the Past series on February 20.
An uncommon woman living in extraordinary times, Abigail Adams played many roles during a pivotal point in the founding of our nation including trusted advisor to one president, mother to another president and business woman.
While family economics, childrens education and civic responsibilities were her major concerns, the well read Abigail Adams was equally comfortable talking politics with her husband, providing him with insightful advise on the wide array of issues the country faced at its founding.
In her early letters to her husband, John Adams, she reports on the efforts of the ladies on the home front to support the Revolution while managing the affairs of the farms and homes alone, said Voices From the Past chairman Ray Leisy
After the Revolution, in her letters to her husband, Abigail Adams expressed the concerns and accomplishments of an early American patriotic woman for Congress to remember the ladies in the creation of the Constitution, said Leisy.
Leisy feels fortunate that he was able to secure the appearance by Hanley for the 2011 Voices From the Past season.
Since 1997, Hanley has combined her study of the history of American culture, domestic life, politics, dance, and music to present a balanced perspective and presentation of our heritage and the women who did so much to advance it.
A frequent presenter at sites of historical significance including the National Archives, Independence National Historical Park, the Smithsonian, Library of Congress and White House Visitors Center, Hanley will be arriving in Wooster after presenting a similar program the previous day at the United States Portrait Gallery.
Hanleys appearance is sponsored by the Friends of Lynn Drumm.
In its eighteenth season, the Wayne County Historical Societys four concert Voices From the Past series is a mixture of dramatic presentations and musical performances designed to illustrate a period in our nations history.
The Voices From the Past series continues on March 13 when the seven piece band Lone Raven presents a variety of traditional Irish music ranging from lively Irish reels and Gypsy fiddle tunes to original compositions.
The finale of the 2011 season is scheduled for April 10 when St Louis based Dennis Stroughmatt and his band Creole Stomp brings the French Creole music of the upper Mississippi to Wooster.
Performances in the Voices From the Past series are presented in the historic one-room schoolhouse on the campus of the Wayne County Historical Society in Wooster and begin at 2:00 pm.
A limited number of tickets for the remaining performances in the series are available at the Historical Society during their office hours of 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays and at Wooster Book during their normal business hours. Because tickets regularly sell out well in advance tickets will not be sold at the door.
For more information contact the Wayne County Historical Society at 330-264-8856 or log on to waynehistoricalohio.org.
