Introduction

"Main Entry: leg·a·cy

Pronunciation: 'le-gə-sE
Part of speech: noun

Definition: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past <the legacy of the ancient philosophers> (merriamwebster.com)"

Our country is a great and glorious tapestry of the people, places and events which make up our past and shape our future.  Looking at this tapestry in the light of today and using a variety of tools, the great historians of the world seek to unravel the individual threads contributed by each person or event.  When we understand the legacy of each individual or each group, we will more clearly see and understand the fabric of our country and the possibilities of our future.

Over the next year you will undertake a quest in search of the legacies left by four different groups at four different times in the history of our nation:

• Native Americans during early settlement of the continent,
• various religions during the creation of early colonies,
• the French during the American Revolution, and
• women during the Civil War