Where a Nation Began: Standing on the Steps of Federal Hall
Federal Hall is one of the most historically significant sites in New York, marking the birthplace of the American government. From Washington’s inauguration to the adoption of the Bill of Rights, it embodies the early struggles and triumphs that shaped the nation.
Standing on the steps where George Washington took the oath of office on April 30. 1789, I could not help but feel a sense of awe. I was imagining that moment when a new nation began and its first President set the standard for all who would follow. The statue of Washington, now standing in that very spot, serves as a powerful reminder of the courage, humility, and hope that defined America’s beginnings.
Read More From Nancy
My Mother, Mary: The Foundation of My Life
This section must begin with my mother, Mary Hannigan. She was born on October 14, 1919,in Concord, New Hampshire , into a world very different from the one we know today. I was her third child and her second daughter, and from the very beginning her presence, love, and example became the foundation on which so […]
Greece: The Ancient Land with a Modern Fight for Freedom
I grew up reading the Greek myths and stories of the gods to my children, but my knowledge of Greece didn’t travel much further than that. Of course, I knew that our own founding fathers studied Greek and Roman history to help shape American democracy but that’s where my understanding began and ended. What struck […]
Normandy Cliffs and American Cemetery
There are few places more memorable to me than our visit to Normandy. No movie, photograph or history book could prepare us for the vastness of this coastline or the weight it still carries. It is impossible not to feel the immensity of what happened across these beaches on June 6, 1944. We started at […]
