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Map of the USA in 1783, Following the Paris Peace Treaty Upon the turning of the New Year, warm wishes are given to friends and family for peace and prosperity. But what is peace, really? I've heard of the phrase "peace and quiet", so I guess peace isn't just quiet, though quiet can certainly accompany peace. The other day, I was at a friend's house, and someone started yelling to someone on another floor of the house. They probably didn't realize how close they were to me, and that the decibel level coming at my ear really bothered me. I can say though, that I experienced a sudden feeling of not being at peace. So quiet certainly can help in the peace experience. In the warm weather, I like to sit in the backyard in the afternoon, and close my eyes, and focus on what I hear, smell, and feel. Usually it's quite peaceful. I might focus on some chicadees or sparrows singing in the background. Maybe I feel a nice warm breeze, and maybe I smell fresh air, or a campfire, or some food cooking. It can all be very peaceful to me. However, if a blue-jay starts shrieking, or the sun goes behind a cloud and a hard cold wind picks up, or I smell a skunk, it suddenly it doesn't seem so peaceful out. What happened to the peace? It seems peace is affected by all of our senses. I think peace is a fleeting feeling. When you think you have it, realize it, and smile. Be aware, and enjoy. Things can change quickly and affect your peace of mind. Perhaps we're really at peace when we're sleeping, but of course, that's not always the case, depending on how much you dream. If you dream a lot, and maybe recently woke up from a nightmare, you might not think of sleep as being particularly peaceful. Back in December 1993 I had a job interview for a postmaster's position, at the federal building in Rutland, Vermont. While at the interview, there was a construction crew making major renovations close to the office where the interview was held. When asked a question from my would be supervisor, I would start to answer. Then, out of nowhere, my response would be totally drowned out by saws, compressors, banging, etc. Instead of attempting to yell over the noise, I simply stopped talking, smiled, and waited for the noise to end. About a year later, at my postmaster's installation ceremony, my supervisor referred to that interview during her short speech. She said that one of the reasons she hired me was because I stayed calm and was patient during that noisy interview. I like to think of it as "being in the eye of the hurricane". I don't take credit for that, but it's kind of like a guide for life, trying to stay calm, or at peace, regardless of what events may be swirling around you. So far it has served me well. It reminds me of the time the postal inspectors and state police spent the entire day at the Post Mills Post Office, x-raying a package that contained explosives. The best part was late afternoon, when they finally blew the package up in a nearby field with a water cannon. It wasn't a particularly peaceful day for me, but I did my best to do that hurricane thing! Peace is sometimes defined as what happens when a war ends. In 1783, The Paris Peace Treaty was signed, officially ending the Revolutionary War. I found the map pictured at the top of this post, at the Library of Congress' website, and immediately knew I wanted to look at it more closely. It was produced in 1784, and represents the USA at the time of the Paris Peace Treaty in 1783. I've also linked to this map on the "Maps and Links" page on this website. It can also be accessed at the following link... The United States according to the definitive treaty of peace signed at Paris Sept. 3d. 1783 If you go to the link, the map can be expanded and panned across, showing the details of the young nation, its early place names, funky spellings, boundaries and waterways. So much can be learned just by seeing what was important to include on the map, at that time in history. Perhaps peace, really, means peace of mind, which is a state of mind. And if it is a state of mind, then maybe we can make a conscious decision to be at peace, if we try real hard at it. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to try to be the eye of the hurricane again, and cultivate peace whenever challenged to do the opposite. Whatever you do this year, I hope you can find peace, no matter what your surroundings, and I hope you find it often. What's your resolution? Feel free to write your resolution in comments, or any thoughts you may have on peace. - Bob Totz, January 2, 2020 Feel free to share this post with friends. It can be accessed at https://oldroadsuppervalley.weebly.com/home/peace-paris-and-the-po
11 Comments
Tammy Brown
1/3/2020 07:24:56 am
Very well said Bob. Keep up the excellent work.
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Bob Totz
1/3/2020 07:33:49 am
Thanks, Tammy! Something to reflect on, and a little history to start off the new year!
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Gretchen Harvey
1/3/2020 09:37:32 am
A timely and much appreciated message for the new year.
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Bob Totz
1/3/2020 11:30:05 am
Thanks. I'm hoping 2020 will be a good year!
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Vicki Bacon-Thomas
1/3/2020 10:23:33 am
Thank you for starting the year out with a history lesson and a timely message. The spellings on the map for places in Virginia, where we are now living, were very funny.
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Bob Totz
1/3/2020 11:31:41 am
Thanks for taking the tine to read this, and for looking at the map!
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George Chapman
1/3/2020 11:02:57 am
Interesting history. It would be nice if your blogs were a darker serif type face for us old guys that try to read them
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Bob Totz
1/3/2020 11:33:29 am
Thank you SO MUCH for that comment! I was able to go in and get the typeface darker. Please take a look, and see if you like it better. I'm striving to improve this site daily, and your comment really helps! Thanks again, and happy 2020!
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Aletha Campbell
1/3/2020 11:32:34 am
Very interesting! Thank you for the message as well as the history and map. I love thinking of peace and tranquility. as a way to start off this new year. Have a peaceful day.
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Bob Totz
1/3/2020 11:48:52 am
Thanks, Aletha. I hope you have a peaceful day too.
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David McGaw
1/10/2020 09:37:05 am
I notice the 1783 map does not recognize Vermont, even though it had been established in 1777. I take umbrage with this, my ancestor, Ebenezer Hoisington having been the foreman of the Constitutional Committee.
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AuthorI'm Bob Totz, retired VT postmaster, and historical geographer ARCHIVES:
October 2021
EXPANDED ARCHIVES: AUGUST 2021 1858 Johnson Map of North America MAY 2021 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" - Part Two Historic Toll House For Sale 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" Part One OCTOBER 2020 Finding That Special Peaceful Place AUGUST 2020 Kayaking on the Pompy JULY 2020 Pt. 2: What the Heck Are These Things? JUNE 2020 Bob's Bio... What the Heck Are These Things? Pt. 1 MAY 2020 Stone Walls and Spirits The View APRIL 2020 Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 2. Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 1. MARCH 2020 Signs of Norwich Pt. 2 COVID-19 Tracking Map Centertown and Valleyquest Signs of Norwich Pt. 1 "Imperfect Union" - Book Review Historic Centertown FEBRUARY 2020 King's Hwy Pt. 2 WRJ Museum at Post Mills Airport Chatauguay Vermont The Independent Farmer poem Traveling Along the King's Highway - Lebanon NH JANUARY 2020 Finding Parkhurst Cemetery In Search of Parkhurst Cemetery Affordable Housing The Old Stone Grill Two Rivers Trail-Kmart License and Registration, Please! Prohibition, Murder and Dr. Seuss Peace, Paris, & P.O. DECEMBER 2019 BLOGGER'S LINKS Welcome to Old Roads Love-Quail Hollow fun Dartmouth Cemetery SEPTEMBER 2019 E. Thetford Cemetery JUNE 2019
Taps: Meetinghouse Cemetery 4-Corners Borders Quest Old Iron Gate Stumbling Upon History Sunrise Walk MAY 2019 4 Corners Cemetery Strafford's Abandoned Foundations Art in Old Stonework APRIL 2019 Strafford Tpke Pt 2 Strafford Tpke Pt 1 White River Valley FEBRUARY 2019 Learning from Historic Maps of the Upper Valley Change in Lewiston VT JANUARY 2019 A Vermont Ski Waltz John Ledyard 1773 What is the Upper Valley? DECEMBER 2018 Dartmouth Green Music Video: Sometimes Music Video: Montreal Express Railway Disaster of 1887 |