ABOUT THE FREEDOM SHRINE

If you ask a small child to tell you what historical documents
he holds most dear, you're liable to get for your answer the
question: "What's a historical document?".  If you ask the
average student in the typical city, the response will vary,
depending on his or her social status, education, family
background, and a myriad of other choices.  The average adult
might come back with a very short list, and it will usually
include The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution.
But ask a librarian, a history teacher or a politician, and
you'd better be prepared for a long dissertation.  This area
of the Free Net will provide only a small kernel of some of the
likely choices.  It includes The Declaration of Independence and
The Constitution of the United States, of course, but will also
lead into many other areas of study.

Each area of this country that has a Free-Net will likely have
a list of titles special to their area, and keyed to the curricula
of the local education system.  Some of the choices special to one
area will have little significance in another part of the country.
Your SYSOPS will have taken the core list provided only as a base
on which to build.  But those documents likely of interest to most
parts of the United States are included in every Free Net, and are
perhaps the only source in your area for seeing on-line these
writings from the ages that had a direct impact on freedom and
democracy as we know it.  Isn't that what Free Net is all about?

The idea for this Freedom Shrine was born in the Year of the
Constitution, when that treasured document was celebrating its
200th anniversary.  There were few places you could go "on line"
to actually read the words that the Framers laid down in 1787, and
which have stood up to the test of time.  There were even fewer
places where you could read most of the rest of them, and some
don't show up in ANY electronic system.  The idea for this area
of Free Net was originally submitted by Gerald E. Murphy, USN (Ret),
of Lakewood, Ohio, and it was he that provided much of the research
(and most of the typing and editing) that you are about to enjoy
as you re-live the history of the United States of America.

A short reading list is provided.  Some of the documents are either
written out in full, or the details which provide sufficient
background to their understanding are spelled out in these
suggested books and other documents, either in full or by reference.
Your SYSOPS will likely add to this list from the local curricula.
Please take the time to "read all about it".

Gerald Murphy (The Cleveland Free-Net - aa300)