Francis Parkman
Historian who chronicled the struggle between France and England for control of North America, battling illness throughout his life.
Core Belief
"Parkman believes in the importance of historical truth and in the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity."
Worldview
Parkman sees the world as a stage for great historical dramas, where individuals and nations strive for power and dominance. He views the past as a source of inspiration and understanding, and he is committed to preserving its stories for future generations.
Personality
Parkman is depicted as an ambitious and energetic man with a passionate interest in the wilderness and the history of North America. He is determined and courageous, facing physical challenges with unflinching resolve.
In Their Own Words
"To quote his own words, he was 'fond of hardships, and he was vain of enduring them, cherishing a sovereign scorn for every physical weakness or defect; but deceived, moreover, by the rapid development of frame and sinew, which flattered him into the belief that discipline sufficiently unsparing would harden him into an athlete, he slighted the precautions of a more reasonable woodcraft, tired old foresters with long marches, stopped neither for heat nor for rain, and slept on the earth without blankets.'"
"He himself protests against any such conclusion, and says that 'if any pale student glued to his desk here seek an apology for a way of life whose natural fruit is that pallid and emasculate scholarship, of which New England has had too many examples, it will be far better that this sketch had not been written. For the student there is, in its season, no better place than the saddle, and no better companion than the rifle or the oar.'"
"He himself says: 'The whirl, the confusion, and strange, undefined tortures attending this condition are only to be conceived by one who has felt them.'"
Other Characters from Hero Tales from American History
George Washington
Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States.
Daniel Boone
An iconic frontiersman, hunter, and explorer instrumental in the settling of Kentucky.
George Rogers Clark
A backwoods leader and military commander who conquered the Northwest Territory during the Revolutionary War.
Anthony Wayne
A Major-General of the Continental line known for his daring and aggressive military tactics.
Robert Gould Shaw
Colonel who commanded the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first black regiment recruited under State authority.
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