Even though I haven't been accepted to the program yet, I've decided to start a little early and get a jump on some of the reading. Optimistic? Probably. But that's how I ended up with my very own copy of Donald L. Miller's "City of the Century: The epic of Chicago and the Making of America."
Did you know... In 1671 France claimed a huge portion of what is now the middle of the United States (including Chicago) by inviting some native Americans to an elaborate pageant of possession?
It's true. Empowered by the French government, Jean-Baptiste de Saint Lusson gathered a group of tribal chiefs together and planted a post with the royal arms of France into the ground. In the process, he claimed a big old chunk of already occupied land for the French.
Reading the story of the pageant reminded me of Eddie Izzard's bit...
Don't worry, before packing up and high tailing it out of there the members of Saint Lusson's expedition provided the natives with a copy of the report of annexation.
Of course, rather than reading it the Indians burned it out of fear that the paper was a spell that would annihilate their tribes...which kinda turned out to be true.
I have a feeling this book is going to be a nugget fest.
