Book Club: Book Review of The Hidden Message of the Great Seal

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

As someone with a degree in history and as a former high school history teacher, I was very interested to read The Hidden Message of the Great Seal: How Foundational Truth from The Dawn of Liberty May Rescue a Republic in Peril by Michael Kanis. This paperback book is published by The Hidden Message, LLC with full-color, glossy pictures to help detail the message and explanation of the Great Seal. There are charts, a timeline, and many direct quotes to help present a message that has been hidden for over 230 years as interpreted by the author.

"There is a mission for this book that goes beyond the message of the seal. The message is part of it, but it is only the beginning. What you will discover when you read The Hidden Message is that there is a mission and calling for each American. This calling is a trust that you have inherited as a keeper of the republic." (quote from The Hidden Message of the Great Seal's mission statement) 

author Michael Kanis

Why did Michael Kanis start this journey? When Kanis started his journey and research, he did not know that he would "uncover things about our national symbol that have not been discovered since their genesis" (8). The author took his third son on an educational trip to Philadelphia and took a visit to Valley Forge. It was there, at the U.S. National Memorial Arch, that the Great Seal was really brought to his notice. Kanis' friend and their tour guide spoke of the symbolism including that "Novus Ordo Seclorum" does not mean "New World Order" like so many believe.


Before Kanis begins to examine the Great Seal of the United States in the book, he explains his motivation and approach. He pursued the clues to discover the meaning of allegory, studied the men who were involved in the creation of the Great Seal, employed heraldry, and applied the meaning of the allegory to the people that it was meant to serve - the people of the United States. Attention is also given to the misconceptions held about the seal such as that is associated with the occult, the Illuminati, or Freemasonry. In each chapter, Kanis attempts to help us follow along with his approach so we can better understand the symbols used (like the eye), the men who were involved (like Francis Hopkinson), and the links between the Great Seal and other coins, seals, and jetons of foreign nations (like the Netherlands).

The Hidden Message of the Great Seal is a large paperback book of 256 pages with endnotes. As it is a coffee table-sized book, I found it a bit difficult to sit down and read. I appreciate the idea of having a larger book so that full-color photos could be larger but I think I would have preferred it to be about half the size to make for easier holding in my hands. And as the pages are of a glossy type, I think it might be more difficult if someone wished to take notes within the book itself. (For the purpose of this review, I took notes on index cards and kept them in the book.)

I really wanted to enjoy reading The Hidden Message of the Great Seal. I was intrigued to see how the symbols used are not connected to things that people often point out. People are so quick to state that the eye is that of Horus and is therefore pagan and that the pyramid links back to the Egyptians (another pagan reference).

I don't know whether I am convinced as to the arguments put forth by Kanis. I think it will take more than one reading of this book to truly be able to discern all the information presented. If one is unfamiliar with English history, early American history, Biblical studies, or early religious history, then they might need to stop and research a bit before moving onto each following chapter. For example, Kanis spends time addressed Charles I, the English Civil War, and Oliver Cromwell to better explain one of the early mottos: "Rebellion to Tyrants Is Obedience to God." Now I just so happen to love British history so I was already familiar with these events but if you were not a student of this period of British history, you might be confused.

How Can You Use The Hidden Message of the Great Seal in Your Homeschool?

I can think of a number of ways in which you could use this book in your homeschool. As it is a lengthy book, I have been the only one in my family to read it but I do plan on passing it along to our teen son to read so we can discuss it. I think it will fit in nicely as he is studying the American Government this homeschool year.

The book can be read for a homeschool history course, government course, or social studies course at the high school level. Reading The Hidden Message of the Great Seal can also help children see how to and how not to present an opinion or argument in a written work. Reading this work of historical non-fiction will help them be able to better present their own historical cases. While reading the book, you can also focus upon the Latin as part of Latin courses or studies. To demonstrate an understanding of the work, your children can create their own timeline of events similar to what is presented in the book.

There is a list of things that we can do to defend freedom provided by the author that includes writing to someone in government, attending a town hall meeting, and other great ideas that anyone can incorporate into their lives. This list is part of an entire chapter on freedom that might be interesting to read and discuss with your children. The author discusses how the individuals involved in the American Revolution viewed freedom and how it is tied to virtues.

I think that The Hidden Message of the Great Seal is a book that requires each reader to make their own decision regarding whether or not the author proved his point. I believe individuals might come to the reading of this book with lots of preconceived notions and therefore each person will need a different level of explanation, examination, and presentation of research to determine whether or not they agree with Kanis' point of view.

At the very end of the book, Kanis presents an image of the Great Seal that he believes is an accurate and faithful representation of the congressional report. Throughout The Hidden Message of the Great Seal, we view the Great Seal in various stages and finally we see the culmination in what the author believes it was meant to look like.

Whether or not one agrees with all the points that Kanis makes in his work, I think readers can still walk away feeling a renewed desire to support virtue and justice in the United States. The founders of the United States of America wished to create a nation for future generations and citizens of today can continue to work for a better nation for our children.

Would You Like to Learn More?

Please be sure to see what other members of the Homeschool Review Crew have to say about The Hidden Message of the Great Seal by visiting the reviews. 

Book Club: Dear Mr. Washington

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If you are looking for a fun book to read to your children about George Washington, the painting of his most famous portrait by Gilbert Stuart, and manners, look no further than Dear Mr. Washington written by Lynn Cullen and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter.

The story tells the fictional account of how George Washington smiled for his portrait sitting by Gilbert Stuart. Three of Stuart's children and the dog and cat act poorly while Washington visits for his painting causing great aggravation to Stuart and his wife. Washington sends a book of manners to the children. Dear Mr. Washington contains several of these rules (ten to be exact). The book that Dear Mr. Washington references is Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation, which Washington copied out himself as a boy.

Rules According to George Washington

Reviewing the rules provides a great opportunity to review rules and good manners with your own children.

1. Not showing off
2. Not running
3. Do not stuff your mouth
4. Do not chew your nails
5. Do not try to know others' business
6. Do not laugh at another's misfortune

You can read the entire book by George Washington on Gutenberg.org or purchase a copy for your family. If you want to hand a few out in your house, please find three here.

Over the years, our family has studied George Washington a number of times, created a hat fit for the General, and visited Washington Crossing State Park. If you want to learn more about George Washington, I also wrote a Blogging Through the Alphabet post.

Timeline

A great way to learn more about someone is to create a timeline of important events in their life. Depending upon the age of your children, they may want to include more or less details. I created a very simple template to create a timeline of the life of George Washington or even the painter, Gilbert Stuart. Click Here!

Create a Portrait 

Have your children create a portrait of a member of the family, a pet, or their favorite plush just like Gilbert Stuart created of George Washington. Perhaps they won't have as many distractions as there were in the book!

Y is for Yorktown (Blogging through the Alphabet)

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Many of the locations in the United States of America were named for places overseas. This is true of places such as Birmingham, Alabama; Canterbury, Connecticut; Concord, Massachusetts; and Yorktown, Virginia. Of course, in addition to English names we also find influence of the Spanish, French, and German settlers – as well as others. The historic town of Yorktown, which sits upon the York River, is important to American history because it is the last major battle of the American Revolution.

There are many excellent resources to use when studying the Colonial and American Revolutionary time periods of American history. And there are so many different aspects one could study when learning about the Revolutionary War but learning about the last major battle – the Siege of Yorktown is extraordinarily important. In September and October of 1781, the combined military forces of the Americans and French led the Yorktown campaign which would ultimately see Lord Cornwallis surrender.

General Washington and Comte de Rochambeau 

Land Attack 

The British at Yorktown were vulnerable to both land attacks and a blockade by sea. This combined attack on the British started in late September 1781 with General George Washington's American forces and Lieutenant General Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau's French forces surrounding Yorktown.

Blockade by Sea 

Cornwallis was hopeful that the relief forces being sent from New York would arrive to assist the British. He had received notice from General Clinton, commander in chief of the British Army, that men would be sent from New York but he failed to realize that a blockade would prevent the troops from arriving. The French fleet, under Admiral Francois Joseph, Comte de Grasse, prevented the British ships from providing the relief British soldiers.

Artillery Barrage 

The Franco-American forces attack moved closer to Yorktown as Cornwallis abandoned his trenches further out and moved closer to the York River. This allowed the French and American soldiers to move the cannons closer to fire upon the city. So from early to mid-October, the Franco-American forces fired upon Cornwallis and the British defenses crumbled. British food and ammunition were running low and there was no sign of reinforcements being able to make their way to Cornwallis.

Surrender 

On October 17, 1781, Lord Cornwallis asked for terms of surrender. Two days later, on October 19, approximately 8,000 British troops surrendered. This was the last large battle of the American Revolution. Some fighting would continue for two more years until the formal peace treaty was signed in 1783 but this was the last major action between the Revolutionaries and the British.


Today you can visit Yorktown Battlefield which is part of Colonial National Historic Park in Virginia.

Images from WPClipart.com

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W is for Washington (Blogging through the Alphabet)

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Studying the history of the United States would not be complete without learning about the Founding Fathers of the nation including George Washington. The first American president was also commander of the Continental Army and president of the Constitutional Convention thus having a great impact on the historic foundation of the United States government.

How Can We Learn about George Washington?

There are so many great resources available to learn about George Washington. From primary sources of writing by Washington and about the first president to historical sites and even crafts and costumes! Learning about history does not have to be dull.

A fantastic way to learn about Washington is through read-alouds with your children. There are some great choices from different well-known publishers such as Landmark Books or National Geographic.

Learning about George Washington does not need to be relegated to older children and adults, as he is a good role model for all children. Some of the myths and stories told about Washington help us teach valuable lessons. For example, who hasn't heard the story of the cherry tree and the young Washington stating, "I cannot tell a lie" story? 

Reading through his Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation (which he wrote as a school exercise before he was 16) is a great way to study Washington and apply it to character education. Washington was a leader among his school friends – friends had even said he was not a fighter but a peacemaker on the playground. 

One of the themes that displays itself again and again in Rules of Civility is that of modesty and self-restraint. These are two great virtues to instill in children today. An interesting point made in the introduction of my copy of Rules of Civility by Letitia Baldrige is that in the time of Washington "the family was the center of the universe" and people attended church regularly where they would discuss good and bad behavior. Baldrige continues: Washington "would find our society today extremely foreign and probably unkind" (14). 

"let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat grave." 

To assist you in teaching the Rules of Civility, I have prepared some materials for you to use in your home or classroom. You will get three rules you can hang up in your house! 

Another great place to study George Washington is SchoolhouseTeachers.com. Our family has been enjoying several history courses already including Drive Thru History: American History. 

There are also interesting courses like American History for Beginners which utilizes interactive content to teach children of grades K-2 over the course of 34 weeks. Students will learn about events from 1492 to the creation of the Bill of Rights in 1791 through crafts, maps, studying vocabulary, and even recipes. 

Where can you choose from 43 history courses for your kids, with no per-course or per-student fees? SchoolhouseTeachers.com offers your entire family can access 400+ preK-12 courses across all subject areas also gain access to ten full libraries of World Book Online for research and timelines, a glimpse into nearly 600 historical events through This Day in History, and a huge streaming video library that includes Drive Thru History and Torchlighters titles! Make family history this year with all the great resources available at SchoolhouseTeachers.com!

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Engaging History: Colonial and Revolutionary War Era America

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History has always been one of my favorite subjects. Now that we have reached Day Four of the 5 Days of...Homeschool Blog Hop, I will provide activities, journal-writing opportunities and questions, ways to include geography, music, and literature in your lessons, and projects for your children to complete to help bring Colonial and Revolutionary War period of American history alive. I urge parents to preview books, movies, and other resources and references prior to sharing with your children. Only you, as the parent, know what your children are ready to read or view in a movie.

A time period of American History that offers a lot of resources is that of Colonial and Revolutionary War Era America. But what if you don't live near the many historic sites and battlefields along the East Coast? There are still many opportunities to study Colonial America and the Revolutionary War with your family.

There are several books that can aid you on your journey to introduce how people lived in Colonial America and during the American Revolution.

From the If You Lived Series
...If You Lived At the Time of the American Revolution by Kay Moore and illustrated by Daniel O'Leary
...If You Lived in Colonial Times by Ann McGovern and illustrated by June Otani

From the Adventures in Colonial America Series:
Seventh and Walnut: Life in Colonial Philadelphia by James E. Knight
Boston Tea Party: Rebellion in the Colonies by James E. Knight

American Revolution Activities

• Discuss the different names given to the American Revolution including the War of Independence, Revolutionary War, and American War of Independence. 
• Label a map of the early United States colonies. In order to better understand how the colonies were separated, shade the New England colonies blue, shade the Middle Colonies yellow, and shade the Southern colonies green. 
• Research the clothing and accessories of the time period. Design, sew, or create your own Colonial period clothing. 
• Research the uniforms of the soldiers. Create your own uniform as either an American soldier or British soldier. 
• In a journal, write about something you would be willing to give up or boycott to express your displeasure. Think beyond giving up your least favorite vegetable. 
• Create your own New England primer for yourself or your younger siblings. Teach them the alphabet using it. 
• Visit one of the many historic sites such as Historic Jamestowne, Yorktown Battlefield, or see the historic sites in Boston. And of course if you are studying the American Revolution, be sure to visit Philadelphia and the Independence National Historical Park. 
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• Create a chart to compare and contrast the differences between the Loyalists and the Patriots during the War. 
• Read the Declaration of Independence. If possible visit plan a visit to the National Archives Museum in Washington DC. 
• During the American Revolution, if possible, nothing was wasted by the citizens. They made do reusing or re-purposing all they owned due to the boycotts and lack of trade. Do you think your family would be able to spend a week trimming down the amount of waste in your own home? Reuse or re-purpose clothing that is outgrown, find a use for leftovers, or use dishes and flatware rather than disposable ones. What else could you do? 
• Make your own George Washington craft with your younger children. 
• Read about Patrick Henry and perhaps try your hand at memorizing his "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech.  
• Read through some of the sayings from Poor Richard's Almanac and illustrate them together as a family to hang up in your home. 
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Resources and References 

Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation at Red Hill

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Dress Codes

Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, PA

Mount Vernon - The Home of the Washingtons

A Mom's Quest to Teach Posts 

Trips: Washington Crossing State Park

George Washington's Birthday Craft

Drive Thru History Adventures - A Homeschool History Curriculum