LET US TELL THE STORY, OF OUR PAST

America, America

This country’s mine

It’s doin’ fine

Let us tell the story

Of her past

Her Native people

Settled all the land

They changed their cultures

By what was on hand

(fish, farm, hunt, gather)

In Europe they really

Wanted trade

So they searched for China

In voyages made

[silk and spices]

When Columbus sailed West

Across the sea

He opened the door for

Spanish greed

[gold, gold, gold, gold]

Coronado and Cortez

Wanted gold

But Ponce de Leon

Didn’t want to grow old

[wolf whistle]

Magellan was 1st

To go all the way

And later Hudson

Got to name a bay

[It’s mine . . . All mine!]

The French were looking

For furs to sell

They got Mississippi from

Robert La Salle

[Oui! C’est moi!]

Then English settlers

Had a dream

Money and freedom

Were here it seemed

[We have a dream!]

So Walter Raleigh

Planned Roanoke

But all John White found

Was a carved out oak

[ooooooooo]

In Jamestown John Smith,

Settled down

Pocahontas saved his head

From hitting the ground

[whew!]

On Plymouth rock

The Pilgrims would land

Squanto helped ‘em

By lending a hand

[thank you!]

In New England they made

Ships, With their tools

The Northern Colonists also

Made Rules

[can’t do this, can’t do that]

In the Middle Colonies

Farming’s how they made it,

With Quaker style,

Did Penn Need Natives?

[peace, love, harmony]

Virginians Needed Space

To Grow their Money,

Southern tobacco was

sweeter than honey

[tobacco, rice, indigo]

It was land that France and

England fought for

They call those battles

The French/Indian War

[Oh? Hi! Oh!]

King George’s money problems

Were then real hearty

But Boston didn’t care

And they had a tea party

[over board!]

In Lexington and Concord

First shots were heard

Committees wrote letters

To spread the word

[did you hear?]

July 4th, Jefferson

Sent a note

Of life and liberty

Was what he wrote

[all men are created equal]

Finally, with help

Of France’s aide

In Yorktown, Cornwallis’s

Surrender was made

[I give up!]

So we the people

Formed a plan

Our Constitution makes

This nation grand.

[yes!]

America, America

This country’s mine

It’s doin’ fine

Let us tell the story

Of her past