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