Abby Epplett, Historian

For the 250 th anniversary of the United States, I took a three-day patriotic trip to the Thames River National Heritage Park in Groton and New London, CT. I spent the morning touring Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, which included its monument, museum , and the interior of the fort , followed by an early afternoon boat tour , and a visit to Avery-Copp House ( first part , second part ) Throughout the day, I had quick history stops around Groton, CT, including the Independence Day Parade and nearby artwork, monuments, buildings, and other infrastructure.

This is the final essay for “Chapter 2: The Shadow of the Past”. Next week, October 11, I will take the week off as I finish animating the chapter. The week after, October 18, I will release all videos for Chapter 2. Today’s instrumental covers the final moments from Chapter 2 as Frodo accept his destiny as the one to bear the Ring, taking from the Shire as part of a dangerous journal to have it destroyed. While originally saddened by the thought of leaving his home and traveling alone, his day is brightened when Sam is caught eavesdropping, and Gandalf orders the gardener to go on the journey as his “punishment”.

Yesterday, as part of research for a historical fiction novel, I attended an hour-long talk hosted by the American Antiquarian Society and presented by writer-historian Adam Jortner on his book A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots, the American Revolution, and the Birth of Religious Freedom published by Oxford University Press in 2024.

For the 250 th anniversary of the United States, I took a three-day patriotic trip to the Thames River National Heritage Park in Groton and New London, CT. After a morning touring Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, which included its monument, museum , and the interior of the fort , followed by an early afternoon boat tour , I was able to explore the beautiful yellow Victorian that I had spotted at several points during the trip so far. Avery-Copp House is an independently managed museum from a very different historical period than my other stops in Groton. In the first part , I described the history of the house. In this second part, I will describe the artifacts and technology found in the building, along with how to visit.

The release of “Chapter 2: The Shadow of the Past” is less than a month away! This is the penultimate essay I share the animations on October 18. This week, I will describe the music theory and motifs behind the instrumental of “Scene 16: To Destroy the Ring”. Next week, or October 4, I will produce a similar essay on “Scene 17: Frodo Decides; Sam Is Caught”. Then, I will take October 5 through 18 to complete the animation process for the chapter. This year of production has gone much more smoothly than the previous chapter, and I am hopeful that “Chapter 3: Three Is Company” will come out much more quickly than its predecessors. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated. On to the analysis.

For the 250 th anniversary of the United States, I took a three-day patriotic trip to the Thames River National Heritage Park in Groton and New London, CT. After a morning touring Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, which included its monument, museum , and the interior of the fort , followed by an early afternoon boat tour , I was able to explore the beautiful yellow Victorian that I had spotted at several points during the trip so far. Avery-Copp House is an independently managed museum from a very different historical period than my other stops in Groton. Due to the high number of lovingly preserved artifacts in the house, I will be describing my tour in two parts. The first will describe the history of the house, and the second will describe its artifacts and decor.

For the 250 th anniversary of the United States, I took a three-day patriotic trip to the Thames River National Heritage Park in Groton and New London, CT. After a morning touring Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, which included its monument, museum , and the interior of the fort , I took the Road to Revolution Boat Tour , a narrated cruise along the Thames River. On this tightly scripted tour, I learned more about the Fort Griswold, life in colonial Connecticut, and other places to visit in the area. I even got to see an Acela train flying past, the same transportation I took during my trip to Washington, D.C. last year.

During his conversation with Frodo during “Chapter 2, The Shadow of the Past”, Gandalf mentioned that the fire of dragons was never hot enough to destroy the One Ring. Only the fire where the Ring was created could melt it down. Folklore throughout the Real World has featured dragons and volcanoes, ranging from cute beasts and fiery love stories to dangerous evildoers and insulted saints. In this essay, I cover the full range of legends and include a note about how modern scientists have discovered the benefits behind the destruction.

For the 250 th anniversary of the United States, I took a three-day patriotic trip to the Thames River National Heritage Park in Groton and New London, CT. For the next few weeks, I will cover the historical sites in that area, starting with two parts on Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park . In the first part , I covered the Groton Monument, the Monument House Museum, and other historical sites around the park. In the second part, I will cover the inside of Fort Griswold and Ebenezer Avery House, along with a more detailed story about the battle for which it is known.

In this section, Gandalf describes Gollum’s trip to Mordor, his torture at the hands of Sauron, and his current position in the dungeons of Mirkwood. Frodo is appalled by this story and unsympathetic of Gollum, remarking, “He deserves death”. His convictions are not unlike those held by others throughout history and in the present day. The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, has been a subject of debate since earliest recorded history. In this essay, I briefly look at how religion shapes these beliefs, its usage in medieval and early modern Europe, and current global laws. I also describe the music theory for the instrumental.