Freedom-Fighters Forum

By William J. Dell – July 1995

Oh beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea.

Oh beautiful for pilgrim feet, Whose stern impassioned stress
A throughfare of freedom beat Across the wilderness!
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law.

Oh beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved, And mercy more than life!
America! America! May Gof thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness, And evey gain devine.

Oh beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years,
Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears.
America! America! God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good wioth brotherhood From sea to shining sea

Katherine Lee Bates

In Thanksgiving for Katharine Lee Bates

Katharine Lee Bates was a graduate of Wellesley College and taught at Dana Hall before joining the faculty of Wellesley. One hundred years ago, she was asked to speak at Colorado College in Colorado Springs.

In her travels to Colorado Springs, she stopped at the World’s Fair in Chicago and saw the white building built for the fair. She crossed the plains ready for harvest. After arriving in Colorado Springs, she rose one morning to climb Pike’s Peak.

It was here on Pike’s Peak that America, the Beautiful was born. As she looked west, she saw the purple mountain majesties. As she looked east, she saw the amber waves of grain. As she pondered the gratness of our beautiful America, she remember the white buildings of the fair.

As we remember her gift to America 100 years ago, let us also remember the many blessing we as a nation have received from our Heavenly Father. Blessing she enumerated in this song. Blessings of bountiful harvest, heroes, pilgrims, patriots, the beauties of Nature that surround us, and most importantly the Grace of God that sustains us as a Nation.

Let us ever give thanks to our Heavenly Father for His goodness and mercy unto us as a Nation. Let us remember also that it is the prayers of the righteous of the land that have preserved us a Nation. Therefore, let us continue to pray that we as a Nation might return to the Faith of our Fathers and Mothers who through their struggle won us the prize of Liberty.