Here comes another installment of 20 Questions!

1. Sara Tribble wants to know, “If you could go back in time to see Egypt in its glory–would you? And what would you wanna do first?”

Of course I would want to go! I’d head straight to 1475BC (ish) and make an appointment with Hatshepsut. I would want a tour of her tombs and her mortuary temple at Deir el Bahri, but I’d also want to check out how people lived. There’s an awful lot of tomb evidence for Egypt, but not as much for every day life. The Egyptians were less concerned with this life and built their houses, and even palaces, with mud brick. Needless to say, not much of that has survived.

Oh, and I’d also want to meet Senenmut. *swoon*

2. Amalia asked, “Who are your next favorite historical people, after Egypt? and why?”

My next favorite historical person is Theodore Roosevelt. I would be his groupie if he were still around today.

Seriously.

The man started Progressivism and Imperialism in America, built the Panama Canal, started National Parks, and went after bad businesses with the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, Meat Inspection Act, and Pure Food and Drug Act. All that makes me proud of him, but if you ever read a bio or even watch one on TR, you’ll be struck by his sheer audacity. When he was approached regarding the decimation of bird populations on Pelican Island, Florida (birds back then were being slaughtered for the milliner trade- we ladies liked crazy feathers on our hats) he looked to his lawyers and asked, “Is there anything to prevent me from making Pelican Island a bird sanctuary?”

No… (Except you know, the Constitution doesn’t say the President can do that.)

“Then I so declare it!”

He kind of did the same thing with the Panama Canal, asking the Columbians if the U.S. could build the canal across Panama (then owned by Columbia). Columbia said no, so TR asked the Panamanians if they’d like their independence. Panama, of course, said yes, so Roosevelt conveniently staged U.S. gunboats off Panama’s coast. The Panamanians revolted, the Columbians looked in the harbor, and gave Panama their independence. The U.S. recognized Panama an hour later and asked if we could built a canal across their country. Panama, of course, said yes.

And TR got his big ditch. 🙂

I could go on all day, but I won’t. I love Theodore Roosevelt!

So, which time period would you travel back to if you could? And which cool dead person(s) would you like to meet?