Tag: american essence magazine

The Restored Ruins of a Living Landmark

Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo, or the Carmel Mission, was second in the chain of Spanish missions in California. Considered to be one of the most well-restored of the chain, Carmel Mission just celebrated its 250th anniversary after being founded in 1771. Named for Saint Charles of Borroméo, a 16th-century Italian cardinal, the mission’s…


Preserving Our Pollinators

They fly at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour, flapping their two sets of wings up to 15,000 times per minute. Covering a radius of 3 to 4 miles, and visiting up to 5,000 flowers per day, these tiny creatures are responsible for pollinating up to one third of the world’s fruits and…


From Ashes to Beauty: How a Tragic Fire Helped Transform One Man’s Relationship With Nature

Nature has always been at the forefront of photographer Colin Tyler Bogucki’s life. Growing up, he and his family lived in Outing—a small town in “Lake Country” in Northern Minnesota. Surrounded by woodland and lakes, he felt it was the perfect place to grow up. “I was outside all the time and always connected to…


Trade Secrets: Crafts of the Colonial Era

The bustling streets of a prosperous town in colonial America featured a variety of homes, businesses, and shops. Many of these shops were run by craftsmen who performed every service from blowing glass to making furniture. In this colonial world, American craftsmen relied on an apprenticeship system. Boys served a master for around four or…


The Teaching of Citizenship

“Every man is called upon to be a statesman seeing that every man and woman, too, has a share in the government of the country; but statesmanship requires imaginative conceptions, formed upon pretty wide reading and some familiarity with historical precedents.” Thus wrote Charlotte Mason, a turn-of-the-20th-century British educator, in her seminal work, “Towards a…


Hybrid Homeschooling—Families Seeking Better Alternatives

A combination of at-home and at-school learning is a hot trend in America today. Recent data from the Census Bureau reveals that 11.1 percent of K–12 students are now independent homeschoolers. Families choosing to homeschool have been fortunate enough to have alternative learning options available. One such educational model fills in most, if not all,…


José Mayoral’s Escape from Socialism

José Angel Mayoral III is a man who lost his country. Born and raised in Venezuela, he grew up in a family of entrepreneurial business owners in Caracas. His Puerto Rican grandfather went to Venezuela as a salesman for Goodyear Rubber and Tire and decided to stay. His grandfather and father worked hard and created…