Event Summary
lease join historian Bill Potter, Colonel John Eidsmoe and evangelist Bernie Beall for a tour that has been years in the planning and which will offer the most diverse, iconic, fascinating, provocative, educational, and entertaining historical sites imaginable. Even if you have been to the nation’s capitol city before, you have neither seen all the places of this expedition nor interpreted each of them in the light of God’s providence, as we will do together.
Mount Vernon
Washington Monument
Jefferson Memorial
WWII Memorial
Iwo Jima Memorial
Supreme Court
Library of Congress
Antietam Battlefield
Lincoln Memorial 9
Ticket Information
Included in This Tour
- Opening night welcome reception Monday, October 12
- All venue admissions and guide gratuities throughout the tour
- Transportation on top-of-the-line motor coaches
- Unlimited Metro pass during the tour
- Teaching from 2 professional historians/churchmen: John Eidsmoe & Bill Potter
- Bag lunch, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
- Closing dinner Friday, October 16
- Access to deeply discounted rate at to-be-selected area hotel (hotel info TBA)
- Rich fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ
Ticket Pricing Information
Tour Highlights
The Antietam National Battlefield is the scene of the bloodiest single-day battle in American history. General Lee’s controversial first invasion of the North brought what many considered an undefeatable army fresh off a drubbing of the Yankees at Manassas, to Maryland and to bring the war to a conclusion in favor of the Confederacy. Providence intervened dramatically and the desperate battle that followed broke all boundaries for savagery in a hard war. From it issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
Antietam National Battlefield Memorial, Burnside’s Bridge 1
Arlington House in Arlington National Cemetery 2
The most revered cemetery in the United States lies just across the Potomac River from the capitol, in Arlington, Virginia. It is the final resting place of 400,000 soldiers, including the Tomb of the Unknown representatives of America’s military dead and the graves of 367 Medal of Honor recipients. This site will elicit a patriotic sigh and thankful acknowledgement to God for his Grace in giving our nation a sacrificial spirit to defend the Republic.
We will honor and remember several founders of our nation at Mt. Vernon — George Washington’s incredible plantation — and at the magnificent Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Both historic sites will remind us that God installs unique men to lead nations and accomplish his purposes at specific times in history. Singular in their character and attainments, both Washington and Jefferson changed history and guided the United States to conform to their view of the Constitutional founders.
We will visit the new World War II Memorial and the famous Marine Corps Monument in honor of our veterans of seventy years ago. We will discuss the biblical appropriateness of honoring war veterans and the nature of architectural memorial iconography in America.
World War 2 Memorial, Washington, D.C. 3
United States Marine Corps War Memorial 4
The greatest treasure troves of American material culture and historic remembrance are found in the Smithsonian Institution. We will visit the Air and Space Museum where the Spirit of St. Louis, the Enola Gay, and Apollo Space Capsules reside — machines flown by men who moved the history of the entire world in new directions. We will marvel at some of the 137 million historic and natural artifacts collected since the 1840s and analyze, in the light of Scripture, the evolutionary and humanistic presuppositions of their interpretative framework.
Smithsonian Institution Building 5
National Air and Space Museum Entrance 6
At the National Archives and the Library of Congress we will view documents of our national heritage and tell stories of the providential ways in which God has preserved our country. We will explore the galleries and learning center to see how our civil government in Washington interprets itself.
The news media of every generation exerts a powerful influence on the minds of Americans. Newspapers for hundreds of years were the dominant force of public information and the men who wrote and published served as political power brokers, promoters of scandal and popularizers of war and “reform”. The interactive, provocative, and educational Newseum displays the power and prejudices of mass media throughout American history and politics for all to see. We will analyze the propaganda machines of yesterday and today that have molded our thinking and that of our countrymen since colonial days.
Newseum, Washington, D.C. 7
International Spy Museum 8
Espionage began in biblical times and has continued unabated till today. The subject of television programs, movies, thousands of books, and spectacular court cases, spying captures everyone’s imagination. Spies have brought down governments, gotten secret agents arrested or killed and have helped steer the foreign policy of the nations of every continent. The Spy Museum shows espionage in all its aspects both comical and deadly serious. This is a visit to an unusual and unforgettable history museum where, from the first room to the gift shop, it will prove one of the most interesting places you will ever encounter.
No visit to Washington is complete without a visit to the looming giant of the Lincoln Memorial. Few men of history have generated so many admirers — the constitutional and war policies of the 16th President have been cited as precedent by Presidents Woodrow Wilson, FDR, George Bush and others. So many myths have developed over the years that Old Abe could give the ancient Greek deities a run. Not every historian admires the man from Illinois; should prove to be an interesting visit.
Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C. 9
United States Supreme Court Building 10
Scripture, biblical characters and allusions to the Christian faith abound throughout Washington D.C. on public buildings. We will be calling attention to the faith of the founders and many of the men who served in government through the centuries as they left their worldviews carved in stone. The antithesis between God’s Law and secular humanism, Christianity and paganism, the Sovereign Lord and wannabe-sovereign man are everywhere apparent if you know where to look. We will visit the Supreme Court Building and discuss the origins of law and the syncretism that has characterized our legal system.
Event Speakers
Historian Bill Potter
An experienced historian and avid bibliophile, Bill Potter combines a lifelong study of American history with an uncommon ability to captivate audiences of all ages as he traces the providential acts of God throughout the ages. Mr. Potter has taught history in high schools and colleges, has led many tours of American and European historical sites and brings to each event a wealth of experience and knowledge. An experienced researcher and writer, Mr. Potter possesses a practical knowledge of antiquarian books, documents, and artifacts and has published several short books and has penned many articles and book reviews for publication. Bill has earned a well-deserved reputation as a man gifted in communicating the story of God’s providential hand in American history. As a father of eight children, he appreciates the necessity of passing on to the succeeding generations the richness of both our regional and national history. He and his wife, Leslie, reside in Virginia.
Col. John Eidsmoe
John Eidsmoe is a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel and Alabama State Defense Force Colonel, and a graduate of the Air Command & Staff College and the Air War College. He is Professor of Law at the Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy and, in his various teaching assignments, his students have given him the Outstanding Professor Award or Professor of the Year Award five times. He has served as Senior Staff Attorney with the Alabama Supreme Court and is currently Legal Counsel for the Foundation for Moral Law. Eidsmoe also serves on the boards of Lutherans for Life, The Plymouth Rock Foundation, and the Gospel Martial Arts Union, and is a constitutional attorney who has defended homeschools, Christian schools, the right of students to study the Bible in public schools, and the right to display the Ten Commandments in the public arena. He has authored numerous books, including Historical & Theological Foundations of Law, Christianity & the Constitution, God & Caesar, and Columbus & Cortez, and has produced a variety of audio and video lecture albums including The Institute on the Constitution and Here I Stand: A Biblical Worldview for a New Millennium. He holds seven academic degrees in law, theology, history, and political science. He and his wife, Marlene, have been married since 1970, have three children, and live in rural Pike Road, Alabama.
Bernie Beall
Bernie and his wife Linda founded Great Commission Families in 2006 as a local family ministry helping families to “take steps of faith toward greater involvement in the Great Commission”. Prior to Great Commission Families, they were on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ for 23 years, including 8 years as the D.C. Metro Director, then on the National Team for CCC’s International Student Ministries. Today, a big part of their ministry is creating family-friendly evangelistic outings by giving Christian heritage tours in Washington, D.C. showing the evidence of our Christian heritage on display throughout our nation’s capital and surrounding region, including at the local major Civil War battlefields. Bernie and Linda met at Penn State University in 1979 where Bernie graduated in Agriculture and Linda in Nursing. Today, Bernie is an ordained minister with the Evangelical Church Alliance. Bernie and Linda have four grown children and live in Maryland not far from their seven grandchildren, and near the family dairy farm where Bernie grew up.
Event Schedule
Note: Schedule days and venues subject to change.
Monday, October 12
6:00pm | Registration Opens — Hampton Inn | |
7:00pm | Opening Reception |
Tuesday, October 13
7:45am | Meet in Lobby — Hampton Inn | |
8:00am | Depart Hotel on Coach | |
9:00am | Mount Vernon | |
9:50am | Mansion Tour | |
1:00pm | Bus Departs Mount Vernon | |
2:30pm | Washington Monument | |
3:30pm | Thomas Jefferson Memorial | |
4:15pm | George Mason Memorial | |
5:00pm | White House Photos — Lafayette Square | |
5:30pm | Return to Hotel | |
8:30pm | After Dinner Discussion with Bill Potter — “Would George Washington Have Seceded with Robert E. Lee?” |
Wednesday, October 14
8:00am | Meet in Lobby — Hampton Inn | |
8:15am | Depart Hotel for Metro Station (Silver Spring) — Red Line towards Shady Grove to Judiciary Square Metro Station | |
9:00am | Newseum — 555 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest | |
11:15am | National Archives (Group Entrance) — 9th Street and Constitution Avenue NW | |
12:15pm | Archives Metro Station — Yellow Line towards Huntington to L’Enfant Plaza Metro Station > Blue Line towards Largo Town Center to Capital South Metro Station OR Silver Line toward New Carrolton to Capital South Metro Station | |
1:20pm | Capitol Tour | |
3:30pm | Supreme Court | |
4:30pm | Library of Congress — 101 Independence Avenue SE | |
5:15pm | Return to Hotel: Union Station Metro — Red Line to Silver Spring Station | |
8:30pm | After Dinner Discussion with John Eidsmoe — “Where Would We Be without the Constitution?” |
Thursday, October 15
7:15am | Meet in Lobby — Hampton Inn | |
7:30am | Depart Hotel on Coach | |
9:00am | Antietam Battlefield | |
11:30am | Depart Antietam | |
1:00pm | Lincoln Memorial — Sack Lunch | |
2:30pm | Ford’s Theatre | |
4:00pm | Arlington Cemetery | |
5:15pm | Return to Hotel | |
8:30pm | Movie Night — The Conspirator |
Friday, October 16
8:00am | Meet in the Lobby — Hampton Inn | |
8:15am | Depart Hotel on Metro — Red Line towards Shady Grove to Gallery Place — Chinatown — Metro Station | |
9:00am | Spy Museum — 800 F Street NW | |
12:00pm | World War II Memorial — 1750 Independence Ave SW | |
Viet Nam Memorial — 5 Henry Bacon Dr NW | ||
Smithsonian Museums, Smithsonian Castle — 1000 Jefferson Dr SW | ||
Return to Hotel via Metro: Smithsonian Station — Orange Line towards Vienna/Fairfax to Metro Center Station > Metro Center Station — Red Line towards Silver Spring to Silver Spring Station | ||
7:00pm | Leave Lobby to Walk to Banquet (1/2 Mile) | |
7:30pm | Closing Banquet: Mrs. K’s Restaurant — 9201 Colesville Road |
Accommodations
For your convenience, a block of rooms has been reserved at the Hampton Inn Silver Spring (8728A Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910).
Standard rooms are available at $139 per night and this rate includes hot buffet breakfast and Wi-Fi internet access throughout the hotel. This special rate is available from October 19 to 24.
Make Reservations by September 19 for Special Rate!
The special Landmark Events rate is only available for a limited time. Be sure to make your reservation by September 19 to receive the special discounted rate! You can make reservations online, or contact the toll-free Hilton Central Reservations Line (24 hours) at 1-800-HILTONS (1-800-445-8667) and quote the group code HAH.
Study Preparation
Key People
- George Washington
- Thomas Jefferson
- Robert E. Lee
- George B. McClellan
- Abraham Lincoln
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Audie Murphy
- John J. Pershing
- John Marshall
- Charles A. Lindbergh
- Robert Hanson
- Paul Tibbets
- Randolph Hearst
Key Events
- Ratification of the Constitution
- McCulloch v. Maryland
- Roe v. Wade
- War Between the States
- War with Spain
- Election of Thomas Jefferson (1800)
- Election of Abraham Lincoln (1860)
- The Second World War
- Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
- Solo Flight across the Atlantic
- Spy Catching in the Cold War
Key Issues
- How to interpret American History biblically
- The nature of republican government
- Patriotic iconography and memorial
- The Atomic controversy
- Competing law-words and worldviews
- Espionage and legitimacy
- Constitutional interpretation
- The role of heroes in our history
- Does the mass media create popular culture or reflect it?
- Uses of the “Great Man” theories
- Providences galore!
- How can we best fight for God’s Kingdom in a pagan land?
Bibliography/Recommended Reading
The historic works connected with the subjects we will teach and discuss is vast and impossible to cover in a few or even short books. Nonetheless, there are some books that will be helpful in both the short and long run for study of the historical artifacts of our tour, both intellectual and material. As usual, there is much on the internet that is very helpful for learning about the actual monuments and memorials we will visit, but their meaning, purpose, and relevance is at the real heart of our tour.
- God and Government, by Gary DeMar
- The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States, by Benjamin F. Morris
- The Theme is Freedom: Religion, Politics, and the American Tradition, by M. Stanton Evans
- George Washington’s Sacred Fire, by Peter Lillback
- George Washington, Indispensable Man, by Thomas Flexner
- George Washington, Founding Father, by Richard Brookhiser
- Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam, by Stephen Sears
- The Real Lincoln, by Thomas DiLorenzo
- Abraham Lincoln, by David Donald
- The Jefferson Image in the American Mind, by Merrill Peterson
- Presence of the Past: A History of the Preservation Movement in the United States before Williamsburg, by Charles B. Hosmer
- The Enola Gay, by Paul Tibbets
- Lindbergh, by A. Scott Berg
- Spying in America: From the Revolutionary War to the Beginning of the Cold War, by Michael J. Sulick
- Encyclopedia of Cold War Espionage, Spies and Secret Operations, by Trahair and Miller
- Constitutional Chaos by Andrew Napolitano
- history.com/topics/william-randolph-hearst
- pbs.org/crucible/frames/_journalism.html
Image Credits: 1 Antietam National Battlefield Memorial, Burnside’s Bridge, 2 Arlington House in Arlington National Cemetery, 3 World War 2 Memorial, 4 US Marine Corps War Memorial, 5 Smithsonian Institution Building, 6 National Air and Space Museum, 7 Newseum, 8 International Spy Museum, 9 Lincoln Memorial, 10 United States Supreme Court Building