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1、TheImpactoftheAmericanRevolutionaryWarontheLifeofWarVeteransByZhangLeiWhentheassignmentofwritinganessaybasedontheresearchoftwoRevolutionaryWarveterans’pensionrecordswasgiven,Ineverexpectedthatitwouldtakesomuchtimeandenergyandthewholeprocesscouldbesocomplic
2、ated.Todotheresearch,IwenttotheNationalArchivesfourtimesaltogetherandexperiencedaseriesofdifferentfeelingsduringthewholeprocess:excitement,frustration,hope,and,eventually,joy.BeforeIstartedtheresearch,Ifeltamixtureofexcitementandhighexpectationwiththebelie
3、fthatagreatdealofinterestingandilluminatinginformationcaneasilybefoundintheabundantfiles,whichwouldcertainlymakethetaskeasyandenjoyable.However,assoonasIsawthefilesenlargedbythemicrofilmreader,IknewIwaswrong.Ihadneverimaginedthatmostofthedocumentsinthefile
4、swerehand-writtenthoughIshouldhaverealizedthefactearlier.Thehandwritingofmostdocumentswassimplytoobadtobelegible.Ikeptrollingthefilmon,hopingthattherecouldbesomeclearerones.ButwhenImanagedtofigureoutthecontentsofsomeofthereadablefiles,Ifeltevenworse.Becaus
5、eeveryveteranwentthroughthesameformalityofaccountingtheirservicesinthewar,mentioningonlythebasicfactsliketimeofenlistment,lengthofservice,namesofcommanders,battlesengaged,andtimeofdischarge;therewasverylittleaboutthedetailsoftheirpersonalexperiencesandnoth
6、ingseemedtobesignificantenoughtowriteabout.Ispenthoursthere,tryingtofindsomethingmorevaluable,yetIhadtoleaveinfrustration,doubtingwhetherIcouldfulfillthetaskatall.ThankstotheauthorsofAMid-wife’sTaleandLiberty’sDaughters!Theyinspiredmealotwiththeirpainstaki
7、ngeffortsinresearchingthediariesofsomeordinarywomenwholivedinaboutthesameageasthoseveteransandtheirinsightfuldiscoveriesmadeoutoftheseeminglytrivialmattersineverydaylife.Icametounderstandhowhardandchallengingahistorian’sworkcanbeandatthesametimerealizedtha
8、tnothingisreallytrivialanduselessinhistoryiftheresearcheriscarefulandpatientenough.Feelingencouragedandbetterprepared,Iwentonwithmy“mini-research.”Thistime,onwatchingthesamefiles,Ihadadifferent5feeling:thesep
