Nursing an Infectious/Infected Patient Post-Collapse, by P.C., RN

Nursing today is a complicated, technological process involving multiple disciplines, technology and advanced fourth generation antibiotics, none of which will be available in a TEOTWAWKI situation.  It stands to reason that we have to prepare ourselves mentally for the fact that none of the equipment or drugs that are such an integral part of medicine and nursing today, will be available for our use.  There will be no antibiotics for chest infections, no IV fluids for dehydration, no advanced medical treatments for wound infections; It will be a return to nursing at the level of the 19th century.  Now that in itself is not necessarily a bad thing.  Nursing during Florence Nightingale’s day was exciting and cutting edge.  There were advances being made in hygiene and sanitation and the general logistics of caring for multiple illnesses and infections of whole groups of people being cared for in enclosed spaces.  Florence Nightingale focused on hygiene and organization of the ward.  These were essential areas that needed close attention.  For our purposes these will also be the focus of this article; to prepare ordinary folk with the skills to nurse a sick relative or loved one in their own home without benefit of advanced medical care or treatment.  It can be done.

The Sick Room
The first thing to concentrate on is the area in which a sick person is to be nursed.  If possible, the room should be separate from the remainder of the general living quarters; a separate bedroom or a ground floor family room or recreation room with a dedicated use of separate bathroom would be ideal.  These areas would be off limits to general household use and only those directly involved in nursing care would have access.  This prevents the cross-contamination of surfaces and materials through multiple use by many people.  It is probable that there will be limited or no running water so the bathroom, per se will be of limited use.  However, it can be used as a depository of soiled linens, body wastes etc, until they can be contained in buckets and carried out doors for disposal or decontamination. (To be discussed later in this article) 

The room should be light and airy with access to a functioning window.  Cold air returns and heat vents, though not in use should be sealed off with heavy duty plastic and duct tape to prevent the spread of germs throughout the rest of the house.  The window will supply fresh air as needed.  Furniture can be functional and minimal.  There should be no surfaces that are cloth covered or not easily cleaned. Eliminate all soft furnishings, rugs and wooden tables.  If possible, use a metal table or one with a wipeable surface.  The bed mattress should be covered, if possible, in a waterproof barrier. Several sets of sheets should be dedicated for the use of the patient only and not mixed in with regular washing.  A shelf located just outside the sick room could provide linen storage for this purpose, covered with a cloth to keep clean. 

Any equipment brought into the sick room should be dedicated solely for the use of the sick room.  A bucket with a small amount of sodium hypochlorite or bleach in clean water can be kept in the bathroom to sterilize or clean utensils or other washable items used by the patient once the general soil has been cleaned off them. Mugs, spoons, plates and dishes can soak in this solution overnight and then be drained dry on a clean counter. A second ‘dirty’ bucket can be used for toileting articles once they have been cleaned out. Tea towels to dry dishes etc can be used but these items also need to be washed and disinfected every 24 hours at a minimum.  The door to the sick room should be kept closed if the patient is suffering from a respiratory tract infection as this will keep the spread of germs throughout the rest of the house to a minimum.  A window can be opened an inch or two, even in cold weather to provide fresh air to the room as long as the patient is not in direct line of airflow. Window coverings in the sick room should also be washable, or preferably wipeable such as blinds. Curtains can be used but would have to be washed and disinfected between patients as these can become grossly contaminated with airborne droplets through coughing or spray contaminants from wounds, human waste, blood etc. The floor surface of the room should be disinfected daily with a mild soap solution in hot water and air-dried quickly. Shoes worn outdoors or in other areas of the house should be left outside the sick room door on a dedicated mat and dedicated shoes for the nurse/attendant  can be put on a clean mat just inside the doorway for use in the room . 

Disposable coveralls or gowns that protect the caregivers clothing whilst in direct contact with the patient can be hung up in this area (back of the door) when exiting the sick room. These should be changed /washed daily and changed if moving from patient A to patient B. Again this prevents the spread of contaminants between patients and throughout the rest of the house.  If the patient is suffering from an upper respiratory infection it would be ideal to hand a thick, preferably 30mil plastic sheeting over the doorway.  This would help to contain airflow when moving in and out of the room. 

A small table outside the room should be set up which contains an anti-bacterial solution for cleansing hands upon leaving or entering the room.  If these are not available, plain soap and a bowl of fresh water for thoroughly washing the hands can be used.  Again, the towels need to be changed every 24 hours or even more frequently to prevent the spread of germs.  Hands should be washed for 20 seconds including the webbing between the fingers and  thumbs, over the back of the hand and up the forearms to the elbow.  Towels should be nurse specific and identifiable as such for each person, again to prevent cross-contamination.  No nurse or attendant should wear clothing that can touch surfaces, i.e. loose or baggy clothing, Arms should be bare to the elbows to prevent contamination with body fluids.  

Urine and stool collected from the patient could be flushed down the toilet if the sewer system is not compromised.  A bucket of clean water can provide the ‘flush’ mechanism to evacuate the toilet bowl. If this is not possible, the waste products should be taken outside and buried in a deep pit at least l00 feet away from any source of water, water collection system or vegetable patch.  The pit should be at least 4 feet deep and a layer of lime (if available ) sprinkled over each deposit.  The pit should be covered  and separate from regular household waste dumping. The bucket should be kept clean and covered outside the house and dedicated solely for this purpose.  Soiled linens should be washed separately from regular household laundry.  A separate bucket or washtub should be set aside for this purpose. 

Once bed linen is washed it should be hung out to dry on a clothesline so a good supply of laundry soap and clothespins may be necessary if bed linens need to be changed more than once a day. If the patient is incontinent a plastic ‘draw sheet’ and runner sheet can be placed directly under the patient at hip level.  It is easier to clean/disinfect a small sheet and wipe down a rubber mat than to handle full sheets. The plastic sheeting will keep the bottom sheet clean and minimize full bed changes; a lifesaver when the washing machine doesn’t work! Sunlight will not only sanitize linen it will also bleach any residual staining that may occur. In warmer weather it may be easier to wash contaminated sheets outside on a porch or patio.

The Patient with a Respiratory Illness
Turning our attention now to the sick patient.  I am going to talk about care based on the assumption that there are little if any, medications available and certainly no antibiotics. The method of nursing will depend upon the illness but of course, universally, a clean room and a clean patient is to be  understood for all situations!   For upper respiratory tract infections there will be possibly fever, congested cough, shortness of breath, malaise and restlessness and insomnia (due to cough etc.) If the patient exhibits a fever, and it is to be hoped that you have prepared your emergency medical supplies with a least one thermometer!, take the patients temperature routinely in the morning, afternoon and evening.  Fevers tend to rise in the afternoon and peak in the evening/overnight.  If you do not have anti-pyretics available in your medical stores you will need to alleviate the core temperature by removing excess bed clothes, pajamas etc and using tepid sponging techniques across forehead, forearms and upper chest.  Small cloths wrung out and placed/replaced every 5-10 minutes will help.  Cotton wool, soaked in methylated spirits (denatured alcohol) and applied to the inner wrists and temples can also help.  If the patient is short of breath, nurse him/her in an upright position with the arms elevated above waist level, resting on a table or several pillows will help.  This helps to raise the diaphragm and relieve pressure encouraging better air entry into lungs. 

If the patient is congested with a dry hacking cough that is non-productive, a poultice can be made with linseed.  Boil 2 cups of water and put in a half cup to one cup of linseed, cook it until it becomes a porridge consistency and then pour into a double thick towel and wrap up. If  you have a piece of waxed paper or plastic this can help to prevent leakage through the towel by placing the ‘porridge’ onto the plastic/waxed paper first.  Once the poultice is wrapped securely  apply gently across the patient’s uncovered chest.  You may want to check that the heat from the poultice is not too hot or it may scald the patient. Check by placing poultice across your own forearm first .  If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for the patient.  These poultices can be changed as they cool and they can help to loosen secretions and assist the patient to expectorate the phlegm.  Remember that milky foods, products can increase the tenacity and viscosity of secretions so it is best to give thin broths and clear fluids until the patient is breathing easier.  On this point, it is worth mentioning that the ubiquitous chicken broth is the number 1 oral fluid for helping to loosen secretions. 

If the infection is affecting the upper airways of the nasal/pharyngeal/laryngeal area then a soothing inhalation can be prepared using a large bowl of steaming hot water and a few drops of eucalyptus oil. The patient can then inhale the vapors from the bowl while a towel is draped over his head to concentrate the vapors towards the patient and prevents them dissipating into the air. There are other natural remedies such as turmeric which may promote healing of congestion but as I am not entirely familiar with this area of herbology I will only recommend that you acquire a book which deals with this subject as an adjunct to practical nursing. 

Another area of discussion, that, while distasteful, has to be dealt with; what to do with the secretions.  Initially, the infection will not produce much in the way of phlegm but during the recovery stage there may be copious secretions that the patient will need to expectorate.  In a post collapse situation the luxury of boxes of clean white tissues in unending supply will not be available.  What you can do is provide a cup with a lid.  It is best to stockpile a few of these plastic denture-type cups with lids now, to store away when needed.  These sputum cups will contain the secretions and can be cleaned out as often as needed.  Phlegm, by its nature is a very sticky, tenacious substance and it will be difficult to pour out of the container.  I suggest lining the container with a small amount of newspaper or other paper. It need not be sterile but it will help prevent ‘cling-ons’ and make a distasteful job easier.  These secretions will be highly infective and need to be disposed of as carefully as other human waste. If you  have disposable gloves or even several sets of dishwashing gloves that can be cleaned in between patient use, it would be wise to stockpile some of these for this type of care. To help the patient during this period, frequent oral care, rinsing of the mouth with bicarbonate of soda in warm water, or salt water rinses (1 tsp of salt or soda bicarb in 1 cup of warm water) will keep oral hygiene tolerable and prevent build up of materials in the mouth and keep the patient more comfortable.  Plenty of fluids offered frequently will keep them hydrated and while they may not be hungry for several days, beef broths and other light foods will help to keep their strength up. 

If electrolyte balance is an issue, and this may not be easy to detect, due to dehydration, a solution of salt/sugar in water ( 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp sugar in 1 quart water) with a little honey to taste and glycerin to sooth, will help with rehydration.    While it is not possible to always stockpile a supply of antibiotics due to prescription restrictions and/or due to the perishable nature of the drug, or it being in short supply due to high demand or lack of availability, there is one treatment that you must have in your medicine cabinet; silver solutions.  There are several good companies online that deal in the production or sale of silver ion solutions. Silver is a super antibacterial, antifungal that can be used in the topical treatment of wounds, abrasions, ulcers and can even be inhaled.  I have found that though ionic silver may not cure a chest infection, it may help reduce the bacterial load that the patient has to deal with and may shorten the infective process.  The shorter the illness, the less likely complications from bed rest will affect the patient.  On this note, it is important to remember to keep the patient moving passively whilst on bed rest.   Frequent turning, side to side and passive movement of ankles and legs will prevent the development of blood clots in the legs which can occur due to stasis of blood in the veins from inactivity.  Frequent turning can also prevent the development of pressure sores which are prevalent in undernourished or malnourished patients, those who are elderly or who have pre-existing skin conditions. In a post-collapse situation you can be sure that undernourished people will be the first to succumb to infection and disease. If the primary cause of disease can be addressed with proper nutrition then many of these conditions can be ameliorated. 

Infected Wounds
Whilst this area of nursing is complex and extensive, I will only cover the general nursing care of bed rest acquired sores and the more superficial wounds and abrasions. I leave trauma management for other more qualified persons to elaborate on. The primary principle to remember in treating any wound or sore is to keep it clean and to support wound healing.  The body can do a great job with minimal assistance if the right techniques are used.  As mentioned previously, pressure sores arising on the boney prominences from unrelieved pressure due to bed rest can become tricky to treat and chronic if left uncared for.  The primary method of preventing these is by movement, one-two hourly turning and relieve of pressure on the affected area.  Pressure sores can develop in as little as a few hours if they conditions are right; the patient is malnourished, the skin is friable, the patient is not moving (i.e. may be unconscious).  Once a pressure sore has developed the skin is broken there may be sloughing material that needs to be removed from the area.  The wound can be irrigated with a solution of boiled salt water that has cooled to tepid (in the absence of sterile saline solutions for irrigation) If the underlying skin is pink and looks healthy it is enough to cover it with a clean, wet saline dressing and then apply a dry dressing on top. These wet to dry dressings need to be changed daily after cleansing/irrigating the sore.  A wet dressing soaked in a silver solution may also be used to clean the affected area. These dressings create an environment that encourages healing as long as dirt and infection are cleaned out regularly, daily at the very least. There may occur an area of necrosis around the healing pressure sore, a blackened area that will need to be cut away using a sharp scalpel.  This necrotic material will have to be removed in order for the tissue to granulate properly from the base of the wound upwards and thus close the wound. A sharp, small pair of scissors (pre-cleaned) will do as good a job if the area is small. 

Dealing with daily dressing changes can eat up supplies very quickly and in a TEOTWAWKI situation you may want to conserve supplies.  You can use materials found around the house to make bandages and absorbent pads for wound coverings.  They should be non-dyed, white cotton, with no added lycra/nylon or foreign materials in them.  Anyone who sews or is handy with a needle can sew several thicknesses of these materials cut to size for dressing materials. The usual sizes for wound dressings are 2″x2″ and 4″x4″ pads and 2″ and 3″ bandages. Thicker absorbent pads can be made out of the same cotton materials folded over and over and sewn together. It is important that no loose threads or debris  from these dressings get lodged in wounds as they can become a focus for infection and set up an inflammatory response in the area.  If the wound is suppurating or draining a large amount of fluid a wick can be made from the same materials, just longer and narrower.  Wicks of 1″ thickness can be dipped in a solutions of saline (salt water) or iodine and then carefully packed loosely into the wound bed.  The wound can then be covered as usual with a dry dressing.  The wick will literally wick away the drainage and promote healing of the wound better.  These wicks can be discarded (ideally) or thoroughly washed and soaked in a weak bleach solution over night and then rinsed again thoroughly and hung to dry on an outside clothesline.  Sunlight and air are great antiseptics.  All bandages and dressings that are clean and dry should be packed away in a sealed plastic bag to keep as clean as possible for future use.

Although I have only touched on a couple of issues that are of concern in caring for the sick I believe that they are the most prevalent and the principles of caring are generally the same for most conditions; dedicated use of space and materials, good hygiene both for the patient and the caregiver and supportive measures to help the person heal and overcome their illness with minimal complications and shortest duration.

Letter Re: The Water Filter Quest

Jim:
In the interest of accuracy, I would like to clarify a couple of  statements made by Kevin K. in his response to “The Water Filter Quest” submission. Kevin states: “Another problem with only using mechanical filtration is some viruses are physically impossible to filter out of water (i.e. rotavirus)” ….  ”   I know of at least one mechanical filter on the market that does in-fact filter out all known viruses and is used extensively in Third World missionary operations .  Here is an excerpt from the filter manufacturer’s web site:
 
“The Sawyer 4 Liter 0.02 Micron Complete Water Purification System is critical to having adequate drinkable water when a crisis occurs… The 0.02 Micron Absolute inline water filter removes 99.99999% of all bacteria such as salmonella, cholera, E.coli, typhoid, amoebic dysentery, and streptococcus, and others, and also removes 99.9999% of all protozoa and cysts such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclopora, and 99.9997% of viruses such as hepatitis A, hepatitis E, poliovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus and SARS (corona virus). These levels exceed the EPA guidelines by far, and equals or exceeds competitive options. If you are traveling internationally this filter is essential. Unlike other filtration systems, Sawyer offers a 1 Million Gallon Guarantee!! No more replacing the filter unit every few hundred gallons, just clean it and continue filtering. Whenever the flow rate slows, just back-wash the filter with clean water. Note that the filter does not remove minerals, metals, petroleum products or pesticides.”
 
It was also stated that: “As far as I understand it, carbon filters remove viruses as well, but the problem is you never really know when the carbon is “fullmaterial.”  Carbon filters cannot filter out disease causing viruses or bacteria.  Both are too small for the pores in the carbon and pass through without effect.  However, carbon filters are excellent at filtering out some organic compounds, gases, odors, and bad tastes.
 
I have no financial interest in the Sawyer company and I own a number of other filters, but I can say hands-down that the Sawyer is the best gravity flow filter I have ever used.  I can use it as both as a portable/ backpacking/ bugout/ unit or at a permanent location using two 5 gallon food grade buckets. Depending on the source water quality,  I sometimes attach an in-line carbon filter after the Sawyer filter so I can get that “Evian” drinking water experience while roughing it. Best Regards, – Ron H.

Odds ‘n Sods:

Gaining Momentum: Now 44 Gun Companies Have Stopped Selling to Law Enforcement In Anti-2nd Amendment States. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

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Wildlife Officials Warn Hunters of Deadly Rabbit Fever

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Michael Z. Williamson (SurvivalBlog’s Editor at Large) recommended a classic book on planting trees with dynamite. “Kills parasites and fungus, breaks up soil, adds nitrates.”

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Video: Law Student “Schools” Policeman on His Gun Rights. (Thanks to B.B. for the link.)

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak [this] to your shame.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 (KJV)

Notes from JWR:

February 23rd is the birthday of Captain Isaac Davis (February 23, 1745 – April 19, 1775), a militia officer and gunsmith who commanded a Minute Company in Acton, Massachusetts, during the Battle of Concord.

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Today we present another two entries for Round 45 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value. E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 45 ends on March 31st, 2013, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

Ammunition Reloading: An Essential Basic Skill, by J.D.F.

When compiling a list of our survival necessities, we end up with a few basic categories: food, fuel, shelter, water, and protection. Stranded in the wilds, or a deserted island, water is the most important. Shelter comes in a close second, followed by fuel for water purification, food preparation, and sanitation, and ending with food for sustenance. If you add a sharpened stick, perhaps topped with a sharp rock, bone, or metal point, you can protect yourself from wild animals, kill or spear game and fish, and most importantly, fend off adversaries intent on taking your necessities for themselves, or harming or killing you.

In the modern context, our firearms provide the ability to protect our homes and persons from those criminals, or as recent national events have revealed, a movement by government officials, to strip that right of self protection from us to further an agenda of repression and abuse disguised as the philosophy of distribution of equal necessity and eventual misery to all of us. The push to limit, or remove from us, the most efficient firearms available, has been promoted alongside the limiting of magazine capacity, and even the quantity of rounds of ammunition at time of purchase, or acquired through the mail in bulk. We may retain the right to possess a semi-automatic self-loading rifle, and even make do with limited capacity magazines, but if the ability to fill those magazines with ammunition is curtailed, or out-right denied, then we are in serious trouble. You may have a gun safe loaded up with several rifles, and a few magazines, but if you run out of ammunition, you’ll end up with an expensive, un-wieldy club.
 
My wife and I have enjoyed ten years of participation in the shooting sports, namely Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS). This discipline has allowed us to travel across the United States and make many friends and hone our rifle, shotgun, and pistol shooting abilities. One of the first things we became aware of, was the fact that if we competed more than once a month, we would incur a significant cost of purchasing commercially manufactured ammunition. When I started shooting CAS back in 2003, I could buy a box of 50 rounds of Winchester .45 colt “cowboy” loads for $17.99, and a box of shotgun shells for $ 2.99. That added up to about $40 per match.

Now, a box of both rifle/pistol, and a box of shotgun cowboy rounds is about double that, approaching $80. Most CAS shooters shoot more than one match a month, and the average is 3 matches or so locally. That adds up to quite a bit of money. We were fortunate to have close friends gift us a Dillon 550B and dies as a wedding gift, (we met through mutual friends while CAS shooting) and I found I could drop the $17.99 cost of  box of .45’s down to $3!. My monthly ammunition coast plummeted from 80 per match, down to $6, and then I found a used Lee Load-all 12 gauge shotgun loader, and further dropped my shotgun shell per box cost down to 1/3 of the coast of a commercially loaded box, while adjusting the shot and powder load down to a comfortable “feather-light” type shell. I helped a friend sell bullets he started casting after he bought a lead bullet casting machine, and was making and selling cowboy-type lead bullets at quite a savings. Now all I had to do was buy powder and primers, and re-use my brass, to further drop my cost down to about $2 a box for both rifle/pistol AND shotgun shells.

Back a few years ago, post-election, and fear-driven, ammo sales and availability cleaned out most shelves of stock. Not for us, we had always have components on hand, as we shoot 3-4 matches per month, and travel to larger state and regional shoots requiring double the normal amount of ammunition. Fortunately as well, we are constantly running into folks who have bulk amounts of primers and other components, which we buy at a savings over sporting goods, or box stores. The shortage never impacted us, as we always used the “off” time between competition seasons to load enough rounds to compete in the next season, mostly several thousand in each caliber. My wife shoots .38 Special cartridges in her rifle and pistol, and I shoot .45 Colts in mine. I spent any time after getting our handgun cartridges loaded, to loading as many 12 gauge shotgun shells as I could, just for that “rainy day.”

For the prepper, or even average gun owner, who see’s the hand-writing on the wall, and is concerned about the availability of rifle, pistol, or shotgun ammunition, or for those who just want to invest a small amount to save on future is ammo costs, or even to add a universally needed survival commodity to their barter stock, or home mini-store, ammunition reloading equipment is a great choice.

Getting started in reloading ammunition is very easy. You can start out with a single-stage or multiple-die turret-style press, and move up as you wish to a the next stage, which is a manually indexed press, all the way up to a fully-automatic self-indexing commercial ammunition reloading press. Most all major manufacturers of reloading presses, have a life-time warranty on the units, covering replacement of parts and even some add-on accessories damaged or broken during normal usage.

Single-stage presses, such as those from RCBS and Lee Precision are extremely well-made, and can last several generations. RCBS makes  several single-stage presses you can find used for under $100 such as the RCBS Rock Chucker from Midway which when new comes as a kit with everything you need to start loading. If you buy just the press, you simply purchases a set of 3-4 stage dies in the favorite caliber, and a 50 or 100 round loading plate, in order to process the cartridges 50-100 at a time. First you would  de-cap and size the cleaned cases, re-prime either with the priming die, or by sizing, and then hand-priming with a hand-held primer tool. Then the powder charges are measured out with either a pre-measured powder dipper, (Lee Precision makes the universal set of graduated dippers in a set) and dropped into the primed cases, then the seating and crimp die is screwed into the press and the primed and charged cases and topped with a bullet, and rammed up into the die to produce a finished cartridge.

The Dillon 550B is a very popular press, used by 80% of the cowboy action shooters, and it’s set-up with a set of separately purchased dies, which consist of the case forming/de-priming die, the case belling / powder charging die, which has a automatic pre-set powder measure atop it, actuated by the up-thrust of the sized and primed case into the die, the operator then manually indexes the entire case plate to the next die where he places a bullet atop the charged, and primed case which seats the bullet to the proper depth, and then indexes it around to the final crimp die which crimps the bullet firmly into the case, producing a finished bullet. The Dillon press has an automatic primer feed device, which one pre-loads with 100 or so primers in a tube which places, and seats, a primer automatically into the case after the de-priming action has completed its action. The Dillon is sturdy, easy to adjust, and it’s easy to remove a case midway through the loading sequence to check powder charge, etc., by removing station holding pins at any point. The operator is required to only perform two manual moves, to place an empty case in the first station, the de-prime/sizing die station, and then place a bullet atop the charged/primed case at the third station, all the while rotating, or indexing the base-plate with finger movement, which positions the cases under each appropriate progressive die in the sequence.
Dillon makes a basic single-stage-type hybrid press, the 550 both a bit less expensive, but upgrade called the Square Deal B without some of the 550B’s features, and also an XL 650 with an auto-indexing feature, an auto-case feeding feature etc.  Dillon makes a commercial grade automatic-type press as well if you want to get into mass production and cartridge sales, the SL 900.

A Lee Turret-style press is a take-off on the moving base-plate type press, and the 3-4 dies are positioned atop a rotating top plate mount, while the cases remain stationary below them. Priming and charging the cases with powder are done manually be the operator, although a auto-prime attachment can also be purchased and affixed to take care of this function. This type of press is most often used in reloading at a slower rate, in reloading rifle cartridges, especially shouldered rifle caliber cases.

Lee Precision makes an automatic pistol caliber press called the Lee Pro 1000.  Lee also makes an upgrade as well, the Lee Load Master. It functions very similarly to the Dillon 550B, with the exception of the unit costing much less, and it is auto-indexing, however the down-side is that the priming mechanism is gravity fed, and if the mechanisms are not kept stringently clean, and full of primers, the occasional un-primed case will make its way through to the end. It’s harder to remove a case mid-way through the process to double-check for powder or other component, unlike the Dillon, which is fairly easy to do so. The operator is only required to perform one hand function, aside from operating the press operating handle, which is to place a bullet onto the charged /primed case. This is because the Lee is equipped with a case-feeder, which collates, and sorts, rim-down, cases, after a handful is dropped into the top of the case feeder device funnel.

Having been a prepper for many years, harkening back to the late-1970s “survivalist” movement when the Oregon Rogue River was the destination of many like-minded individualists, I easily saw how accumulating the proper reloading equipment would come in handy. 

The first reloading press I bought, was on the internet at one of the CAS sites where shooting-related merchandise was sold. It was an RCBS single-stage press, for $50 shipping included. I picked up the loading block, and components at my local gun shop, and stared reading up on my new hobby. The first few years shooting under the rules of the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS) in cowboy action shooting, I reloaded black powder, and black powder substitutes for rifle/pistol, and 12 gauge. The substitute black powder was easier to clean up, and more forgiving with loading data. I sold the press for $75, after loading many thousands of rounds on it. The Dillon 550B is a great machine, and setting one up is fairly easy. I acquired a video-tape of the set-up, which answered many questions for a beginner such as me, and any time I had a broken part, I could call toll-free, and would get replacements at no cost. Many of the larger shoots we attended have prize drawings included with the shoot registration, and many time Dillon 550B, and even auto-indexing XL 650’s would be given away as prizes to a lucky few. One that note, you can buy a 550B and add on case feeding devices and other upgrades.

I found a used Lee Pro 1000 for $75 at a cowboy shoot swap table, and apparently the owner had a few “mechanical” issues with it, as he had broken a few parts, and rather than call and get free replacements, he had rigged the thing up with fishing snap-swivels and discarded the case feeder tubes when they got bent. I called Lee and bought a collator for it, and they sent me replacement plastic case feeder tubes and the proper linkage for free along with it. It is not as forgiving a the Dillon, but is quite a bit faster once you get it all dialed in. It’s a love-hate thing.

Once the last two elections solidified in my mind the almost inevitability of the political atmosphere’s left-leaning swing towards firearms, magazines and gun ownership, I decided to accumulate as many common caliber die sets and components as possible, 9mm, .30-30, .380, .38, .45 ACP, 7.62×39, .308, and 30-06. That way I could re-load for anyone that happened to need ammunition post-TEOTWAWKI. I can use this set-up as barter fodder, and have stock-piled primers, brass, bullets, and shot. For this enterprise. Speaking of the later, one can find lots of re-claimed shot at most gun ranges now days, since the anti-lead environmental extremists have made enough noise to force gun ranges to either contract to have the lead removed, or they do it themselves, and re-bag it for resale.

I can buy a bag of pre-sorted and cleaned recycled shot for $24 per 25 pound bag, as opposed to paying $46 currently at a local sporting goods chain.

A company called Corbin makes bullet-bases disks to swage onto the base of lead bullets, so his one can load them into rifle cartridges without the lead bullets leading the barrels. This is essential when loading battle-rifle cartridges in 7.62, and .223/5.56 calibers. Since I have several rifles in pistol caliber, both .38 and .45 Colt, plus several sets of single-action pistols in the same calibers, I plan on using them post-TEOTWAWKI around the homestead, and saving my 7.62 ,.223, and like caliber loaded commercially for heavy engagements. As long as I have powder, lead, primers, re-usable brass cases in .38,. .45 Colt, and ..45 ACP, I’m calling it good for the long haul.

I would encourage anyone who has firearms to look into reloading as a way to provide an almost un-ending supply of ammunition if TSHTF. Ammunition to use to protect your own household, and to use to barter for goods and services.

Letter Re: The Great Ripple

James, 
First let me say that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading SurvivalBlog over the years. It has been a source of insight, inspiration and motivation to myself, my friends and most of my family whom I’ve shared it with.

A few months ago we watched as Hurricane Sandy hit the upper East Coast from afar. I’m about 200 miles from the Gulf Coast and as any other resident in this area, we keep an eye on the sky during the Hurricane Season. But knowing this was not in our back yard, I didn’t worry. I generally keep everything stocked up well in advance for most things that could happen, but I do have family that live closer to the coast and aren’t as much of an ant as I. That being said I have made it a point to purchase an extra generator, extra water, filters, fuel, etc… Some of this of course, can be attributed to you. 

On Monday, October 29th, as is typical for me, I spent time reading and praying and then went to the bank on the way to the office and made my personal deposit for the week. On Tuesday, I received a notice that one of my auto drafts did not go through. Thinking this odd, since I generally keep an eye on my income and expenditures I went online and found that my deposit had not made it into my account, nor had the deposit from the previous week. I called the bank to explain to them what had happened, only to be told that “due to Hurricane Sandy” my checking accounts would all be experiencing delays and problems. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been with this “Locally owned and operated” institution for several years. How could this happen?? I dug a little deeper and found that our bank had actually been recently bought out by another “Locally owned and operated” institution a couple months earlier and they now run all of our transactions through a servicing firm in New Jersey. Talk about amazed… I was amazed. 

But I was not dazed. I immediately thanked the Lord for the teachings of Dave Ramsey and James Rawles. I went home, opened my safe, distributed enough cash to my family for a week and we went on through for a full week before our bank was able to get our account back in proper order. I truly was and remain very wary of the ripple effect in our all of our lives. It is not new, nor will it ever stop really. We will always have to deal with the ripple effect of a shrinking and connected world. 

I see the current gun debate going on. Within 30 minutes of the Newtown tragedy, the world new and was effected by it. We were all appalled and saddened to say the least. But that is not where it stops. Now we have to tolerate a seemingly knee jerk reaction at this opportune moment by the gun grabbing liberals. This is not truly a knee jerk reaction. They were and remain waiting, anticipating a cause to rally the troops and plant fear in the hearts of law abiding and sometimes ignorant Americans. 

I could go on. Today, what is done in Washington DC does effect me. I can not keep my head in the sand and hope that it will all blow over. It won’t. I must make phone calls to our Senators, I must take an active role in our government. I must use my good influence to over come the bad. That being said, I do advise your readers to follow a plan in their finances. Diversify their holdings not only in multiple dollar based stocks but into tangible products, land, a home, precious metals, etc… For the price paid today for that diversification could be nothing compared to it’s worth in a few months or years. If you listen to the political pundits you will think that things will always be the way they have always been. But there is only one eternal kingdom and the US of A is not it. And just to clarify and close; the ripple doesn’t have to start in Washington DC. It could be Greece, Israel or Iran. I don’t know what the cause of the next big ripple will be, but I do know there will be an effect on many areas of our lives.  – K.C.

Two Letters Re: Foundational Documents of the American Republic

Jim,
I’m sure many will point out that a list of educational sources should include those who thought the proposed US system would turn into a tyranny:

The Anti-Federalist Papers

More about the Anti-Federalist Papers, at Constitition.org.

It may be seen as a different issue, but the debate between Hamiltonians and the anti-Hamiltonians is also most worthy of study. This leads into the whole question of what was called the American (or National) System of Political Economy, which has been used at times for great development in the US, Germany, and now China. On the other hand, the way it was used in the US probably contributed to creating an environment for the Civil War.

Regards, – Paul L.

 

James,
I wanted to thank you for the great article by Steven G. on important foundational documents of our country. I wanted to bring to your attention that there is a great app available for Android smartphones called “United States Constitution” written by Ken Hunt (I know that similar apps exist in the Apple App Store but I can’t speak for their content or usability). In addition to the Constitution it contains the Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg Address, the Virginia Plan, The Great Compromise and many others. It is very well organized and written, is searchable and best of all is free. I have referenced it many times and often just sit down to read it and remind myself how grateful we should be to the individuals who created these marvelous documents and to renew my energy to keep myself focused on the important issues facing our country. It’s very eerie how The Declaration of Independence currently reads like it could have been written just yesterday if you only change a few words.
 
Regards, – L.D.

Economics and Investing:

Reader B.B. suggested this: Killing the Dollar: G20 & IMF Push for Global Fed, Global Currency

The Wal-Mart Indicator: We’re Heading for a Stagflationary Disaster

Jeff R. mentioned this story about modern-day alchemy, with folks treating lead like gold: Oklahoma City business offering ‘Cash for Bullets’ amid gun craze

Items from The Economatrix:

20 Signs that the US Economy is Heading For Big Trouble in the Months Ahead

Is A “Re-Fi Apocalypse” Upon Us?

Homebuilding Takes a Breather; Wholesale Prices Up

Odds ‘n Sods:

Some clever video editing paired with some words that ring true: Bill Whittle’s Virtual States of the Union.

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Camping Survival is running their semi-annual sale on Mountain House foods. They are offering 25% off #10 cans and kits, and 15% off all pouches. The last day of the sale is March 1st, so order soon!

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Pierre M. sent links to PDFs of two U.S. Army manuals that might be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers. One is recent, and the other is circa 1977: TM 10-8465-236-24P — MOLLE II Equipment and FM21-15 — Care and Use of Individual Clothing and Equipment

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Reader Jim W. sent: The .46 Caliber Semi-Automatic Rifle That Changed the World

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Revealed: al-Qaeda’s 22 tips for dodging drones

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, [even] thy salvation, according to thy word.
So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments.
So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.
And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts.
I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.” – Psalm 119:41-47 (KJV)

Notes from JWR:

The next day of synchronized Day Of Resistance rallies is scheduled for February 23rd.

—

Today we present two more entries for Round 45 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round include:

First Prize: A.) Gunsite Academy Three Day Course Certificate, good for any one, two, or three course. (A $1,195 value.) B.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost $795, and C.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $350 value.) D.) a $300 gift certificate from CJL Enterprize, for any of their military surplus gear, E.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $300 value), and F.) A $250 gift certificate from Sunflower Ammo. and G.) A $200 gift certificate, donated by Shelf Reliance.

Second Prize: A.) A gift certificate worth $1,000, courtesy of Spec Ops Brand, B.) A Glock form factor SIRT laser training pistol and a SIRT AR-15/M4 Laser Training Bolt, courtesy of Next Level Training. Together, these have a retail value of $589. C.) A FloJak FP-50 stainless steel hand well pump (a $600 value), courtesy of FloJak.com. D.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $300, E.) A $250 gift card from Emergency Essentials and F.) Two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.), B.) A large handmade clothes drying rack, a washboard and a Homesteading for Beginners DVD, all courtesy of The Homestead Store, with a combined value of $206, C.) Expanded sets of both washable feminine pads and liners, donated by Naturally Cozy. This is a $185 retail value, D.) A Commence Fire! emergency stove with three tinder refill kits. (A $160 value. E.) A Tactical Trauma Bag #3 from JRH Enterprises (a $200 value), and F.) Two Super Survival Pack seed collections, a $150 value, courtesy of Seed for Security.

Round 45 ends on March 31st, 2013, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that there is a 1,500-word minimum, and that articles on practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

The Watchmen, by Derek C.

When was the last time you pulled an all-nighter? I’m not talking about coming home at 2am on New Years. I’m talking about staying awake and alert, for an entire evening, before sundown to after sun up. Has it been a few years, or maybe never? With all this excitement about “bugging out” and prepping, there’s a lot of talk about security and self defense, but I have yet to read an in depth article about the practical application of watches. Kind of boring maybe, but in a TEOTWAWKI, scenario keeping a watch is essential, so let’s dissect it in detail. First, the watchman.

The watchman is the first line of defense for the entire community, be it a small family or a Rawlesian 20+ acre Ranch in the Redoubt. One must be ready to respond to any threat or emergency immediately on contact. This is not a chore, it is a duty. The difference is that you can listen to your MP3s while you do the dishes, but you should not even be whistling while on watch. Consider this, while you were whistling Dixie, you didn’t notice the obvious rustling in the bushes an hour ago; that was a scouting party from a group of camp raiding, cannibals down the road. Now a full assault is minutes away and you will be completely off guard, and so will everyone else in your camp. Had your tune not obstructed your hearing you could have sounded the alarm and either moved camp, or mobilized the rest of the fighters and been ready. Most of you reading this don’t have to be convinced that this scenario sounds funny, but is not outside the realm of reality for a society who allows stampede deaths on Black Friday for sales on pairs of socks, and this is all pre-starving feral masses! This is a serious position, and must be treated as life or death because it is! You must be responsible for getting proper rest in between watches, personal hygiene, and relaxing during your down time. You are responsible for keeping your mind clear and ready; all of these elements can affect your ability to keep the camp safe, so again, take it seriously!

Every watchman needs equipment. You can have 1 designated set that every watchman uses, and they should all be accountable for it, i.e. a checklist inside a bag that everyone reviews before assuming the watch. Especially when resources are scarce. Here’s a short list to consider:

– Weapon: Lethal or non-lethal, or preferably one of each. A pistol is good, and a rifle is excellent. A large can of 18% pepper spray can dissuade animals or disperse a gathering crowd, but even a big sharp stick is better than nothing.

– Foul weather gear: A poncho, wool cap (there’s a reason it’s called a watch cap), gloves, etc. Keep it simple.

– Communications devise: To stay in contact with other watches or base camp. At random hourly intervals every watch should check in. Random is the key; you don’t want to give away your system to an enemy. This could lead to predicted watch paths and holes in security. Just remember you never know who might be listening. This devise could be a radio, but another kind of signal devise can work also, i.e. a bird call or whistle where a known code is used, 1blast all secure, 2 blasts need assistance, 3 blasts wake up the camp the hordes are descending upon us!

– A good flashlight, notebook and pen, First Aid Kit, and a multi-tool. This is just a basic kit, but a well equipped watch is a ready watch. Every watch needs to consider their own needs beyond the basics i.e. an extra jacket or sunscreen.

Now for watch rotation, the concept is simple, take a 24 hr day and divide it into parts. Assign each part to a qualified body and execute! This gets more complicated in practice. An average man cannot be an EFFECTIVE watch for longer than 6-8 hrs maximum, and less than that at night. You can’t afford to run your watches so hard that they become ineffective; and fairness is a crucial element in these acronym scenarios. So, let’s take a 3 family bugged out scenario, with 4 able watchmen between them, and create a watch bill.

We have John, Jacob, Hiemmer, and Schmidt. John is the unofficial leader of the pack, and Jacob is his son. Hiemmer and Schmidt are best friends from college, and unimportantly Hiemmer is the only female watchman. It’s Monday and John says he’ll take the first watch, so here’s what it looks like:

6am-12pm John

12pm-6pm Jacob

6pm-12am Hiemmer

12am-6am Schmidt

Easy enough right? Since John’s the leader, he should never have to pull an all-nighter, and since Jacob is the youngest he can’t be expected to stay up during the night, it’s too big a responsibility! See how this doesn’t quite even out? John gets to be with his family every night while the buddies battle to stay awake. This erodes unit cohesion over time, and a short time at that. So let’s try it again, this time with shorter evening watches to ensure watch effectiveness and every able watch considered equal or otherwise unsuitable.

6am-12pm John

12pm-6pm Jacob

6pm-10pm Hiemmer

10pm-2am Schmidt

2am-6am John

6am-12pm Jacob

12pm-6pm Hiemmer

6pm-10pm Schmidt

10pm-2am John

2am-6am Jacob

And so on. Now you see the thought process and what a real rotation looks like. This would be a sweet set up really, imagine having less or more watchmen though and you can see how tough or easy this could become! Draft one up for practice; use 2-4 hr night watches and 6- 8 hr day watches to figure out how they all mesh. Now let’s delve into the worst case scenario, 1 man and his little family, as we move onto our last discussion: the craft of the all-nighter.

An all-nighter will test you, whether you have or haven’t planned it. Yet how often do we get to prepare for a full on nuclear fallout family bug out? Probably 1 out of 100, but that’s why we prep, practice, and stay sharp. Yet this isn’t something I hear a lot practicing, and it is, just like everything else, a perishable skill. So I’m proposing we correct this, next weekend or within the month, take the opportunity to plan and practice an all-nighter. I’m not saying a full on bug out, not initially anyway (you’re doing that 2-3x a year anyway right?), but just stay up, all night into morning. Watch the sun come up and an hour or so later, get in bed. Let’s try to do it 2-3x a year, and maybe somewhere down the line we’ll combine the bug out and the all-nighter. This is a more realistic scenario anyway, I can’t imagine gathering my family and bug out pals, fighting our way out of the cities, making it to our bug out locale and then we all sleep like babies. Have a plan, have a watch bill, and practice. There are a few things you can do to help you through the night, here’s a few I’ve learned over my time in the military, law enforcement and security contracting:

– Drink water: H20 will curb your sleepiness more than you think. I’ve drunk coffee for hours and head bobbed the entire time. I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t drink caffeine, because you definitely can (should?), but staying hydrated will keep you more alert than dehydration. Also, if you have to urinate often  your even more awake (note that each situation is different and frequent urination might not be your friend.  In this case ensure you are properly hydrated but not overly so). 

– Stay uncomfortable: Think of it as setting yourself up for success. If you put on a nice thick coat, hat, and prop your feet up you might as well be in bed and you WILL fall asleep. Is it fun being cold, or standing rather than leaning, or doing push-ups? Not exactly, but that’s the point. Don’t let yourself relax, remember, this is life or death for the whole camp. Stay alert by wearing a thinner jacket, or taking your hat off when you feel sleepy, doing a few push-ups or jumping jacks. Stay moving and keep the mind alert!

– Scenario role play: Use your weary thoughts in a productive way to picture a dire scenario. What was that in the shadows? It was a raider scout, and he’s collecting information about your camp. Stealthily defend your people from the evil cannibals! Seems silly, but so does dry firing and reloading your pistol, and if you aren’t dry firing your pistol bi-weekly I kind of hope you don’t carry it. It and you become a liability rather than an asset, and the same goes for the watchman. Do this and time will pass more quickly, and this is a good thing in the all-nighter.

– Make it fun but not too fun: For the practice all-nighter stand small watches and break them up with something fun you like to do. Play an instrument, or a video game. Do something to keep your mind active then go back to “watch mode”. Even watch during the acronym can be fun, kind of like how the most important game of the season is fun. Always remember to de-stress after watch, clear minds are more capable.

The watchmen have a crucial task ahead of them, but with proper planning and willingness, families in the acronym world will sleep well knowing someone’s got their eyes looking out. (This article was written entirely from midnight to 7:30 am, and later edited for excessive crazy babble.)

Foundational Documents of the American Republic, by Steven G.

Often, when two modern patriots are having a discussion, they agree with the failure of the public education system to teach basic American history, or to expose students to the foundations of our modern Republican form of government. The speakers quickly move on since they are often unable to specifically identify that which has been lost. Similarly, you often hear talk radio or television personalities spend an enormous amount of time suggesting courses of study or books, only concluding that the answer to the conundrum is the latest product that they happen to have for sale on their web site or by calling an eight hundred number. What is missing is an actual guide to understanding American Constitutional history.

As I raise my son, I am often having to explain the context of various readings he is assigned in class. How can a student understand Martin Luther King during Black History Month without understanding the United States Declaration of Independence or the Holy Bible? This remedial instruction began my thinking on what primary materials do we, as American patriots, expect every well informed citizen to know. Since the “prepper” or “survivalist” is known for keeping checklists and additionally for home schooling their children, what better way to outline a course of study for every patriot to learn and share with their student.

In that vein, I am submitting for your approval the following checklist of source documents of the American Republic. I am not selling any of the recommended books, and most of the material presented here can be readily accessed online and are therefore free. I have included linkages to the original source documents when possible. I have tried to choose the most readable copies I could find, however there are usually multiple sources for the texts available online. For example, some of the best sources for historical documents are Yale University’s web site. and the National Archives. English translations of Ancient Greek works can be found for free at a Tufts University web site.  Many books can be downloaded for free or a minimal .99 at Amazon.com for the Kindle. Note that you do not need a Kindle to read these books, as you can use the Amazon “cloud reader” to read the texts on your computer. Wikipedia.org also has tremendous linking resources, usually at the bottom of the page, that should not be overlooked.

Since the framework of America is founded in the English tradition, I have attempted to identify the foundational documents for America going back to those sources. These reading suggestions follow three distinct categories: first the patriotic student should begin by gaining a broad overview of the period of study. Traditional history classes use the term “survey class.” The survey is important to provide meaning and context to the other materials presented. The recommended survey materials can be supplemented by multiple secondary sources such as encyclopedias and web research. I have also recommended certain books as survey sources. I have tried to recommend readable books, and avoid overly political books (especially seeking to avoid the left wing bias that dominates the school curriculum today).

What do we stand for and what do we believe in? If this question cannot be answered, then we are disarmed in our resistance to harmful ideas. Unfortunately, the left has accomplished its agenda driven politicization of our school system, with propaganda crowding out the great ideas of America’s foundation. This outline can also be used as a guide for a concerned parent to confront intrusions and deletions in their schools’ curriculum. A parent can experience the richness of our history with their student by simply spending time together moving methodically through these guidelines.

Note that this outline is part of a larger outline I have been working on covering essential highlights of American history and the Western tradition. While my area of study is modern American Military history as well as law, I have attempted to fill in gaps in my own knowledge by targeting books that have had an impact on Western Civilization. The parts of the larger outline are: I. Foundations of Western Civilization; II. Understanding the Foundations of the American Republic; III. Early Federal Period; IV. The American Civil War; V. The Modern Era. The larger list is derived from a “Great Books” type curriculum, with much of the fiction downplayed. Only those fictional works that have impact on the course of history are included. My recommendations also steer away from thoughts and ideas that are antithetical to the American tradition. The recommendations are divided into several parts, using survey and biographical books combined with essential source materials of American and Western Civilization. When foreign sources are recommended, they are for the purpose of understanding the competing systems that have confronted the United States. For example, “Mein Kampf” (Nazi fascism) and the “Communist Manifesto” (communism) have had a disproportionate impact on the history of the United States.

II.             Understanding the Foundations of the American Republic
A.            The Holy Bible. Most readers should be familiar with the Bible, as were the Founding Fathers.
B.            Magna Carta 1297. Though short, the original text is dense and difficult reading. However, it is an interesting exercise to read through this early document that was in fact a contract between the sovereign and the free people. Sir Edward Coke argued logically for limitations on absolute monarchical power based on the Magna Carta.
C.            Survey readings about the English Civil War. This is a very dense period of English history, but it is critical to understand this part of history since it is the well spring of experience which the Founding Fathers shared. Especially recommended:
                        1.             Catherine Drinker Bowen “The Lion and the Throne” 1958. A complex but very well written account of the life of Sir Edward Coke. Winner of the National Book Award for Nonfiction. Available used at abebooks.com for a reasonable price.
                        2.             Michael Barone “Our First Revolution” 2007. The story of the Glorious Revolution (the term often applied to the ending of the English Civil War) and its relevance to the founding of the United States. Often available used at abebooks.com for a reasonable price.
D.            Sir Edward Coke “The Petition of Right” 1628.
E.            Thomas Hobbes “Leviathan” 1651. Available on Kindle for .99. Also available for free at an OSU web site. Written during the English Civil War, Hobbes considers the nature of government, developing what is known as social contract theory.
F.            John Locke “Two Treatises of Government” 1689. John Locke’s writings were probably the most influential source in the thinking of the Founding Fathers. Thus, a deep understanding of his work is essential to understanding the philosophical underpinnings of the American Republic. Available for free here.
G.            John Locke “An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding” 1690. Available for free here.
H.            The English Bill of Rights 1689. Strongly influenced the United States Bill of Rights. Available for free at a Yale web site.
I.            Survey materials on the American Revolutionary War. There are lots of resources available for the student of the American revolutionary period, but here are some references of note.
                        1.            John Fiske “The War of Independence, a book for young people” 1889 and “The American Revolution” 1891 both are available for free as a Kindle download.
                        2.            Gordon S. Wood “The Creation of the American Republic, 1776-1787,” “The Radicalism of the American Revolution,” and “The American Revolution: A History (Modern Library Chronicles)” More modern writings on the revolutionary period.
                        2.            The PBS video set “Liberty! The American Revolution” is very good, but retails for about $28. The set is worth owning.
                        3.            Stuart Murray “DK Eyewitness Books: American Revolution” For kids, the Eyewitness books are very good, with lots of “meat” and illustrations. Available used for a reasonable price.
J.            Biographical materials on George Washington. Washington turned down the chance to be king and steered the country into the great experiment in Republican government. He is the essential man in American history. Again, there are innumerable biographies of the George Washington, but the following are available for free online.
                        1.            William Roscoe Thayer, “George Washington” 1922. This book is available for free on the Kindle.
                        2.            John Marshall “The Life of George Washington” in five volumes. This set is written by Washington’s contemporary and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John Marshall. A very readable copy is available for .99 on Kindle and free here.
K.            The Continental Association, 1774. The earliest American foundational document, wherein the American colonies bind together to form a cohesive response to increased English malfeasance.
L.            Thomas Paine “Common Sense” 1776. Available for free here. This supremely influential political pamphlet was widely read by the founding generation.
M.            Adam Smith “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” 1776. Available for free here. The Scottish economist’s penultimate work describing free markets and capitalism.
N.            George Mason “The Virginia Declaration of Rights” 1776. This document influenced the later Declaration of Independence and United States Bill of Rights. Available for free here.
O.            Thomas Jefferson The Declaration of Independence 1776.
P.            The Articles of Confederation. 1777. The organizing document for the original American colonies that established the framework for the colonies to fight the American Revolutionary War. The weaknesses apparent in the Articles were later addressed in the United States Constitution.
Q.            The Federalist Papers 1787-1788. A series of letters written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay advocating the adoption of the United States Constitution and elaborating on the ideas enshrined therein.
R.            The United States Constitution 1789. Primarily the work of James Madison, this document sets out the framework of the United States government.  Also see this searchable view with commentary by the Heritage Foundation.
S.            The United States Bill of Rights 1789. George Mason demanded the inclusion of a Bill of Rights, and refused to support the Constitution without it. The compromise was a quick adoption of the first ten amendments to the United State Constitution, in what is known as the Bill of Rights.    Also see this searchable view with commentary by the Heritage Foundation.