For the Fourth of July holiday I decided to go to the site of one of the last great battles of the Civil War.

That would be Little Rock, Ark.

Don't remember that particular battle? It was absolutely pivotal in winning the Civil War which is why, today, there is a national visitors center in Little Rock that explains the entire battle. This is only appropriate as the battle lasted several years and the outcome was by no means certain.

After all, the good guys were outnumbered by a factor of thousands to, well, nine. Yes, there were support troops who helped those on the front lines, but in the end it was the nine who stood alone.

I'm speaking, of course, of the Battle of Central High, in which the established government of the state of Arkansas set about to make war on nine children who just wanted to go to school.

If you have only a casual knowledge of the history of this battle, you may believe — as I once did — that the integration of nine children into Little Rock's Central High School was a horrendous event, but that, after a few days or weeks, maybe a month at worst, all the vitriol was spent and it was school as usual.

Wrong.

In fact, when the government of Arkansas saw it could not stop the integration of Central High, it shut down all four of the city's high schools. All of them. For an entire year. Imagine, if you will, the kind of hopes and dreams that were shattered in that bit of chicanery.

When school did resume and the nine went back, it was the beginning of the nightmare all over again, as if it had never happened the first time.

All the rage and fear that had been building up since the official end of the Civil War came pouring out on nine children, who suffered more than you can possibly imagine, who suffered more than any child should have to suffer.

If you want the full details — and if you have a strong heart — you can read the rendering in an excellent book, "Warriors Don't Cry," by Melba Patillo Beals, who was one of the nine.

I warn you, this is not an easy book to read. Do not pick it up lightly.

So why would I want to go to Central High on July 4? Simple. This place is all about the American spirit. It is where right triumphed over wrong, good over evil, bravery over fear.

The spirit embodied in those nine children is no less than the spirit of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams or George Washington. Their perseverance makes me glad to be an American and, at the same time, embarrassed that I have done so little in my own life to further the cause of what is right.

Few of us will ever get the chance to do what those young people did, but we can all do what we can to move the needle along. Instead the great majority of us — and in this I include myself — just sit around and watch.

As I went through the visitors center, two things particularly struck me.

The first was how many of the white protestors carried signs that equated integration with communism. How odd is that? But it is instructive in these days when we hear people using the same old bugaboo to fight change. If they disagree, it must be communism.

The second was a poster for sale in the center that shows one of the iconic photographs of the time. A young black girl is walking alone and a white woman is directly behind her screaming what I assume are epithets.

The larger photo on the poster shows the two 40 years later, with their arms around one another. It is a wonderful message.

And it got me to thinking how it all came about.

Obviously, at some point, after seeing that photo run countless times, the white woman had to first be embarrassed that she acted in that manner.

Then she had to throw away her hatred. Then she had to talk herself into asking for forgiveness from the girl. Then she had to actually take that step.

And then, forgiveness had to be granted.

If that isn't a story about Americans, I don't know what is. It was a great way to spend the Fourth.

It made me feel good about my country all over again.