History

• 
  History Podcast

• HP118 The Six Wives of Henry VIII

  25 Dec 2009 | 1:34 pm

  In our first ever video podcast we will look into the six wives of King Henry the VIII, his mistresses and his children. Everything will be presented on an animated timeline. Sorry about the volume being so low, I will try to correct this on the next video podcast. See historyonair.com for more information.

• HP117 - The Melbourne Cup

  29 Dec 2008 | 1:34 pm

  This is an episode written by a listener, Fiona Skepper. Enjoy our last podcast of 2008! Visit the website for more information. Thank you! Please leave your feedback on the webiste. Learn more at historyonair.com.

• HP116 - Pocahontas

  20 Nov 2008 | 1:34 pm

  This is our first episode in some time. Thank you for hanging in there with us and staying subscribed. Visit the website for more information. Thank you! Please leave your feedback on the webiste. Learn more at historyonair.com.

• HP115 - Diabetes

  3 Aug 2008 | 2:34 pm

  This episode is a request from possibly our youngest listener. Eric who is 10 years old. Eric has diabetes type one and wants to know more about the history of diabetes especially type one. Please leave your feedback on the webiste. Learn more at historyonair.com.

• HP114 - Superman

  29 Jun 2008 | 2:34 pm

  This is a request from Drew of Orlando, FL. Please leave your feedback on the webiste. Learn more at historyonair.com.

• 
  Cronaca

• A stroll back in time

  David

  3 Nov 2009 | 7:27 pm

  THE Ridgeway is the oldest continuously used road in Europe, dating back to the Stone Age. Situated in southern England, built by our Neolithic ancestors, it’s at least 5,000 years old, and may even

• Albino necromancy in Tanzania

  David

  2 Nov 2009 | 11:28 am

  Four Tanzanians have been sentenced to death by hanging for killing an albino man last year - one of a spate of such murders in the country. The court, in the northern town of

• Starfish suck it up

  David

  28 Oct 2009 | 8:22 am

  One starfish has a remarkable strategy to avoid overheating in the sun, scientists have discovered. The starfish pumps itself up with cold seawater to lower its body temperature when exposed to the sun at

• One more reason to like turmeric

  David

  28 Oct 2009 | 7:42 am

  An extract found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric can kill off cancer cells, scientists have shown. The chemical - curcumin - has long been thought to have healing powers and is already

• Giant pliosaur find

  David

  27 Oct 2009 | 7:46 am

  The fossilised skull of a colossal "sea monster" has been unearthed along the UK's Jurassic Coast. . . And based on [its] length of 2.4m (7.9ft), it is estimated that the creature would have

• 
  Mirabilis.ca

• The ‘youngest headmaster in the world’

  Christine

  12 Oct 2009 | 7:16 pm

  From the Beeb: The ‘youngest headmaster in the world’ . At 16 years old, Babar Ali must be the youngest headmaster in the world. He’s a teenager who is in charge of teaching hundreds of students in his family’s backyard, where he runs classes for poor children from his village.[continue]

• And so the boy built a windmill

  Christine

  2 Oct 2009 | 7:11 pm

  Now this, this is amazing. It’s a BBC article about what William Kamkwamba did when he was a teenager in Malawi. Unable to attend school, he kept up his education by using a local library. Fascinated by science, his life changed one day when he picked up a tattered textbook and saw a picture of a windmill. And so he knocked together a turbine from spare bicycle parts, a tractor fan blade and an old shock absorber, and fashioned blades from plastic pipes, flattened by being held over a fire. And it worked. Here’s the rest of the article.

• Boy lifts book; librarian changes boy’s life

  Christine

  2 Oct 2009 | 6:59 pm

  This is the most touching story I’ve come across in a while: Boy Lifts Book; Librarian Changes Boy’s Life. Go on now, read it.

• Anglo-Saxon hoard found in Staffordshire

  Christine

  25 Sep 2009 | 10:43 am

  From the Telegraph: Anglo-Saxon hoard is ‘unprecedented’. The Staffordshire Hoard is by some distance the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, in terms of both the number of items (over 1,300) and the total mass (around 5kg of gold, and 1.3kg of silver). The majority of the finds are fragments of decorative fittings from swords or helmets, all of high quality, reflecting the high status of the original owners. Even a single new find of this type is highly significant, and to find so many objects together is unprecedented. As a group, the hoard will add massively to our…

• Spiders make golden silk for rare cloth

  Christine

  24 Sep 2009 | 9:33 am

  From Wired: 1 Million Spiders Make Golden Silk for Rare Cloth. A rare textile made from the silk of more than a million wild spiders goes on display today at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. To produce this unique golden cloth, 70 people spent four years collecting golden orb spiders from telephone poles in Madagascar, while another dozen workers carefully extracted about 80 feet of silk filament from each of the arachnids. The resulting 11-foot by 4-foot textile is the only large piece of cloth made from natural spider silk existing in the world today. [continue, see…

• 
  Pepys' Diary

• Tuesday 6 November 1666

  Samuel Pepys

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm

  Up, and to the office, where all the morning sitting. At noon home to dinner, and after dinner down alone by water to Deptford, reading "Duchesse of Malfy," the play, which is pretty good, and there did some business, and so up again, and all the evening at the office. At night home, and there find Mr. Batelier, who supped with us, and good company he is, and so after supper to bed.

• Monday 5 November 1666

  Samuel Pepys

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm

  (A holyday). Lay long; then up, and to the office, where vexed to meet with people come from the fleete at the Nore, where so many ships are laid up and few going abroad, and yet Sir Thomas Allen hath sent up some Lieutenants with warrants to presse men for a few ships to go out this winter, while every day thousands appear here, to our great trouble and affright, before our office and the ticket office, and no Captains able to command one-man aboard. Thence by water to Westminster, and there at the Swan find Sarah is married to a shoemaker yesterday, so I could not see her, but I believe I…

• Sunday 4 November 1666

  Samuel Pepys

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm

  (Lord's day). Comes my taylor's man in the morning, and brings my vest home, and coate to wear with it, and belt, and silver-hilted sword. So I rose and dressed myself, and I like myself mightily in it, and so do my wife. Then, being dressed, to church; and after church pulled my Lady Pen and Mrs. Markham into my house to dinner, and Sir J. Minnes he got Mrs. Pegg along with him. I had a good dinner for them, and very merry; and after dinner to the waterside, and so, it being very cold, to White Hall, and was mighty fearfull of an ague, my vest being new and thin, and the coat cut not to meet…

• Saturday 3 November 1666

  Samuel Pepys

  3 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm

  This morning comes Mr. Lovett, and brings me my print of the Passion, varnished by him, and the frame black, which indeed is very fine, though not so fine as I expected; however, pleases me exceedingly. This, and the sheets of paper he prepared for me, come to 3l., which I did give him, and though it be more than is fit to lay out on pleasure, yet, it being ingenious, I did not think much of it. He gone, I to the office, where all the morning to little purpose, nothing being before us but clamours for money: So at noon home to dinner, and after dinner to hang up my new varnished picture and…

• Friday 2 November 1666

  Samuel Pepys

  2 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm

  Up betimes, and with Sir W. Batten to Woolwich, where first we went on board the Ruby, French prize, the only ship of war we have taken from any of our enemies this year. It seems a very good ship, but with galleries quite round the sterne to walk in as a balcone, which will be taken down. She had also about forty good brass guns, but will make little amends to our loss in The Prince. Thence to the Ropeyarde and the other yards to do several businesses, he and I also did buy some apples and pork; by the same token the butcher commended it as the best in England for cloath and colour. And for…

• 
  World History Blog

• History Computerization Project

  M

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:27 am

  The History Computerization Project aims to create a network for exchanging historical information. The site includes details about the computer database program for historical research, writing and cataloging; advice on organizing materials; and links to mostly-US research resources. From the site:The program is used by individual researchers as well as by institutions such as archival centers, libraries, museums, historical societies, historical landmark commissions, and preservationist groups. Single-user and multi-user versions, running on IBM PC compatible computers, bridge the gap…

• OZ Fossils: The Age of Reptiles

  M

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:09 am

  I discovered a nice site on pre-historic Australian fossils. It is The Eromanga Sea - OZ Fossils: The Age of Reptiles. Readers can learn about the Pliosaurs and Plesiosaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Ammonites, and Beleminites that lived in the shallow sea that covered inland Australia ten million years ago.From the site:About one hundred and ten million years ago a shallow sea covered what is now arid inland Australia. Australia’s most beautiful and complete fossils of this period are of the spectacular marine creatures that lived in this cold sea.Despite the impressive size of some of these fossils,…

• Smithsonian Urban Legends

  M

  3 Nov 2009 | 5:37 am

  With permission, I am republishing the post Smithsonian Urban Legends written by Jennie Weber. I think it is interesting and worth publishing again.-----------Smithsonian Magazine had an article on urban myths (to refute) them recently. My personal favorite:Myth #8: There is a subterranean archive center underneath the National Mall.Fact: The Smithsonian’s storage facilities are mostly located in Suitland, Maryland.Backstory: The notion that a labyrinthine network of storage space exists beneath the Smithsonian museums, under the National Mall, may have started with Gore Vidal’s novel The…

• Mirador: Forgotten Mayan City

  M

  2 Nov 2009 | 7:02 am

  Mirador: Forgotten Mayan City - New discoveries in the Guatemalan jungle may rewrite Mayan history. See Brooke Baldwin's exclusive report for CNN.

• World History Blog Poll - Should Yasser Arafat have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994?

  M

  1 Nov 2009 | 11:06 am

  The poll has closed for the question, "Should Yasser Arafat have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994?" Thanks to all who participated by voting.The answer was no for 74%. Yes got 10% while 14% were not sure.It is a tough question. At my junior high school, bullies were often given "student of the week" awards when they did something like pick up trash. The idea was that this would motivate them to continue to do good deeds. Did it work with Arafat? Hard to say. I am sure middle east historians will argue this one forever depending on what side they back.

• 
  History in the News

• Ky. Korean War veterans to be honored

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:18 pm

  Some Korean War veterans will be getting a special honor this weekend in Kentucky.

• Virginia, New Jersey Races Showing Voters Changing Course

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:55 pm

  As the final votes were being counted, it was possible to draw some lessons from Republican Bob McDonnell's victory in Virginia and the close, three-way governor's race in New Jersey, never mind that White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has taken to saying that the elections don't mean much.

• New Woodrow Wilson bio presents a complex figure

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:24 am

  "Woodrow Wilson" , By John Milton Cooper Jr.: Soon after he was elected president in 1912, Woodrow Wilson told a former colleague at Princeton University that all of his preparation for office was in the domestic sphere and it would be "an irony of fate" if his administration were to be consumed by concerns over foreign policy.

• Hopes of restarting Middle East peace process look like a mirage

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:51 am

  The US is desperate to stop relations between Israel and the Palestinians worsening, writes Con Coughlin .

• Canada's health-care under fire in U.S.

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:13 pm

  Throughout the long and divisive debate about health-care reform in the United States, Canada's health-care system has often served as a popular punching bag for both Republicans openly swinging at it and Democrats ducking from any suggestion that Canadian-style reform is in the cards.

• 
  Breaking News

• Senate Rejects Effort to Block Civilian Trials for 9/11 Victims

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:57 pm

  Source: Truthout (11-5-09)Washington - After an emotional debate over how to keep Americans safe, the Senate Thursday narrowly defeated an effort to prevent civilian trials in U.S. courts for the accused planners of the 9/11 attacks. The Senate's 54-45 vote to reject the measure by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., opens the door for President Barack Obama to bring Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-professed mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, to trial in federal court, rather than the military commissions Graham helped create.

• Children's Slavery Lesson Upsets Charlotte NAACP Leader

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:37 pm

  Source: wsoctv9 North Carolina (11-5-09)CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A controversial history lesson left parents and teachers upset in Union County. The teachers plan to write letters to leaders at the historic Latta Plantation about their disapproval of a hands-on history lesson during a Rea View Elementary class trip Wednesday. During a lesson on the Civil War, tour guide Ian Campbell, who is himself black, made black students pretend to be slaves in front of their white classmates. Campbell said he's been a historian for more than 15 years. "I am very enthusiastic about getting kids to think…

• Newark students make ornaments of American landmarks for White House Christmas tree

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:05 pm

  Source: New Jersey Real-Time News (11-6-09)Images of downtown Newark, the Statue of Liberty, the state Capitol in Trenton and the new Giants and Jets football stadium in the Meadowlands sports complex will grace the holiday tree in the Blue Room of the White House this Christmas thanks to the efforts of students at the Chancellor Avenue School in Newark. The seventh and eighth grade students are creating 10 holiday ornaments for the tree depicting various "noteworthy and inspirational buildings or sites with historical significance or cultural importance," according to the…

• Nantucket Sound may get new status

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:04 pm

  Source: Boston.com (11-6-09)Massachusetts’ top historic preservation officer has dealt a setback to the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm, ruling yesterday that the body of water is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places because of its cultural significance for two Native American tribes. In a letter released late in the afternoon, Brona Simon, state historic preservation officer, said she believes that Nantucket Sound is so culturally important to two Wampanoag tribes that it should be eligible to be listed on the National Register as a traditional cultural…

• Amid Berlin Wall Commemorations, Activists Rally for Liberation of North Korea

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:02 pm

  Source: CNSNews.com (11-6-09)As Germany prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, activists in South Korea will hold a series of events this weekend to highlight calls for similarly momentous developments leading to the liberation of North Korea. Planned events include a mass human rights and democracy demonstration led by North Korean refugee leaders in Seoul on Saturday; an all-day national day of prayer, fasting and repentance on Sunday; and another demonstration on Monday at the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, calling for the North’s…

• 
  Blog 4 History: American & Civil War History

• Citizen vs. Professional Soldier

  Chris

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:39 pm

  Americans at one time were very sensitive to standing armies and very distrustful of the idea of a large professional fighting force, which is why throughout the 19th and early 20th Centuries America time and again was woefully unprepared for war. At the outbreak of the Civil War the United States had a meager 16,000 soldiers. There was a constant tradition of militia units in many parts of America. These local organization were based on proud tradition and myth. Whether it was the American Revolution or the War of 1812, and in particular the Battle of New Orleans (1815). We know that…

• Orange Blossoms Continued

  Chris

  3 Nov 2009 | 12:53 pm

  A letter written by Major Thomas W. Bradley, 124th New York Volunteers, and published in the National Tribune, February 4, 1886 : “Smith’s Battery has not received in history full credit for the heroic and valuable work done by its members at Gettysburg. I was at that time 1st sergeant of Company ” H,” I24th New York. I saw the Battery come down Rock Run Glen. The guns Were unlimbered at the foot of Rock Ridge and hauled up the steep acclivity into position amid the rocks on its crest, and the Battery was soon engaged in a hot duel with the rebel batteries on the…

• Atlas of the Civil War: A Complete Guide to the Tactics and Terrain of Battle

  Chris

  31 Oct 2009 | 7:40 pm

  Yet another new arrival, and a beautifully created one. Atlas of the Civil War: A Complete Guide to the Tactics and Terrain of Battle (National Geographic). The folks at National Geographic were nice enough to send a review copy and I am speechless. A beautiful presentation, all glossy with excellent maps, narrative, and photos. Broken down by a year-to-year presentation with excellent writing. A first class and big book that is easily worth the $40 price tag!

• West Pointers and the Civil War

  Chris

  27 Oct 2009 | 7:44 pm

  I received a few days ago my advanced review copy of Wayne Wei-Siang Hsieh’s West Pointers and the Civil War: The Old Army in War and Peace (Civil War America). Hsieh challenges studies that claim field fortifications and defensive positions were to make the decisive difference in battle during the Civil War. Instead, Hsieh argues, there were other factors such as leadership, morale, and troop strength that played a key role in the outcome of battles. I have spent some time looking through the book and can’t wait to get to it…. only question is when?!?!?!

• American Exceptionalism: Continued….

  Chris

  26 Oct 2009 | 8:55 pm

  I got a chance to look through my recently arrived copy of John Keegan’s book and I am already enjoying it. Some interesting comments just in his introduction alone he writes, “Had the battle [Bull Run] gone the other way, as it might so easily have done, the war might have been concluded more quickly and at a much lower cost both to North and South.” An interesting comment that I am not sure I agree with. But nonetheless, a great book thus far. For instance, Chapter One, Mr. Keegan starts off by discussing, of all things, American Exceptionalism! What, has he not been…

• 
  Wig-Wags

• National Geographic’s New Atlas of the Civil War

  Rene Tyree

  3 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pm

  Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: National Geographic (October 20, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 1426203470 ISBN-13: 978-1426203473 Product Dimensions: 13.7 x 10.7 x 1.1 inches The good folks at National Geographic sent me a review copy of their new Atlas of the Civil War: A Comprehensive Guide to the Tactics and the Terrain of Battle. I’m impressed. This is one of those books that as a kid I would spread out on the floor in front of the fire and lose myself in for hours. It’s FULL size means just that. Images that many of us have seen for years, and many we’ve never seen,…

• On the Hunt for Sources on David G. Farragut’s Leadership

  Rene Tyree

  31 Oct 2009 | 7:37 am

  I’ve decided choose as topic for the research paper I’m writing for my current class, the leadership of David G. Farragut during the New Orleans Campaign. I’m on the hunt for both primary and secondary sources. Let me know if you have recommendations. Portrait of Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, officer of the Federal Navy (Vice Adm. from Dec. 3, 1864) Source: Library of Congress LC-B813- 1561 A Tagged: American Civil War, Civil War Naval History, David G. Farragut, Library of Congress images, New Orleans Campaign

• Book Review: Jefferson Davis and His Generals – The Failure of Confederate Command in the West

  Rene Tyree

  27 Oct 2009 | 5:19 pm

  STEVEN E. WOODWORTH. Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the WestLawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. 1990. Pp. xv, 380. $16.95. Much has been written about the political and military genius of Abraham Lincoln and the successful leader he grew to be while Commander in Chief of a fractured union.  But as the country divided and civil war became a reality, a new leader was called upon to assume the role of Commander in Chief for the Confederacy, the seasoned Jefferson Davis.  At the precipice of war, betting men looking at the comparative…

• The War of 1812 in the Age of Napoleon by Jeremy Black

  Rene Tyree

  25 Oct 2009 | 1:53 pm

  The good folks at the University of Oklahoma Press forwarded a review copy of Jeremy Black’s new book, The War of 1812 in the Age of Napoleon. In my usual fashion, I am making an initial post about the book before a full reading. ISBN: 978-0-8061-4078-0 Hardcover 288 pages 6″ x 9″ x 0″ 1 B&W Illus., 3 Maps Published: 2009, Oklahoma University Press Jeremy Black (Photo: athens.edu) The quick perusal reveals several compelling reasons for recommending the book. First, it is written from “an Atlantic vantage point, which accounts for its contribution to the…

• 200,000th View of Wig Wags

  Rene Tyree

  14 Oct 2009 | 7:46 pm

  A moment of celebration for the 200,000th view of Wig Wags that occurred sometime today. Many thanks to those who have stopped by. Ahem.  Carry on… OH and thanks to Gabriel Pollard for the photo. Tagged: Blogging, wigwags blog

• 
  Anglo-Dutch Wars

• Google Book Search: now has snippet view of Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van ons Zeewezen

  Jim

  16 Oct 2009 | 5:53 am

  I was surprised to see that Google Book Search now has Dr. Elias' book, Schetsen uit de Geschiedenis van Ons Zeewezen in Snippet View. I would like to see the book be part of the coming "Google Editions", so I could have portable access to the book.

• The documentary "Broadside"

  Jim

  9 Oct 2009 | 5:20 am

  When I got home from work yesterday, a package had arrived for me. In the package was a copy of a new version of Frank Fox's book about the Second Anglo-Dutch War and a DVD with the documentary that Bruce Twickler had produced through his company Docema. They had a deal where for about $29.95 and shipping, you got the book and the DVD, a huge bargain. I saw in the DVD box that they have also

• A small Dutch warship Neptunus in 1629

  Jim

  1 Oct 2009 | 5:02 am

  In the first half of the 17th Century, the Dutch used many small warships, mostly on the rivers. One of these in 1629 was the Rotterdam ship Neptunus, built in 1623. Captain Cornelis Arentsz de Jonge commanded the Neptunus. The Neptunus was 30 Rotterdam lasts, or by my theory, 40 lasts when measured in Amsterdam feet. The crew consisted of 31 sailors and the ship was armed with 6-iron 4pdr, 2-

• Breechloaders and chambers

  Jim

  17 Sep 2009 | 9:46 am

  One issue that I see writers frequently misunderstand is to count the chambers associated with breechloading guns as some sort of gun. For example, Dutch ships in the 17th Century, specially prior to 1648, carried "steenstukken" (literally, stone guns). The Roode Leeuw, in 1629, carried 8 steenstukken and had 16 chambers for them. That allowed the breech loading guns to have a higher rate of fire

• Rotterdam and Amsterdam last measurements

  Jim

  11 Sep 2009 | 9:32 am

  I am going back over the Staat van Orlog te Water for the year 1629. The Rotterdam ships (it calls the admiralty the Admiraliteit tot Rotterdam, not the Admiraliteit van de Maze). This list does not give dimensions, only the size in lasts. My theory is that the last measurements of Rotterdam ships is based on the dimensions in Maas feet (about 308mm), not Amsterdam feet (283mm). The basis for my

• 
  American Presidents Blog

• Dear Harry....Love, Bess

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:37 pm

  Bess Truman, like several other First Ladies, burned most of her private papers to stop them from being able to made public. But when the Truman home was cleared out in the 1980s (Bess Truman died in 1982 in case you don't remember), some of her letters (180, in fact) were found mixed in with other things - like being used as bookmarks in old books. These letters are going to be released by her grandson, Clifton Truman Daniel, in a couple of years, but he has provided a preview of these letters in an article in Prologue. This article isn't available online (unless you want to purchase it),…

• Franklin Pierce and the Battle of Churubusco

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:20 am

  Franklin Pierce served in the Mexican-American War. He achieved the rank of Brigadier General. He was reportedly a good commander but his reputation was damaged at the Battle of Churubusco.Here is how Wikipedia reports this:His brigade was designated the 1st Brigade in the newly created 3rd Division and joined Scott's army in time for the Battle of Contreras. During the battle he was seriously wounded in the leg when he fell from his horse. He returned to his command the following day, but during the Battle of Churubusco the pain in his leg became so great that he passed out and had to be…

• White House Halloween

  3 Nov 2009 | 1:02 pm

  Check out this video of trick-or-treating at the White House this year!

• James Buchanan Resource Center

  2 Nov 2009 | 12:26 pm

  When I was at Wheatland, I got a brochure on the Buchanan Resource Center, so I thought I’d include it here as well. Here is a good synopsis of the site:Developed for educational use by teachers, students, and other researchers, the James Buchanan Resource Center offers a wealth of information regarding this Pennsylvania politician, international statesman, and 15th President of the United States. Collected here are several books on the life of James Buchanan as well as contemporary reviews of those books. Buchanan's published writings are presented, along with a selection of unpublished…

• Which President was most deserving of winning the Nobel Peace Prize?

  1 Nov 2009 | 11:21 am

  The poll has closed for the question, "Which President was most deserving of winning the Nobel Peace Prize?" Thanks to all who participated by voting.Teddy Roosevelt won easily with 55% of the vote. Jimmy Carter was a distant second with 17%. President Wilson got 15% and Barack Obama got 10%.Let us hope more American presidents win this award in the future.

• 
  historyonair.com

• Forward Thinking Professor

  Jason

  16 Oct 2009 | 5:51 pm

  This morning I received an email from a David, a professor from Minnesota asking for my permission to use this podcast in his class.  I think this is great and I hope that his students can take something away from the podcast.  Once I got home from the office I was able to spend a little more time with the email and noticed that he is on Twitter.  David also has a great podcast, I know because I listened to a couple episodes and I will be subscribing as well.  I am very impressed to see a professor embracing social media so much.  I really think that his students will benefit from it.

• Unsubscriber

  Jason

  14 Oct 2009 | 8:05 pm

  This week I received the following email from Howard B. I wanted to share it and my response to everyone: Hi, I know this will come across as a whiners post … nevertheless I felt I had to write it. I listen to podcasts every day in my one hour trip by car to work and back. Most science, history and music. I discovered your podcast last month and downloaded about 20 of them, looking forward to it. This week I abandoned them after tasting about 10 of them, erased them and unsubscribed. Why ? I KNOW it is an amateur effort and I DO appreciate your work and the lack of resources. However I…

• Anne Frank on Video

  Jason

  12 Oct 2009 | 6:00 am

  Annemarie Bekker of the Anne Frank House is quoted as saying: “The museum has had the footage for some time, but thought YouTube would be a good platform to show the film and the other films about her life. It’s another way to bring the life of Anne Frank to the attention of younger people, and all people worldwide.” Found via Mashable.

• The story on Benedict Arnold

  Jason

  11 Oct 2009 | 6:00 am

  Learn the real story that turned a man’s name into a synonym for traitor from Today’s History Lesson: He began negotiating turning over the Fort to the British, finally agreeing to do so in exchange for money. Having already weakened the Fort by shuttling off supplies and soldiers, he met with Major John André on September 21st and gave him the plans. Image credit:  Wikimedia Commons

• Muskets in the Revolutionary War

  Jason

  10 Oct 2009 | 6:00 am

  One of my favorite sites and podcast Speaking of History…….. recently filmed a park ranger talking about msukets and their use in the Revolutionary War.  See the video below:

• 
  History According to Bob

• Battle of Antietam Part 4

  Bob Packett

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  This show is 1 of 5 on the Battle of Antietam 1862. This show covers the battle in the center of the battlefield, Bloody Lane. .

• Battle of Trafalgar Part 1

  Bob Packett

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  This show is 1 of 5 on the great naval battle of Trafalgar. This show has the preparations and background .

• Cicero Part 1

  Bob Packett

  4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  This show is 1 of 2 on the great roman orator Cicero. This show deals with the family background and his early career .

• Assassin Oscar Collazo

  Bob Packett

  3 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  This show covers the history of Oscar Collazo one of the men who attempted to assassinated President Harry S. Truman.

• 5th Italian War Part 1

  Bob Packett

  2 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  This show covers Part 1 of 3 Parts the beginning of the 5th Italian War.

• 
  HistoryNet - From the World's Largest History Magazine Publisher

• Daily Quiz for November 7, 2009

  HistoryNet Staff

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:01 pm

  When Paris was besieged by Prussian forces in 1870, these were sacrificed for food.

• Daily Quiz for November 6, 2009

  HistoryNet Staff

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:01 pm

  The term Sioux, applied to several Native American tribes, is an abbreviation of a word from this language.

• Table of Contents – January 2010 Military History

  David Lauterborn

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:39 pm

  The January 2010 issue of Military History features stories about Germany's 20th century military blunders, the 1779 Battle of Stony Point, the Vietnam War unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, the hidden cities spawned by the Manhattan Project, the fights for Forts Vaux and Douaumont at the 1916 Battle of Verdun and Continental Army soldier Henry Francisco, who was perhaps the oldest enlistee in military history.

• Military History Reader Poll – January 2010

  David Lauterborn

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:22 pm

  Which military operation do you regard as the signature example in which speed and timing, rather than size or magnitude of force, was the critical factor?

• Interview with Historian Rick Atkinson

  David Lauterborn

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:06 pm

  Journalist and historian Rick Atkinson, who covered the Gulf War and Iraq War for The Washington Post, is working on the final volume of his World War II "Liberation Trilogy."

• 
  About.com African-American History

• The Middle Passage

  13 Oct 2009 | 8:00 pm

  During the Middle Passage, African slaves endured grueling conditions as they traveled to an unknown fate in the Americas. They slept below the deck on un-sanded plank floors without fresh air or light. Amazingly, most slaves survived this taxing journey but faced a lifetime of forced servitude. The Middle Passage originally appeared on About.com African-American History on Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 at 03:00:49.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• Sarah Vaughan

  11 Oct 2009 | 8:00 pm

  With only vocal experience in a church choir, a young Sarah Vaughan set her sights on a singing career. It was on the stage of the Harlem Apollo Theater that Vaughan launched her career. She was an untrained singer with a three-octave range and an amazing ability to improvise. By the end of her life, critics and colleagues recognized her as one of the greatest singers in the history of jazz. Sarah Vaughan Quotes Photo © Copyright William P. Gottlieb www.jazzphotos.comSarah Vaughan originally appeared on About.com African-American History on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 03:00:35.Permalink |…

• Open House Weekend at the Hunterfly Road Houses in New York

  9 Oct 2009 | 3:16 am

  Four mid-19th century houses, known as the Hunterfly Road Houses, have become an important part of a New York City neighborhood. In 1968, the Weeksville Heritage Foundation acquired the homes and they are part of the National Register of Historic Places. The homes were part of the Weeksville community, a neighborhood of free African Americans. After 40 years of planning, the foundation is finally breaking ground on a project that will educate the public about the Weeksville community.Open House Weekend at the Hunterfly Road Houses in New York originally appeared on About.com African-American…

• Marian Anderson: An Accidental Civil Rights Advocate

  6 Oct 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Despite singer Marian Anderson's reluctance to become involved in racial issues and the civil rights movement, her presence in the music world inevitably led to the breakdown of racial barriers. One of Anderson's most significant contributions was her performance at the Metropolitan Opera House, which made her the first African American to perform there. Marian Anderson Quotes Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Carl Van Vechten Collection.Marian Anderson: An Accidental Civil Rights Advocate originally appeared on About.com African-American History on…

• Bessie Smith: Empress of the Blues

  4 Oct 2009 | 8:00 pm

  Bessie Smith, often referred to as the Empress of the Blues, was known for her amazing classical blues style. She was one of the most popular blues singers during the 1920s, but when the Great Depression hit she had to revamp her style. Just as she was making a comeback with a more modern repertoire, her life was tragically cut short. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress, Carl Van Vechten Photograph Collection.Bessie Smith: Empress of the Blues originally appeared on About.com African-American History on Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 03:00:52.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• 
  african american history - Google News

• Kim Bracey makes history in town with a troubled past - Baltimore Sun

  7 Nov 2009 | 12:23 am

  Kim Bracey makes history in town with a troubled pastBaltimore Sun"When I knocked on their doors, it didn't matter that I was an African-American woman," she said. "They wanted to know what I was going to do about the and more »

• Free prostate cancer screening - Norman Transcript

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:26 pm

  Free prostate cancer screeningNorman TranscriptAfrican American men and men with a family history of the disease are at higher risk and should initiate regular screenings at an earlier age. and more »

• Paperback Row - New York Times

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:14 pm

  New York TimesPaperback RowNew York TimesAlong the way he contemplates sex, marriage, farming, fatherhood, teaching, the landscape, American history and the younger brother who drowned when they

• Dodd introduces legislation to establish memorial honoring African-American ... - Norwalk Plus Magazine

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:03 pm

  Dodd introduces legislation to establish memorial honoring African-American Norwalk Plus MagazineHistorians estimate that nearly 5000 African-Americans—including 400 from Connecticut—fought in the American Army, Navy, and militia during the and more »

• Carol L. Adams, PhD Appointed New CEO of DuSable Museum - Market Wire (press release)

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:11 pm

  Market Wire (press release)Carol L. Adams, PhD Appointed New CEO of DuSable MuseumMarket Wire (press release)Dr. Adams will assume the leadership of the nation's first and oldest African American History Museum on Monday, November 9, 2009. and more »

• 
  The History Channel - This Day in History - Lead Story

• Magic Johnson announces he is HIV positive

  7 Nov 2009 | 12:54 am

  On this day in 1991, basketball legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson stuns the world by announcing his sudden retirement from the Los Angeles Lakers, after testing positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. At the time, many Americans viewed AIDS as a gay white man's disease. Johnson (1959- ), who is African American and heterosexual, was one of the first sports stars to go public about his HIV-positive status. Revered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Johnson spent his entire 13-season NBA career with the Lakers, helping them to win five championships in the 1980s. The 6'9"…

• 
  On this day in history

• 1917: The Bolsheviks overthrow Russia's provisional government in the world's first organised revolution.

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:51 pm

• 1940: Roosevelt proposes a plan for renting US ships and equipment to Britain - the birth of 'Lend-Lease'.

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:51 pm

• 1956: The UN General Assembly passes a resolution calling on Britain, France and Israel to withdraw from Suez.

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:51 pm

• 
  World War II History» World War II History

• Franklin D Roosevelt

  Steven Terjeson

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:23 am

  Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945) 32nd President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882 in Hyde Park, New York to James and Sara Roosevelt, both from wealthy old New York families. He grew up in a privileged home, going to boarding school and later to Harvard. After graduating from Harvard he went on to Columbia Law School (1905) until 1907 when he passed the New York Bar Exam and started work in corporate law. On March 17, 1905, Roosevelt married Eleanor, with his 5th cousin (and Elanor’s uncle) President Theodore…

• World War II History for October 26

  Steven Terjeson

  26 Oct 2009 | 12:24 pm

  Today in WWII History World War II History for October 26 26 October 1942 – The US carrier USS Hornet and destroyer USS Porter were sunk in the Battle of Santa Cruz. It was the last time carrier based aircraft were used by the Japanese in the Guadalcanal campaign. 26 October 1944 – The Battle of Leyte Gulf ended. The battle was won by American forces and brought the end of the Pacific phase of World War II into sight. USS Hornet (CV-8) Abandoning Ship, Battle of Santa Cruz (26 Oct 1942)

• Friday Featured Book – Evacuees of the Second World War

  Steven Terjeson

  23 Oct 2009 | 1:48 pm

  Friday Featured Book: Evacuees of the Second World War by Mike Brown This book isn’t about the front lines of battle during WWII, it is all about those who were behind the soldiers, namely the British children and families they were defending. London was under heavy attack by the Germans and thousands of children had to be evacuated from the city. The countryside and even international countries took these evacuee children in to save their lives. This is their story, the details of how young children were forced to cope with a world war and many without their parents to comfort them.

• World War II History for October 22

  Steven Terjeson

  22 Oct 2009 | 2:00 pm

  Today in WWII History World War II History for October 22 22 Oct 1942 – The Allies met to discuss Operation Torch. Operation Torch was to be the first Allied amphibious landing of World War II (North Africa), mainly as an induction of US ground forces against the Germans. Operation Torch takes place 8 Nov 1942.

• Letters from HMS Zambesi

  Steven Terjeson

  2 Oct 2009 | 10:39 am

  Letter home from Midshipman Derek Hirst HMS Zambesi 8th May 1945 forargyll.com published this on 10:51 am, Wednesday, 30th September, 2009 HMS Zambesi entered Bergen, Norway, on 8th May 1945, the day WWII formally ended. The following is from a letter by Midshipman Derek Hirst to his mother started on 14th May and completed shortly after leaving Bergen on the 21st May. May 14th 1945 18.00. It’s a calm night with just a slight breeze blowing. Everyone is fallen in for leaving harbour & on the bridge the Captain is standing on the compass platform waiting to give the order to slip. A few…

• 
  Blog 4 History: American & Civil War History

• Citizen vs. Professional Soldier

  Chris

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:39 pm

  Americans at one time were very sensitive to standing armies and very distrustful of the idea of a large professional fighting force, which is why throughout the 19th and early 20th Centuries America time and again was woefully unprepared for war. At the outbreak of the Civil War the United States had a meager 16,000 soldiers. There was a constant tradition of militia units in many parts of America. These local organization were based on proud tradition and myth. Whether it was the American Revolution or the War of 1812, and in particular the Battle of New Orleans (1815). We know that…

• Orange Blossoms Continued

  Chris

  3 Nov 2009 | 12:53 pm

  A letter written by Major Thomas W. Bradley, 124th New York Volunteers, and published in the National Tribune, February 4, 1886 : “Smith’s Battery has not received in history full credit for the heroic and valuable work done by its members at Gettysburg. I was at that time 1st sergeant of Company ” H,” I24th New York. I saw the Battery come down Rock Run Glen. The guns Were unlimbered at the foot of Rock Ridge and hauled up the steep acclivity into position amid the rocks on its crest, and the Battery was soon engaged in a hot duel with the rebel batteries on the…

• Atlas of the Civil War: A Complete Guide to the Tactics and Terrain of Battle

  Chris

  31 Oct 2009 | 7:40 pm

  Yet another new arrival, and a beautifully created one. Atlas of the Civil War: A Complete Guide to the Tactics and Terrain of Battle (National Geographic). The folks at National Geographic were nice enough to send a review copy and I am speechless. A beautiful presentation, all glossy with excellent maps, narrative, and photos. Broken down by a year-to-year presentation with excellent writing. A first class and big book that is easily worth the $40 price tag!

• West Pointers and the Civil War

  Chris

  27 Oct 2009 | 7:44 pm

  I received a few days ago my advanced review copy of Wayne Wei-Siang Hsieh’s West Pointers and the Civil War: The Old Army in War and Peace (Civil War America). Hsieh challenges studies that claim field fortifications and defensive positions were to make the decisive difference in battle during the Civil War. Instead, Hsieh argues, there were other factors such as leadership, morale, and troop strength that played a key role in the outcome of battles. I have spent some time looking through the book and can’t wait to get to it…. only question is when?!?!?!

• American Exceptionalism: Continued….

  Chris

  26 Oct 2009 | 8:55 pm

  I got a chance to look through my recently arrived copy of John Keegan’s book and I am already enjoying it. Some interesting comments just in his introduction alone he writes, “Had the battle [Bull Run] gone the other way, as it might so easily have done, the war might have been concluded more quickly and at a much lower cost both to North and South.” An interesting comment that I am not sure I agree with. But nonetheless, a great book thus far. For instance, Chapter One, Mr. Keegan starts off by discussing, of all things, American Exceptionalism! What, has he not been…

• 
  New York History

• This Week's New York History Web Highlights

  John Warren

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am

  Old Salt Blog: 250th Anniversary of the Spencer Riot NYCO’s Blog: Happy birthday, Fairmount Fair New York Public Library Blog: Charting the Future Inside the Apple: History of Yankee Ticker Tape Parades Virtual Dime Museum: The Coney Island Bowery Inside the Apple: William Jay Gaynor, Assassinated Mayor Ephemeral NY: The Squatters of 'Hardlucksville' Confessions of a Preservationist: Saving Main

• This Week's Top New York History News

  John Warren

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  Mass. State Library May Close Rockwell Museum Opens Major Exhibit 1845 Wesleyan Methodist Church Left To Rot Civil War Statue Gets A Sword RPI President is Highest Paid in The Country

• The Real Peter Stuyvesant? New Netherlands Fiction

  John Warren

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:13 am

  Bill Greer (a trustee of the New Netherland Institute) will talk about painting a portrait of New Netherland in a work of fiction, using his novel The Mevrouw Who Saved Manhattan: A Novel of New Amsterdam and the life of Peter Stuyvesant, Director general of the New Netherland colony. The event will take place on November 19th at the Hagaman Historical Society, Pawling Hall, 86 Pawling Street,

• Rensselaer Co. Historical Society's Uncle Sam Exhibition

  John Warren

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

  The Rensselaer County Historical Society and Museum (RCHS) will become the new home for Uncle Sam and his story with the opening of its new permanent exhibition Uncle Sam: The Man in Life and Legend on Wednesday, November 11, 5-7 p.m., at 57 Second Street in Troy.Samuel 'Uncle Sam' Wilson (1766-1854) is undoubtedly Troy¹s most famous son. Arriving in Troy in the late 18th century and

• 'Mostly Spruce And Hemlock' Book Party in Tupper

  John Warren

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am

  A book-release party for the reprint of the classic Adirondack history “Mostly Spruce and Hemlock” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009 at the Goff-Nelson Memorial Library, 41 Lake St., in Tupper Lake. The party will feature brief comments from library officials, Tupper Lake Free Press Publisher Dan McClelland, index author Carol Payment Poole, and publisher Andy Flynn.

• 
  Gil Troy

• The Moderometer: Charting Obama’s Zig-Zag, September 28 to October 12

  giltroy

  18 Oct 2009 | 10:57 pm

  By Gil Troy, HNN, 10-19-09 Mr. Troy is Professor of History at McGill University in Montreal and a Visiting Scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, DC. His latest book is: Leading from the Center: Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents (Basic Books). This is part of an ongoing project to track the ideological shifts of the Obama administration. Click here to read the initial installment. Key search phrase for other installments in this series: “The Moderometer” For better or for worse, the media has largely ignored President Obama’s legislative efforts during the…

• Snow(e) Job: Tokenism is not Bipartisanship

  giltroy

  18 Oct 2009 | 10:31 pm

  By Gil Troy, HNN, 10-16-09 When Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine voted for the Senate Finance Committee’s health bill this week, Democrats rejoiced. “We have today a bipartisan bill,” White House Press Secretary Joe Gibbs exulted. While it made sense for Democrats to welcome Snowe’s support after an excruciating, high-stakes process, one moderate maverick crossing the aisle does not make the bill truly bipartisan. Mistaking a deviation for a trend in politics is like mistaking one defection for a peace treaty during wartime. Wherever one stands on the health care debate,…

• Obama’s prize: Noble hopes in an ignoble world

  giltroy

  13 Oct 2009 | 12:58 am

  By Gil Troy, Toronto Globe and Mail, 10-10-09 As liberals rejoice in Barack Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize and conservatives grumble, let’s be honest: It is too early too tell. Awarding this prize either may be prescient or premature. Regardless, the award reflects the noble aspirations of the award committee and the prize winner. The committee beautifully described Mr. Obama’s greatest accomplishment thus far. “Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the citation says. The…

• The Moderometer, Charting Obama’s Zig-Zag, September 3 to 27

  giltroy

  6 Oct 2009 | 12:52 am

  By Gil Troy, HNN, 10-5-09 Mr. Troy is Professor of History at McGill University in Montreal and a Visiting Scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, DC. His latest book is: Leading from the Center: Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents (Basic Books). This is part of an ongoing project to track the ideological shifts of the Obama administration. Click here to read the initial installment. Key search phrase for other installments in this series: “The Moderometer” The past several weeks have seen Obama’s search for a centrist position on health care grow more urgent.

• Playing the Race Card Makes for Ugly Politics

  giltroy

  18 Sep 2009 | 12:51 am

  By Gil Troy, Globe and Mail, 9-18-09 [Gil Troy, a professor of history at McGill University and visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, is the author of Leading from the Center: Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents and The Reagan Revolution: A Very Short Introduction.] Barack Obama’s election to the presidency was supposed to usher in a new, more mature era of race relations, but it could not evoke nirvana. There’s a growing chorus complaining that this summer’s hostility to his stimulus package, to his health-care reform and to Mr. Obama himself is…

• 
  Wig-Wags

• National Geographic’s New Atlas of the Civil War

  Rene Tyree

  3 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pm

  Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: National Geographic (October 20, 2009) Language: English ISBN-10: 1426203470 ISBN-13: 978-1426203473 Product Dimensions: 13.7 x 10.7 x 1.1 inches The good folks at National Geographic sent me a review copy of their new Atlas of the Civil War: A Comprehensive Guide to the Tactics and the Terrain of Battle. I’m impressed. This is one of those books that as a kid I would spread out on the floor in front of the fire and lose myself in for hours. It’s FULL size means just that. Images that many of us have seen for years, and many we’ve never seen,…

• On the Hunt for Sources on David G. Farragut’s Leadership

  Rene Tyree

  31 Oct 2009 | 7:37 am

  I’ve decided choose as topic for the research paper I’m writing for my current class, the leadership of David G. Farragut during the New Orleans Campaign. I’m on the hunt for both primary and secondary sources. Let me know if you have recommendations. Portrait of Rear Adm. David G. Farragut, officer of the Federal Navy (Vice Adm. from Dec. 3, 1864) Source: Library of Congress LC-B813- 1561 A Tagged: American Civil War, Civil War Naval History, David G. Farragut, Library of Congress images, New Orleans Campaign

• Book Review: Jefferson Davis and His Generals – The Failure of Confederate Command in the West

  Rene Tyree

  27 Oct 2009 | 5:19 pm

  STEVEN E. WOODWORTH. Jefferson Davis and His Generals: The Failure of Confederate Command in the WestLawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas. 1990. Pp. xv, 380. $16.95. Much has been written about the political and military genius of Abraham Lincoln and the successful leader he grew to be while Commander in Chief of a fractured union.  But as the country divided and civil war became a reality, a new leader was called upon to assume the role of Commander in Chief for the Confederacy, the seasoned Jefferson Davis.  At the precipice of war, betting men looking at the comparative…

• The War of 1812 in the Age of Napoleon by Jeremy Black

  Rene Tyree

  25 Oct 2009 | 1:53 pm

  The good folks at the University of Oklahoma Press forwarded a review copy of Jeremy Black’s new book, The War of 1812 in the Age of Napoleon. In my usual fashion, I am making an initial post about the book before a full reading. ISBN: 978-0-8061-4078-0 Hardcover 288 pages 6″ x 9″ x 0″ 1 B&W Illus., 3 Maps Published: 2009, Oklahoma University Press Jeremy Black (Photo: athens.edu) The quick perusal reveals several compelling reasons for recommending the book. First, it is written from “an Atlantic vantage point, which accounts for its contribution to the…

• 200,000th View of Wig Wags

  Rene Tyree

  14 Oct 2009 | 7:46 pm

  A moment of celebration for the 200,000th view of Wig Wags that occurred sometime today. Many thanks to those who have stopped by. Ahem.  Carry on… OH and thanks to Gabriel Pollard for the photo. Tagged: Blogging, wigwags blog

• 
  Progressive Historians: History For Our Future

• Friday Ramblings, November 5

  AndrewMc

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:01 am

  This will be a relatively short entry. It's that time of the semester, when grading comes crushing down, and conferences serve to distract. I'm at the Southern Historical Association annual meeting... (Read the full post at ProgressiveHistorians.)

• Friday Ramblings, October 30

  AndrewMc

  30 Oct 2009 | 10:01 am

  I consider myself an environmentalist, despite having once eating whale meat. I was a vegetarian for more than 10 years, and a strict vegan for some of those. And while I again eat meat, I do so... (Read the full post at ProgressiveHistorians.)

• "The Lord Places People in This or That Country"

  Winter Rabbit

  29 Oct 2009 | 7:38 pm

  Columbus’s first voyage in 1492 combined with his religious motivations for making it led Pope Alexander VI to issue a Papal Bull in 1493. Pope Alexander VI ordered Ferdinand and Isabella to... (Read the full post at ProgressiveHistorians.)

• Looking for AHA panelist, 2011 conference, religion/rationality focus

  Jeremy Young

  27 Oct 2009 | 4:00 am

  My colleague Elizabeth Nelson and I are in the opening stages of putting together a conference panel proposal for the AHA conference in Boston in 2011 (submission deadline: February 15 of next year).... (Read the full post at ProgressiveHistorians.)

• Breast Cancer Awareness Day

  AndrewMc

  26 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am

  This topic is neither exclusively progressive, nor particularly confined to historical study, per se. But is it important. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the fourth Monday in... (Read the full post at ProgressiveHistorians.)

• 
  Soldiers of the 38th

• Private Melvin Edgar Horkins

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:35 pm

  Born on 31 May 1897 in Grand Forks, North Dakota - son of Edward Horkins, Winnipeg, Manitoba - at the time of his enlistment in 1916: present address same as father, trade as student, single, no current military service, previously served with the 407th Highland Cadets (three years), Methodist, height of 5 feet 5.5 inches, chest of 36.5 inches fully expanded, fair complexion, grey eyes, brown hair.Joined the 97th Battalion, CEF, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on 8 March 1916 (number 261011) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 12 or 13 February 1917 - wounded on 9 April 1917 -…

• Private Albert Hopkins

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:32 pm

  Born on 14 July 1878 in Wisalis, California - son of Mary E. Hopkins, Fresno, California - at the time of his enlistment in 1916: present address in Quebec, trade as freight handler, single, no current or previous military service, Presbyterian, height of 5 feet 6 inches, chest of 39 inches fully expanded, fair complexion, blue eyes, reddish hair.Joined the 207th Battalion, CEF, on 19 September 1916 (number 246700) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 26 or 27 September 1917 - invalided sick to England on 17 January 1918.(sources: Library and Archives Canada…

• Private Robert Hope

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:28 pm

  Born on 21 February 1900 in Stalybridge, Lancashire, England - son of Mrs. Hope, Vancouver, British Columbia - at the time of his enlistment in 1916: trade as messenger, single, currently a member of the 11th Regiment The Irish Fusiliers of Canada (two months), no previous military service, Church of England, height of 5 feet 4 inches, chest of 34.5 inches fully expanded, fair complexion, grey eyes, brown hair.Joined the 121st Battalion, CEF, in New Westminster, British Columbia, on 11 January 1916 (number 760785) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 15 November 1916 -…

• Private William John Sparling Hooper

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:21 pm

  Born on 21 December 1891 in Beulah, Manitoba - son of William Hooper, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan - brother of Miss V.E. Hooper, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan - at the time of his enlistment in 1915: trade as student, single, no current or previous military service, Wesleyan, height of 5 feet 7 inches, chest of 36.5 inches fully expanded, fair complexion, blue eyes, dark hair.Joined the 38th Battalion, CEF, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on 19 March 1915 (number 411091) - transferred to Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry on 17 July 1915 - [then what] - rejoined Princess Patricia's Canadian Light…

• Private Nelson Alexander Hooper

  4 Nov 2009 | 6:18 pm

  Born on 5 September 1898 in Eastport, Maine - son of Gertrude Laghton[?], Eastport, Maine - at the time of his enlistment in 1916: present address in Eastport, Maine, trade as labourer, single, no current or previous military service, Baptist, height of 5 feet 5 inches, chest of 31 inches fully expanded, fair complexion, blue eyes, fair hair.Joined the 97th Battalion, CEF, in Aldershot, Nova Scotia, on 10 September 1916 (number 1033299) - taken on the strength of the 38th Battalion, CEF, on 26 or 27 September 1918 - struck off the strength of the 38th Battalion on 16 June 1919.(sources:…

• 
  USHistoryBlog.com

• Gettysburg: One Man's Visit

  klkatz

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:41 pm

  I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm an excitable reader. By this, I mean that I get excited about reading, and usually try to bite off more than I can chew. But this is never a bad thing.When it comes to books, I have a problem. I rarely finish them. This is probably due to my excitability around books and the subjects they cover. I'll read 90% and gladly pick up another if the mood suits me. I'll read 4, 5, 6 books at one time. And as a dedicated teacher and father it is hard to find time to sit back and relax with a good book.This weekend is no different. I'm going to Gettysburg,…

• Top Ten US History Inspired Halloween Costumes

  klkatz

  28 Oct 2009 | 4:26 pm

  The following comes from an email I received from my good friends at Shmoop.com - Shmoop is an awesome site for teachers and students. It's history and literature lessons with a twist...Check out the links below...This Halloween, scare up some fun with these US history and lit-inspired costumes Ten US History-Inspired Halloween Costumes1. Put on a three-corner hat and cape, pull a cardboard boat around your waist, and pose as George Washington crossing the Delaware during the American Revolution. 2. Dress up as Benjamin Franklin with a kite and singed hair. Be careful around the French maids.

• Still Out there....

  klkatz

  25 Oct 2009 | 6:25 am

  It's been some time since I've addressed this blog. A few things have been happening. I have a 3 month old son, and as always my role as teacher, and now athletic director and father take away much of my time. A big thank you to those that still keep me in your "inbox" and RSS feeds. There will be much more for me to contribute in due time. I've taken steps to simplify my life - perhaps from a new found perspective of fatherhood - and this blog and is something I love to do... and thus, will be part of that simplified life.I know I've promised some of you the opportunity to contribute to…

• Daily History Quiz

  klkatz

  22 Oct 2009 | 9:14 am

  For fun... here's a site where you can test your American history knowledge. Enjoy a new contest everyday.http://www.historynet.com/quiz This content is copyrighted. Copyright (c) 2009 - Original post at USHistoryBlog.com Part of the USHistorySite.com Network.

• USHistoryQuotes.com

  klkatz

  24 Sep 2009 | 9:36 pm

  An ongoing project to add to the success of USHistorySite.com, I've recently launched USHistoryQuotes.com.USHistoryQuotes.com will have more than just quotes from presidents and your cliche Americans, but will also include important and more obscure statesmen, athletes, activists and artists.Would love to get some suggestions from my readers as to who should be included on the site. In other words... who do you think is quote worthy?This content is copyrighted. Copyright (c) 2009 - Original post at USHistoryBlog.com Part of the USHistorySite.com Network.

• 
  The Virtual Dime Museum

• Amazing Inventions From 1909

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:16 am

  This has nothing to do with Brooklyn or mysteries. There will be more of that next week but too much of the same thing makes even someone very interested in, just for example, Brooklyn and mysteries (i.e. me) just a little bit - bored! And it's Friday, which means it is time for something fun and amusing. So here is something fun from the April 1909 issue of Popular Mechanics. Take a look at some of the cutting-edge inventions that were in the news! (You can see the big version of the inventions page over here at Google Books, bu the way). For example: -The Dog Sweater - I had no idea it was…

• The Coney Island Bowery

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:37 am

  The Bowery at Coney Island was a plank street laid out in 1882 by George C. Tilyou, one of the pioneer developers of Coney Island as a summer resort and amusement complex. It was named for the Bowery, the oldest street in Manhattan - which by the 1880s had a reputation as a rather shady place lined with cheap amusements, saloons and flophouses. Originally a little alleyway between larger streets running down to the sea, the Coney Island Bowery was enhanced by the wooden planking and gave it a new importance. Tilyou's idea was to give people  a quick route past the amusement places which…

• Justus For Hair

  2 Nov 2009 | 5:59 am

  Dr. Justus August - who may or may not be the splendidly bearded man in this advertisement from 1901 (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 15, 1901, p. 31) - shows us that even over 100 years ago (and much earlier than this, too), people were concerned about going grey. The Hair Rejuvenator was a device "applied with electricity" and was supposed to stimulate regrowth and prevent greying.  Dr. August's Hair Coloring, advertised in small print at the bottom, was of course for dealing with the grey hair you already had. It had no "sugar of lead" in it - which sounds like a good thing.

• I Lift My Lamp Beside the Laundry Soap

  30 Oct 2009 | 12:20 pm

  This cartoon is from an 1884 issue of Life (Vol. 3, p.326): commentary on the plastering of ads everywhere in New York City which is relevant today, too. The ad on Liberty's arm looks like a tattoo, doesn't it? Of course Lungoria and Snook's Laundry Soap were not real products, but the names are close enough to what actual soap and medicines were called. As some of you may know, November 1 starts National Novel Writing Month and therefore until December 1 I will be (in theory) writing at least 1700 words a day in order to make a 50,000 word first draft appear in my hard drive. So by necessity…

• The Haunted Reptile House

  28 Oct 2009 | 11:42 am

  Charley Snyder was the head keeper of the New York Zoological Society - also known as the Bronx Zoo - in 1915. And he had a huge problem on his hands that summer: all the keepers of the reptile house were convinced that it was haunted by an unknown ghost. This ghost whistled every morning, around opening time,  from a window at the southeast corner of the reptile house. At first, of course, some of the men thought that it was a practical joke. For two weeks everyone checked the window several times a day, trying to catch the culprit. But there was no whistler there. Some thought it might…

• 
  History Is Elementary

• Glober Trekker

  4 Nov 2009 | 8:22 am

  I have this deep dark secret.I’ve never really shared it with anyone.My secret doesn’t exactly fit the image many have of me….the quiet unassuming married school marm who in the past has lugged home not just one but two large bags each night filled to capacity with papers to grade, materials to review and to plan lessons with, paperwork to complete, and an assortment of other effects that teachers just seem to accumulate.Teachers just have that image...always doing the right thing, always saying the right thing, always being where they are expected to be, but I have this desire…If I…

• ....If the Creeks Don't Rise

  26 Oct 2009 | 7:56 pm

  There are so many interesting points to bring up when discussing the War of 1812 – the writing of the Star Spangled Banner, the tornado that actually killed more British during the Washington D.C. invasion than bullets, General Andrew Jackson’s successful attempt to unite the people of New Orleans for its defense, Dolly Madison’s quick action to save the Gilbert Stuart painting of President George Washington – and the list goes on.It’s sad really that so few Americans know about this time in American history, but I believe our first performance on the world stage defending American…

• Staking My Claim...Again

  12 Oct 2009 | 6:35 am

  Some things just bear repeating.I’ve been at the beach…again…for the last couple of days, so it’s more than appropriate to share a repeat of an earlier post written on this very same beach three years ago this month…..Mr. EHT and I were up and out very early this morning enjoying yet another sunrise on MY beach.It is not lost on me how things change….and how they remain the same.Enjoy my post I Conquer This Beach in the Name of ElementaryHistoryTeacher!

• Lovely Latin

  8 Oct 2009 | 6:40 am

  Somehow or another I tend to trip down the path of Latin around the time of year students examine Ancient Indians . Since so many of our references to time refer to B.C. I launch into a discussion regarding our system of time reference.B.C. and A.D.We learn about the Julian and Gregorian calendars and discuss the entire Before Christ (B.C.) or Before the Common Era (B.C.E.) thing.We learn that the Anno Domini dating system came to be mainly to figure out the dates for the Christian Eastern observance by a monk fondly remembered as Dennis the Little or Dennis the Short. The name was devised…

• Parallel

  23 Sep 2009 | 6:26 pm

  Out of all the historical content I have shared with students over the years the content that I find most satisfying to share with them is the information and activities I present regarding how our government came to be and how it works. As citizens we are all about our rights….in fact, these days it seems we all overdose a little about what government should be doing for us. We often forget that an important aspect of being a citizen of the United States involves not just having a laundry list of rights….that list includes responsibilities as well. YES! There are things that WE….we the…

• 
  Discovery News - History

• New Titanic Expedition Could Launch in 2010

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:00 am

  A salvage crew may revisit the world's most famous shipwreck in 2010.

• Earhart's Final Resting Place Believed Found

  23 Oct 2009 | 12:30 pm

  Legendary aviator Amelia Earhart mostly likely died on an tropical island in the southwestern Pacific.

• World Not Ending in 2012, Says NASA

  22 Oct 2009 | 12:15 pm

  NASA tries to debunk fears spread by the marketing campaign for the apocalyptic film, "2012."

• Ancient Mosaic Reveals Artisans' Footprints

  19 Oct 2009 | 10:15 am

  Footprints said to be 1,700 years old have emerged from one of Israel's largest and finest mosaics.

• Great Science Hoaxes

  16 Oct 2009 | 11:00 am

  A look at some of the great sciences myths and hoaxes in recent years.

• 
  O Say Can You See?

• The pit, the pacifier, and the pennies

  NMAH

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:15 am

  When curator David Shayt passed away around the time the museum reopened in fall 2008, I inherited one of his many collections. Which is why I found myself this morning at the bottom of a deep, dark shaft in the museum’s basement with a supervisor, a lighting technician, and a hastily-recruited volunteer all crammed into the tiny space. We were in the “pit” for the gigantic 13-ton piston in the Power Machinery exhibition, which is the only exhibit hall left of the original 1964 museum exhibits. The piston is from a colossal 1904 steam engine that made electricity…

• Recipe of the Week: Julia Child's Beouf Bourguignon

  NMAH

  2 Nov 2009 | 9:30 am

  Today’s post is the eleventh in a series of weekly Julia Child recipes. This week’s contributor is Joe Criste, an exhibits specialist who headed-up the team that dismantled Julia’s Cambridge kitchen and reassembled it at the National Museum of American History. It took Joe and two other chefs three days to make boeuf bourguignon…was it worth it?  “The best beef stew known to man” The covered, enameled cast-iron pot that sits on Julia’s stove was ideal for the long simmer in the oven required for this stew. Julia made Boeuf Bourguignon on the very first episode of The…

• Want to change your seven-year-old's life?

  Jenny Wei

  30 Oct 2009 | 8:00 am

  Many of the staff who work here at the National Museum of American History are “museum advocates” (AKA fans). Not only do we love visiting museums, but we believe in their power; for many of us, museum work becomes a life-long career. But there are plenty of museum advocates in the world who work outside of museums, can’t afford museum memberships, or don’t get to walk into a museum 5 days a week. They just love museums and try to get them into their lives and into the lives of the people around them. Researchers have recently discovered that most people who grow up to be museum…

• Internet uttered "lo" forty years ago

  Shannon Perich

  29 Oct 2009 | 10:50 am

  On the bottom edge of this pigment print (a type of digitally printed photograph) by Robert Weingarten, is the text “29 Oct 69 22:30 Talked to SRI Host to Host.” It seems rather innocuous but, in fact, the quiet success it records enables you to read this very blog. Forty years ago, the first Internet message, under the supervision of Leonard Kleinrock, was sent to the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) from the UCLA computer lab. The “CSK” you see on the right edge of the image stands for Charley Klein, who recorded the log entry. According to…

• Putting names with the faces of braceros

  NMAH

  28 Oct 2009 | 9:44 am

  I was interning at the National Museum of American History when I first encountered the photographic images of Leonard Nadel, who spent several years photographing bracero communities throughout the Southwestern United States and Mexico. I looked through the collection anxiously, thinking that perhaps I would find an image one of my uncles who participated in the Bracero Program. I never found them. But as we started collecting oral histories the possibility of coming across the men featured in these pictures seemed plausible. Like my own relatives, these men had names and I wanted to…

• 
  Page in History

• "The War That Killed Achilles"

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:39 am

  New History Books of NoteAmazonian Prospective (5 customer reviews) 5 star: (3) 4 star: (1) 3 star: (0) 2 star: (0) 1 star: (1) The One-Star review says: "I would give it 5 stars for regurgitating trivial knowledge, 3 stars for being a competent plot summary with about a dozen sentences with interesting insights, and a zero for actually

• The Sad Case of the Nazca People

  4 Nov 2009 | 11:12 am

  As if to prove Jared Diamond correct (Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed), the Nazca people of southern Peru, have the joined the dubious ranks of peoples that have brought about their own destruction by trashing their environment. Like the Eastern Island people, they cut down all their trees, an act which led to their eventual starvation. DiscoveryNews (Nov. 2, 2009) reports on a

• Mystery of the Falklands Wolf - solved or not?

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:50 am

  Despite the fact that TheIndependent intimates that the Puzzle of the Falklands Wolf is close to being resolved, that certainly isn't the case. There may be some new evidence, but scientist remain as puzzled as today as Charles Darwin was a century ago.The puzzle, if you aren't familiar with it, is how the heck these large mammals came to inhabit the Falklands when these isles are so far away

• Spinning Tales ~ the 140 Million Year Old Spider Web

  31 Oct 2009 | 10:09 pm

  Humans were certainly not around when dinosaurs reigned, but apparently spiders were.The Telegraph.uk.co is reporting that a fossil hunter has discovered what looks to be a spider web. (I don't see it, but it might be the photos that leave me clueless.)The report says: The amber was found by an amateur fossil hunter whilst looking for dinosaur remains, and was handed over to palaeobiologist

• Happy Halloween! Evil Historical Spirits in the News

  31 Oct 2009 | 10:51 am

  This cute little 17th-century "witch" bottle was discovered in Staffordshire during a September archaeological dig.The National Geo reports that: In the 17th and 18th centuries in Britain, the supposedly cursed often put their toenails and fingernails, urine, and hair into the witch bottles. These jugs, usually buried near a house or building, were meant to keep evildoers at bay. Read

• 
  19th Century History

• Anniversary of Lincoln's Election

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:12 pm

  On November 6, 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected president in one of the most significant elections in American history. Lincoln, who had barely been known outside Illinois a year earlier, had engineered a brilliant campaign which took off after he gave a speech in New York City that made him a suddenly prominent voice against slavery and the politicians who accepted it. Lincoln was elected without a single electoral vote from the south. And the news of his election as president prompted a number of southern states to make good on their threats to secede from the Union. By the time of…

• Why Do Americans Vote on a Tuesday in November?

  2 Nov 2009 | 2:27 am

  Americans in various places will go the polls and vote on Election Day tomorrow. Ever wonder why a Tuesday in November is designated as Election Day? The tradition is a throwback to the way people lived more than 200 years ago. Early November provided a chance for people to travel to the polls between bringing in the harvest and settling down for the worst weather of the winter. As for Tuesday, there were concerns about people not having to travel on the sabbath. In 1845 the US Congress made a tradition the law, mandating that the presidential elections would be held every four years on the…

• Photography of the 19th Century at the British Library

  29 Oct 2009 | 3:07 pm

  The British Library is unveiling a major exhibit of 19th century photography designed to show off a sampling of the library's vast photographic collection. The exhibit, titled Points of View, has an online component which can be enjoyed even if you can't get to London. The exhibit contains several main sections, which focus on such topics as portraits, scientific photographs, and foreign scenes. As might be expected, there are striking images, such as an 1867 photograph of Stonehenge, a portrait of Oscar Wilde staring at the camera, and a classic shot of the hippo which arrived at a London…

• The Spooky 1800s

  25 Oct 2009 | 5:47 pm

  The 1800s may be remembered for science and industry, but the century also had a very weird supernatural side. A pair of young sisters in a village in New York State kicked off an international craze for spiritualism, a legendary and very nasty spirit terrorized a farmer and his family in Tennessee, and a First Lady of the United States not only encountered ghosts in the White House, she invited more to visit. And then there was also poor Joe Baldwin, a railroader who lost his head in a horrific train accident but kept swinging his lantern along the tracks for years afterward. Darwin's ideas…

• Did Mrs. O'Leary's Cow Start the Great Chicago Fire?

  22 Oct 2009 | 3:23 pm

  As the ruins of the Great Chicago Fire cooled in October 1871 a rumor began to spread from the devastated city to the rest of the world. And nothing could stop people from believing that a cow being milked by Mrs. Catherine O'Leary had kicked over a kerosene lantern to start the calamitous blaze. Was the story true? Was Chicago really destroyed by a rambunctious cow? The story appeared in a Chicago newspaper, and within weeks the story had spread to newspapers in other cities. An article in the New York Times a month later mentioned that the official commission investigating the cause of the…

• 
  20th Century History

• The First Peanuts Cartoon Strip

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:35 am

  We all love Snoopy and sympathize with Charlie Brown. Yet when did the Peanuts cartoon strip first appear? Which characters were in the very first four panels?The First Peanuts Cartoon Strip originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 13:35:41.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• When Does the Past Become History?

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:23 pm

  A recent BBC History Magazine survey asked readers, "When do events in the past become history?" The survey received 1,897 votes. The most popular answer, with 31 percent of the vote, was that the past becomes history a second ago. The next most popular answer also considered the past turning to history quite quickly, with 28 percent of the voters responding that the past turns to history within ten years. Answers that ranged from 20 to 50 years ago each received one to six percent of the vote. A few (4 percent) believed that events were only history if they occurred before that individual…

• High Hopes for New SS Memoir

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:00 pm

  Fritz Darges, the last surviving member of Hitler's inner circle, passed away at the age of 96 on October 24, 2009. Darges' will stipulated that upon his death his memoirs would be published. Since Darges was very close to Hitler, some historians hope his memoirs may contain an eye-witness account to Hitler giving verbal orders for the Final Solution. For more of the story, see this Telegraph article.High Hopes for New SS Memoir originally appeared on About.com 20th Century History on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 23:00:53.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• Restoring a Section of the Berlin Wall

  4 Nov 2009 | 2:05 pm

  When the Berlin Wall toppled in 1989, most of the Wall was chiseled away or taken down. However, there was one long stretch that remained and artists from around the world came to Berlin and painted murals on it. Unfortunately, time and the elements have worn down those paintings. In order to prepare this stretch of the Berlin Wall for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the same artists who painted the original murals were asked to come back to Berlin and repaint their murals once again. To prepare the section of the Berlin Wall for the new art, the disintegrating old murals…

• Is It Wrong for Relatives of Top Nazis to Sell Memorabilia?

  29 Oct 2009 | 2:50 am

  Recently, the grandson of Auschwitz commander Rudolf Hoess contacted Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Israel, via a letter. In this letter, Reiner Hoess offered to sell the museum rare artifacts that had belonged to his grandfather. The objects included a fireproof box that was a gift from Heinrich Himmler, a letter opener, pictures of Auschwitz that have never been seen before, and letters written by Hoess when he was imprisoned in Krakow before he was executed. Yad Vashem was disgusted by the offer. They would accept the items as a donation, but would never pay for them. Reiner Hoess…

• 
  About.com: African History

• The Afrikaner Broederbond: What Was It?

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:10 pm

  In June 1918 disaffected Afrikaners were brought together in a new organization called Jong Suid-Afrika (Young South Africa). The following year its name was changed to the Afrikaner Broederbond (AB). The organization had one main aim: to further Afrikaner nationalism in South Africa - to maintain Afrikaner culture, develop an Afrikaner economy, and to gain control of the South African government. Find Out More... See Also: Apartheid FAQThe Afrikaner Broederbond: What Was It? originally appeared on About.com African History on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 00:10:37.Permalink | Comment | Email…

• Biography: Sonni Ali

  4 Nov 2009 | 4:10 pm

  The West African monarch who ruled Songhai from 1464 to 1492. Sonni Ali expanded a small kingdom along the Niger River into one of medieval Africa's greatest empires.There are two main sources of information about Sonni Ali. One is in the Islamic chronicles of the period, the other is through Songhai oral tradition. These sources reflect two different interpretations of Sonni Ali's role in the development of the Songhai Empire. Find out more...Biography: Sonni Ali originally appeared on About.com African History on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 00:10:00.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• How Many Slaves Were Taken from Africa?

  2 Nov 2009 | 4:10 pm

  Information on how many slaves were shipped from Africa across the Atlantic to the Americas during the sixteenth century can only be estimated as very few records exist for this period. But from the seventeenth century onwards, increasingly accurate records, such as ship manifests, are available. Find out more about how many slaves were taken from Africa and where they came from... How Many Slaves Were Taken from Africa? originally appeared on About.com African History on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 00:10:00.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• This Day in African History -- Britain, France Bomb Egypt

  30 Oct 2009 | 5:10 pm

  On 31 October 1956, following a 12 hour ultimatum to Egypt and Israel, British and French forces bombard military airfields near Cairo in the Suez Canal Zone. Colonel Nasser calls it "an attack on the rights and dignity of Egypt." US officials, convinced that they are working in collusion with Israel, censure Britain and France during a UN Security Council debate, requesting that "all UN members refrain from the use of force or threat of force and refrain from giving aid to Israel." For more on the Suez Crisis • Timeline: The Suez Crisis • The Tripartite Invasion, 1956 • Key…

• This Day in African History -- The Rumble in the Jungle

  29 Oct 2009 | 5:10 pm

  The Rumble in the Jungle was the boxing match which took place on 30 October 1974 at the May 20 Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), between the current world heavyweight champion George Forman and former world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. Don King, in his first outing as a professional boxing promoter, raised a match purse, to be shared equally by the contestants, of $10 million. President Joseph Désiré Mobutu (actually he had renamed himself Mobutu Sese Seko in '72) of Zaire thought it a good investment - international publicity for Mobutu and…

• 
  About.com: American History

• November 6, 1860 - Electing Lincoln

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:04 pm

  On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected in what was a truly significant election. The choice of Lincoln to be the 16th president was so divisive that before Lincoln was even inaugurated on March 4, 1861, seven states seceded from the union. After Fort Sumter, four more states seceded bringing the total up to 11. November 6, 1860 - Electing Lincoln originally appeared on About.com American History on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 00:04:39.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• President William McKinley Elected to His First Term

  2 Nov 2009 | 4:03 pm

  President William McKinley was elected on November 3, 1896 over Democrat William Jennings Bryan. He would go on to win a second term and then be assassinated while in office. During his time in office, the US fought in the Spanish-American War. He also was a strong believer in manifest destiny. He said, ""We need Hawaii just as much and a good deal more than we did California. It is Manifest Destiny." President William McKinley Elected to His First Term originally appeared on About.com American History on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 00:03:23.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• The Silver State

  30 Oct 2009 | 5:15 pm

  On October 31, 1864, Nevada became the 36th state to be admitted to the union. The first settlement in Nevada was Genoa which is located near Carson City. It was originally called Mormon Station, as it was settled by Mormon pioneers in 1849. Nevada is the seventh largest state (110,540 sq mi), and has a population of over two million people. The Silver State originally appeared on About.com American History on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 00:15:51.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• Grenada Invasion

  27 Oct 2009 | 5:54 pm

  On October 25, 1983, the United States led an assault on the island nation with over 1,000 troops. The force also consisted of 300 additional troops from the Caribbean. President Ronald Reagan authorized the attack because of possible links to the Soviet Union and Cuba. The military forces found documents and weapons stockpiles that proved the connection. The United States has been involved in many wars throughout its history. Track US involvement using this timeline. Grenada Invasion originally appeared on About.com American History on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 00:54:28.Permalink |…

• Connecticut Colony

  24 Oct 2009 | 5:14 pm

  These fast facts on the Connecticut Colony, one of the original thirteen colonies, can help give you understand the reason for its founding and key events that occurred during Connecticut's colonial history. Connecticut Colony originally appeared on About.com American History on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 00:14:52.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• 
  About.com: Ancient History

• Who Was Agrippina the Younger?

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:40 am

  © The Trustees of the British Museum, produced by Natalia Bauer for the Portable Antiquities Scheme.On November 6 in 15 (or 16) B.C. Agrippina the Younger (Agrippina minor) was born at Ara Ubiorum, in Germany. Her name was Julia Agrippina. She was a daughter of Agrippina the Elder and the very popular Germanicus Julius Caesar. Emperor Caligula was her brother and Emperor Claudius was her uncle, as well as a husband. To an earlier husband, Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus, Agrippina the Younger bore Nero, who became emperor after the death of his step-father Claudius. Agrippina was suspected of…

• This Week in Ancient History

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:07 am

  On this week in ancient history, the Ludi Plebeii 'Plebeian Games' continued; Emperor Theodosius banned pagan worship; the future emperor Nerva was born; and two important Christians, Martin of Tours and Augustine, died. Read more about this week in November in Ancient History Emperor Theodosius Coin Photo © Trustees of the British Museum, produced by Natalia Bauer for the Portable Antiquities SchemeThis Week in Ancient History originally appeared on About.com Ancient / Classical History on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 09:07:06.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• Thursday's Term to Learn - Plutocracy

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:13 am

  In his first satire, Juvenal asks if he has to sit back, listening to all the rantings going on around him. By line 30 he has covered so much of what he thinks is wrong with his society that he comments difficile est saturam non scribere'It's hard to not-write satire.' This programmatic satire flashed through my mind when this morning's Today Show announced that Goldman Sachs had received 200 doses of the H1N1 vaccine. If there were adequate supplies to go around, it wouldn't have raised an eyebrow, but there aren't, yet. Immediate questions are of the type: Why does Wall Street get…

• Wordless Wednesday - Guess Who

  3 Nov 2009 | 10:55 pm

  © The Trustees of the British Museum, produced by Natalia Bauer for the Portable Antiquities SchemeThis page may be useful: Abbreviations in Latin Inscriptions.Need more clues? Roman Emperor. One of the crazy ones. Known by a nickname. Give up? Click the image or the photo credit for the answer. Wordless Wednesday and About.com's Wordless Wednesday Wordless Wednesday - Guess Who originally appeared on About.com Ancient / Classical History on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 06:55:32.Permalink | Comment | Email this

• On This Day in Ancient History - Plebeian Games

  3 Nov 2009 | 10:50 pm

  In ancient Rome, from November 4-17, the Plebeian Aediles put on the Ludi Plebeii in the Circus Flaminius. The lovis Epulum was a great public feast put on during the games on the Ides of November. (Do you know which day was the Ides? [See When Were the Ides?]) The ludi of the ludi plebeii were both theatrical performances and circus games. Ludi ScaeniciRoman Calendar On this day in 1922, Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tut.Photo: Tutankhamen Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesOn This Day in Ancient History - Plebeian Games originally appeared on About.com Ancient / Classical History on…

• 
  About.com: Asian History

• Mexican Dollars Used in 17th - 19th Century China and Japan

  1 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am

  During the 1600s to 1800s, Spanish and then later Mexican silver dollars were the currency of choice for foreign trade in Japan and China, and entered into circulation in those countries for domestic trade as well. What were these "pieces of eight" doing so far from their mint sites? Mexican silver dollars were valued for their purity and consistency; thus, they became the standard for trade in East Asia. By the late nineteenth century, China was minting its own silver and gold coinage, and Japan began to issue paper currency instead. See samples of Mexican silver dollars used in Chinese…

• Today in Asian History - Indira Gandhi Assassinated

  31 Oct 2009 | 3:17 am

  On October 31, 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Nehru Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards. The attack likely was retaliation for Gandhi's order for the Indian Army to attack the Sikh's holiest site, the Harmandir or "Golden Temple," in September of 1981. At the time, Gandhi was trying to suppress a separatist movement in the Punjab region. In the attack on the Golden Temple, as many as 3,000 people were killed. Indira Gandhi was the first, and so far only, female prime minister in Indian history. She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister.

• Genghis Khan Comes to Denver

  28 Oct 2009 | 2:56 pm

  Science popularizer and author "Dino Don" Lessem has a new exhibit running, but this one isn't about dinosaurs. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is hosting his exhibition on Genghis Khan, which runs from October 16, 2009 to February 7, 2010. Many of the items in the exhibit have never been displayed outside of Mongolia. In addition to wonderful artifacts such as weapons, armor, jewelry and saddles, the exhibit features live performances by Mongolian musicians. The exhibit includes not only items from Genghis Khan's time, but also those from the reigns of his sons and grandsons. For…

• The Sport of Khans - Kok Boru

  25 Oct 2009 | 4:05 am

  In Afghanistan, it is known as buzkashi and is the national sport. Turkic regions of Central Asia call it kok boru. Legend says that Genghis Khan's hordes played it to refine their horsemanship skills. At its roots, it is linked with another game that we consider quite posh today - polo. So what is kok boru or buzkashi? It's a fast-paced game wherein two mounted teams battle for the headless body of a sheep, calf or goat. The object of the game is to deposit the animal within a goal ring marked on the ground. Play can get pretty rough - the riders aren't supposed to lash one another with…

• Today in Asian History: UN General Assembly Switches Chinas

  25 Oct 2009 | 3:37 am

  When the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949, foreign diplomats were left with a dilemma. Both Mao's communist government on the mainland and Chiang Kai-shek's government on Taiwan (formerly Formosa) claimed to be the legitimate representative of the Chinese people. Naturally, Cold War geopolitics also played a role - western governments were reluctant to recognize that the world's most populous country was communist, and had the clout in the UN to block recognition. In the event, it took literally decades before the international community accepted this reality. It wasn't until October 25, 1971,…

• 
  Toptenz

• 10 Images by Street Artist, Banksy

  Anne Iredale

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:01 pm

  “When you go to an art gallery, you are simply a tourist looking at the trophy cabinet of a few millionaires” – Banksy Some call it street art. Some call it graffiti. Some people love Banksy and some people hate him. His satirical artwork is on display across the world. They are sometimes humorous and sometimes, [...]

• Top 10 Evil Doctors

  Ash Grant

  3 Nov 2009 | 8:01 pm

  Doctors are said to be people that help those who are sick or in need of medical treatment. Most doctors are seen as benevolent towards society as a whole, but maybe not by those people who need to get their routine vaccinations. Though we hope our doctors are nothing less than helpful and trustworthy, throughout history, [...]

• Top 10 Richest Billionaires in the World

  TopTenz Master

  2 Nov 2009 | 8:01 pm

  The 10 Richest Billionaires in the World, and Where They Got Their Money The recession has taken its toll even on the wealthy. Recently, the World Wealth Report found that 2009 was ushered in with fewer billionaires than previously. However, there are still plenty of billionaires in the world. Indeed, even though people like Bill Gates [...]

• Top 10 Weirdest CIA Programs

  Evan Andrews

  1 Nov 2009 | 8:01 pm

  Over the years, the American Central Intelligence Agency has gained a reputation for being the most far-reaching, sophisticated, and effective government intelligence agency on the planet. At the same time, the CIA has also become known for its incredible paranoia and propensity to undertake costly, sometimes illegal, and often downright absurd projects in the name [...]

• Top 10 Most Haunted Cities in the U.S.

  Evan Andrews

  28 Oct 2009 | 9:01 pm

  Visit even the smallest of towns in the U.S. and you’re likely to hear some local ghost stories and discover a few haunted houses. But some American cities have gained the reputation for being particularly ghost-ridden thanks to their rich and often bizarre historical backgrounds. The following are ten of the most haunted cities to [...]

• 
  1776

• New History Books - November 2009

  Theodore Scott

  3 Nov 2009 | 8:59 pm

  American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane By Walter Isaacson (View on Amazon) Abigail Adams By Woody Holton (View on Amazon) A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent By Robert W. Merry (View on Amazon) Woodrow Wilson: A Biography By John Milton Cooper Jr. (View on Amazon) The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War By James Bradley (View on Amazon) Lincoln for President: An Unlikely Candidate, An Audacious Strategy, and the Victory No One Saw Coming By Bruce Chadwick (View on Amazon)…

• Oddments

  Theodore Scott

  2 Nov 2009 | 1:03 pm

  A dredge-boat, sunk by a Confederate shell on Thanksgiving Day, 1864.   James McPherson reviewed John Keegan’s new book, The American Civil War. Read the sparse, but interesting, 1869 journal turned into a blog called A Day In The Life of a Blacksmith. Early American Crime explained how Robin Hood is more American than British. PhiloBiblos reviewed Gordon S. Wood’s new book Empire of Liberty. Smithsonian Magazine explained how World War II German POWs were shipped to the United States and kept in rural areas across the country.     Related posts:New History Books -…

• Book Review: The Big Burn

  Theodore Scott

  18 Oct 2009 | 7:16 pm

  The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America, by Timothy Egan This book tells two stories. The first is about the largest wildfire in American history burning through the Pacific Northwest’s national forests in 1910. It destroyed towns and killed many people. The Forest Service was under-manned and ill-equiped. The rangers and the volunteers had no hope of stopping a fire that size. In one weekend, 3 million acres burned. The second story is about how Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot fought to set aside and protect these forests for the American people. Corrupt…

• New History Books - October 2009

  Theodore Scott

  5 Oct 2009 | 6:45 pm

  Three big name authors are releasing books in October - Gordon S. Wood, Timothy Egan, and John Keegan. Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 By Gordon S. Wood (BUY) I have just started my review copy of this book - so far, so good. Wood’s books are all very good reads to me. The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America By Timothy Egan (BUY) I have an advance copy of this book. I will post a review soon, but here’s the short version: It is awesome! The American Civil War: A Military History By John Keegan (BUY) John Keegan is a great…

• Book Review: The Soldier From Independence

  Theodore Scott

  1 Oct 2009 | 11:01 pm

  The Soldier from Independence: A Military Biography of Harry Truman, by D. M. Giangreco After two previous stints in the National Guard, Harry Truman reenlisted in 1917. He was nearly blind in one eye and thirty-three years old. Harry Truman’s military career doesn’t usually receive much attention. Instead, he has been criticized for hardly having any military experience. Author D. M. Giangreco obviously disagrees. He has written a biography focusing entirely on Truman’s military career. The book relies heavily on research using oral histories and letters from Truman to his…