Archive for June, 2009

I've been asked to contribute to a Top 10 books on the Campaign and Battle of Gettysburg in celebration of the upcoming anniversary. Though I am honored to have been asked to contribute, I feel somewhat unqualified compared to the other accomplished historians. However, I will do my best! Here are the details as described by Brett on his site: July 1, 2009: The 78th ... Full story

Kevin and Richard have a couple of posts concerning the popular Grant topic of his drinking and whether or not he was a drunk?  Kevin is currently reading a new manuscript from UNC on Grant titled U.S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth, written by Joan Waugh. (Interestingly, I wonder if they want Kevin discussing any part of this manuscript in public at all? Apparently ... Full story

Has there been a specific study that has dealt with how Union soldiers' opinions concerning things like slavery, emancipation, ect., change as they transitioned from their homeland and descended South and witnessed, firsthand, the nature of slavery? Additionally, how did their experiences going South, entering Rebeldom, change their point of view on Negro soldiers, and everything else that was involved in race issues, if at all? ... Full story

Center design of the 6th U.S. Colored Troops regimental flag. The top motto reads, "Freedom for all". From the Library of Congress Collection. Full story

Very interesting recordings it sounds like are being released by the Nixon Presidential Library. As the movie Frost/Nixon identified, Nixon was a complex man. It stands to reason that we don't really learn about a President until many years after their leaving office. It will be interesting how our most contemporary Presidents will be judged in years to come: Obama, Bush W., Clinton, Bush H., ... Full story

...when New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratified it. The 55 writers of the U.S. Constitution consisted of: 26 Episcopalians, 11 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2 Methodists, 2 Roman Catholics, 2 Quakers and 1 Deist - Dr. Franklin, who called for prayer during the Constitutional Convention, June 28, 1787: "I therefore beg leave to move - that henceforth prayers imploring ... Full story

I have been taking notes from a great book that I have decided will be (along with my A.P. textbook) the cornerstone of my teaching of the American Colonial period in my Advanced Placement class. Alan Taylor's book American Colonies: The Settling of North America (The Penguin History of the United States, Volume1) (Hist ... Full story

The Treasury announced Thursday a record $104 billion worth of bond auctions for next week, part of its herculean efforts to finance a rescue of the world's largest economy. The sales will exceed the previous record of $101 billion set in auctions that took place in the last week of April and consist of two-year, five-year and seven-year securities. That record was matched by another $101 ... Full story

Two Japanese guys currently in custody in Italy!!! ... This would be funny if it wasn't so scary; and telling all at once... Two men carrying bonds concealed in the bottom of their luggage also would be the fourth-largest U.S. creditors. Note: there are no hard facts involving this report yet, but we will see. UPDATE: United States Treasury announces that these bonds were fakes, thank God. But, ... Full story

In honor of its anniversary, here are some useless facts: James Madison was the only president to face enemy gunfire while in office. When the British invaded and burned Washington, D.C. in the War of 1812, Madison took command of a battery of artillery, exercising his authority as commander-in-chief. Even when the British attacking forces were nearing the White House, Dolly Madison refused to leave until she could take ... Full story

Contrary to claims that government-imposed “universal health care” would solve America’s health care problems, it would in fact destroy American medicine and countless lives along with it. More government is not the answer to health care or anything else.  My sister works very high up in a Chicago hospital and my conversations with her about the government regulations that exist now that drive costs up would ... Full story

... I attended the first funeral of a student of mine. This is only my third year of teaching. His name is Nathan. I received the call yesterday from my principle, who informed me. I was ashamed to discover that I did not really know Nate. He was a student of mine last year, and I only recall him being a very polite and introspective ... Full story

Over at Kevin's blog, as he has many times, there is some interesting discussion going on concerning the Confederate Flag and how it is displayed in public.  The issue centers around memory, how it is being celebrated, the flag's meaning, and why it is displayed. I am overtly simplifying here the discussion there. Anyway, just for kicks I did some google searching for "Confederate Flag" and ... Full story

Good show Mr. President I loved this! Full story

Got 4 great books that need to be reviewed, here they are: First up is Wars within a War: Controversy and Conflict over the American Civil War (Civil War America), University of North Carolina Press. As you might assume, the book centers on the social, political and military issues that existed within the war itself and for both ... Full story

In honor of the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, here are just a few good World War II books on my book shelf: David M. Kennedy is a well known historian. His best work, perhaps, is Freedom from Fear which deals with America from the Great Depression to the end of World War 2. But here I ... Full story

As promised in an earlier post, "Obama marks D-Day's solemn 65th anniversary." I have not had much time to follow his visits to the Middle East and Europe, hopefully it is going well for U.S. Obama was right on not to join Sarkozy earlier in the year, as it seems clear that the French leader was trying to manipulate the ... Full story

From this news article: NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Of all the causes actors have chosen to champion, Richard Dreyfuss admits his passion lacks, well, a certain pizazz: Civics. "Don't call it 'civics' because 'civics' is easily the most boring word in America," Dreyfuss says. "Call it what it is: political power." Dreyfuss brings an actor's dramatic pacing and a historian's ... Full story

I will be spending most of my summer planning and frankly preparing in multiple ways for my upcoming first run as an A.P. United States history instructor. One thing I am going to utilizing is a blog specifically for the course. Here's a link to that if interested. IT IS NOT completed and is still in development, however, any advice or input is appreciated. My ... Full story