George Patton Conquers the World!
We hear this all the time in the US: “George Patton should have been unleashed and taken care of the Soviets in 1945 when we had the chance.” And from the movie, Patton: “We're gonna [...]
January 2020
Ben Franklin, “A Republic, if You Can Keep It.” Quote or No Quote?
These are heady times for historians in the United States. The Trump impeachment saga has made Lady Buzzkill and I even more highly desired guests at dinners around town than we [...]
Republicans and Impeachment: Nixon and Now
A Republican Senator is in his office, thinking about material he’s just seen regarding the sitting President from his own party. He’s troubled, because the evidence indicates a clear violation of US law and an [...]
Martin Luther King: Arc of the Moral Universe Bends Toward Justice
All too often, researching the origins of well-known quotes leads to a kind of dead end. Famous people are credited with expressions and sayings that were in common use during their time, and those [...]
November 2019
1919: a Year in the Life of the United States
1919 was one of the most tumultuous years in American history. Economic struggles, labor unrest, the Red Scare, anarchist bombings, and race riots plagued the country. 1919 saw the end of the Progressive Era, the [...]
The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall seemed to define Cold War tension and opposition in stone. From 1961 to 1989 it divided East Berlin from West Berlin, and was the focal point of potential Soviet vs. US confrontation. [...]
October 2019
Harriet Tubman, “I freed thousands of slaves. I could have freed thousands more, if they had known they were slaves.” Quote or No Quote?
November 1st sees the release of the long-awaited film, “Harriet,” loosely based on the life and work of the famous abolitionist and civil rights pioneer, Harriet Tubman. Of course, Tubman is best known for her [...]
Teddy Roosevelt and American Sports
Professor Ryan Swanson explains the complex history of the relationship between President Theodore Roosevelt and the modernization of American sports culture. We learn about TR’s “tennis cabinet,” his fitness programs, and his role as the [...]
Winston Churchill: “An empty taxi pulled up and out stepped Clement Attlee” Quote or No Quote?
As many of you know, Lady Buzzkill can’t stand me. Sometimes I can’t blame her, though. Imagine what it must be like watching a history-based movie or TV series with me. I go ballistic at [...]
The “First” Woman to Cast a Vote – Woman Crush Wednesday!
One woman was a scholar, who cast her vote 30 seconds after the polls opened in 1893, in the town of Fielding in New Zealand. One woman was described by her local newspaper as "a [...]