Category Archives: American History

not half bad

Another year, another Thanksgiving. Here’s President Grant’s 1871 Proclamation: THANKSGIVING DAY 1871 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – A PROCLAMATION The process of the seasons has again enabled the husbandman to garner the fruits of successful … Continue reading

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Dutch treat

Given the fact that David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize winning John Adams was apparently published in 2001, I have to say I’m thankful that I finally got around to reading it within the last year or so. It is a very … Continue reading

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“Chicago will not succumb”

I never knew much about the devastating 19th century Chicago fire, except that it seemed to have something to do with a Mrs. O’Leary and her cow. As I realized the fire was getting nearer, at least in sesquicentennial time, … Continue reading

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sound retreat

From the March 18, 1871 issue of Harper’s Weekly: THE SOLDIERS’ HOME. ON one of the most beautiful sites in the neighborhood of Washington stands an edifice of singular attractiveness, known as “The Soldiers’ Home,” of which we give a … Continue reading

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define citizen

The magic number was .75, or at least that was the magic constant and had been since the U.S. federal constitution was promulgated in 1788. According to Article 5 of the Constitution, a proposed amendment that has been approved by … Continue reading

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reading the reasons

On July 2, 1776 the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia voted for independence from Great Britain. On July 4th the Congress agreed to the words in the written Declaration. July 8th was a “great day of celebration” in Philadelphia as … Continue reading

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world’s blessing?

On the day after Thanksgiving in 1869 The New-York Times devoted its entire front page to how the holiday had been observed the day before. This included over four columns (and counting) devoted to the services and sermons at various … Continue reading

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pre-columbian exposition

150 years ago an article considered a logical conclusion: either the ancestors of the humans Christopher Columbus found in the Americas auto-generated (a second Adam and Eve), or Mr. Columbus and crew weren’t the first people from the Old World … Continue reading

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white lion, black cargo

400 years ago this month the first Africans arrived in the colony of Virginia in what is now the United States. According to Encyclopedia Virginia, in the summer of 1619 two English privateers, the White Lion and the Treasurer attacked … Continue reading

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going way back

150 years ago Harper’s Weekly noticed some Civil War-related items that were associated with earlier times in American history. From its August 23, 1869 issue: THE AMERICAN TRIUMVIRATE. A MEDALLION has been recently published by W. MILLER & Co., Artists … Continue reading

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