Category Archives: 150 Years Ago This Week

News from 150 years ago

death of a wagon master

Posted on September 7, 2019 by SUMPTER

Right from the get-go there were issues with President Ulysses S. Grant’s cabinet. Six months later there was another problem – Grant’s trusted aide, confidant, and Secretary of War, John A. Rawlins died after a long bout with tuberculosis. From … Continue reading →

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going way back

Posted on August 9, 2019 by SUMPTER

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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Bullets Met at Gettysburg

Posted on July 2, 2019 by SUMPTER

On the sixth anniversary of Day 1 of the Battle of Gettysburg a monument in the National Cemetery on the battlefield was dedicated. The Soldiers’ National Monument hadn’t been quite completed, but a reported 15,000 people showed up for the … Continue reading →

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divergent decoration

Posted on May 30, 2019 by SUMPTER

150 years ago today a large procession traveled from Manhattan to Brooklyn to honor the memory and decorate the graves of thousands of soldiers who died during the American Civil War. From the June 19, 1869 issue of Harper’s Weekly: … Continue reading →

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At the junction …

Posted on May 10, 2019 by SUMPTER

… Promontory junction North and South America had been a big impediment to free-flowing and relatively quick world trade. Even though way back in 1513 an expedition led by Vasco Núñez de Balboa discovered how near the Atlantic and Pacific … Continue reading →

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nothing to hear here?

Posted on March 4, 2019 by SUMPTER

Back around the New Year a couple New York City periodicals seemed to be eagerly awaiting the March 4th 1869 inauguration of President-elect Ulysses S. Grant “with the guarantees of future peace and prosperity and of a final settlement of … Continue reading →

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civvies lesson

Posted on February 22, 2019 by SUMPTER

According to the February 23, 1869 issue of The New-York Times Washington’s Birthday 150 years ago was kind of a humdrum day in the great metropolis, a day that “had the air of something that has missed fire. It was … Continue reading →

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lest you forget

Posted on January 19, 2019 by SUMPTER

In January 1869 a National Convention of the Colored Men of America was held in Washington, D.C. On January 19th a delegation from the Convention called on President-elect Ulysses S. Grant to congratulate him for the victory and to remind … Continue reading →

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happy new wheels

Posted on December 31, 2018 by SUMPTER

Based on its January 9, 1869 cover, it seems that Harper’s Weekly had pretty great expectations for the new year in general and president-elect Ulysses S. Grant in particular. It’s true that General Grant did successfully carry out the political … Continue reading →

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conservative counterpoise

Posted on December 25, 2018 by SUMPTER

In an editorial on December 25, 1868 The New-York Times stressed that Christmas was a traditional, family time in a world of great technological change, especially the transportation revolution caused by steam power. The technological innovation led to social change: … Continue reading →

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