Jan
22
Who Was Samuel Adams? Today, the name Sam Adams is associated with the Boston Beer Company. How did a statesman’s name become attached to lager, and how did the real Sam Adams become famous? Actually, the Sam Adams recipe wasn’t developed until long after Samuel Adams’ lifetime. A Missouri brewer named Louis Koch developed the …
Jan
21
What Caused the Great Depression? The Great Depression was a global phenomenon that significantly changed the course of history. In America, people lost their life savings when banks collapsed. The severe decline in US capital triggered economic troubles overseas. The resulting German poverty ultimately contributed to the rise of Nazism and World War II! What …
Jan
14
The US Presidency and Tecumseh’s Curse In 1840, General William Henry Harrison easily won the US presidency. He was celebrated as a war hero for having participated in the Battle of Tippecanoe, which defeated Tecumseh’s Shawnee forces. However, Harrison’s presidency would be short- lived. Some say it’s a result of “Tecumseh’s Curse”. According to legend, …
Jan
14
The Scandalous Typhoid Mary In 1907, Mary Mallon was working as a household cook when an inspector named George Soper knocked on her employer’s door. Soper explained to Mary that he represented the New York City Department of Health. He believed she was a carrier of typhoid and had caused many people to become sick; …
Jan
07
The Rise and Fall of Jamestown In the early 1600s, an English preacher named Alexander Whitaker described a land where winters were dry and fair, forests were filled with “rare and delectable birds”, and rivers abounded with fish great and small. His essay was entitled “Good News from Virginia”. Through this writing, the preacher helped …
Jan
01
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere “Listen children and you shall hear/The midnight ride of Paul Revere.” So begins a famous poem penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The poet’s rendition of events, while not historically accurate, is a great contribution to American folklore. Paul Revere’s life was colorful, however, and facts alone make for interesting …
Dec
31
The Frenzy of Salem Witch Trials Over the summer of 1692, members of the Massachusetts Bay Colony became caught up in a frenzy of superstition and scapegoating. From June through September, they sent 19 fellow residents to Gallows Hill for hanging. They pressed another man to death with heavy stones. Others died in prison or …
Dec
25
The Botched Bay of Pigs Invasion In the wee morning hours of April 17, 1961, nearly fifteen hundred Cuban exiles descended upon the Bay of Pigs, Cuba. Their mission: to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government. From the first hour of fighting, however, it became evident that the overthrow attempt was fatally flawed. The exiles’ invasion was …
Dec
24
Prohibition and its Repeal When clocks struck midnight on January 16, 1920, the United States officially went dry. The age of Prohibition had begun. Brewers, distillers, and saloonkeepers were required to stop selling alcohol as the vending of spirits became criminalized. Within thirteen years, however, alcohol was again allowed by the US Constitution. What happened? …
Dec
18
Prayer, Persecution, and Portsmouth: A Story of Colonist Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643) is a key figure in the history of American religious freedom. As a pioneer settler of Massachusetts Bay Colony, Hutchinson held Bible studies that won her great admiration with a wide following. However, Hutchinson’s religious leadership eventually offended colony officials, leading to …
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