Category: American History

Is racial violence really about race? Or is it about politics? One of the most horrific displays violence without cause, in American history was most undoubtedly about politics and race, the Colfax Massacre. Before we get into the details of the massacre, let us take a look a little farther back. The Reconstruction period that…

William C. Davis, author of Duel Between the First Ironclads, is a well-respected American historian who spent time as a Professor of History at Virginia Tech from 2000 – 2013; and he has spent most of his career doing research on the American South. He has written around forty books focused on southern U. S.…

Following the withdrawal from the war in Vietnam and the ensuing , the American people’s confidence in their own government suddenly plummeted. In December of 1974, the New York Times had accused the CIA of spying on Americans at home. Following the accusation, Congressional offices began to receive thousands of letters from worried citizens expressing…

Jonathan Edwards straddled two definitive eras in American history: the hardline beliefs of the Puritans he was raised by in the Connecticut Valley and the freethinking, logical reasonability of the Age of Enlightenment (Norton Anthology 396). These ideas are blended fascinatingly in Edwards’s Personal Narrative, a seemingly day-to-day account of his ideas on The Bible…

In his novel The Demon in the Freezer, Richard Preston addresses the American public’s increasing concern about the threat of terrorism after the events of 9/11. As the anthrax scare began spreading through the country, people became more fearful about what might happen next. This novel tries to alert the public to the looming threat…

The Christian Herald and Signs of Our Times was founded in England in 1878 by Joseph Spurgeon, cousin of the popular British preacher Charles Spurgeon, and Michael Baxter, Anglican minister and evangelist. Since its founding the Herald coupled apocalyptic fervor with an emphasis on social reform. It placed an emphasis on the imminent return of…

Most colonists came to America to obtain land and political rights, although many had to first give up nearly all their freedoms as indentured servants to obtain passage overseas. When England began to oppress those rights promised to the colonists, Americans began to formulate an independent identity founded on the ideals of the Enlightenment. When…

In Eugene O’Neill’s The Hairy Ape, the character Yank is used to portray the suppression of the human spirit and the degradation of the working class. Throughout the play, Yank’s sense of belonging defines both his character and his state of mind. Yank seems to describe power as belonging, and although he claims to belong…

Every generation has its heroes, unfortunately only a few of these heroes are remembered for very long. One of these courageous people is Wild Bill Donovan. Although not many modern Americans have heard of this man besides in pasing comments, he had an enormous impact on our country that still influences our lives. Donovan proved…

American history teachers from our youth to high school have taught us the general ideas of slavery, , and the Civil Rights movements. But failed at giving students the details of the time eras leading to Civil Rights, they left out the impacted African-American lives due to white supremacy. In what ways did this shape…