In previous posts I've made mention of my purported Cherokee ancestry, so I'll not revisit those claims, but I want to focus on misguided use of term "Trail of Fears" with a recent announcement1 from my town as an example: Let me caveat this by stating that I do not believe that the term is used with … Continue reading The damage of a "Trail of Fears"
Category: History and Heritage
Essays examining the people, places, and traditions that shape historical memory. This category includes genealogy, regional history, and the study of cultural inheritance.
Columbus might not have been a pirate, but..
Thinking about International Talk Like a Pirate Day reminded me of seeing the Niña and Pinta when they came through my area a couple years ago. They are faithful replicas of Columbus's originals. Below is a video of the ships when they visited Dubuque, Iowa:The diminutive stature of these two ships destroyed my perception of Columbus' crossing … Continue reading Columbus might not have been a pirate, but..
Remembering 9/11
Every generation has moments seared into their memories. For me, there are three: the Challenger explosion, the fall of the Berlin wall, and 11 September, 2001. The first two are just fuzzy recollections, but I still remember 9/11 well.On 11 September 2001, I was working for a company that rented trade show exhibit equipment, and … Continue reading Remembering 9/11
The Trojan connection?
Posted on Slashdot today is the article below that I intend to shanghai for a slightly different purpose:Birthplace of Indoeuropean Languages Found: phantomfive writes "Language geeks might be interested in a recent study that suggests Turkey as the birthplace of the Indo-European language family. The Indo-European family is the largest, and includes languages as diverse … Continue reading The Trojan connection?
Were the Hessians mercenaries?
I didn't gain a real appreciation of the dynamics of the American Revolution until many years after my compulsory service in the American variant of the Prussian Education System. I've had a few epiphanies in my quest for independent thought over the years that might deviate from traditional, conservative American views.One is an appreciation for … Continue reading Were the Hessians mercenaries?
A victory for restoring/keeping military tradition
An interesting follow-up post on the Canadian move last year to restore the "Royal" designations to its military branches:Turning the military clock back to its proper time: Now that a full year has passed since the federal government boldly returned the main branches of the armed forces to their pre-1968 designations – the Royal Canadian … Continue reading A victory for restoring/keeping military tradition
More Long Hunter Trivia
Another tidbit to add to the William Blevins Long Hunter legend, from the Historical Melungeons Blog:Tennessee History: When Virginia was partitioned in 1663, Tennessee became a western part of Carolina; thirty years later a further division left Tennessee within the jurisdiction of North Carolina. Ideas about the region remained vague well into the middle … Continue reading More Long Hunter Trivia
