What Was the Battle of New Orleans and Why We Still Care

Answering what was the Battle of New Orleans is a question more complex than it might seem. Some facts are not in dispute. The battle took place just outside the city of New Orleans in January of 1815. The contestants that day were the United States and Great Britain. Andrew Jackson commanded on the American […]

Marcus Garvey Quotes, Life, and Importance of an Enigma

Marcus Garvey isn’t much of a public figure in the U.S. these days. If this were 1923 instead of 2023, however, you’d know who he was. By examining some Marcus Garvey quotes and other statements, we can learn about why he was important and what the U.S. was like when Garvey’s influence was at its […]

The Dust Bowl Years in America – What Were They Like?

At times, I reflect that for Americans living on the Great Plains, the Dust Bowl years must’ve been about the most miserable time imaginable. The Dust Bowl years were during the 1930s. This was the same time as the Great Depression in the U.S. But for people living on the Great Plains, their great depression […]

The First Slaves in Virginia – 1619 as a Tragic Year in America

While it’s never fun to look at the unfortunate truths of a nation’s past, unfortunate events are often important ones. The first slaves in Virginia are a great example of this. When they arrived at Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619, life in colonial Virginia changed. Some of the changes took time, as we’ll see, but […]

The Bombing of Tokyo – What Was Its Role in World War 2?

Perhaps more so than any other war, World War 2 and bombing go together. The bombing of Tokyo on March 9 and 10 of 1945 is one of many bombing campaigns from that war. Although overshadowed by the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945, in terms of immediate body […]

1920s Culture Wars – An Angry Backlash to Social Change?

If you’ve been reading along in my series of posts about the 1920s, you’ve realized that a great deal happened in America. (This link will take you to the first post.) Between automobiles, the revolution in consumer goods, Prohibition, and changes to pop culture, the 1920s were busy. One thing I’ve not discussed yet, however, […]