The Hamburg Massacre took place in South Carolina in July of 1876. It was another of the low-water marks of the era of American history we call Reconstruction, the twelve years following the end of the Civil War. Hamburg was a small town in South Carolina, just across the Savannah River that forms the state’s […]
Tag: Abraham Lincoln
The Clinton Massacre of 1875 – A Bloody Key to American History
A few events in history are so emblematic of their times that we rightly call them keys to understanding something larger. The Clinton Massacre of 1875 is one such event. Clinton was a small town in Mississippi in 1875. In September of that year, Republican supporters organized a large rally in support of their candidates […]
The Mexican-American War Causes – More Important Than You Think? (2)
This post on the Mexican-American War Causes is a continuation of my previous post. Part one (read here) detailed the reasons why the US and Mexico were upset with each other in 1845. Today’s blog describes the events that caused war to break out in 1846, but it won’t make full sense unless you’ve read […]
Thomas Nast and Santa Claus
Thomas Nast and Santa Claus go together. More on their relationship shortly. But first, who was Thomas Nast? Thanks largely to Thomas Nast, the political cartoon is an art form. Even if you don’t look at them regularly, you know the style. Most feature recognizable caricatures of public figures along with short text. The actions […]
Thaddeus Stevens, the Man Who Should be an Icon
It’s unlikely you know much about Thaddeus Stevens. Unless you enjoyed his portrayal by Tommy Lee Jones in the 2012 movie Lincoln, you may not recognize his name at all. This is unfortunate and deserves to be rectified. Thaddeus Stevens is, in fact, one of the great American statesman of the mid-19th century. Before the […]
The Springfield Massacre of 1908
When you hear mention of Springfield, Illinois, is the Springfield Massacre the first thing to come to mind? Unlikely. If you are like most people, it’s Abraham Lincoln. What probably doesn’t come to mind is the racial massacre that took place there in 1908. The facts of the Springfield Massacre are these. Two African Americans […]