At first glance, the idea that the history of a bird can tell us much about American history seems a stretch, I suppose. The story of passenger pigeons, however, is an exception, and an enlightening exception at that. You might know one part of this story. Once abundant, humans caused the extinction of passenger pigeons. […]
Tag: bison
Bison Skulls – A True Symbol of the Authentic Old West?
At first, this question about bison skulls perhaps seems axiomatic. Is there anything, besides a cowboy, a cactus, or a gunfight, perhaps, that seems obviously more Old West than a bison skull? Well, just because something has become a symbol doesn’t mean it should be. Read my previous post about cowboys and the cowboy way, […]
What Happened in 1872
Some years become etched into our collective memory. People worldwide will remember the years 2020 and 2021 for the impact of Covid-19. As I type this, 2022 witnesses Russia’s baseless invasion of Ukraine. For many older Americans, 1963 will forever be the year President Kennedy was assassinated. But what about years that don’t seem so […]
Malaria and Sugar in the Caribbean
My last blog entry began the story of how sugar, malaria, and the Columbian Exchange resulted in the living hell of slavery flourishing in the Caribbean. I described the economic reasons why this took place. Today we’ll examine some more implications of this development. It involves the combination of malaria and sugar. To read previous […]
Sugar in the Caribbean, and the Columbian Exchange
This post continues my efforts to explain some of the consequences of the Columbian Exchange, one of my favorite historical topics. Today I want to talk about the importance of sugar in the Caribbean. To read previous posts about the Columbian Exchange, please see Introduction to the Columbian Exchange The Columbian Exchange and Human Extinction […]
Horses and Bison – More On the Columbian Exchange
In previous posts about the Columbian Exchange, I’ve mentioned horses in passing. To see previous posts on my series explaining the Columbian Exchange, perhaps the most important event in modern history, click here: (Introduction to the Columbian Exchange) (The Columbian Exchange and Human Extinction) (Smallpox and the Columbian Exchange). Today I want to blog about […]