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: New York
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire – Why Does This Tragedy Matter?
Take a look at the following photographs. They come from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911. The first looks unexceptional, perhaps. A building is on fire. But the second show the rest of the story—the bodies you see are young women who had to jump from the building to escape the flames. This is […]
David Walker & Walker’s Appeal
David Walker, author of the publication Walker’s Appeal, is one of the greatest civil rights figures in early American history. However, it’s quite likely you’ve never heard of David Walker. Today we explore his story. Walker was a free African American who lived from 1796 to 1830. He was born in North Carolina to a […]
George Washington Plunkitt – His Methods Explained
In the last post (click here to read part 1) I introduced you to George Washington Plunkitt. Plunkitt was a notable figure in the Tammany Hall political machine in New York City. In 1905 he dictated a book. An unusual book that laid out, without varnish or obfuscation, how political machines work. His chapter titled […]
Honest and Dishonest Graft—George W. Plunkitt
Honest and dishonest graft was a way of life in 19th century politics. In my last post I mentioned the great political cartoonist Thomas Nast. Nast burnished his fame with his cartoons identifying the corruption and graft of the Tammany Hall political machine in New York City politics. But I realize many of my readers […]
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 […]