Category Archives: American
And I quote… Paine, A. Adams, and Longfellow
A web-log on history has many avenues available to the author and as I explore them I find that sometimes the thoughtful exploration of a quote* from an historical document can give enlightenment to history as a whole. A few … Continue reading
The Paul Bunyans and Me
Sometimes you get the chance to draw near to your family history and often in the most unexpected ways. Yesterday I watched a tree trimming crew dispatch some overgrown pine trees from a neighbor’s yard. As the cutter scaled the … Continue reading
Back to John Adams – Marriage
A few posts back I reviewed a biography of John Adams and so to return to that illustrious personage here is a piece of correspondence from John to his wife Abigail. I think it exemplifies the loving relationship they maintained … Continue reading
Tocqueville’s America
As the theory goes, travel is an education, which can help the individual better understand the wider world. This idea has merit, but I’d like to put a twist on it – the written journey of a past traveler can … Continue reading
Filed under American
Ice Cream, We Scream!
Ice cream is an American pastime ubiquitous to a hot, humid summer. And I do mean pastime – in the Midwest, in particular, ice cream stands and brands abound and elicit very strong opinions. Whether you are a frozen custard … Continue reading
Filed under American, Culinary, Daily Life
Praising John Adams
The U.S. had its fair share of kingmakers and quasi-aristocrats in its early years, but the venerable John Adams seems not to have been among them. That didn’t stop his opponents from labeling the force behind the Declaration of Independence … Continue reading
Filed under American, Book Reviews
America: A Vision for the Present
Lately I’ve been reading David McCullough’s John Adams, upon which the recent HBO series was based. Although I won’t write a review yet (I haven’t quite finished it), some interesting observations can be drawn from this era of history. As … Continue reading
Filed under American, British, Daily Life
The Teatime Experience
Branching out from my usual trend toward military or related history, I’ve been thinking about tea lately. I am off caffeine and therefore can’t have the lovely dark liquid for a while, so naturally I should choose to write about … Continue reading
Living like it’s 1873
Not long ago I finished A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains by Isabella Bird. The book covers her remarkable travels as an Englishwoman in the nineteenth century American West. Bird was subject to ill health and traveled, as many … Continue reading
Filed under American, Book Reviews, British, Daily Life
The Great Depression and “Stuff”
A few months back I was blessed to be able to compile an article about survivors of the Great Depression. The article was an assignment for Vertical Thought magazine, which reaches out to a young adult and teen audience. My … Continue reading
Filed under American, Daily Life
