What I am Reading
Thomas Paine’s place in American History is secure but that wasn’t always the case. He died in relative obscurity after having made the mistake of taking on the Federalists, who viciously attacked...
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Federalist or Anti-Federalist
I’ve been doing a lot of reading concerning early American history, specifically the Colonial and Revolutionary periods as I have already started the process of game planning my lessons and handouts,...
View ArticleWar of 1812 …
In honor of its anniversary, here are some useless facts: James Madison was the only president to face enemy gunfire while in office. When the British invaded and burned Washington, D.C. in the War of...
View ArticleThe Settling of America
I have been taking notes from a great book that I have decided will be (along with my A.P. textbook) the cornerstone of my teaching of the American Colonial period in my Advanced Placement class. Alan...
View ArticleU.S. Constitution went into effect JUNE 21, 1788
…when New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratified it. The 55 writers of the U.S. Constitution consisted of: 26 Episcopalians, 11 Presbyterians, 7 Congregationalists, 2 Lutherans, 2 Dutch Reformed, 2...
View ArticleAmerican Exceptionalism: Part II
I am just getting into an excellent book by Harry L. Watson titled, Liberty and Power: The Politics of Jacksonian America. In the introduction of the book, Watson recalls a story by a young Frenchman...
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Pursuing the “Exceptional”> Foreign Observations
The period after the War of 1812 is a challenging time as an educator; at least it is for me. The excitement of the late 18th Century creates a lull that is hard to get out of and even the anticipation...
View ArticleThe Frontier in American History
Western Expansion involved themes such as American Excpetionalism, Manifest Destiny, and Racism. Continue reading →
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U.S History Studies, Yes!
I have found out today that my efforts to start an early American History survey course has been approved. Some of you who already have such a thing might be saying, “So What.” Thus, allow me to...
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History in a Pickle Jar
A Time Capsule was unearthed that was buried about 1850, from the news piece: Athol (Massachusetts) Historical Society President Susannah Whipps-Lee said the time capsule — which has yet to be opened —...
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