American History USA

Emotions and the Course of History — World War II vs. 9/11

Dale Schlundt — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:34:19 +0000

That humans are emotional beings is an aspect we all can agree on, since most of us are aware of our feelings on a daily basis. However, do we realize how driven we are by such? While discussing World War II with my students, with the highly significant role that propaganda had on the masses [...]

A Toast to History Buffs

Florence Ditlow — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:33:05 +0000

The tradition of a toast before a meal is possibly from sixteenth century England, where diners floated toasted bread in a hot alcoholic drink. Bread toasted, known as toast is derived from “toastare,” the Latin word for to burn or to roast. Toast has proven to be a necessity and here are the lengths we [...]

Energy in America: The History of Sustainable Energy Movements

Matthew Point — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:24:30 +0000

As America uncovers vast swathes of oil and natural gas, the balance of the energy battle has shifted yet again in the past few years. The prices, availability, and environmental impacts of fossil fuels have caused many changes in governmental policy and societal views over the years. However, many of these sustainable energy movements have [...]

What Makes a Modern Suit: A Look at Suits From the 1930s to 2013

Angela Prickette — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 04:17:18 +0000

Truly the workhorse of a man’s wardrobe, the suit has survived over the centuries by adapting its design to meet the needs of the period. While worn historically to complement the lifestyles of aristocrats and well-to-do businessmen, suits truly became a method of expression for all modern men in the early decades of the twentieth [...]

Otto Rohwedder and the Evolution of Sliced Bread

Florence Ditlow — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:29:17 +0000

The woman of the house in 1928 sliced her own bread, whether or not she baked it at home. A loaf of bread was customarily wrapped in a cotton cloth and stored in a metal box large enough to hold two loaves; appropriately it was named the “bread box”. Otto Rohwedder changed our way of [...]