My Adventures in History

Visiting Fort Sumter for Memorial Day

2011-06-14T14:27:00.002-06:00

This was the place it all began. In the early morning hours of April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired at a Union force commanded by Maj. Robert Anderson stationed inside Fort Sumter. South Carolina...

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Movie Review: CSA: The Confederate States of America

2010-10-19T15:22:00.005-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to watch the film C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America. This film asks a classic historical question: What if the South had won the American Civil War? While...

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New Posting Schedule

2010-09-21T15:28:00.002-06:00

Due to the high demands of my classes this fall semester, I have decided to reduce the number of new posts to this blog. Instead of weekly posts, my desire is to post about twice a month. My class...

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My Top Ten Favorite Historical Films

2010-09-14T15:14:00.001-06:00

I recently discovered that I have very ambivalent feelings towards historical films. Some of them are really exciting and heartfelt while keeping their historical integrity, while others have good...

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Solving the Mysteries of History

2010-09-07T15:37:00.001-06:00

A couple of months ago, I read the book The Death of Meriwether: A Historic Crime Scene Investigation. This books deals specifically with the circumstances surrounding the death of Meriwether Lewis,...

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Fort Clatsop National Memorial

2010-08-31T15:49:00.001-06:00

Back in July, my family and I spent a few days in Astoria, Oregon. One of the places we made sure to visit was the Fort Clatsop National Memorial, which is part of the Lewis and Clark National...

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Top Ten Favorite Historical Quotes

2010-08-24T15:41:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while, I find myself pondering quotes about history or quotes from certain historical figures. Here are my top ten favorite historical quotes: "War is sorrowful, but there is one...

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Book Review -The Death of Meriwether Lewis: A Historic Crime Scene Investigation

2010-08-17T15:32:00.000-06:00

The mysterious death of Meriwether Lewis, of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition, has been hotly debated for many decades. Most historians have believed that Lewis committed suicide while traveling...

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The Anne Frank Memorial in Boise, Idaho

2010-08-10T15:43:00.001-06:00

The Anne Frank Memorial located in downtown Boise, Idaho is a familiar sight. Thousands of people pass it on their way to popular destinations nearby, such as Boise State University and the Boise...

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What Makes a Good President?

2010-08-03T15:14:00.000-06:00

This last spring semester I remember having an interesting conversation in my U.S. history class about how we evaluate history. My professor pointed out specifically that many historians do not...

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Guest Post - Minute Man Park

2010-07-27T15:01:00.011-06:00

Thanks to guest blogger Andy for today's post! Andy writes about political issues and current events over at the Political Friends Blog. My family and I were able to visit Minute Man National...

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Another Lincoln Statue Comes to Boise

2010-07-20T15:01:00.006-06:00

Last month, I was able to attend a ceremony held in honor of Juneteenth and to dedicate another statue of Abraham Lincoln in Boise. This newest statue, now sitting in Julia Davis Park, was originally...

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New Interview

2010-07-06T10:02:00.000-06:00

I'd like to interrupt this regularly scheduled break to bring you a new post of sorts. I was recently interviewed by a fellow blogger at his site, Trestin Meacham. I answered questions about my...

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A Short Blogging Break

2010-06-15T15:33:00.001-06:00

I want to announce that I will be taking a short break from blogging. There are several reasons for this. The main reason is that I have been blogging consistently for about a year, and I'm just...

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Book Review: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

2010-06-08T15:07:00.002-06:00

I picked up a copy of this book "Franklin Delano Roosevelt" by Alan Brinkley hoping to learn more about FDR, who is in my mind one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history along others like...

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Review of Polish Film Katyn

2010-06-01T15:28:00.001-06:00

In September of 1939, Hitler invaded Poland and quickly overran the country beginning World War II. A few days later, the Soviet Union, having signed a nonaggression pact with Germany, invaded Poland...

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The Ward Massacre

2010-05-25T15:29:00.002-06:00

While doing my marker hunting around the Boise area, I stumbled across the relatively unknown story of the Ward Massacre. Nineteen members of the Ward party traveling on the Oregon Trail in 1854 were...

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A Short History of the U.S. Marines

2010-05-18T15:31:00.002-06:00

I have the incredible privilege of having several family members who've served in the Armed Forces of the United States. One of those is my cousin, who is current serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He...

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Ten Tips for Visiting a Civil War Battlefield

2010-05-11T15:33:00.001-06:00

With the summer tourist season right around the corner, many people are making plans to visit Civil War battlefields near and far. Here is some tips I learned from doing my own exploring of...

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The Strangest War - The War of 1812

2010-05-04T15:22:00.000-06:00

Hands down, one of the strangest wars I've studied in American history is the War of 1812. I recently read an excellent book on the subject called The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict by Donald R....

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Review of America: The Story of Us

2010-04-27T15:18:00.006-06:00

I watched the first part of History Channel’s new six-part series “America: The Story of Us” on Sunday night, and I have to admit that I was really impressed! This new series follows the story of...

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Watch These Upcoming American Experience Shows

2010-04-20T15:22:00.002-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to preview two new shows coming up soon on American Experience. American Experience is a television series from PBS that brings to life the characters and stories that...

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American and Polish History in One Book

2010-04-13T15:59:00.000-06:00

I find it fascinating when every once in a while I experience a sort of "history déjà vu." This happens when what I'm learning brings back memories of something I saw months or years ago. I recently...

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Anti-American Biases in College

2010-04-06T15:27:00.009-06:00

This semester I'm taking a class on U.S. history from 1865 to the present. We've talked about many difficult subjects in American history, including the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti and the treatment...

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Book Review: This Republic of Suffering

2010-03-30T15:33:00.001-06:00

The book "This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War" was recommended to me by a follower on Twitter, and I definitely think it is worth reading! The book, by Drew Gilpin Faust,...

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