In my WW II reading class this semester, we just finished reading Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides.  This book was popular a few years back, but I did not get to it then, but I loved Blood and Thunder by Sides and so took the opportunity to assign it now.  I highly recommend this book.  … Continue reading Class Notes →

When Jefferson won the Election of 1800 (my favorite election) it was seen as a win for the common man. Jefferson’s rhetoric had always been about equality. One cultural aspect of the election is that the Minuet fell out of favor as a dance at parties. The Minuet was seen as an aristocratic dance that … Continue reading Class Notes →

When the Civil War started, the greatest prize for either side was Kentucky.  Kentucky had declared itself neutral as the War began, but the state was too valuable to be left alone.  The Ohio river was a perfect border and the state had valuable food and man power.  Most importantly the Ohio, Mississippi, Cumberland, and … Continue reading Class Notes →

Class NotesThe fact that Bernie Sanders won last night’s New Hampshire primary is no surprise to anyone. However, I think there are many surprised this morning to see that Pete Buttigieg only lost by one percentage point and even more shocked to see Amy Klobuchar came in third. Though these may not be expected, historically … Continue reading Class Notes →

John Adams, who does not get the credit he deserves, I think falls victim to one of the problems of history.  If we were to make a list of best presidents, which has been done many times, the best presidents tend to line up with the most difficult times in our history.  In other words, … Continue reading Class Notes →

Another aspect of the Civil War that I think we over emphasize is the idea of brother versus brother.  We give this so much attention that I think many students believe that most families were divided, which is just not true.  In fact, there were actually few families that were divided.  I prefer the saying … Continue reading Class Notes →