Class Notes

In 1969, Nixon announced the Nixon Doctrine, meaning that the US would no longer lead the defense of the rest of the world. We would provide a nuclear umbrella, but allies would have to defend themselves. This was the same time he was pulling troops out of Vietnam and telling the South Vietnamese they would … Continue reading Class Notes →

Class Notes

Before the release of Hamilton this week on Disney+ there are a few historical facts that should be known. The real Alexander Hamilton is the most important Founding Father when it comes to the creation of the United States. However, he was also was also an elitist who wanted a King and did not support … Continue reading Class Notes →

Class Notes

Music played a major part in the counterculture movement in the 1960s. One of the most successful American bands at the time was the Beach Boys, but they were not taken seriously as other artists. The Beach Boys mostly sang about surfing, cars, and girls. Brian Wilson, possibly the most brilliant American musician of all … Continue reading Class Notes →

Class Notes

In George W. Bush’s book Decision Points, he said his greatest regret was the mission accomplished banner on the USS Abraham Lincoln. It was something that has haunted him ever since. Bush’s mistake is reminiscent of President Johnson trying to calm America’s fears over the Vietnam War, telling them they were winning and the war … Continue reading Class Notes →

Class Notes

Ho Chi Mihn has a more complicated history than most know. He was in France and became a supporter of President Wilson after WWI. He particularly liked Wilson’s self-determination, or the concept that all people should govern themselves. He later fought alongside the US in World War II against the Japanese. He became disillusioned with … Continue reading Class Notes →

Domestic Military Acation

If you read this column, then you know my goal is not to persuade to a particular belief but to merely inform with historical knowledge. Such is the case with many online comments I have read over the past few weeks. With protest marches widespread, President Trump has threatened to use military action to … Continue reading Domestic Military Acation →

Class Notes

Tomorrow marks a holiday that this year has taken on new meaning and I have been asked by a reader to clear up a misconception. Juneteenth celebrates the day when slaves in Texas, June 19th, 1865, heard about emancipation and the end of the Civil War. Most sources talk about how Texas was too far … Continue reading Class Notes →

Class Notes

One of the things that helped get the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed was the death of Kennedy. Kennedy would have struggled to get southern Democrats on board with the Bill, but no one was going to stand against it as the dying wish of a popular president. Instead it passed 289 to 126, … Continue reading Class Notes →

Class Notes

I don’t know what the future will hold, but for right now the death of George Floyd is reminiscent of the death of Emmett Till. Like with Floyd, there were many other deaths of young Black men in the 1940s and 1950s, but there was something about Till and news coverage of the funeral that … Continue reading Class Notes →

Class Notes

When JFK was running in 1960 he said, “Freedom and Communism are in a deadly embrace; the world cannot exist half slave and half free.” He later went on to say that the US was suffering from a “missile gap,” in other words the Russians had more nuclear weapons than we did and we need … Continue reading Class Notes →