When Grant was given the command of the entire operation of the War, he developed a different type of plan to defeat the south. Instead of fighting a war of attrition he would fight a war of exhaustion. More than just defeat the enemy little by little and wear then out, he wanted to attack … Continue reading Class Notes →

In 1917, during WWI Congress passed the Espionage Act. It gave the government the authority to ban newspapers and books that criticized the government. They even passed the Sedition Act which made it a crime to say or write anything disloyal, profane or scurrilous about the government. That led to the arrest of over 2100 … Continue reading Class Notes →

 On the second day of Gettysburg, Lee ordered attacks against both Union flanks. Ewell commanded the troops that hit the North’s right flank. During this battle the 1st Minnesota Regiment ran short on ammunition and so charged the enemy instead. They lost 215 of their 262 men but won the day and stopped the attack. … Continue reading Class Notes →

With the start of WWI, the US took the position of neutrality. Remaining neutral proved difficult but during the time America was able to prosper as both sides turned to the US for supplies, and we were happy to oblige. For the first time we even became a creditor nation, as we gave loans to … Continue reading Class Notes →

In the years before WWI, European nations came to believe they had moved passed war. The last great war on the continent was the Napoleonic Wars that ended in 1815. They saw war as a dead relic. Progressives both in Europe and America believed they could solve all the world’s problems with diplomacy and the … Continue reading Class Notes →

When it comes to foreign policy, Teddy Roosevelt’s doctrine was “speak softly but carry a big stick.” The problem for TR was that he was great with the big stick, but he never spoke softly in his life. A good example of this was that by 1907 Japan had emerged as a world power and … Continue reading Class Notes →

On Feb 10, 1861 a note arrived at the home of Jefferson Davis informing him he had been elected president of the Confederate States. He was completely surprised as it was an office he had not wanted nor sought after. When he resigned his position as senator he was determined to stay out of politics … Continue reading Class Notes →

Neither Teddy Roosevelt nor William Taft looked presidential the way we expect our presidents to look today. It is unfortunate that we have a model, but we do with the invention of TV. In 1912 Wilson will defeat both of them and he did have the look of a president. Wilson was also a good … Continue reading Class Notes →