This week I intended to write about the jobs report put out by the White House and give a historical comparison. Biden claimed that he has the largest growth in jobs throughout history, and I thought surely that is not right, especially with the numbers FDR put out. However, when I checked the White House … Continue reading White House Sized Ego
Author: James Finck
Dr. James W. Finck was raised in the shadows of history in the great state of Virginia. Growing up it was difficult to travel too far without running into a monument or battlefield from the Revolutionary or Civil War. In this environment, Finck developed a love for studying the past and from his youth knew that he wanted to make it his life’s work. Finck received a B.A. from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. He then studied under James I. Robertson and William C. Davis at Virginia Tech, while earning a Master’s degree. Finally, he received his Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas, under the direction of Daniel Sutherland. For five years, Finck taught at the University of Texas-Pan American before accepting his current position as American Historian at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 2011. At a small liberal arts institution, Finck considers himself a generalist in history, but his specialties are the Civil War and American Politics. Finck has established himself in Oklahoma with the creation of the Oklahoma Civil War Symposium, which has brought in leading Civil War scholars for the past eight years, and he has spoken at many venues around Oklahoma, especially working with the Honey Spring Battlefield. Finck is the author of Divided Loyalties: Kentucky’s Struggle for Armed Neutrality in the Civil War, as well as Images of America: Chickasha. Finck is also the author of the syndicated newspaper column “Historically Speaking.”
Class Notes
When it came to women voting, neither party really championed the cause. The fight for suffrage came from outside the parties not from within. What is interesting is that race played a role for why some started to lean towards allowing women to vote. For Republicans, they were already supporting Black men’s voting rights and … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
Many of the stories that we know about George Washington are unfortunately not true. After Washington’s death, an author named Parson Weems became concerned that the youth were growing up not knowing Washington and that he might be forgotten. To help connect the youth to Washington he wrote a book that told stories of him … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
In 1900, the new century did not bring in new politics as the election that year was the exact same as the 1896 Election, McKinley V Bryan. The only difference were the V.Ps. The Democrats this time went with Adlai Stevenson to pacify the old school Cleveland Democrats who were not so excited about the … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
There are three times that the Constitution, as it was originally written, mentions slavery. Note however, that the word slavery was never used. First, the 3/5th Clause allowed for three out of every five slaves to be used for population in determining the number of representatives from each state. Second, is the outlawing of the … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
When McKinley won the 1896 election it basically killed off the Populists Party, yet fusing with the Democrats did not help that party either. Republicans went on to hold the White House and most of Congress, with few exceptions until 1932. Silver, which had become such a large issue, and even tariffs would soon be … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
When the finished Constitution was first released for ratification by the states the clause that gave the people the most pause was Article II on the Executive. The people were surprised how much power the president had and having just broken from a King they were not sure they could support a powerful president. Yet, … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
1892 was the first election where all states moved to a secret ballot. The effect of the secret ballot was that voting turnout began to fall. 1888 was a pinnacle of voter turnout with 80% and from that point there began a slow steady decline. The question is why. It was mainly because with the … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
If Article I, Section I is the most ignored section of the Constitution then Article I, Section 8 has been the most fought over. Section 8 states, “granting Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper for carrying out the enumerated list of powers.” What this means has led to a split in … Continue reading Class Notes
Shifting of a Legacy?
With Martin Luther King Day approaching, I have thought a lot about the man who, more than anyone else, historically represents the Civil Rights movement and social justice. At the same time, I have noticed something strange. Is it possible that the keepers of King’s legacy is shifting right? I am not talking about the … Continue reading Shifting of a Legacy?
