Puritan theology came from two covenants. The Covenant of Work came from Adam. Adam was promised he would live forever if he kept God’s law. Adam broke the covenant when he ate the fruit and was expelled. All of Adam's children are under the same covenant and would now all die because of sin. However, … Continue reading Class Notes
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
During Reconstruction the thing that scared white southerners the most and pushed them towards secession happened anyway; the Republican Party got a foothold in the South. Districts with a White majority still voted Democrat, but with the army in the South protecting the Black vote, districts with Black majorities voted Republican, often times Black Republicans. … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
The Puritans who settled in Massachusetts were a religious sect of the Church of England. When Henry VIII died his young son Edward took over the crown and ruled as a Protestant. After his young death, his older sister Mary (Bloody Mary) took over and switched England back to Catholicism. When she died after a … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
Like all elections the 1868 Election must be understood in the context of the events of the time. 1868 was in the middle of Reconstruction and so how to handle the states in rebellion was the primary question. Republicans wanted to safeguard the rights and protections of the new freedmen, while the Democrats did not … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
Most people know that Massachusetts was founded for religious reasons, however, what most do not know is that Maryland was also a religious colony. In 1632, the King gave Lord Baltimore a charter for land on the Chesapeake as a heaven for Catholics. Catholics had been persecuted in England in the past, but King James … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
Lincoln’s goal for Reconstruction was to make it as easy as possible for the Southern States to come back to full participation in the government. His goal was also to save the Union first and foremost and being hard on the South would make the reunion harder. His one new caveat was the south did … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
In order to keep pace with the Spanish, the English would eventually want their own colonies in the New World, as well. Their first attempt was made by the explorer, and sometimes pirate, Sir Walter Raleigh in Roanoke. He sent over a large group with the idea of finding gold like the Spanish, but try … Continue reading Class Notes
Political Blame
As we continue to watch events unfold in Afghanistan and see what many consider a failure to exit properly, it is important to remember that, historically speaking, failure is common. Many of the men that we consider our greatest presidents experienced failures. What sets apart some presidents over others is how they handled the situation. … Continue reading Political Blame
Class Notes
Though the Democrats were divided in the 1860 election, they came back strong in the 1862 midterm elections. By that point they had several issues to challenge the Lincoln administration. By the 1862 elections, Lincoln had already issued the Emancipation Proclamation and had passed the draft. Both issues brought the cry of tyranny. In the … Continue reading Class Notes
Class Notes
During the Reformation the group known as the Anabaptists would come to have an influence on America. They did not preach that they were correct, only that everyone one else was wrong when it came to religion. In many ways they wanted to go back to the original church. They rebaptized their converts because they … Continue reading Class Notes
