On the last stop on our Christmas travels was to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Presidential Library in Abilene, KS. We love visiting Presidential homes and libraries.  Even the kids enjoy learning about the presidents.  The museum was heavier on his life as General than as President but learning more about his role in the War was … Continue reading Historical Travel →

On my travels this Christmas break I was able to stop by the home of William Jennings Bryan in Lincoln NB. To me Bryant is one of the most interesting political figures in our history.  He ran for president on the Democratic ticket three times and lost, but even more important he was responsible for … Continue reading HIistorical Travel →

When it came to declaring ourselves independent, one thing that should never be under played is the pamphlet "Common Sense."  More than any other piece of literature, this writing helped sway the colonists of the need to break away.  We had been having issues with the British Government for some time but had taken that … Continue reading Class Notes →

As the Redcoats began leaving Boston and capturing colonial weapon caches, the colonists organized an intelligence group that began to discover where the soldiers were heading.  This way they could warn the towns to move their arms and frustrate the troops. There is no solid proof of this, but it is believed that the main … Continue reading Class Notes →

After the Boston Tea Party the British Government came down hard on Boston with what they called the Coercive Acts.  There were four of them.  What is interesting is that the colonists will call these the Intolerable Acts, but will include five.  One act that the colonists lumped into the Intolerable Acts, but were not … Continue reading Class Notes →

To prove they were not tyrannical, after the colonists protested the Stamp Act, the British Government repealed it. Afterwards the new man put in charge of taking care of the debt and the colonial expenditures was Charles Townsend. Not wanting to upset the colonists again he went to Ben Franklin, who was in London and … Continue reading Class Notes →

In 1890 William McKinley, as chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee, passed through Congress the McKinley Tariff.  The Democrats used the high tariff against the Republicans in the 1892 election, claiming high tariffs created higher prices.  After the Democrats won the nation fell into a recession and the voters began to believe the … Continue reading Class Notes →

The issues with the Stamp Act for the colonists were first that it was a new tax that they had not paid before.  However, the larger issue was that the tax was now being collected by Parliament, instead of their colonial legislatures.  In the past they were only taxed locally, so they not only elected … Continue reading Class Notes →

After the French and Indian War, the British had 10,000 soldiers still left in the colonies.  Now that Pontiac’s Rebellion was over, and the colonists were forbidden to go west of the Appalachian Mountains, there was no need for the troops in the west.  Instead, they were stationed in eastern cities. The British were always … Continue reading Class Notes →

One of the most interesting things about the 1892 Election is the repeating of history.  One of the biggest issues for the Republican Party was ballot integrity.  They were mostly concerned that their biggest constituency in the South, the Black vote, was being denied suffrage. They knew they had no chance to win in any … Continue reading Class Notes →