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QUOTE: JAMES MONROE

“It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising sovereignty. Usurpation is then an easy attainment, and a usurper soon found. The people themselves become the willing instruments of their own debasement and ruin. Let us, then, look to the great cause, and endeavor to preserve it in full force. Let us by all wise…

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HR1, VOTER SUPPRESSION, AND D.C.51?

HR1, VOTER SUPPRESSION, AND D.C.51?

As Democrats continue to advance the cause of statehood for Washington, D.C., it is important to consider arguments in support of, and against, these efforts. Congressional Democrats list nine findings concerning statehood for Washington, D.C. in HR1 (Division A, Part 3- Miscellaneous Provisions, Title II, Subtitle C, Section 2201) Yes, it is as far-reaching a piece of legislation as its…

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Podcast Review: Conversations with John Anderson

Podcast Review: Conversations with John Anderson

Featuring Ian Macfarlane

Podcasts are an important part of my day. I spend a great deal of time in the car, making many short trips of an hour or less every day. Frequent interruptions make it hard for me to enjoy audio books. Podcasts are perfect for my schedule and Conversations with John Anderson is one of my favorite podcasts. Mr. Andersonis a former Australian MP, he served as Australia’s…

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The Current State of History Present

The Current State of History Present

Dropping a post to update my status. In my professional life, I provide goods and services that support critical industries (power gen, other utilities, hospital maintenance, etc.) We, like many of you, have been incredibly busy over the last several months. Unfortunately for the blog, the outbreak coincided with my need to re-image History Present.

My initial desire was to create a site that…

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Trip To Czechia: Telč

Trip To Czechia: Telč

In 1550, Zachariáš of Hradec assumed authority over several Czech towns and villages. He was 24 years old. Telč, his inheritance’s leading town, had suffered a fire 20 years earlier. Zachariáš visited Italy in 1551 and brought the renaissance home to Telč. New projects were commissioned that looked to improve the towns appearance and function. Stone replaced wood as the principal building…

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RNAS Dunino - in the shadow of St. Andrews.

RNAS Dunino – in the shadow of St. Andrews.

As I continue my (moderately successful) effort to catch-up with everyone, I do appreciate your work. Here is another great site. I hope you enjoy Andy’s writing as much as I do. He creates fantastic pieces about very important history. As we move further away from World War II, we risk losing much of that story. Andy keeps the story alive. Those in Britain can experience this history by…

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Flyvergrave på Skagen kirkegård November has been crazy busy. Research and writing on the Mexican-American War project has ground to a halt.

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Expansion and the Mexican- American War in Party Platforms from 1832 to 1848

Expansion and the Mexican- American War in Party Platforms from 1832 to 1848

It is surprising how little attention is given to the idea of expansion in general, and the war with Mexico specifically, in the platforms of American political parties between 1832 and 1848. With Texas, Oregon, Manifest Destiny, and the Mexican War defining the period, I expected to find these subjects being addressed in the party platforms. It is only after the fact, the Mexican- American War…

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Veterans Day 2019

Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery, Institute, WV (more…)

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History Nugget #20: November 2019

History Nugget #20: November 2019

“There is more selfishness and less principle among members of Congress than I had any conception of, before I became President of the U.S.”

James K. Polk

Sourced from: http://www.presidential-power.org/quotes-by-presidents/james-polk-quotes.htm, accessed 11/9/2019

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Mexican- American War/ Part 4B: More Background

Mexican- American War/ Part 4B: More Background

Three documents are key to understanding how Mexico was able to achieve independence from Spain. These same documents attempt to join the fractured society under the most inclusive umbrella possible. Mexican society featured groups that often held interests that were in opposition to the goals of the other groups, or to the cause of the nation. There was little consensus on what form of…

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History Nugget #19: October 2019

History Nugget #19: October 2019

UNANIMOUS DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, BY THE DELEGATES OF THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS, IN GENERAL CONVENTION, AT THE TOWN OF WASHINGTON, ON THE SECOND DAY OF MARCH, 1836

When a government has ceased to protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people, from whom its legitimate powers are derived, and for the advancement of whose happiness it was instituted; and so far from being a guarantee for…

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Trip To Austria: St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Trip To Austria: St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Our visit to St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna was the first time we experienced the interior of a European Cathedral. We were awestruck. It is hard to describe the magnitude of everything I sensed, including sacredness, the expression of culture, and weight of history. We have visited others since, and the experience is the same. Although I had read about the symbolism of cathedrals, I did not…

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Mexican American War: Part 4/ The Questions I Asked and What I Have Learned, So Far…

Mexican American War: Part 4/ The Questions I Asked and What I Have Learned, So Far…

Colonial Eras to Independence

Once I began studying the Mexican American War, it became apparent that my original writing plan (Mexican- American War: Part 2/ Research and Writing Plan) would not provide an understanding of the conditions that existed in Mexico and the United States in 1846. If the purpose of this history is to identify the factors that contributed to the war’s outbreak,…

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Trip To Ireland: Ruins

Trip To Ireland: Ruins

One of the more fascinating things we noticed on our trip to Ireland was the many stone ruins. Everything from castles and churches to farm houses and barns. We visited several preserved/ restored structures but we did not have an opportunity to explore any of the ruins. These are ten of the ones I was able to photograph from the bus. There were many others I was not able to photograph. I have…

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History Nugget #18: September 2019

History Nugget #18: September 2019

Colonization Law State of Coahuila and Texas 1825

Article 1. All Foreigners, who in virtue of the general law, of the 18th August, 1824, which guarantees the security or their persons and property, in the territory of the Mexican Nation, wish to remove to any of the settlements of the state of Coahuila and Texas, are at liberty to do so; and the said State invites and calls them.

Article 2. Those…

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Constitution Day

September 17th is Constitution Day in the United States. I am providing a couple links. One to a site that gives some history regarding the history of Constitution Day. The other is a link to a PDF file of the Constitution of the United States. My Gravatar  is an image of the Constitution turned on its end. We (U.S. citizens) twist and dismiss this document at our peril.