June 8th marked the 181st anniversary of the death of Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States who served from 1829 to 1837. Born in the Waxhaws region along the border of North and South Carolina, Jackson grew up during the American Revolution and was orphaned at a
Pop quiz: what early American colonist survived a shipwreck, found his way to Jamestowne in 1610, sailed back to England a few years later, then came to America again in 1620 as a passenger on the Mayflower? His is a one-of-a-kind story, and his name is Stephen Hopkins, who died
On this day we remember Martha Washington who died on May 22, 1802. She, of course, was the wife of George Washington and the first First Lady of the United States. Born in Virginia in 1731, she grew up in a wealthy plantation family and later married George Washington in
March 22, 1622 was a day that was a turning point in the life of the Jamestowne Colony, and perhaps the most tragic day in Jamestowne’s history—the surprise attack on Jamestowne and its surrounding settlements by hundreds of Powhatan warriors, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Jamestowne colonists. The
As Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this year, our thoughts naturally turn to the “Founding Fathers.” If you peruse the various lists historians have compiled of who qualifies as a “Founding Father,” you’ll find virtually no Frenchmen. Wikipedia, for example, includes the Marquis de Lafayette
Imagine a young woman who leaves her comfortable home and family life in New York and travels to the frontier territory of Northern Nevada in 1870, to seek out the explanation for her brother’s mysterious death in the lawless mining town of Virginia City. Then imagine she stays there for
The Panic of 1837 was a major economic downturn that triggered a severe depression in the United States during the 19th century. It began with a collapse in financial markets, caused in part by speculative lending practices, a sudden drop in cotton prices, and restrictive lending policies from British banks.
Edward Winslow was a prominent leader and diplomat among the early English settlers of Plymouth Colony in the 17th century. Born in 1595 in Worcestershire, England, Winslow was a well-educated man who became deeply involved with the Separatist movement seeking religious freedom. He traveled with the Pilgrims aboard the
Most of us have heard the legend of Peter Minuit, who is said to have purchased the island of Manhattan from the Indians for $24. Well, the story is largely true, and I’ll talk about it below. It was on May 4, 1626— 400 years ago today—that he arrived in
In the modern era, we take for granted that women can serve with distinction in the United States armed forces, whether as support personnel or on the front lines of battle. Reel back the clock 250 years to the time of our American Revolution, however, and you find yourself in
I’ve written before about the French & Indian War, which for several complicated reasons became a major cause of the American Revolution. Another thing it caused was a major upheaval in the British American colonies’ relations with Native-Americans, most prominently in the western territories that France had controlled, but which
American Heritage Partners was honored as a key sponsor of the dedication ceremony for the American Revolutionary War Memorial in Beaverton, Oregon. The event, held on Sunday, April 19, 2026, took place at the Beaverton Veterans Memorial Park as part of America 250 Oregon, celebrating the 250th anniversary of
Most Americans who know much of anything about the Mayflower and Plymouth Colony remember at least two key events: the signing of the Mayflower Compact when the Pilgrims first arrived in Plymouth in 1620, and the “First Thanksgiving” the following year. Some people also will remember the name William Bradford,
Most everyone in America today associates the city of Salem, Massachusetts with the infamous Salem Witch Trials, which took place in the year 1692. But I invite you to travel back even further in time, almost seventy years, to the year 1624, when a man named Roger Conant arrived in
The Harrisons were one of the most prominent Virginia families of the 17th and 18th centuries, including two U.S. Presidents, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) and Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). During the era of the Jamestowne Colony, members of the Harrison family were leading citizens, including Benjamin Harrison III, who died this
One of the most important passengers on the Mayflower in the year 1620 was William Brewster, who died this day on April 10, 1644. He was one of the original “Separatists” from Northern England who, in the early 1600’s, migrated to the Netherlands seeking religious freedom. The English Separatists remained