February 8, 1887: The Infamous Dawes Act Becomes Law, Targeting Native-American Reservations for Extinction
The Dawes Act We’ve written a number of stories about the slow and steady erosion of Native-American tribal lands in the 19th century due to the encroachments of white settlers—the natural...
Remembering Grenville Dodge
The American Civil War produced a long list of generals who led men into battle, and in some cases became American heroes: Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Philip Sheridan come to...
December 2, 1823: The “Monroe Doctrine” Is Announced, Charting the Course of Future American Foreign Policy
Handwritten text of Monroe’s State of the Union Address, Dec. 2, 1823 It was called the “Era of Good Feelings.” The first term of the presidency of James Monroe was a period of economic growth,...
Remembering James “Paddy” Graydon
Few Civil War officers were more colorful than Captain James (Paddy) Graydon. He was a hard drinking, daring and unconventional Union captain with a short fuse, particularly remembered for his...
Remembering Tecumseh
When people hear the name “Tecumseh,” most think of Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman. Where did he get that name? Sherman’s middle name was taken from one of the greatest...
Remembering James Armistead Lafayette
James Armistead Lafayette was a Continental Army double agent tasked with spying on the British during the Revolutionary War. He was born into slavery and enslaved by William Armistead, a Virginia...
Remembering Philip Sheridan
Unless you’re a serious student of the American Civil War, you may not know much about one of the most important generals to lead Union Army troops during the war: General Philip Sheridan, who died...
Remembering Clara Barton
Today we honor Clara Barton, who died this day on April 12, 1912. She has gone down in history as one of the most courageous women in the American Civil War, serving as a nurse on the battlefield,...
Remembering Harriet Tubman
One of the most revered figures in the history of the abolitionist movement in the 19th century was Harriet Tubman, who died this day on March 10, 1913 at the age of 90. Harriet’s story is...
Remembering Frederick Douglass
We have posted before about the Civil War era and Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Much of the impetus for Lincoln’s Proclamation came from the radical abolitionists in the...
