Head-Tilting History
Long before there was a United States, the Americas were populated by tens of millions of people with rich societies and cultures. The fate of these nations after the arrival of European settlers makes for a complex tale worthy of much more than a single email. Instead, in recognition of Native American Heritage Month, we're highlighting some of the surprising ways that you can spot Native American influence within the narrative of history.
October is the season for ghost stories, but sometimes reality is even more chilling. There are grim truths and gory details from the Civil War that may sound like the stuff of horror films, but for many Americans during our nation’s defining conflict, they were reality.
"Remember the Alamo!" It was the battle cry that inspired Sam Houston's army to defeat their Mexican foes at the Battle of San Jacinto. The victory eventually sent the army of General Antonio López de Santa Anna back across the Rio Grande and secured Texas's independence. It lived on in the Mexican-American War a decade afterward. And today, almost two centuries later, it may be what most Americans best remember about the Texas Revolution.
Between camping, marching and battle, Civil War soldiers had plenty of contact with the natural world. Military service often meant trekking to unfamiliar parts of the country and almost always meant long periods of time outdoors. Many soldiers captured their experiences in diaries and letters. These make up the bulk of the first-person accounts biologist Kelby Ouchley mined for Flora and Fauna of the Civil War: An Environmental Reference Guide. Ouchley’s collection inspired these 5 head-tilting ways the natural world touched soldiers lives’ during the Civil War.
The War of 1812 wasn’t just a war of conflicting interests — it was a clash of worldviews and cultures. In fact, the fundamentally divergent perspectives and goals of the major players help explain why, more than two centuries later, historians still struggle to say who won. The numbers alone tell an interesting story.
Sure, you know that household names like DuPont, American Express and Brooks Brothers have been around forever – but did you know that each of these companies played an active part in the American Civil War? All three brands had complex interests and allegiances. All three lent support to the Union in America's greatest conflict. Here's a head-tilting story about each, courtesy of research by James M. Schmidt. Two Confederate Diplomats and a Chemist Businessman Cross the Atlantic If you're...
Head-Tilting History sparked from a desire for engaging stories to share with all audiences, to build a new — or grow a long-established — love of history. Please share this exciting content and send feedback to web@battlefields.org.
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Explore the American Battlefield Trust’s award-winning membership magazine, Hallowed Ground, published quarterly.
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Railroads in the Civil War
VIDEO | Historian Sam Smith discusses the importance of railroads in the Civil War era. This video is part of the American Battlefield Trust's In4