This Day in History --- January 4

Jan 4 1896

Utah becomes the 45th state 

          On today’s this day in history – we look at Utah – the 45^th state. Because it has been a crazy day – I am going to give you some fun facts about Utah.

When you think of Utah – what do you think of?

Utah:

·        Has the highest literacy rate in the United States

·        Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah all meet at four corners. This is the only place in the country where four states come together

·        The average snowfall in the mountains near Salt Lake City is 500 inches.

·        State Animal: The Rocky Mountain Elk

Fun facts courtesy of: http://www.50states.com/facts/utah.htm#.Vos-pPkrLIU and http://facts.randomhistory.com/utah-facts.html

Is there a historical event or topic that you want to more about? Send me an email at: connieshistoryclassroom@gmail.com

This Day in History --- January 3

January 3

Happy Birthday Lucretia Mott!

Lucretia Mott was born on this date in 1793 in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Lucretia was a women’s rights activist, and abolitionist. She was a major supporter of William Lloyd Garrison. She was born into a Quaker Family. Quakers are known for seeing everyone is equal. She married James Mott in 1811.

Lucretia was a huge opponent of slavery. She was very vocal about this. Her husband, unlike most in this time period, supported her. He supported her so much so that he got out of the cotton trade.

Mott was threatened because of her anti-slavery vocalization. She attended an Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840 where she met Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stanton and Mott are famously known for their work at the Seneca Falls Convention.

Mott died November 11, 1880 in Pennsylvania.

This day in History --- January 2, 1960

January 2, 1960

JFK announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. 

“The Presidency is the most powerful office in the Free World” John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy a senator from Massachusetts, announces his intention to become the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States. Kennedy, who was born in Brookline, MA on May 29, 1917 was considered a war hero. He joined the Navy and in 1943 his PT boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer. While he was injured he was able to help other survivors to safety.

Kennedy’s campaign slogan included “A Time for Greatness” and “We can do better” JFK was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States on January 20, 1961. Even from the beginning he had a big mess to clean up. The Cold War had started and The Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. JFK was able to win a lot of the African American vote (those who were able too, and not bullied into not exercising that right) However once he was in office, he tried to avoid the promises he had made to secure equal rights for African Americans. Kennedy was worried about the backlash from those in the South who were staunch racists.

As always, comments and questions are welcomed! Please feel free to contact me at: Connieshistoryclassroom@gmail.com

This day in History ---- January 1, 1863

Happy New Year!

This year, I really hope to get this blog up and running. More posts, more likes on facebook, more fans, etc.

January 1, 1863

Lincoln Signs the Emancipation Proclamation

On January 1, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln signs the final draft of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The first draft was issued on September 22, 1862. This can be seen as a warning to the rebel states to not secede from the Union.

“By the President of the United States of America:

A Proclamation.

Whereas, on the twentysecond day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty two, a proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, containing, among other things, the following, towit:

``That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.” [1]

The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free any slaves. As we can see from Lincoln’s words he deemed the slaves free, but this only applied to the Union. The Confederate States of America had their own government under CSA President Jefferson Davis.

The Emancipation Proclamation was originally a thought in July of 1862. The members of Lincoln’s Cabinet did not want to issue it at that time, due to the lack of victories for the Union Army. This all changed with the Battle of Antietam. While the battle was considered a draw – the Union Soldiers were able to drive out the Confederates from Maryland.  The battle concluded on September 17, 1862 and the first draft was issued a few days later.  

The Emancipation Proclamation also helped bring African Americans into the war. Several months after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued the United States Colored Troops was established. Several great fighters and heroes came from the USCT. (ie: 54th  Massachusetts)

As always, comments and questions are welcomed! Please feel free to contact me at: Connieshistoryclassroom@gmail.com

Works Consulted

http://www.civilwar.org/

http://millercenter.org/

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[1] "Miller Center." Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863)-. Accessed December 31, 2015. http://millercenter.org/president/speeches/speech-3509.

Cold War Spy Activities

I just finished out another term of grad school. I am coming off of Cold War. Like every term, we have to write a paper at the end. For my capstone, I am leaning toward focusing on the use of Women and African Americans as spies in the American Wars. This terms paper was on Cold War Espionage. There is a story that I would like to tell you about, Aldrich Ames.
 One of the other well-known controversial cases that has been extensively written about is that of Aldrich Ames. “Aldrich Ames, a veteran CIA officer who betrayed scores of American agents to the Soviet Union, wanted fancy cars and a nice house and had no compunction about betraying anyone and anything to obtain them.”[1] One has to wonder why you would want to sell your country out. Ames worked in counter intelligence. Tod Hoffman in his article “The Mystery of Aldrich Ames” points out: “DRAWN to what will probably stand as the last great Cold War espionage case, journalists and intelligence watchers have scrambled to produce books about [Aldrich H. Ames], a CIA officer who spied on behalf of the KGB for nine years.”[2] (The KGB is Komitet gosudarstvennoy bezopasnosti. This is a group was a military service to the Soviets.) Ames was convicted in 1994 – towards the end of the Cold War. Americans seemed to be watching with anticipation of the trial of an American who betrayed his own. Interestingly enough, his wife was also convicted of Spy activities. He got life in prison w/o the possibility of parole. His wife got 63 months. Ames was a counter espinoge intelligence agent. He had been assigned to try and recruit agents. However, the KGB was able to flip him. He betrayed scores of Americans. He had spied against America for over 9 years. He was one of the last trials after the end of the Cold War.

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[1] Haynes, John Earl, and Harvey Klehr. Early Cold War Spies: The Espionage Trials That Shaped American Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Pg. 232

[2] Hoffman, Tod. "The Mystery of Aldrich Ames." Queen's Quarterly 103, no. 2, 384-97. DOI:Summer 1996.

The Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz Book Review

Disclosure  I received an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review and post. All opinions expressed are my own. 

As a future military historian, I love reading Christian Historical Fiction. I was very excited to receive and review a book set after the American Revolution. "The Mistress of Tall Acre" by Laura Frantz is a perfect blend of history and romance. The book casts it's grips on you within the first 20 pages. This was the first novel that I have read by her, and I am left hoping for a sequel or a follow up. Her writing provides a glimpse into a story of two people trying to recover after the American Revolution. 

The book was one that took many twists and turns, kept my heart pounding and was one that I could not put down. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good history and romance read. 

Deborah Sampson Gannett - Woman revolutionary Soldier.

This term I am working on a paper looking at women’s roles in the French and American Revolution.  I have stumbled upon many great stories of heroines. For this week, I would like to tell the story of Deborah Sampson Gannett. Born on December 1, 1760 in Massachusetts, she was born into a life of poverty and indentured servitude. Her mother had sent her and her six siblings to various households. Once her servitude was over at the age of 18, she started teaching school.

On May 20, 1782 Sampson enlisted into the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment of the Continental Army at Bellingham as a man named Robert Shurtleff. Other soldiers teased her about not having to shave. She performed her duties as well as the rest of them. Sampson was wounded in the leg during the battle near Tarrytown. She was able to perform self-care on her wound, and her true identity was kept a secret. However, she was placed in the hospital due to a fever and a doctor discovered the truth. She was able to discreetly make arrangements to become honorably discharged West Point on October 25, 1783 by General Henry Knox.

Deborah returned home met Benjamin Gannett, a farmer, and they married and had three children. She was awarded a pension nine years after her discharge in the amount of 34 pounds (approx. $53.04 in US dollars). This was awarded in one lump sum. Some of the later information has been questioned by historians, especially her service dates. Whatever dates it was, she was brave and fought for her country.

Works consulted:

http://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/biographies/deborah-sampson/

http://distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/sampson.html