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Inventing the Pinkertons: Interview with Paul O'Hara
In 1850, Allan Pinkerton founded a detective agency that would grow into the Pinkerton's National Detective Agency. Pinkerton's agency is easily the most famous and infamous security guard and detective agency in United States history. Pinkerton originally created the agency to help railroad companies investigate their employees and catch train robbers. But over time, the Pinkertons developed an intimate relationship with the federal government and as these partnerships grew the Pinkertons' role increased dramatically. Read more...
Why are there so many Monuments to the Confederacy across the United States?
As one travels across the southern United States, it is not unusual to find monuments and memorials to the Confederate dead in many small towns. In fact, these sculptural pieces, often composed of the same statues and plinths from the Monumental Bronze Co. of Bridgeport, Conn., can be found as far north as Pennsylvania and New York. A study in 2016 found some 1,500 monuments still standing. While in recent years these monuments have become a new source of political conversation their very erection was a movement by Confederate women. Read more...
History of God Top Ten Booklist
The concept of God and his historical development is an extraordinarily complex topic and it is not easily addressed in ten books. These books seek attempt to explain a complex story on how the concept of God developed in different cultures, places, and across time. The history of the idea of God is long and has its roots from prehistoric to early historic periods in the ancient Near East. Later cultures developed concepts that derive from ancient Iran, Greece, Egypt, and perhaps other regions.Read more...
How historically accurate is Braveheart?
Braveheart was a popular movie released in 1995 that won 5 Oscars and featured Mel Gibson as William Wallace. Wallace was a Scottish knight who became a hero in the Scottish rebellions against the English in the late 13th and early 14th century. The movie helped to inspire Scottish national pride while also, to some, represent an early, Medieval warrior who fought for freedom for himself and his people. While much of the story depicted did occur, including the English occupation of Scotland during the time of Edward I, king of England, the depiction of the revolt against the English and other events do not correspond well to historical accounts.Read more...
What Was the Importance of Bill Mauldin to WWII Infantrymen?
Bill Mauldin once said that the infantryman “gives more and gets less than anybody else.” He knew this from his experience on the front lines with K Company, 180th Infantry Regiment, of the 45th Division. Mauldin went through basic training as an infantryman and stayed with his regiment throughout the invasion of Sicily and the Allied campaign up the boot of Italy. The talented cartoonist succeeded in ruffling the feathers of the “brass” all the way up to General George Patton.Read more...
Primed for Violence in Interwar Poland: Interview with Paul Brykczynski
Paul Brykczynski's new book Primed for Violence: Murder, Antisemitism, and Democratic Politics in Interwar Poland published by the University of Wisconsin Press explores the tragic efforts of the Polish people to create a new democratic state after electing their first President, Gabriel Narutowicz.Read more...
American Civil War Biographies Top Ten Booklist
The library of texts pertaining to the Civil War Era ranges from scholarly research to pure fiction. Some of the most informative works come in the biography genre. The countless memoirs and autobiographies are essential to professional researchers and historians and have proved indispensable to the modern biographer. Read more...
How did Public Sanitation Develop?
With the beginning of settled life, a new problem arose as people began to live in one place throughout the year. That problem was public sanitation. With increased population, the need to adequately remove human waste and maintain relatively clean water supplies became an increasing challenge.By prehistory, this challenge was addressed in societies, with increasing sophistication as cities grew and became more complex. Read more...
American Legal History Top Ten Booklist
These are our Top Ten legal history books. Why do we like these books? Besides being awesome, we believe that these are some of the most exciting legal history books we have read. These books helped us think about legal history in new ways. Read more...
Why did the Italian Renaissance End?
The Italian Renaissance was one of the most exciting periods in human civilisation. It witnessed a great flourishing of the arts, literature, philosophy, architecture and politics. Many of the greatest figures in World Civilisation appeared during the Renaissance in Italy, including Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Machiavelli and Raphael. Read more...
Civil War Battles Top Ten Booklist
A DailyHistory.org top ten booklist focusing on best book on the battles of the American Civil War. The books on this list explore the battles of Antietam, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, and many others. The list includes the works of several of the most prominent historians on this topic including James McPherson, Gordon Rhea, Stephen Sears and Craig Symonds. Take a look at our list.Read more...
What were the Root Causes of the Spanish Civil War?
Spain was a very divided, unstable and weak country in the 19th century. Once a great power, Spain lost almost the last of its colonies after it defeat in the Spanish-American war.[1] It was technically a monarchy, but power had frequently been in the hands of military dictators. The country was bitterly divided. The acute poverty of the Spanish people meant that many were drawn to Communism, Anarchism and Socialism. Read more...
Nature's Path: Interview with Susan E. Cayleff
At the very end of the 19th Century, a new system called naturopathy was created by Benedict and Louisa Stroebel Lust. Unlike many of the 19th Century medical systems created, naturopathy has persevered to this day. Naturopathic healing was founded and based on number of influences including botanics, hydrotherapy, eclecticism, temperance and vegetarianism. Read more...
Why was Epicurus and his philosophy so important?
Epicurus is often associated as one of the Greek philosophers more interested in pleasure or its pursuit than other ideals. While at times this led to a negative view of his philosophy, the reality is his thinking was very advanced and developed, leading to his ideas becoming highly influential in modern thought in many regions of the world today. He was one of the first Greek philosophers to develop a strong tradition that avoid superstition as a core ideal.Read more...
American Revolution Top Ten Booklist
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress. This act was only the first step towards the creation of the United States. The United States then fought a seven year war to cement its independence from England. The successful fight for independence has had a remarkable impact on world history over the past 200 years. The United States gradually transformed itself from a former colony into a superpower. The impact of this revolution cannot be ignored. Read more...
The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: Interview with Terri Halperin
The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were four laws that were passed by the predominantly Federalist Congress and signed by John Adams to strengthen the national security of the United States. These acts not only restricted the ability of an immigrant to become a citizen, but made it easier to deport non-citizens who were either deemed dangerous or were citizens of hostile countries. Read more...
Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad?
Hitler saw the war in terms of his personal rivalry with Stalin and he decided to attack the city, because of its symbolic value. However, the original aim of the offensive in Southern Russian was to secure the oil fields in the Caucasus. The oil was essential for the German war machine. Hitler knew this – instead of opting for concentrating all his forces on the conquest of the oil fields, he made perhaps a fateful mistake.Read more...
The Mysterious Illness of Jim Bowie: How Did He Contribute to His Own Decline?
Directly or indirectly, Jim Bowie’s enigmatic illness resulted from his own actions. A hearty man of six feet in height, Bowie was a walking contradiction; a slave trader who fought for freedom, a generous and congenial man who called out his thunderous temper on a whim, and a commanding leader who was prone to binges of sloppy drunkenness. Read more...
Origins of the French Revolution - Top Ten Booklist
The French Revolution has been seen as a world-altering event. The revolution demolished a long standing monarchy and showed that it was a natural form of government. The Revolution also showed that it was possible to change society, using reason, for the better and worse. The French Revolution inspired many to agitate for democracy and equality around the world. Read more...
Gilded Age/Progressive Era History Top Ten Booklist
Creating a Top Ten List for the Gilded Age/Progressive Era is challenging. There are an extraordinary number of outstanding books on this period. These books are a selection of our favorites. Most of these books are focused on trying to define this era as whole, instead of focusing on a single issue. In other words, several of these books are seeking to create a grand narrative of the era to help their readers understand it. Read more...
History of Religion
- History of God Top Ten Booklist
- How did Christian Church Architecture evolve in the West?
- What was Plato's academy and why did it influence Western thought?
- How did Monotheism Develop?
- How did the concept of paradise develop?
- How did Akhenaten Radically Change Egyptian Religion and Culture?
- Why was the worship of Mithra so popular?
Ancient Greek History
American Civil War
- Was the Destruction Perpetrated by Lincoln, Grant, and Sherman Necessary to End the Civil War?
- What Were the Circumstances Surrounding the Death of "Stonewall" Jackson?
- Why Was the Battle of Antietam a Pivotal event in the American Civil War?
- American Civil War Biographies Top Ten Booklist
- Why Was Vicksburg “The Gibraltar of the Confederacy?”
19th Century History
- Did the Congress of Berlin create a more unstable Europe?
- What did Prussia’s victory in the Franco-Prussian War mean for Europe?
- What was the dominant medical sect in the United States during the 19th Century?
- How did the Boxer Rebellion unite Imperial Powers and create Chinese Nationalism?
- 19th Century Overview of United States History Top Ten Booklist
Renaissance History
- Why did the Italian Renaissance End?
- What were the causes of the Northern Renaissance?
- How did the Bubonic Plague make the Italian Renaissance possible?
- How did the de Medici contribute to the Renaissance?
- Did the Sack of Rome in 1527 end the Renaissance in Italy?
- What was the role of the Popes in the Renaissance?
- Top 10 Books on the origins of the Italian Renaissance
History of Early US Republic
- Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Fathers and Christianity: Interview with Sam Haselby
- The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: Interview with Terri Halperin
- Fate of the Revolution: Interview with Lorri Glover
- American Revolution Top Ten Booklist
- What was George Washington's military experience before the American Revolution?
- Hodges' Scout: Interview with Len Travers
History of Early US Republic
- Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Fathers and Christianity: Interview with Sam Haselby
- The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: Interview with Terri Halperin
- Fate of the Revolution: Interview with Lorri Glover
- American Revolution Top Ten Booklist
- What was George Washington's military experience before the American Revolution?
- Hodges' Scout: Interview with Len Travers
Sports History
Legal History
- American Legal History Top Ten Booklist
- American Surveillance: Interview with Anthony Gregory
- How did the Sharia Law develop?
- How has the Roman Lex Mercatoria evolved to play a role in modern International Trade and Commerce Codification?
- How does The Magna Carta influence the Modern Perceptions of Civil Rights?
- How has ancient Rome influenced European law?
World War I
- What started World War One?
- Why did Germany not achieve victory at Verdun in 1916?
- Why did the Battle of the Somme largely fail to achieve its objectives?
- Why did the Gallipoli Landings fail in WWI?
- Why did the German Spring Offensive of 1918 fail?
- Why did the Germans win the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914?
- Origins of World War One - Top Ten Booklist
- Why did the Russian Romanov Dynasty collapse in 1917?
European Interwar Political History
- How did Vladimir Lenin Rise To Power?
- How Joseph Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union
- How did Mussolini become Prime Minister of Italy?
- Primed for Violence in Interwar Poland: Interview with Paul Brykczynski
- The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact- Stalin’s greatest mistake?
- The Nazi triumph: how did Adolf Hitler become the Fuehrer of Germany?
- Why did the the Weimar Republic Collapse?
World War Two
- How Did the German Military Develop Blitzkrieg?
- How did Joseph Stalin react to the German invasion during WWII?
- How Was Hitler Responsible for the German Defeat in World War II?
- D-Day: What Factors Were Considered When Planning Operation Overlord?
- What were the goals of the Axis powers and the Soviet Union during World War Two?
- Why was France defeated in 1940?
- Why was Rommel defeated at El Alamein?
- Why did the Germans suffer a defeat at Kursk in 1943?
- Why did Operation Market Garden in 1944 fail?
Articles
Here are some of our most recently created and edited articles.
- Why did the United States start the Mexican American War
- What Caused The Economic Panic Of 1837
- Why did Andrew Jackson want to destroy the Bank of the United States
- Why did the United States begin directly electing Senators in 1913
- How did Mussolini Rise to Power as the Dictator of Italy
- Why did Germany lose the Battle of Stalingrad
- What were Joseph Stalin's goals as World War Two ended
- How historically accurate is the Gladiator
Blog Roll
Here are some links to our Favorite History and Academic Publisher Blogs
- Tropics of Meta
- Nursing Clio
- The Junto
- Points: The Blog of the Alcohol and Drugs History Society
- Process: A Blog for American History
- Legal History Blog
- Balkinization
- Cooking in the Archives
- We're History
- Real Clear History
- History News Network
- National Museum of American History
- Oxford University Press Blog
- Johns Hopkins University Press Blog
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