Typhoid Mary–Villain or Victim?

by Becky Lower

Typhoid fever was responsible for the deaths of many people in the 19th and early part of the 20th century. Associated with poor sanitation, it was mostly confined to the lower classes, who… Continue reading →

Laura Secord, Canada’s Paul Revere

by Becky Lower

If the War of 1812 was America’s Forgotten War, then Laura Secord is the war’s forgotten heroine, at least in the United States.   Most Americans forget that in the late 1700s and… Continue reading →

America’s Forgotten War

by Becky Lower

The War of 1812 stands out in American history as a disappointment to most, a forgotten war as soon as one managed to finish 8th grade history class. It doesn’t have the same… Continue reading →

Big Jock McCluskey and the Buffalo Plaid

by Becky Lower

I sat in a meeting a few weeks ago with my new red and black buffalo plaid jacket lovingly placed over the back of my chair. When I glanced around the room at… Continue reading →

Ezra Meeker And The Oregon Trail

by Becky Lower

As so often happens when doing research for this blog, I begin with one idea in mind and in the course of researching what I think will be the blog for the day,… Continue reading →

Thomas Jefferson, Agriculturalist

by Becky Lower

I find that the limited number of our flower beds will too much restrain the variety of flowers in which we might wish to indulge, & therefore I have resumed an idea … of… Continue reading →

The American Civil War Begins

by Becky Lower

This week marks the anniversary of the start of the Civil War. The bloodiest war in American history began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces, under the command of General P.G.T. Beauregard… Continue reading →

Amelia Bloomer, Fashionista and Women’s Rights Advocate

by Becky Lower

I couldn’t let March come to an end without having History Imagined pay homage to National Women’s History Month, established in 1987 by a declaration of Congress after several years of hard work… Continue reading →

Dr. Samuel Mudd–Co-Conspirator or Innocent Doctor?

by Becky Lower

In my last installment on this site, I discussed Mary Surratt and her relationship to John Wilkes Booth. As a side note, I mentioned that Samuel Mudd knew Mr. Booth at least one… Continue reading →

Mary Elizabeth Surratt–Co-Conspirator, Starstruck Fangirl or Helicopter Mom?

by Becky Lower

Before Mary Surratt gained the dubious distinction of becoming the first female to be executed by the United States federal government, in 1865, she was the owner of a boarding house in Washington,… Continue reading →