Hats, War, and the Great Peace
Three hundred and eighteen years ago this month thirty-nine tribes of native peoples and the government of New France signed The Great Peace of Montreal ending almost a century of bitter warfare. It… Continue reading
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Naming Rights and the First Governor of New Jersey
The source of place names always fascinates me. We are at the shore this week, enjoying Cape May Point with family. It has me wondering about the name of the place. Who was… Continue reading
George Washington’s Tent
History is made up of people, places, events—and objects. Among the latter Washington’s Marquee (his campaign tent) stands out, if only for its arc of American history. I first saw the tent at… Continue reading
Battery 223 and a Day at the Beach
One of the joys of moving east is how close we are to the coast. When I discovered I could lunch at Cape May and enjoy a day at the shore and still… Continue reading
The Simple Saints
My previous posts about colorful Victorians have covered a wide range of eccentric entrepreneurs, con artists, and whatnot. Today’s subjects’ eccentricity—if I dare call it that—consisted in dogged devotion to religion and unwavering… Continue reading
The Other Notre Dame
No, not the football one either! The horrible fire in Paris made me wonder about the other great cathedrals. There are hundreds of churches named “Our Lady” of something or other in many… Continue reading
Canada at Vimy Ridge
… a defining moment for Canada, when the country emerged from under the shadow of Britain and felt capable of greatness. Tim Cook, Canadian War Museum Last Tuesday, as I prepared this post,… Continue reading
Finding Jamestown
Did you know there are two Jamestowns to visit? It is a bit disconcerting when you follow the Colonial Parkway and come to signs pointing in two directions. We went straight, toward Historic… Continue reading
Cruising the Nile
Relaxing, slow, refreshing… What words do you think of when you hear the word cruise? River cruises have become particularly attractive, and in spite of worldwide unrest. How about challenging and adventurous? That… Continue reading
Diversity in Canada, A Second Look
Sometimes those “Today in History” feeds give me ideas for stories, and sometimes they broaden my thinking. That happened this week. February 2019 marks the 177th anniversary of the proclamation in Canada of… Continue reading