02.10.06
Posted in Herodotus' Children at 8:09 pm by Stephanie
Unknown tomb has been found in The Valley of the Kings in Egypt.
How absolutely stunning would it be to be involved in something that huge? To be part of the team that not only found something magnificent and important but to also be part of the team that gets to fill in some of the gaps of history and maybe even re-write it more accurately now that more information is going to be forthcoming? The mind boggles at the possibilities.
The team that found it is from Maryland. How exciting for them and for Ancient Egyptian scholars all over the world.
Not to mention a major coup for the university which I’m sure will make financial support easier to attain. (I know that’s rather cynical of me but that is the reality of academia of this sort. Those bones don’t just crawl to the surface by themselves.)
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02.09.06
Posted in UIS at 3:15 am by Stephanie
A recap of week 3’s discussion of the Revolutionary War.
The Effect of War on Marriages Sources:
Historic Valley Forge - Who Served Here?
Catherine Littlefield Greene
Correspondence between John and Abigail Adams
Abigail Adams
A Monumental Inscription Resources:
WGBH Forum Network, “Prelude to The Boston Massacre - Hiller Zobel, writer”
See this
Breathing History entry for more resources on the Boston Massacre
The Gaspee Incident Resources:
Gaspee Virtual Archives, “Governor Joseph Wanton”
The Gaspee Incident
The Joseph Bucklin Society, “Story of the Gaspee Affair”
See this
Breathing History entry for more resources on the Gaspee Incident
Nathanael Greene Resources
Google:
Nathanael Greene
Google Blog Search
Nathanael Greene
Google Book Search
Nathanael Greene
Wikipedia:
Nathanael Greene
Catherine Littlefield Greene Resources
Google:
Catherine Littlefield Greene
Google Blog Search:
Catherine Littlefield Greene
Google Book Search:
Catherine Littlefield Greene
Sarah Franklin Bache Resources
Google:
Sarah Bache
Google Blog Search:
Sarah Bache
Google Books:
Sarah Bache
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02.06.06
Posted in UIS at 10:27 pm by Stephanie
Revolutionary Feminism in a letter from Abigail Adams to John Adams dated 31 March, 1776:
and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar care and attention is not paid to the Laidies we are determined to foment a Rebelion, and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation.
That your Sex are Naturally Tyrannical is a Truth so thoroughly established as to admit of no dispute, but such of you as wish to be happy willingly give up the harsh title of Master for the more tender and endearing one of Friend. Why then, not put it out of the power of the vicious and the
Lawless to use us with cruelty and indignity with impunity. Men of Sense in all Ages abhor those customs which treat us only as the vassals of your Sex. Regard us then as Beings placed by providence under your protection and in immitation of the Supreem Being make use of that power only for our happiness.
This plea came at a time when women were not encouraged to be educated in reading and writing. Women of the upper classes were taught to read and write along with dancing and music.
Even Benjamin Franklin believed that teaching accounting to women would make it easier for them to look after themselves in the case of widowhood until the oldest son grew old enough to take over the family business from his mother.
It’s not what feminists today would consider very progressive, but for its time this sort of thinking was very progressive.
Sources:
The Autobigraphy of Benjamin Franklin
Adams Electronic Archive
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02.05.06
Posted in UIS at 10:55 pm by Stephanie
Boston Tea Party Historical Society - Everything you could possibly want to know about the Boston Tea Party.
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Posted in UIS at 10:48 pm by Stephanie
The Gaspee Incident - in which a British schooner was boarded by Rhode Island citizens, taking all personnel off-board, beating Lt. William Dudingston the commander, and setting the ship on fire in protest to the treatment of Americans by British military and the restrictive tax laws being enforced.
Gaspee Virtual Archives
Joseph Bucklin Society - Gaspee History (according to this site, Joseph Bucklin fired the first shot at the Gaspee and is considered to have fired the first shot of the American Revolution)
Gaspee Info - hosted by Bucklin Society
Wikipedia: Gaspee Incident
General searches
Google:
Gaspee Incident
Google Blog Search:
Gaspee Incident
Google Books:
Gaspee Incident
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Posted in UIS at 1:33 am by Stephanie
This year is the tercentenary (300th) Benjamin Franklin’s birthday. Celebrations abound in Philadelphia.
The assignment was to read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and then write a 3-5 page paper giving my opinion on the question of “WAS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN A SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTER ONLY OUT FOR FAME AND A BLIND IDEALIST UNCONCERNED WITH AMERICANS LESS LUCKY THAN HIMSELF?” (paraphrased from the instructor’s topic) Of course, as all good historians must do, we had to use our reading and cite our sources to back up our claim.
And, in usual fashion, I chose the grey area: “If he was, does that lessen his legacy to America and the world?”
Here are some things I learned:
The mutual improvement club, called the Junto Society, Franklin formed with 12 friends became The American Philosophical Society 40 years later.
The Society promotes useful knowledge in the sciences and humanities through excellence in scholarly research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and community outreach.
In 1731, Franklin established a subscription library which became “the mother of all North American subscription libraries”. 1 That library is now The Library Company of Philadelphia, whose mission is
to collect, preserve, and make available books, graphics, and other primary source materials for the study of American history and culture up to the closing years of the 19th century.2
He also founded the first paid municipal city watch which was the genesis of law enforcement departments, the first volunteer fire department which was incorporated as the Union Fire Company and also led to municipal fire departments.
1Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. (Mineola: Dover Publications, 1996). p.53
2At the Instance of Benjamin Franklin - A Brief History of the Library Company of Philadelphia
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02.01.06
Posted in Doing History at 5:16 pm by Stephanie
- TEMPERANCE.
Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
- SILENCE.
Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
- ORDER.
Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
- RESOLUTION.
Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
- FRUGALITY.
Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
- INDUSTRY.
Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
- SINCERITY.
Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
- JUSTICE.
Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
- MODERATION.
Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
- CLEANLINESS.
Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
- TRANQUILLITY.
Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
- CHASTITY.
Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
- HUMILITY.
Imitate Jesus and Socrates.
Source:
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
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