‘King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father’

Independent scholar Brooke Barbier has a doctorate in American history from Boston College. The author of Boston in the American Revolution: A Town versus an Empire, she founded and operates Ye Olde Tavern Tours, a popular guided outing along Boston's renowned Freedom Trail. In a new biography of John Hancock, she sums up the influence …

Two (Not Three) Cheers for the French Revolution

Persuasion is a Substack community that seeks "to persuade, rather than to mock or troll, those who disagree with us" and believes that "a free society is worth fighting for." It posts a defense of the French Revolution by Cathy Young, a Russian-Jewish-American writer for The Bulwark. "Americans misunderstand France’s important—and complicated—place in the history …

The Constitution Was Signed on Sept. 17, 1787

"The Constitution was written during the Philadelphia Convention, which is now known as the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. "The Constitution of the United States was signed on September 17, 1787. THIS is an important day in our history. "Charles Pinckney was a principal author and signer …

How Mad Was King George III?

7 Minutes in History is a Youtube channel. This video is actually 8:42. "George III was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25th October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms in 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death in 1820. …

British Empire, 1783-1997 in 10 Minutes

History Matters "covers the growth of the British Empire after the American Revolution all the way to its end with the handover of Hong Kong. The first half deals with the Pax Britannica and British global hegemony through the Sepoy mutiny (Indian Rebellion of 1857). The second half deals with the apex of the empire …

Russia’s Legendary ‘Potemkin Villages’ May Have Relevance to War With Ukraine

The powerful czar or monarch Catherine the Great, who ruled Russia from 1762 to 1796, appointed one of her boyfriends, Grigory Potemkin, to rule over Ukraine and Crimea. He reported that the people were happy and flourishing and invited her to visit. In preparation for the visit, he created model, portable settlements along the Dneiper …

What Caused the French Revolution?

Jack Rackam: "Welcome to my channel, filled with the Wikipedia-cited "great man" history your teachers warned you about. I think we're going to have a good time here." He uses light-hearted humor to describe momentous events. The Life & Times of Louis XVI, "the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during …

Catherine the Great: Enlightened Princess

"Catherine II, most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the last reigning Empress Regnant of Russia (from 1762 until 1796) and the country’s longest-ruling female leader. She came to power following the overthrow of her husband and second cousin, Peter III." Wikipedia. Interestingly, she reigned at the time America was going through the Revolution and the …

Ben Franklin: A New Interpretation By Ken Burns

PBS has broadcast a two-part, four-hour series by Ken Burns on founding father Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), which is creating discussion. Most school children learn that he was a "writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and political philosopher," as Wikipedia points out. The documentary is available via streaming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJtYoq0HH9c Burns calls Franklin "the most interesting of …

Boss Tweed, Tammany Hall, NYC, Urban Political Machines and Corruption

"Tammany Hall was a political powerhouse in New York City from 1789 until its slow unraveling in the mid-1960s. Boss Tweed and others would become infamous for corruption and the embezzlement of millions in taxpayer dollars." -- Daily Dose Documentary. Many videos on Youtube.com. Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the …