Barbara Jordan (1936-1996), an impressive lawyer, educator, and politician with an authoritative baritone voice, was the first African American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction and the first Southern African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives. Wikipedia. She is still widely remembered for her speech tracing the history of the First Amendment … Continue reading Barbara Jordan, Pioneering Black Congresswoman, Gave Memorable Speeches: Freedom in America Is An ‘Eternal Embryo’
Texas
How Could A New Civil War Possibly Happen? Supreme Court Already Ruled States Can’t Secede
"The Texas Republican Party, ever aspirational, put secession from the United States into its most recent platform. And yet secession is technically illegal — thanks to Texans. In 1869, in Texas v. White, the Supreme Court ruled secession unconstitutional and declared the Union 'perpetual.' Hence the intoxicating appeal of these continuing fantasies of partition and … Continue reading How Could A New Civil War Possibly Happen? Supreme Court Already Ruled States Can’t Secede
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Ended US War With Mexico, Brought New Lands into the Union, and Set Nation on Path to Civil War
In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, "officially titled the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits and Settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic," brought an official end to the Mexican-American War (1846-1848). It also gave advocates of slavery a new opportunity to spread the practice into new areas, and alter the … Continue reading Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Ended US War With Mexico, Brought New Lands into the Union, and Set Nation on Path to Civil War
Texas Social Studies Requirements Are ‘Untethered from National Democratic Principles’
Boston College Historian Heather Cox Richardson critiques new Texas laws on teaching American history, "requiring teachers to present opposing views on controversial subjects" such as slavery and genocide. Officials cannot seem to answer what might be the pro-slavery or pro-genocide position. The legislators also attempted to ban "critical race theory," though they could not clearly … Continue reading Texas Social Studies Requirements Are ‘Untethered from National Democratic Principles’
History of Abortion in the US: From Consensus to Divisive Social Issue
As Texas legislators seek to severely restrict abortion rights, Boston College Historian Heather Cox Richardson recalls the mixed history of the movement to restrict abortion. "Abortion had been a part of American life since its inception, but states began to criminalize abortion in the 1870s. By 1960, an observer estimated that there were between 200,000 … Continue reading History of Abortion in the US: From Consensus to Divisive Social Issue
Americans Mark First National Celebration of Juneteenth and Slavery’s End with Much Media Focus
On June 17th, 2021, President Biden signed legislation declaring June 19th a national holiday after a bipartisan Congress supported an annual celebration of Juneteenth, representing the end of slavery upon the conclusion of the civil war in 1865. The NYT has an updating account of how Americans are celebrating. Juneteenth.com has a national registry of … Continue reading Americans Mark First National Celebration of Juneteenth and Slavery’s End with Much Media Focus
‘Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of An American Myth’
Americans learned the Texas origin story all wrong, according to three Texas authors who say that defending slavery was a primary motivation of the revolutionaries. "Remember the Alamo? According to Texas lore, it's the site in San Antonio where, in 1836, about 180 Texan rebels died defending the state during Texas' war for independence from … Continue reading ‘Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of An American Myth’
John Wayne’s 1960 Movie, ‘The Alamo’, Was Propaganda At Its Worst
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYtguIsp2B8 In the 1950s and early 1960s, American mass media was full of mythology about how the West was won, the heroics and the glories of life as a cowboy, as I've written before. One of the worst examples of propaganda was actor John Wayne's popular movie, "The Alamo." Not only does the film do … Continue reading John Wayne’s 1960 Movie, ‘The Alamo’, Was Propaganda At Its Worst
Why Should You Remember the Alamo?
Remember the Alamo! Battle of the Alamo (Wikipedia), part of the Texas Revolution (1835-36). Why should you remember the Alamo? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJOYHh5BQ6o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTCcnbzSMc8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n2CUCDATi8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxmB_2evfIE CBS Sunday Morning: "February 23, 1836 marked the beginning of the Mexican army's 13-day siege upon the Alamo mission in San Antonio, held by Texian supporters of independence." Date: February 23 – … Continue reading Why Should You Remember the Alamo?
Why Germans Migrated to America, Becoming the Nation’s Largest Ethnic Group
Untold story of German America: Masaman: "Today we're going to discuss the forgotten history of German America, and how the Germans became the largest group in the United States of America, dominating huge chunks of one of the most influential countries on Earth?" Sources: https://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/c... http://www.germanheritage.com/postal/... https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/n... Year of German-American Friendship focus: Simone Eick from … Continue reading Why Germans Migrated to America, Becoming the Nation’s Largest Ethnic Group
Teaching History's Slender Threads, Including 'What Ifs', Almosts, Alternatives and Turning Points 