A musical production Orson Welles directed in 1937 demonstrated why there’s no business […]
Posted inStories
Undermining the Molly McGuires
A series of violent crimes was plaguing Pennsylvania’s coal country. Mine owners placed the blame on a secret society of Irishmen–and took steps to wipe it out.
Posted inFeature
“A Ceaseless Torrent of Music”
Modern presidential campaigns are routinely criticized for presenting more style than substance. It’s nothing new. Take, for example, the 1840 campaign, which pitted Old Tip against Sweet Sandy Whiskers and was often waged with song.
Posted inUncategorized
Target: Iwo Jima – Sidebar: June ’00 American History
In 1944 the bleak, insignificant Pacific island of Iwo Jima (sulphur island) suddenly became […]
Posted inFeature
Evolution on Trial
Seventy-five years ago, science teacher John Scopes agreed to challenge Tennessee’s new anti-evolution law in court. The resulting legal battle pitted two of the country’s premier orators against each other and treated newspaper readers worldwide to what Baltimore Sun columnist H.L. Mencken called a “genuinely fabulous” show.
Posted inFeature
MAPPING THE COLORADO
In 1869, John Wesley Powell defied the myth of the Colorado River’s invincibility and led the first expedition to navigate through the Grand Canyon.
Posted inFeature
This Case is Close to My Heart
Although ready to retire, famed attorney Clarence Darrow rose to the challenge when asked to defend a black physician against a murder charge.
Posted inFeature
The First to Die
Minuteman Isaac Davis, shot by the British at Concord Bridge in April 1775, was one of the first to die in the cause of American Independence.
Posted inReview
Book Review: TALKING WITH Scott Eyman: AH
TALKING WITH SCOTT EYMAN Although Scott Eyman already had books about director Ernst Lubitsch […]
Posted inReview
Book Review: TALKING WITH H.W. BRANDS: AH
TALKING WITH H.W. BRANDS Yes, Franklin was among the highest of the high-profile Founding […]