American History

“Give me liberty or give me death!”      Everyone has heard this phrase, even if they haven’t read the whole speech. The speech can be heard or listen to it hear: http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/133/historic-american-documents/4956/patrick-henrys-speech-to-the-virginia-house-of-burgess-richmond-virginia-march-23-1775/. (I would advise your read it or at least skim over it)     In the year 1805, 30 years after Patrick Henry gave his memorable speech, an attorney by the name of William Wirt decided...Read Full Story

I recently finished watching the HBO miniseries "John Adams" a few days ago. It was very well done and I enjoyed it immensely. (There were some adult content and nudity, so...not a teen or child movie) Near the end of the series, John Adams speaks of his fear of us forgetting what our freedom cost. Here's the quote. If I try saying it in my own words, it'll bomb;     "Oh posterity! You will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom. I hope that you will make a good use of it. If...Read Full Story

Before and after images of an Indian school student in the 1880's. The ghosts of children are said to haunt the abandoned hallways of the Concho Indian Boarding School in Concho, Oklahoma.  Paranormalists take their EVP recording devices to the school and pick up the sounds of disembodied voices.  The air grows chilly.  Doors slam.  Objects come flying out of nowhere. The school is actually a complex of buildings on the fringes of the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation in central Oklahoma, just...Read Full Story

$150 billion for 50 pounds of moon rocks like this one. Does that seem like a good investment to you? In all of human history there may be nothing as anti-climactic as a moon rock.  After spending 10 years and $150 billion, the US space program reached its summit by landing a man on the moon and bringing back 50 pounds of rocks. Today, NASA values those rocks at $100,000 per ounce, which makes the total haul worth about $78 million bucks, or about $149 billion less than the cost of...Read Full Story

Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor (Paperback) By (author) Willard Sterne Randall Benedict Arnold: Patriot and Traitor Willard Sterne Randall (Author)   There are some names that stand out in the history of Lake Champlain and the Champlain Valley: Samuel de Champlain, Robert Rogers, Ethan and Ira Allen, Thomas Macdonough and Benedict Arnold. All are thought of as heroes to some extent. [...]Lake Champlain LifeRead Full Story

The Naval War of Benedict Arnold By Mike Burleson The later treason of Benedict Arnold cannot disguise the fact that early in the Revolutionary War he was one of Washington’s most effective generals. At the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, considered by historians as the turning point in the war against Britain, Arnold as much as any other American [...]Lake Champlain Life Related posts: Conquered Into Liberty – Book ReviewRead Full Story

Plaza De Espana, Guam One of the remnants of Spanish colonial rule on Guam is located in the center of the capital city, Hagatna, near the Catholic Basilica called the Plaza de Espana. These restful looking ruins that are typically landscape are the remains of what used to be the seat and home of the Spanish Governor of Guam.As a young boy, this was a park that I would go play in and enjoy, especially when the flame trees were in bloom. I remember the quietness of the place and the little...Read Full Story

Being Memorial Day, I decided that it would be better to have a post honoring the sacrifices of those who have come before us to create this fine country of liberty and principles and for those who spend their lives to ensure these values persist. On TV today, there will be plethora of war movies, as there should be, but I think it would be better to tell a three stories that are not well known. In April 1775, tensions were running high in colonies as colonists stood edge waiting for the...Read Full Story

Our niece Jill and I get into some really fun conversations that can last for hours and hours. Today was no exception, and one of our topics was family china.  We discussed the various patterns we’ve had, and the ones we remember from childhood, as well as ones we’d like to have! I wasn’t taking notes so I can’t remember all of Jill’s ‘china history’, so for now I’ll just list my own from memory.  Have you ever noticed that dinnerware kind of ‘evolves’ over time? When I was a young girl my...Read Full Story

I found a couple additional Bordeaux – Mason County Logging Photos this week and want to share them with those of you following the history of Bordeaux, Washington on this blog. My dad (William Gale Yates) would probably be able to tell you who the man is in this photo, but I’m sorry to say, I cannot.  Judging by the size of the photo and it’s age I do think it’s very likely that my dad took the photo. He always had his trusty Leica camera with him.  The caption on the back of the photo...Read Full Story