US History Hive

US History Hive Delving into the complexities and triumphs of American history, from the Founding Fathers to contemporary issues

Content on this page is copyrighted by [Sarah Kate/US History Hive]

Wednesdayβ€œπ‘¨ 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 π’‰π’–π’Žπ’π’“ π’Šπ’” 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 π’π’†π’‚π’…π’†π’“π’”π’‰π’Šπ’‘, 𝒐𝒇 π’ˆπ’†π’•π’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’‚π’π’π’π’ˆ π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆, 𝒐𝒇 π’ˆπ’†π’•π’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆπ’” 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆.β€π‘«π’˜...
11/06/2024

Wednesday
β€œπ‘¨ 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 π’‰π’–π’Žπ’π’“ π’Šπ’” 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 π’π’†π’‚π’…π’†π’“π’”π’‰π’Šπ’‘, 𝒐𝒇 π’ˆπ’†π’•π’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’‚π’π’π’π’ˆ π’˜π’Šπ’•π’‰ 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆, 𝒐𝒇 π’ˆπ’†π’•π’•π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆπ’” 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆.”

π‘«π’˜π’Šπ’ˆπ’‰π’• 𝑫. π‘¬π’Šπ’”π’†π’π’‰π’π’˜π’†π’“

Dwight D. Eisenhower’s words capture the importance of humor in leadership and teamwork, blending effectiveness with a positive rapport. A sense of humor can truly bridge connections, ease tensions, and motivate others, making it a subtle but powerful tool for leaders to achieve goals and build strong relationships.

Saturday #π‘ͺπ’Šπ’—π’Šπ’ 𝑾𝒂𝒓The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against t...
11/02/2024

Saturday
#π‘ͺπ’Šπ’—π’Šπ’ 𝑾𝒂𝒓
The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.
Confederate Spies in Washington
Located 60 miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line, Washington, D.C. was full of southern sympathizers when the Civil War broke out in 1861. Virginia’s Governor John Letcher, a former congressman, used his knowledge of the city to set up a nascent spy network in the capital in late April 1861, after his state seceded but before it officially joined the Confederacy. Two of the most prominent early recruits were Thomas Jordan, a West Point graduate stationed in Washington before the war, and Rose O’Neal Greenhow, an openly pro-South widow and socialite who was friendly with a number of northern politicians, including Secretary of State William Seward and Massachusetts Senator Henry Wilson.

In July 1861, Greenhow sent coded reports across the Potomac to Jordan (now a volunteer in the Virginia militia) concerning the planned Federal invasion. One of her couriers, a young woman named Bettie Duvall, dressed as a farm girl in order to pass Union sentinels on the Chain Bridge leaving Washington, then rode at high speed to Fairfax Courthouse in Virginia to deliver her message to Confederate officers stationed there. Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard later credited the information received from Greenhow with helping his rebel army win a surprise victory in the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) on July 21.

Confederate Signal Corps and Secret Service Bureau
The Confederate Signal Corps, which operated the semaphore system used for communicating vital information between armies on the field, also set up a covert intelligence operation known as the Secret Service Bureau. Headed by William Norris, the former Baltimore lawyer who also served as chief signal officer for the Confederacy, the bureau managed the so-called β€œSecret Line,” an ever-changing system of couriers used to get information from Washington across the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers to Confederate officials in Richmond. The Secret Service Bureau also handled the passing of coded messages from Richmond to Confederate agents in the North, Canada and Europe.

A number of Confederate soldiers, especially cavalrymen, also acted as spies or β€œscouts” for the rebel cause. Among the most famous were John Singleton Mosby, known as the β€œGray Ghost,” who led guerrilla warfare in western Virginia through the latter years of the war, and especially J.E.B. Stuart, the celebrated cavalry officer whom General Robert E. Lee called β€œthe eyes of the army.”

Union Spies: Allan Pinkerton’s Secret Service
Allan Pinkerton, the founder of his own detective agency in Chicago, had collected intelligence for Union General George B. McClellan during the first months of the Civil War, while McClellan led the Department of Ohio. When President Abraham Lincoln summoned McClellan to Washington late that summer, the general put the detective in charge for intelligence for his Army of the Potomac, and Pinkerton set up the first Union espionage operation in mid-1861. Calling himself E.J. Allen, Pinkerton built a counterintelligence network in Washington and sent undercover agents to ingratiate themselves in the Confederate capital of Richmond. Unfortunately, Pinkerton’s intelligence reports from the field during 1862’s Peninsula Campaign consistently miscalculated Confederate numbers at twice or three times their actual strength, fueling McClellan’s repeated calls for reinforcements and reluctance to act.

Though he called his operation the U.S. Secret Service, Pinkerton actually worked only for McClellan. Union military intelligence was still decentralized at the time, as generals (and even President Lincoln) employed their own agents to seek out information and report back to them. Another prominent Union intelligence officer was Lafayette C. Baker, who worked for the former Union General in Chief Winfield Scott and later for Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. The brave but ruthless Baker was notorious for rounding up Washingtonians suspected of having southern sympathies; he later directed the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth, the actor and Confederate sympathizer who shot and killed Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in April 1865.

Wednesdayβ€œπ‘»π’‰π’† π’”π’–π’‘π’“π’†π’Žπ’† π’’π’–π’‚π’π’Šπ’•π’š 𝒇𝒐𝒓 π’π’†π’‚π’…π’†π’“π’”π’‰π’Šπ’‘ π’Šπ’” π’–π’π’’π’–π’†π’”π’•π’Šπ’π’π’‚π’ƒπ’π’š π’Šπ’π’•π’†π’ˆπ’“π’Šπ’•π’š.β€π˜Ώπ™¬π™žπ™œπ™π™© 𝘿. π™€π™žπ™¨π™šπ™£π™π™€π™¬π™šπ™§, 34th U.S. president ...
10/30/2024

Wednesday
β€œπ‘»π’‰π’† π’”π’–π’‘π’“π’†π’Žπ’† π’’π’–π’‚π’π’Šπ’•π’š 𝒇𝒐𝒓 π’π’†π’‚π’…π’†π’“π’”π’‰π’Šπ’‘ π’Šπ’” π’–π’π’’π’–π’†π’”π’•π’Šπ’π’π’‚π’ƒπ’π’š π’Šπ’π’•π’†π’ˆπ’“π’Šπ’•π’š.”

π˜Ώπ™¬π™žπ™œπ™π™© 𝘿. π™€π™žπ™¨π™šπ™£π™π™€π™¬π™šπ™§, 34th U.S. president who lived from 1890 to 1969

Wednesdayβ€œπ˜Ώπ™€π™£β€™π™© π™¨π™žπ™© 𝙙𝙀𝙬𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 π™¬π™–π™žπ™© 𝙛𝙀𝙧 𝙀π™₯π™₯𝙀𝙧𝙩π™ͺπ™£π™žπ™©π™žπ™šπ™¨ 𝙩𝙀 π™˜π™€π™’π™š. π™‚π™šπ™© π™ͺπ™₯ 𝙖𝙣𝙙 π™’π™–π™ π™š π™©π™π™šπ™’.β€π™ˆπ™–π™™π™–π™’ 𝘾.𝙅. π™’π™–π™‘π™ π™šπ™§, the first Ameri...
10/30/2024

Wednesday
β€œπ˜Ώπ™€π™£β€™π™© π™¨π™žπ™© 𝙙𝙀𝙬𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 π™¬π™–π™žπ™© 𝙛𝙀𝙧 𝙀π™₯π™₯𝙀𝙧𝙩π™ͺπ™£π™žπ™©π™žπ™šπ™¨ 𝙩𝙀 π™˜π™€π™’π™š. π™‚π™šπ™© π™ͺπ™₯ 𝙖𝙣𝙙 π™’π™–π™ π™š π™©π™π™šπ™’.”

π™ˆπ™–π™™π™–π™’ 𝘾.𝙅. π™’π™–π™‘π™ π™šπ™§, the first American woman to become a self-made millionaire who lived from 1867 to 1919

Wednesdayβ€œπ‘»π’‰π’† π’Žπ’π’”π’• π’…π’Šπ’‡π’‡π’Šπ’„π’–π’π’• π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’Šπ’” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’…π’†π’„π’Šπ’”π’Šπ’π’ 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 π’Šπ’” π’Žπ’†π’“π’†π’π’š π’•π’†π’π’‚π’„π’Šπ’•π’š.β€π‘¨π’Žπ’†π’π’Šπ’‚ 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒕, π’‡π’Šπ’“π’”π’• π’˜π’π’Žπ’‚π’ 𝒕...
10/30/2024

Wednesday
β€œπ‘»π’‰π’† π’Žπ’π’”π’• π’…π’Šπ’‡π’‡π’Šπ’„π’–π’π’• π’•π’‰π’Šπ’π’ˆ π’Šπ’” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π’…π’†π’„π’Šπ’”π’Šπ’π’ 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 π’Šπ’” π’Žπ’†π’“π’†π’π’š π’•π’†π’π’‚π’„π’Šπ’•π’š.”

π‘¨π’Žπ’†π’π’Šπ’‚ 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒕, π’‡π’Šπ’“π’”π’• π’˜π’π’Žπ’‚π’ 𝒕𝒐 π’‡π’π’š 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘¨π’•π’π’‚π’π’•π’Šπ’„ 𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒏 π’˜π’‰π’ π’π’Šπ’—π’†π’… π’‡π’“π’π’Ž 1897 𝒕𝒐 1939 π’˜π’‰π’†π’ 𝒔𝒉𝒆 π’…π’Šπ’”π’‚π’‘π’‘π’†π’‚π’“π’†π’… π’˜π’‰π’Šπ’π’† π’‡π’π’šπ’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘·π’‚π’„π’Šπ’‡π’Šπ’„ 𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒏.

Tuesday π‘΄π’π’“π’Žπ’π’ 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔 π’π’“π’Šπ’ˆπ’Šπ’π’‚π’π’π’š π’˜π’‚π’π’•π’†π’… 𝒕𝒐 π’π’‚π’Žπ’† 𝑼𝒕𝒂𝒉 β€œπ‘«π’†π’”π’†π’“π’†π’•,” 𝒂 π’˜π’π’“π’… π’‡π’“π’π’Ž 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘©π’π’π’Œ 𝒐𝒇 π‘΄π’π’“π’Žπ’π’ 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 π’Žπ’†π’‚π’π’” π’˜π’‰π’‚π’•?A. do...
10/28/2024

Tuesday
π‘΄π’π’“π’Žπ’π’ 𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔 π’π’“π’Šπ’ˆπ’Šπ’π’‚π’π’π’š π’˜π’‚π’π’•π’†π’… 𝒕𝒐 π’π’‚π’Žπ’† 𝑼𝒕𝒂𝒉 β€œπ‘«π’†π’”π’†π’“π’†π’•,” 𝒂 π’˜π’π’“π’… π’‡π’“π’π’Ž 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘©π’π’π’Œ 𝒐𝒇 π‘΄π’π’“π’Žπ’π’ 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 π’Žπ’†π’‚π’π’” π’˜π’‰π’‚π’•?
A. dove
B. coyote
C. honeybee
D. rattlesnake

Featured Figure Friday 𝑹𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 π‘«π’†π’π’Šπ’—π’†π’“π’š π’ƒπ’†π’ˆπ’Šπ’π’” (1896)Urban Americans had been receiving their mail at home since 18...
10/25/2024

Featured Figure Friday

𝑹𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒆 π‘«π’†π’π’Šπ’—π’†π’“π’š π’ƒπ’†π’ˆπ’Šπ’π’” (1896)

Urban Americans had been receiving their mail at home since 1863. But rural Americans had had to trek dozens of miles to their nearest Post Office, not even knowing whether there was any mail waiting for them. When Congress voted for Rural Free Delivery, or β€œRFD,” politicians hoped that daily mail delivery could get vital information to farmers and ease the isolation of farm life. Millions of rural people eagerly subscribed to daily newspapers and monthly magazines once RFD made it affordable, and the mail-order catalogs that came through the post put some of the luxuries of urban life within reach of rural families: wrist watches, French lace, electric toasters. RFD had some unintended consequences too; when farmers stopped traveling to town to get the mail and started shopping in catalogs, local businesses suffered. Because it proved difficult for postmen to navigate narrow muddy roads, the federal government devoted funds to improve post roads, first in 1916 and again in 1936. This made a vast difference for rural people’s ability to take their crops to market and send their children to school. Rural Free Delivery cost the government $40 million per year in the 1910s, and that money improved access to goods and information for millions of people. But we don’t always make the connection between the tax we pay and the services that benefit us, and when government programs work well, we sometimes forget they’re there at all.

Tuesday 𝑡𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒅 π’ƒπ’†π’•π’˜π’†π’†π’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘΄π’Šπ’”π’”π’Šπ’”π’”π’Šπ’‘π’‘π’Š 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π‘Άπ’‰π’Šπ’ π’“π’Šπ’—π’†π’“π’”, 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒏 π‘°π’π’π’Šπ’π’π’Šπ’” 𝒉𝒂𝒔 π’˜π’‰π’‚π’• π’π’Šπ’„π’Œπ’π’‚π’Žπ’†?A. Little BrazilB. Little...
10/22/2024

Tuesday
𝑡𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒅 π’ƒπ’†π’•π’˜π’†π’†π’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘΄π’Šπ’”π’”π’Šπ’”π’”π’Šπ’‘π’‘π’Š 𝒂𝒏𝒅 π‘Άπ’‰π’Šπ’ π’“π’Šπ’—π’†π’“π’”, 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒏 π‘°π’π’π’Šπ’π’π’Šπ’” 𝒉𝒂𝒔 π’˜π’‰π’‚π’• π’π’Šπ’„π’Œπ’π’‚π’Žπ’†?
A. Little Brazil
B. Little Netherlands
C. Little Egypt
D. Little Japan

Tuesday π‘¨π’π’•π’‰π’π’–π’ˆπ’‰ π’Šπ’• 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 π’ˆπ’“π’π’˜ 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 π’π’‚π’•π’–π’“π’‚π’π’π’š, π’˜π’‰π’Šπ’„π’‰ 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 π’”π’‘π’Šπ’„π’š π’π’Šπ’„π’Œπ’π’‚π’Žπ’†π’” π’‚π’‘π’‘π’π’Šπ’†π’” 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 π‘ͺπ’π’π’π’†π’„π’•π’Šπ’„π’–π’•?...
10/22/2024

Tuesday
π‘¨π’π’•π’‰π’π’–π’ˆπ’‰ π’Šπ’• 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 π’ˆπ’“π’π’˜ 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 π’π’‚π’•π’–π’“π’‚π’π’π’š, π’˜π’‰π’Šπ’„π’‰ 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 π’”π’‘π’Šπ’„π’š π’π’Šπ’„π’Œπ’π’‚π’Žπ’†π’” π’‚π’‘π’‘π’π’Šπ’†π’” 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 π‘ͺπ’π’π’π’†π’„π’•π’Šπ’„π’–π’•?
A. Big dills
B. Cinna-men
C. Cilan-bros
D. Nutmeggers

Saturday π‘«π’‚π’—π’Šπ’… π‘Ύπ’‚π’π’Œπ’†π’“ π‘Ύπ’“π’Šπ’•π’†π’” π‘―π’Šπ’” 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒍 (𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕. 28, 1829)On Sept. 28, 1829, David Walker published one of the most impo...
10/19/2024

Saturday
π‘«π’‚π’—π’Šπ’… π‘Ύπ’‚π’π’Œπ’†π’“ π‘Ύπ’“π’Šπ’•π’†π’” π‘―π’Šπ’” 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒍 (𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕. 28, 1829)
On Sept. 28, 1829, David Walker published one of the most important documents of the 19th century, An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World.

The pamphlet denounces slavery and racism.

Though labeled seditious with penalties for those who circulated it, The Appeal was widely read by 1830.

Here is a description of Walker and The Appeal from the David Walker Memorial Project,

David Walker (1797?-1830) was a courageous and visionary African American leader and activist. He put his life on the line by publicly demanding the immediate end of slavery in the newly established nation of the United States.

Walker has exerted lasting influence on the ongoing struggle for equal rights and racial justice in the U.S. During his lifetime, he pushed other abolitionists to be bolder and more radical in their thinking and actions. And through the years his ideas have inspired many generations of Black leaders and activists of all backgrounds.

Walker was a leader in the African American community in Boston, Massachusetts. He is best known for writing and distributing a pamphlet called David Walker’s Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World. This was a passionate espousal of black liberation; a call to his β€œafflicted and slumbering brethren” to rise up and cast off the chains that bound their minds as well as their bodies.

An evangelical Christian, Walker was a deeply religious man. In his Appeal, he takes white Christians to task for supporting slavery and its savage and unchristian treatment of fellow human beings. Such treatment was not only inhumane, Walker asserted, it was also hypocritical: after fighting for emancipation from Britain and founding a nation based on equality, white Americans continued to enslave and degrade Black people throughout the Republic.

The Appeal was published at a time of growing resistance to slavery. Free Black communities were expanding, and slave rebellions were on the rise. Walker used underground networks to circulate copies of his pamphlet throughout the South. This effort has been called β€œone of the boldest and most extensive plans to empower slaves ever conceived” in the U.S. before the Civil War.

Saturday 𝑻𝒉𝒆 π‘»π’“π’‚π’π’”π’‚π’•π’π’‚π’π’•π’Šπ’„ 𝑺𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝑰𝒔 π‘¨π’ƒπ’π’π’Šπ’”π’‰π’†π’… (𝑱𝒂𝒏. 1, 1808)On March 2, 1807, the House of Representatives and S...
10/19/2024

Saturday
𝑻𝒉𝒆 π‘»π’“π’‚π’π’”π’‚π’•π’π’‚π’π’•π’Šπ’„ 𝑺𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝑰𝒔 π‘¨π’ƒπ’π’π’Šπ’”π’‰π’†π’… (𝑱𝒂𝒏. 1, 1808)

On March 2, 1807, the House of Representatives and Senate passed legislation β€œto Prohibit the importation of Slaves” into the United States. The law would close the traffic in human chattel imported from β€œany foreign kingdom, place, or country,” making the international trade in β€œany negro, mulatto, or person of colour with intent to hold, sell, or dispose . . . as a slave, or to be held to service or labour,” illegal. Yet, the demise of the slave trade was not the demise of slavery, nor was it the demise of slave trading on U.S. soil. As the young nation worked to solidify its independence, this moment instead signified the end of one era in slavery and the beginning of another. Traders shifted their focus to a growing domestic traffic that had been operating since the late-18th century. This legislation, along with new technologies (cotton gin), Westward expansion (Louisiana Purchase), and an emphasis on reproduction through forced breeding, actually fueled the institution of slavery. Three times the number of enslaved people experienced sale through the domestic trade (approximately 1 million souls) than those directly imported on slavers. However, despite this legislation, African β€œcargo” were illegally brought across the Atlantic until the eve of the Civil War.

Thursday π‘ͺπ’π’π’ˆπ’“π’†π’”π’” π’…π’†π’„π’Šπ’…π’†π’” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘ͺπ’π’π’”π’•π’Šπ’•π’–π’•π’Šπ’π’ π’˜π’Šπ’π’ 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 π’‚π’Žπ’†π’π’…π’Žπ’†π’π’•π’” (1789)If you ask most Americans to name something in t...
10/17/2024

Thursday
π‘ͺπ’π’π’ˆπ’“π’†π’”π’” π’…π’†π’„π’Šπ’…π’†π’” 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘ͺπ’π’π’”π’•π’Šπ’•π’–π’•π’Šπ’π’ π’˜π’Šπ’π’ 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 π’‚π’Žπ’†π’π’…π’Žπ’†π’π’•π’” (1789)

If you ask most Americans to name something in the Constitution, there’s a good chance they’d name one of the first ten amendments, better known as the Bill of Rights. They might single out the freedom of speech or religion, or the right to bear arms, or prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment. But before the Founders could determine which rights to safeguard, they first had to decide how amendments would be added. In August of 1789, debate broke out in the First Federal Congress over this very issue. James Madison preferred that amendments be seamlessly integrated into the text, while Roger Sherman fought to have them added at the end like an appendix. Madison lost this fight β€” with enormous ramifications for the way we see and understand the Constitution today. Had Madison prevailed, there would be no First or Second Amendment; their various previsions would have simply been scattered throughout Article I. Moreover, there would be no β€œBill of Rights” at all. It would take well over a century before Americans identified the first amendments in this now-famous way. Only because they were set apart, textually and visually, from the first seven articles was this ever possible.

Address

6929 Airport Boulevard #110
Austin, TX
78752

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when US History Hive posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category