History Delivered

Address A Crisis & Prepare A Nation

2011-12-30T20:57:00.000-05:00

USS Arizona after Japan's attack

December 7th marked the seventieth anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. A brazenly daring air attack that crippled the United States Pacific Fleet in Hawaii and shocked a nation, that, until that moment remained on the sidelines in the global conflict. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke the immortal words "a date which will live in infamy" and Congress declared war on the Empire of Japan. On December 9, 1941, the President, speaking on the radio, reached out to the shaken and uncertain American people in his nineteenth Fireside Chat. At a time of crisis, citizens look to their leaders for hope, inspiration, and confidence. President Roosevelt's words needed to inform and comfort, but also to focus the emotional toll while guiding the American people into their upcoming missions.
President Roosevelt began his address to the American people by laying out the evil perpetrated by the Japanese military on the United States. Yet, he weaved their attack on us into the many instances of Germany and Italy's blatant aggression. Roosevelt declared "We are now in this war. We are all in it - all the way." Without sugarcoating any facts, he informed the American people with negative news. Japan inflicted a heavy blow at Pearl Harbor. Our bases in the Pacific, though not confirmed, have probably been overrun. Despite facing this horrific act, the President urged Americans to remain vigilant and to battle the rising propaganda monster. In simple terms, he asked citizens to not believe the hype. The government would provide as much information as possible to the American people as long as it did not endanger the American military or tip off the enemy. Reaching his conclusion, President Roosevelt indicated the hard work and sacrifice required to maintain the war effort. Americans must be dedicated to our nation's needs. Our mission did not mirror the goals of Japan or Germany. Roosevelt states, "We are now in the midst of a war, not for conquest, not for vengeance, but for a world in which this Nation, and all that this Nation represents, will be safe for our children...We are going to win the war and we are going to win the peace that follows."
Here stood a man leading our nation through a decade of economic and financial turmoil. Here stood a man watching for two years as great powers brutally faced off on the other continents. Now, here stood a man making a crucial speech to our country uneasy about its situation, confused about its global standing. Franklin D. Roosevelt needed to address a crisis and prepare the United States. Though far less quoted and overshadowed by his speech the day prior, the President succeeded in these goals. He laid out the implications of America's entry into the war: uncertainty, struggle, sacrifice, but success. It worked better as a realistic description of our nation's plight as opposed to a blood and guts speech with war drums beating in the background. The country required a level-headed analysis to counteract the deadly and surreal events witnessed two days before at Pearl Harbor. Our citizens listened to President Roosevelt and met the dire challenges facing them.

Sources:

Franklin D. Roosevelt: "Fireside Chat.," December 9, 1941. Online by Gerhard Peters & John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=16056.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Federalist No. 14

2011-11-30T13:41:00.000-05:00

We should remember that every single day on the calendar an historical event occurred. I admit there are events that receive shorter discussions and dialogue, but historians need to dig up these lesser-known gems and give them their just dues. So let us look back 224 years ago to the last day in November 1787 and analyze an overshadowed piece of political writing released at a time in our country's history where it sat poised to take a dramatic step or possibly an epic fail.
Uncertainty about our nation's course led our Founding Fathers to meet again and evaluate the current form of government. After the final draft of the Constitution left the Constitutional Convention in September 1787 to be examined and decided upon by the States, many papers arguing in favor and against the new document surfaced for the public to read. The Anti-Federalists and Federalists battled to influence the public and state legislatures to either continue with the Articles of Confederation or to ratify the new Constitution. The Federalist Papers helped convince those who saw the Articles of Confederation as a failing form of government. Under the pseudonym "Publius", Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison contributed to the 85 essays. Alexander Hamilton actually wrote and coauthored a total of 65 of the essays, which is a highly extensive amount of writing, especially on the topic of a newly envisioned government. On November 30, 1787, "Federalist No. 14" reached the New York public's hands and minds. Though not as famous or noteworthy as other essays, "Federalist No. 14" presents some interesting points.
In this short piece, James Madison reiterates, in a concise manner, arguments from previous essays rebutting the Constitution's opponents. He begins by clarifying that the new government will form a republic, and not solely a democracy. By its nature, the government will be democratic because the people will participate in the process. Yet, a democracy and a republic are different entities. A democracy requires direct participation, not simply in voting, but by being present in the city or building where the government meets, thus causing it to be limited in size. In a republic, individuals participate by choosing others to represent them and instead, those representatives travel to the government. This allows for greater size and even expansion. He points out how the United States had been a large, functional, and successful republic by stating:

It will not be said by those who recollect that the Atlantic coast is the longest side of the Union, that during the term of thirteen years, the representatives of the States have been almost continually assembled, and that the members from the most distant States are not chargeable with greater intermissions of attendance than those from the States in the neighborhood of Congress.

Before his conclusion to the New York citizenry, Madison enumerates four benefits inherent to the new republic. First, the State's governments and legislatures will not be overruled or overpowered by the national government. Secondly, the republic's goal is to unify the States and provide avenues for the incorporation of new ones. Next, traveling improvements in infrastructure for roads and canals will help with diffusing information and promote solidarity. Lastly and highly crucial, the new union grants security from foreign invasion.
With 85 essays written, it is easy for any of these writings to be overlooked. It can also be said that some are not noteworthy. "Federalist No. 14" succinctly illustrates the dissimilarities between democracies and republics and also how the States can mutually benefit from joining together under a national government. Personally, I have an affinity for The Federalist Papers. They are awe-inspiring works done by educated men attempting to promote a government that surprisingly, at the core, still functions how they envisioned it. I suggest reading them, but do so slowly because the language and wording can be daunting at times.

Refresh your memory with "The Anti-Federalist Debate About the Supreme Court."

Sources:

"Federalist No. 14: Objections to the Proposed Constitution From Extent of Territory Answered."

Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison in The Federalist: A Commentary on the Constitution of the United States. ed. Robert Scigliano. New York: Random House, 2000.

The 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion

2011-10-31T12:39:00.000-04:00

Through my younger years, I spent an exorbitant amount of time with my nose in historical books. I preferred to read everything that I could about World War II. Anyone who has paged through the plethora of written material about this pivotal time in history will most likely read about the United States Army Airborne. In the early 90's Stephen Ambrose wrote, Band of Brothers, a riveting book about Easy Company of the 101st Airborne. It, coupled with the movie Saving Private Ryan, created a bounty of excitement into popular history books on the conflict and fueled a new generation of Americans to look back at their grandparent's role in the war. There is a heavily favored fascination with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and their combat history. However, most Americans would never know that there was another group of men with the same tenacious vigor and bravery.
Author Jim Broumley illuminates the lesser-known and overshadowed story about the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion in his recent book, The Boldest Plan is the Best: The Combat History of the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion during WWII. He proceeds to trace the formation of the Battalion up to its bloody deactivation after the Battle of the Bulge. The 509th made the first combat jump into North Africa and I can honestly say I did not know this. Broumley weaves in notable soldiers like Colonel Edson Raff, Lieutenant General William P. Yarborough, and my personal favorite the indispensable Colonel "Doc" Alden.
In the history community, there are two sides when approaching research for a historical work: academic history versus popular history. Academic history presents an historical question with a powerful thesis. The average person would not regularly look to these books for pleasure reading. Relying on primary sources, these works contain dense arguments and can be weighed down with heavy notes and citations. Yet, they offer significant contributions to the historical community. Popular history takes the opposite approach. Present historical narratives, events, and figures for the general public to read and understand. It will not have those dreaded footnote eyesores, endless note pages, or bibliographies. After reading Broumley's book, I feel he managed to take these two different historiographical styles and meld them successfully into a cohesive work. By utilizing repositories like the National Archives and the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, he grabs the primary sources needed to gain the first hand knowledge and stories in the book. His language, knowledge, and personal military background allows for his book to be effectively disseminated to the average American for enjoyment. I personally urge everyone to pick up this book honoring these brave mens' trials, tribulations, and sacrifices.

Jamaican Bobsledding

2011-09-30T20:10:00.000-04:00

Recently, I traveled to the island nation of Jamaica located less than 100 miles south of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica, much like a number of other Caribbean islands, relies heavily on foreign tourism. A culturally rich country with beautiful beaches and verdurous landscapes, Jamaicans take great pride in promoting their nation and well-known individuals such as Harry Belafonte, Bob Marley, and Usain Bolt. With the Olympics, Jamaica illustrates this patriotism most prominently, and tourists become informed quite quickly. Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, continues to gain notoriety and keeps popping Jamaica into international headlines. Yet, one thing can almost always be mentioned when speaking about Jamaica: bobsledding. After watching a pushcart derby, two Americans visiting Jamaica pursued the creation of a Jamaican bobsled team because of its striking parallels to the winter sport. Jamaican bobsledding hit the international stage in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics. Though they did not medal, the Jamaican team burned a lasting impression on critics, other competitors, and the world for their efforts. I have to mention the slightly farcical movie Cool Runnings about the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team because it could probably be noted as the way most people have heard of the team.
At the Mystic Mountain Rainforest Adventure in Ocho Rios, any visitor has the opportunity to become a bobsledder. An individual climbs into a mock bobsled car fit for one person and drives down a mountain on a metal track. Dips and sharp turns come at you as you careen down at roughly forty miles per hour. The only things controlling how fast the car travels down the track are gravity and the rider. Two handles on the car allow the rider to release the brakes or to slow down the car. Pushing forward lets gravity pull the car down the track and pulling back on the handles engages the breaks. I can personally say I enjoyed this part of my excursion and I would recommend checking it out if you ever are in Jamaica.

9/11/01 - Ten Years Elapsed

2011-09-11T19:34:00.000-04:00

1 World Trade Center

Here we stand on the ten-year anniversary memorializing the September 11th attacks. We reflect on that day's events and the years that have passed. We think about our feelings. Surreal sensations rise up when reminiscing, reliving the day. We hope to be at a point of healing with the memorials being opened in New York City. Many Americans feel and display a variety of emotions across different spectra of expression. I think this all returns to how we were connected to those moments, places, and people. On this tenth anniversary, Americans recall their every movement, emotion, and reaction when they became glued to the television or radio.
Ten years ago, I was a lowly freshman at college in Philadelphia, only two weeks into classes, just a few months out of high school. On September 11th, 2001, I woke up and walked to my morning Spanish class. I knew nothing about what had transpired when class ended. As I returned to my dorm, I overheard comments and mutterings about a plane crashing into buildings in New York City. Sensing no real urgency or fear from what I heard, I continued to the dorm and inquired about what was going on from the security desk in the lobby. All he would say was, "You better check the television and see for yourself." I went to the lobby couch room where they had a television. I could not believe my eyes when I saw black smoke billowing out of both towers of the World Trade Center. Ten years later, I still recall that day as it was just happening. 9/11/01 will be forever etched in my memory and our country's collective memory.
Where do we stand as a nation on 9/11/11? Are we on the right path in action, in remembrance, or in healing? Has the blow lessened after a decade? It will be impossible to forget its place in history. Will it only be remembered by the generations who lived and witnessed it? Can the United States ever be whole again? Will 9/11/01 be a moment of vulnerability or a unifying catalyst?
We, as citizens regardless of our standing, occupation, experience, or political motivation will shape our nation's course in the coming years. How we move forward will depend on our national dialogue and directly affect the history surrounding this tumultuously tragic and heroic moment.

South Tower Footprint

Photos courtesy of John Mikuljan.

Keeping Soldiers' Stories Alive

2011-07-30T22:36:00.005-04:00

Americans enjoy a good soldier's story. They allow us to view the world from a different point of view and help us to understand pivotal moments in military history, but also our country. Each story can shed new light on a major campaign, describe camp life, or bring out a lesser-known event. With over two hundred years of American history, brave men and women have served in the military for varying reasons and passed on their stories to new generations. Families recall an ancestor's sacrifice or a parent retells a grandparent's World War II experience. It invokes a search for a deeper understanding of past generations and helps swell pride into a young mind. These kind of stories and experiences can be learned about not solely by hearing it from an older family member, but by viewing the Army Heritage Center Foundation's (AHCF) website. One of their goals and motto is to "Tell the Army Story...One Soldier at a Time." I have the great privilege to research, learn about, and upload these stories. I urge you to check out these excellent educational resources for personal interest and national honor. First go to www.armyheritage.org and click on Education & Programs. Follow the drop down menu to Educational Resources, and then choose either Education Materials Index or Soldier Stories. Both will take you to screens where you can learn about Army men and women from the Revolutionary War to the present.
A Soldier's Story begins with utilizing an incomparable resource, the United States Army Military History Institute (USAMHI) at the United States Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The archives and library at MHI provide an uncanny and almost limitless amount of published sources, primary source documents, and an unrivaled photograph collection. These stories are pulled from these resources and other governmental entities. How a story evolves depends greatly on the information provided in the personal handwritten letters, diaries, or typed memoirs preserved in the archives. The story does not only detail the individual's military career, but offers additional narratives interconnected to the soldier's life and experiences. Please check out all the Soldier Stores on the AHCF's website. Definitely view the ones I have personally worked on though: Corporal Abial Hall Edwards and Nurses Jane and Bell Robison. Keep the AHCF in your browser's bookmarks and check back periodically. There will be new additions frequently and definitely stories that will pique everyone's interest.

Empress Zenobia During Rome's Third Century Crisis

2011-06-30T11:54:00.006-04:00

Certain trying and transitional periods in an empire's history truly illustrate the paramount strengths or weaknesses inherent to them. Nothing proves this balancing act better than Rome's ability to quell a revolt during its Third Century Crisis. Rome crippled by economic and military stresses faced a powerful Palmyrene military led by Empress Zenobia in the late third century. These stresses were further exacerbated by the revolt because it inhibited its eastern luxuries trade, controlled Egypt's much-needed grain production, and placed Rome in a militarily dangerous situation.
Empress Zenobia reigned over the Palmyrene Empire after her husband Odenathus died in 267 C.E. Left with an impressive military force, Zenobia invaded Egypt in 269 with an army over 50,000 strong. After four battles with the Romans, the Palmyrene general Timagenes utilized his knowledge of Egyptian terrain to succeed in defeating the Roman army. With this immediate success, Zenobia turned her forces northward towards Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) and held the cities of Ankara and Antioch by 271 C.E.

Rome quickly realized the precarious situation in front of it and the new Roman Emperor General Aurelian pressed his forces into direct conflict with Zenobia's Palmyrene army. Aurelian rose to power after the vacuum left by the two previous emperor's sequential deaths, Claudius and Quintillus in 270. He had been leading armies against Germanic tribes on the Empire's Eastern borders before he became emperor. Aurelian passed orders to Probus, a future emperor, to retake Egypt while Aurelian marched into Asia Minor. Good news returned to Aurelian with Probus' success in 271. Palmyrene defeats at Tyana, Antioch, and Emesa allowed the Roman army to pin Zenobia's army in a defensive position back in Palmyra. Before laying siege to Palmyra, a surrender ultimatum reached Zenobia, but she refused and attempted to flee the city to form a Persian alliance. Rome discovered her plot and captured her before this came to fruition. Palmyra capitulated once word reached the city about her capture. By 272 C.E., Rome averted a catastrophic downfall thanks to Aurelian's immediate successes. An extended Egyptian and Asian Minor occupation by Zenobia would have presented dire issues to Rome's survival by threatening its economy, its sustenance, and its military position.

Crucially situated on the Silk Road, the city of Palmyra sat as an essential junction on this ancient trade route. Important roads converging southwest from the Arab Peninsula and east from Asia connected in Palmyra continuing northward through Asia Minor, the Balkans and into northern Italy. Those two routes brought highly demanded luxuries like silks and spices from India and China. Rome, over the centuries, invested an enormous amount of money into keeping these items flowing into its empire. Zenobia's revolt, if not defeated, would have crippled and even controlled Rome's imports and economy.

Egypt and the other North African provinces cultivated and produced all of Rome's stable grains. Zenobia's revolt, after succeeding in Egypt, held one-third of Rome's grain-producing land. Not being able to feed its population or its military presented a huge problem for the empire. Luckily, Zenobia did not push farther westward and occupy all of Rome's grain. Though facing depleted grain supplies, Rome managed to conserve and protect its remaining granaries. Plus, fears lessened when the Palmyrene army turned to Asia Minor instead of pushing towards the vital grain producers.
Lastly, Palmyra's revolt threatened Rome's military security. As illustrated from the map, Palmyra sat situated between Rome and the Persian Empire. Under Odenathus' rule, the eastern border of the Roman Empire had an effective defense. Palmyra actually assisted Rome about a decade before its revolt in pushing back Persian forces led by Shapur I. After this success against the Persians, Palmyra and Rome maintained a sensitive alliance. If Palmyra fell or rebelled, Rome's eastern border swung open to Persian occupation and aggression; Zenobia's revolt illustrated this precarious situation.
Grim circumstances pushed Rome to deal swiftly with Palmyra's revolt. Blocked trade, food shortages, and possible invasion presented a dire situation to the Roman people. However, Aurelian's decisive command managed to halt an impressive military force and display Roman dominance once more. Zenobia's revolt was a clear example of Rome's instability during its Third Century Crisis and illustrated that even a might empire could be pushed to collapse by one trading city.

Sources:
Paul Kurzawa, "Why Was the Revolt of Empress Zenobia So Threatening to Rome?" Shippensburg University, 2003.

Second Paragraph:
Richard Stoneman, Palmyra and Its Empire: Zenobia's Revolt Against Rome (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1992), 155, 158-159.

Third Paragraph:
Ibid., 159-160, 165, 167, 169-171.
Map image found in Palmyra and Its Empire. Reprinted from Irene M. Franck & David M. Brownstone, The Silk Road: A History (New York & Oxford: Facts on File Publication, 1986) Cartographer: Dale Adams.

Fourth Paragraph:
Stoneman, 32-34, 161.

Fifth Paragraph:
Ibid., 160.

Sixth Paragraph:
Ibid., 82-85; G. W. Bowersock, Roman Arabia (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1983), 137.

National History Day In Pennsylvania

2011-05-30T17:37:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to assist in overseeing the Pennsylvania State National History Day Competition at Millersville University. For the past thirty-five years, students from all fifty states and United States' possessions have competed to become national champions in five different categories in the National History Day Contest. Junior high and senior high students produce group or individual historical projects in compliance with a yearly theme by writing a historical paper, constructing an exhibit, acting out a performance, producing a documentary, or by building a website. Each of these categories contains certain rules and guidelines students must abide by to enter their project, such as word and time limits, historical sources (primary & secondary), or measurement limitations. Most of these projects start in a middle or high school history class. Students spend hours in class and at home discussing, finding, and researching a topic based on the yearly theme. Teachers, parents, and other mentors facilitate the process with support and praise because this can be a daunting task. Research commences in school libraries expands to the Internet and could end with travels to archives and other research facilities. To reach the Kenneth E. Behring National Contest, competitors begin the National History Day journey by first entering one of their home state's regional contests. A state may be divided into a number of regions, which usually encompasses a handful of state counties. If successful at a regional competition, the student and the project will be forwarded to a State Contest. Same rules apply, but of course the project quality increases between the students' projects at the next contest level.
I do not know how many total junior and senior high-school students compete in the regional contests around Pennsylvania per year. Numbers vary based on Regional Coordinators, school districts, and student interest. Some counties are not assigned to a region and therefore the students who might be interested in participating sit in limbo. On May 11th, 840 Pennsylvanian hopefuls traveled to Millersville University in an attempt to be crowned Pennsylvania State Champion in their respective categories. Two judging groups (3 judges in a group) per category read, interview, and watch roughly fourteen student projects each and pass on three projects for a total of six into the runoff round. Another single group of different judges review the six projects the next morning and rank them from first to sixth. First and second place will continue on to the National Contest at the University of Maryland. Third place is an alternate, but if the first or second place winner does not wish to go on or is unable to go to the National Contest, they will fill in for them.
Sadly, my involvement has been limited with National History Day only beginning when I was senior in college and continuing with my current job. I finished my high school career without ever hearing a single teacher mention the National History Day contest. It is quite disconcerting that some schools do not give students the opportunity to participate in an outstanding academic competition. I would ask and suggest that if you have a passion for history that you volunteer any free time to help out in any way. These contests will gladly accept an individual's assistance. With the National Contest coming up in a few weeks, it will not be late autumn or early winter until the regional competitions start up again for National History Day 2012. Please be on the lookout for news articles or press releases for next year's call for volunteers!

The American Civil War Begins...150 Years Ago!

2011-04-12T21:29:00.000-04:00

Bombardment of Fort Sumter

On April 12th, 1861, Confederate forces bombarded the Union's Fort Sumter in South Carolina. We now remember this tumultuous event as the opening battle that started our nation's bloody civil war. Lasting four years, Union and Confederate forces fought valiantly to defend separate ideals for different goals. Many controversies have been argued and written about in regards to the Civil War and the subsequent social, political, and economic effects reverberating for the next 150 years. Slavery, States' rights, and abusing Federal power remain as hot topics of debate about the war's causes. For the next four years, Americans will celebrate, commemorate, and further consecrate our national battlefields where American blood was spilt. It shall be a special time for scholars, reenactors, and history lovers. We should remember both sides to this divisive conflict and period in our collective history. I have read a handful of articles and commentaries on this four-year journey our country will take to remember its troubled past. Some question why we are remembering the open rebellion and havoc brought upon our country by the Southern Confederacy. Are we overstepping by glorifying individuals who threatened to tear the Union apart? It is hard to not negatively view it. However, Confederates were Americans. They were not evil men, but defended an atrociously cruel institution with hopes to propagate it. We cannot ignore or pass over these events because to do so would be unjust, unfair, and a travesty itself. Let us be responsible and take the time to learn and understand this integral historical period. Our past cannot be changed, nor should we attempt to forget about it because it carries upsetting repercussions and troublesome feelings.

Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

No More Doughboys!

2011-02-28T22:08:00.005-05:00

United States World War I Recruitment Poster

Sadly, the national news has reported that the last American World War I veteran passed away this month. Frank Buckles understood patriotic pride and national honor when he, after a few attempts, enlisted in the United States military at the age of 16. Though not seeing any battle, Buckles served in Europe and returned home in 1920. This simple and dignified man left us after living a long 110-year old life. Historians recognize the implications when looking at this truly unhappy occurrence. Military veterans provide an abundant and uncanny amount of information when interviewed about their experiences on and off the battlefield. Many historical groups, government agencies, and military entities have campaigned to record every veteran's story for future use and preservation. Now with Buckles gone, an important generation of patriots are no longer alive or around for other Americans to make a connection to World War I. Thankfully, he pursued the means to ensure his story lives on forever in American's minds and hearts. We have a civic duty to continue this process and avoid a future where these brave men's experiences are not placed in the historical record.

Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Volunteering At Franklin County Historical Society-Kittochtinny

2011-01-27T16:35:00.004-05:00

For the last few months, I have been volunteering at the Franklin County Historical Society-Kittochtinny (FCHS-K) in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The Society or "The Old Jail" sits on the King Street corner where Second Street intersects in the Chambersburg borough and dates back to the nineteenth century's tail end. History buffs, researchers, passersby, and all other patrons may use this facility to learn more about Franklin County or to research subject and genealogical passions. As with most historical societies, FCHS-K depends on a steady supply of individuals who volunteer their time to facilitate numerous tasks. My main focus revolves around FCHS-K's archives, but more recently I have begun organizing a photo negative's collection.

This project requires me to assess the photo collection, make it available to researchers, and preserve the negatives. I was shown a location in the Old Jail where these negatives had been moved. It was my understanding that the collection remained in an individual's garage for an extended amount of time until donated to the historical society. Before even opening a single box, it is hard to estimate what condition these negatives would be in or damage they may have suffered. No doubt at the onset, this project would be tedious to say the least. My directions were go through each box, organize, and provide a count so the proper archival and preservation materials can be purchased to ensure future longevity. There are three different types of negatives I found myself dealing with in this project: glass negatives, nitrate film, and safety film. Most negatives I have handled are either nitrate or safety. If you know anything about negatives, nitrate film is a delicate thing to keep. Nitrate film stopped being utilized because its chemical makeup has a low flashpoint making it extremely flammable and caused a series of fires. Safety film developed as a safer alternative. To store nitrate film, it needs to be preserved in a temperature-controlled location to prevent such incidents.

Aiding in this task, the society holds the photographer's Studio Register for the negatives (currently I do not know the photographer's name or the studio's location). The register lists general information page by page, but most importantly are the negative's designated number and individual's name in the photo. These photos were taken between the years 1923-1946 and climb all the way passed 17,000! Not only did the photographer write this information in the register, they printed it on the negative as well. A single box of negatives holds a certain range of numbers, also written on the box, for example 11,200-11,224. This does not mean there were only twenty-five single negatives in the box. I will discuss issues with the quantity, quality, and other quirks with the negatives a little bit later.

Here is how I tackle this project. I pull a box out and I check the range. I turn to the corresponding page in the studio register. From there, I begin by putting the negatives in numerical order based on the range. After I have them organized, I double-check them by referencing the studio register and add up how many total negatives the box actually holds. Some individuals have a handful of negatives under a single number. While referencing the register, I discover holes in the range, such as missing negatives or mislabeled ones. I hope to find the missing negatives in other boxes just misplaced or they could be a glass negative not in the box. An example would be a negative labeled 10,034 with the name Smith. However, the register lists 10,034 with the name James. On more than one occasion, it is simply one number off and the register might say 10,033 and Smith.

Now, there has been some minor quality issues and others with major problems. About ten percent of the negatives have some slight warping probably from fluctuations in temperature and humidity, but these can still be kept. Others (as the picture illustrates are beyond repair) will be disposed of and have to be erased from the historical memory because they cannot be saved. It is a shame, but to last as long as they did is a testament to the materials. I quickly noticed a vinegar odor emanating from boxes as I opened them during these processes. Safety film naturally deteriorates creating this smell from acetic acid.
According to my count, I have handled roughly 2,100 negatives in good shape. There are about 150-200 so far unable to be preserved. I imagine this number may increase as I continue through this negative collection. The next step will be building an excel spreadsheet mimicking the studio register with some other information like what type of negative and notes about the inconsistencies I mentioned previously. I will need another set of eyes to ensure I enter valid information and spell names correctly. I cannot estimate a time of completion for this huge task, but genealogical researchers will benefit exponentially if searching for ancestor's photographs. I would suggest the file either as the excel spreadsheet or a converted pdf be uploaded to FCHS-K's website to facilitate these researcher's searches as well. In time, I will give an update about this particular project. Until then if you are a history buff and have time to volunteer at a museum or local historical society, I would suggest you do. These unique facilities, especially these days, are extremely understaffed and underfunded.

The Anti-Federalist Debate About The Supreme Court

2010-12-15T09:19:00.001-05:00

The United States Supreme Court represents an intricate part of our national government. The United States Constitution delegated an enormous amount of interpretive power into a few people's hands. Since Supreme Court Justices receive a life-long appointment, Americans sometimes feel an uneasy ambivalence towards a group of individuals without the voter's direct input. These feelings resonated with numerous individuals when the Constitution debate questioned our first government formed under the Articles of Confederation and intensified in the 1780s. Our country teetered on collapse and disunion with the Articles of Confederation. State power outweighed the weak national government causing a slew of issues, especially economical ones. The states neglected to "support the common government of the United States, which led to the volatile situation during the years 1781-1787."
Two dueling factions arose during this time, the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Federalists pursued reducing state government authority while at the same time creating a national judiciary with increased power. The Anti-Federalists opposed the new Constitution; they thought a strong national government would eventually alienate the people and destroy the state's powers. They hoped to continue with a "loose confederation of states with most of its powers of government kept firmly in the hands of the state legislatures and state courts." Deeply entrenched in their argument against the Constitution was a "narrowing [of] of the Supreme Court."
One of the most avid Anti-Federalists wrote a series of essays early in 1788 about the new federal judiciary. Robert Yates, known under the pseudonym Brutus, wrote that a national Supreme Court would be inherently dangerous to the functioning of the nation and to the states. He stated that:

they are to be rendered totally independent, both of the people and the legislature, both with respect to their offices and salaries. No errors they may commit can be corrected by any power above them, if any such power there be, nor can they be removed from office for making ever so many erroneous adjudications.

This fear manifested itself from the Anti-Federalists belief that people in power will abuse it and endanger the people under them. He continued by writing "opinions of court...will have the force of law" and nothing in the Constitution "that can correct their errors or control their adjudications." Judges cannot be removed for errors in judgment, only if they are convicted of "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Later in Essay XV, he adamantly repeated the fear that:

...they have made the judges independent, in the fullest sense of the word. There is no power above them to control any of their decisions. There is no authority that can remove them, and they cannot be controlled by the laws of the legislature. In short, they are independent of the people, of the legislature, and of every power under heaven. Men placed in this situation will generally soon feel independent of heaven itself.

In some sense, the idea that nothing shorter than God can control could be seen as ludicrous or far-fetched. At this point Brutus and the Anti-Federalists did not want a return to a governmental system that took away or abused people's rights and were weary of a new concept that had never been tried before with the court system.
Deeper in Brutus' arguments against the separate federal judiciary was what Constitutional interpretation would do to that branch, the legislature, the States, and to the people. The Supreme Court would be given the obligation to "explain the Constitution" both by the written words, and its inherent meanings. Brutus also said this will "give the Constitution a legal construction, or to explain it according to the rules laid down for construing a law." He shared the distrustful belief that men in high profile positions would exploit it to enlarge their powers and in respect to the judges, at the same time undermine the Constitution. While doing this, they would be able to "mold the government into almost any shape they please."
In regards to the national legislature, Brutus thought the Supreme Court's position to interpret the Constitution and any laws created under it provided the Court with a power far exceeding that of the legislature. The legislature held the power to make laws, but the Court controlled a law's destiny because it determined any law's constitutionality. Legislation created by Congress can be voided by the Court and any decisions made by it in case proceedings "will have to be adopted by the legislature." It can be said that the nation would be dominated by Supreme Court decisions. Brutus, towards the end of his last essay, laid out what this power would do to the country publicly:

They will be able to extend the limits of the general government gradually, and by insensible degrees, and to accommodate themselves to the temper of the people. Their decisions on the meaning of the constitution will commonly take place in cases which arises between individuals, with which the public will not be generally acquainted; one adjudication will form a precedent to the next, and this to a following one; so that a series of determinations will probably take place before even the people will be informed of them.

After two hundred years, it is hard to understand and support the underlying fears discussed in Brutus' writings. Over time in American history, citizens have had more apprehension toward the President making a power grab as opposed to the Supreme Court justices ruling from the bench. Now we must understand that when Brutus was writing, no country instituted any comparable court system. A majority of countries were ruled with an authoritarian government and to common folk, they felt uncertain about men being placed in positions of power into newly formed institutions. There have been some questionable decisions made by the Supreme Court, but the beauty lies in its ability to remedy an old ruling and create a new precedent. Yes, we should be weary if many precedents begin to be overturned unless they are challenging antiquated social norms or other constitutional issues. We must also be alert as citizens to ensure our checks and balances function properly so the judiciary does not overstep its bounds and cancel out our other governmental branches. Regardless, the Anti-Federalists played an important part in bringing out a different viewpoint for the American people to look at before ratifying our new government document. They should be remembered as keen thinkers during a difficult time for the fledgling nation and an intricate voice in highlighting possible risks with creating such a new federal judiciary.

Sources:
Paul Kurzawa, "The Supreme Court, Publius and Brutus," Shippensburg University, 2004.

First Paragraph:
Clinton Rossiter, 1787: The Grand Convention, (New York: The Macmillian Company, 1966), 46 (quotation).

Second Paragraph:
James Q. Wilson and John J. Diluilio Jr., American Government: Institutions and Policies, 8th ed., (Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001), 31 (quotation).

Third Paragraph:
"Brutus," Essay XI: 31 January 1788, in The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates, ed. Ralph Ketcham (New York & Ontario: New American Library, 1986), 293 (first block quotation); Essay XI: 31 January 1788, 295 (second quotation); Essay XV: 20 March 1788, 307 (third quotation); Essay XV: 20 March 1788, 305 (second block quotation).

Fourth Paragraph:
Essay XII (Part I): 7 February 1788, 298 (first quotation); Essay XI: 31 January 1788, 295 (second quotation), 297-298.

Fifth Paragraph:
Essay XV: 20 March 1788, 307; Essay XII (Part I): 7 February 1788, 299 (first quotation); Essay XV: 20 March 1788, 308 (third block quotation).

Consumers, Responsibility, And The Role Of Government

2010-11-21T12:42:00.004-05:00

In recent weeks, the media has reported information and other stories dealing with a former caffeinated-alcoholic beverage called Four Loko produced by Phusion Projects. There is now a government crusade at state levels, even reaching towards the federal level, to have this product banned from consumer purchase. Four Loko received national attention when nine college freshmen attending Central Washington University were rushed to the emergency room on October 8th. Police found the individuals passed out at a party and assumed drug overdose. Medical tests discovered the students to have almost lethal blood-alcohol levels. In my opinion, the product should not be castigated for a few individuals' reckless behavior.
Before discussing some issues, I feel I should talk about the Four Loko product. Four Loko is a malted caffeine and alcohol infused beverage. It comes in a 23.5 ounce can with about eight different flavors. The alcoholic content equals about 4-6 beers. Add the caffeine in about four cans of Coke plus a pile of sugar, guarana, and taurine and it becomes a pretty potent drink. Understandably, mixing caffeine and alcohol can have some foreseen effects on the human body. Alcohol works as a depressant and thus slows down essential body functions like the cardiovascular and respiratory system. Caffeine counteracts a depressant's effect because it amps up the human body and stimulates it into an alert state. When consumed together, caffeine will prevent an individual from effectively judging how intoxicated they are and in turn lead them to drink more because they do not feel drunk.
As adults, we understand how this product might affect us as we drink it. More than likely, a responsible individual will know before drinking too many Four Lokos that one might be enough to buzz or intoxicate them. I feel that responsibility and a lack of judgment are the real culprits in this situation and not the product. "All the hospitalized students were inexperienced drinkers - freshmen ranging in age from 17-19." This statement could not speak any more truth about the real problem at this issue's heart. These students were underage and "inexperienced drinkers." For starters, they should not have even been drinking, but we understand how easily it is for a minor to acquire alcohol or attend college parties. Secondly, Four Loko follows all federal guidelines and printed the 12% alcohol content quite visibly on the can. No reason for these students to think that Four Loko was simply an energy drink. Here we stand with underage drinkers abusing a substance and causing a stir and cause a situation where other "responsible" individuals will now be deprived a product they should have the freedom to purchase.
Consumers need to remember the concept of "Caveat Emptor" or "Let the Buyer Beware." This usually deals with real estate; however I feel it has some bearing to this issue. We all have the right to return or receive restitution for a product or services rendered that are defective or contain other issues. Yet, this right can be waived if the seller provided all the necessary information about said product to the buyer. An issue like this can have many shades of gray. If an individual buys Four Loko, the merchandise displays its contents and the standard government warning discussing about impairment and health concerns with consumption. When did Americans become uninformed victims and lose responsibility for their own actions? One knows that if you drink too much, you may get sick or even die from alcohol poisoning. Everyone takes the risk when buying a product and consuming it. When did the producer/manufacturer become the guilty party for an irresponsible and inexperienced consumer when there is complete transparency?
At present, a number of state governments have banned Four Loko and in coming weeks federal regulators will pass some legislation prohibiting these products. I am confused why there is such a governmental crusade in regards to this drink. In a press released dated November 10th, Phusion Projects discussed how the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been studying the product since November last year. It appears as though the government is targeting a subsection in the alcoholic drink business. They stated, "If mixing caffeine and alcohol is the most pressing concern, addressing it would be best accomplished by creating laws that apply to the entire caffeinated alcoholic beverage category - not specific, individual products and not just beers or malt-based products." Our government plays an intricate role in ensuring citizen's safety and well-being. However, the government needs to allow its agencies to conduct their research and produce its findings. Should government step in and hastily make negative conceptions about a product? It would seem that the real issue in this situation remains hidden and not discussed.
Despite all this, Phusion Projects conceded to all the mounting pressure and negative press in regards to their product. They will be taking out the caffeine, taurine, and guarana from Four Loko. By doing so, it becomes a short term solution to a much larger issue. We need to recall that the media and legal firestorm arose from an incident where "underage" drinkers abused an alcoholic product. America seems to be forgetting why these students ended up in the hospital: their irresponsible behavior. The discussion should be about underage drinkers, binge drinking, and alcohol-abuse education. These subjects and topics need to be brought to the national level to resolve this issue. Four Loko did not make these students drink and end up in the hospital. Blaming Phusion Projects and Four Loko conceals the real issue and will not prevent future incidents of alcohol abuse. Removing caffeine did not solve a problem. Remember alcohol, not caffeine, placed these individuals in the emergency room.

Sources:
Second Paragraph:
"Four Loko Sickened Several Central Washington University Students" quotation, The Huffington Post, October 25th, 2010.

Fourth Paragraph:
"An Open Letter to State and Federal Regulators" quotation, Phusion Projects Press Release, November 10th, 2010.

Fifth Paragraph:
"Phusion Projects to Remove Caffeine, Guarana, and Taurine from Products." Phusions Projects Press Release, November 16th, 2010.

The Invasion Of Japan, The Atomic Bomb, and Nuclear Proliferation

2010-10-21T19:16:00.006-04:00

In The Invasion of Japan: Alternative to the Bomb, John Ray Skates attempts to explain that the atomic bomb was unnecessary and the military plans detailed in Operation Downfall would have resulted in Japan's surrender. He thoroughly details the planning stages, discussions about European redeployment, Japanese homeland defenses, and invasion-casualty estimates. I commend John Skates on his impressive and well-documented research into the United States' plans to invade the Japanese homeland. This book is definitive in information, but noticeably lacks insight, persuasion, or argumentative analysis.
Historians always say hindsight is 20/20 and Skates is of no exception. Even if Japan's homeland defenses were as weak as he claims and the United States redeployed servicemen from Europe with a full-scale invasion, can we really state and claim that Japan would have unconditionally surrendered by February 1946? Despite Japan's deteriorated air and naval superiority, I contend that homeland defenses would have fought a bloody campaign, no different than Okinawa and Iwo Jima. Let's not forget how intricate Soviet partisans were to the Eastern Front against the Nazis. We can debate about logistics, manpower, and military strategies about this topic for years to come, but the bomb was dropped. I feel, as do other historians, that our leaders made the decision to use the bomb over invasion due to a number of factors: to quell American citizen's apprehensions about a lengthy conclusion to the Pacific conflict, to save thousands upon thousands of American serviceman's lives, and to produce a military wow-factor to deter any type of Soviet invasion or aggression. The atomic bomb brutally killed Japanese lives to illustrate and prevent these aforementioned things. We, as Americans, have to live with the previous generation's decisions whether we agree with them or not.
As we look back, the atomic bomb droppings initiated the Cold War and the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Nuclear proliferation has been a key international and diplomatic issue, especially since the Cold War's end and the former Soviet Union's collapse, Russia and the United States continually pledge to reduce their stockpiles and signed a treaty most recently this past April. Yet, unaccounted nuclear weapons and rogue states drive up fears and apprehensions about terrorists and other extremist groups using them to cause irreparable harm and calamity. Questions raise doubts about Iran's goals and ambitions in regards to its increasing nuclear capabilities. Furthermore, Russia agreed to assist Venezuela in constructing their first nuclear power plant recently.
Now, I do not think the world would be better off without the invention of nuclear weapons. They did and still do serve a purpose of deterrence and prevention. How many more conventional wars would have been fought after World War II if not for the fear of mutual destruction? There is no denying that at times nuclear war fears were real and perhaps at the back of United States and Russian civilians' minds. There are some feelings that the United States should not have the clout or audacity to tell other countries they do not have the right to produce them. Frankly, our nation is the only country to use such a weapon of mass destruction. Nuclear weapons resemble a double-edged sword. We do not need these grave weapons being produced by every country, but who has the authority on this matter? Where is the demarcated line or qualifying factor permitting a nation or denying a nation? I hope we can be rid of nuclear weapons at some point, but I do understand their importance to our world's collective history.

Photos courtesy of the The National Security Archive.

St. Lucia, Soufrière, & The Drive-In Volcano Continued...

2010-09-23T21:40:00.001-04:00

St. Lucia, Soufrière, & The Drive-In Volcano

2010-09-22T18:09:00.001-04:00

I recently visited the small island nation of St. Lucia. It is located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean with a close proximity to South America. St. Lucia heavily depends on its banana crop (in my opinion the bananas taste amazing) and tourism. Jungle forests and mountainous terrain cover the tiny island causing the major cities and towns to be situated on the coast. Due to its back and forth history between the English and French control, inhabitants speak English and St. Lucian Creole. The Creole, as I was told by a kind man named Vincent, is derived from African origins with French, English, and Spanish influences.

On an excursion, I rode a catamaran down St. Lucia's western coast to a tourist town named Soufrière. The French settled this coastal town in 1746 and is known more for its Drive-In Volcano. Two mountains rise from the sea and create beautiful peaks noticeable while sailing down the coast. These mountains are called the Pitons, and the two peaks are the Gros and Petit Pitons. My group I was traveling with rode up to the volcano's crater. Sulphur Springs, the Drive-In Volcano, or Qualibou as the volcano can be called is a caldera. This type of volcano once had an eruption and the mountain collapsed in on itself. We were told that its last eruption occurred on 1766, but not one where lava or magma spewed out. While standing around, the air had an acrid odor, which was Hydrogen Sulfide (rotten eggs). The guide informed us that as long as we smelled that stench that we had no worries about the gas causing respiratory paralysis.

The crater contained numerous minerals deposited there from eruptions and other occurrences in the volcano. Gases were spewing and there were a handful of bubbling pools. Our guided informed us about one of the bubbling pools that we were gazing upon below us. In the past, visitors were able to actually walk on the rocky and hellish terrain. Until one day, a guide by the name of Gabriel demonstrated how malleable the minerals and deposits were under their feet. He jumped while standing on this ground and sunk up to his waist. Gabriel survived but had second-degree burns from his waist down. This event ended the tours going into the crater and limited future visitors on walkways and behind handrails. The immediate picture below is Gabriel's Hole. It is quite large these days.

A Little Stroll Down the C & O Canal

2010-08-27T17:21:00.006-04:00

I traveled down to visit the Roving Historian yesterday. He decided to take me to a local historic site in Williamsport, Maryland. We took a short drive to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (C&O Canal). More specifically, I saw the Conococheague Creek Aqueduct and Lock 44. This canal, like many others constructed during the nineteenth century, was a man-made engineering structure built to facilitate easier trade of goods and other products. Spanning nearly 190 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Georgetown, Maryland, the canal follows the Potomac River sitting as a reminder of different times and a dream unfilled. Despite providing positive benefits to local communities, these canals faded away into obscurity with the rise of new and better technologies, most notably railroads.

On this day, I noticed that the majority of the people at this site were not there to learn about the canal or the history surrounding it. It has become a nature trail for people to exercise, take pictures, or walk their dogs. Nature has reclaimed its manipulated land by covering up the old structures or by stringing a jungle like canopy across the trail. Stagnant water with a thick film of algae and some other pieces of litter fill the old canal. Now, I do not have ill feelings towards those people visiting the Williamsport Visitor Center on the C&O Canal. I feel that we sometimes forget or pass over these types of historical moments in our country's past. Yet, the Canal seems to be a moot point in the history of trade and engineering because innovations like the railroad became so prominent. Whatever use the trail may be to us individually, let us not forget the skill and ingenuity our countrymen built by taking some time to reflect on their hardwork.

Forget A Traitor...Remember A Patriot?

2010-08-01T16:48:00.007-04:00

"He saved America, before he betrayed it." ~ Bill Stanley commenting on Benedict Arnold

How do we as historians reevaluate an individual's role and legacy? Can we forgive or save an individual by not so much overlooking faults, but weighing the positive and negative contributions? Do we have an obligation to take on such a task and try to reconcile someone's past regardless of the consequences or backlash? I happened upon an interesting article dealing with an important figure from the American Revolution. The author, John Hanc, was touring London and discovered some unusual memorials to Benedict Arnold. Americans remember Benedict Arnold as the epitome of a traitor. Arnold once a true tactician in the battlefield served the colonies as a general. His command ushered in huge victories for American forces in key battles, such as Quebec and Saratoga. However, his pride and ego pushed him to betray the Colonial forces and to switch sides after failing to receive recognition and promotion. (Arnold was married to Margaret "Peggy" Shippen whose grandfather Edward Shippen founded Shippensburg.) Hanc describes how during a "Tory Tour" locations memorialize Benedict Arnold in a positive way for the United States. Even more troubling is that his legacy was being promoted this way by an American named Bill Stanley. Stanley became a vocally steadfast Arnold supporter and donated a headstone to his final resting place in London six years ago.

Personally, I cannot characterize Benedict Arnold as a patriot. Yes, his battlefield resume illustrates his strong abilities as a leader, but if not discovered he would have provided the British with the important fort at West Point. The name is used as a general tag to describe any individual who slights or undermines something. How can Americans forget his actions to aid the British during the Revolution? I won't and I find it a little bit offensive to donate or buy memorials that attempt to label him as a patriot. Should he be forgotten in American history? No, but he does not deserve to be placed on a similar pedestal with George Washington, John Paul Jones, or Nathan Hale. To do so would be criminal and a travesty to those prominent figures remembered during our country's important struggle for freedom.

Read the article here.

For further Revolutionary spy intrigue, look up Silas Deane and Edward Bancroft.

The National Archives At College Park

2010-05-16T20:06:00.016-04:00

Last week, I was able to help a good friend conduct some serious historical research. My friend, Jim a.k.a., The Roving Historian, will be writing a book about the 509^th Parachute Infantry Battalion and their story during World War II. These paratroopers do not get the same recognition or recollections as other paratrooper groups such as the 101st Airborne. However tragic the story may be, it must be told and added to the collective memory about paratroopers and the greatest generation. Jim wished to find photographs taken of the 509^th. I wanted to help as much as I possibly could so I traveled down with him to the National Archives at College Park, Maryland.

Now, we both have never done historical research at our national repositories before so it seemed a little daunting. Professional historians and other academic researchers utilize these facilities to locate a vast sum of primary source materials for their writing more readily than us. As we entered the building, we had to go through the typical security procedures for all federal installations. We walked through metal detectors and placed any possessions in a bin to be scanned as well. First Jim had to register his laptop, camera, and scanners by providing the serial numbers. He received a sheet with this numbers that needed to be shown at all security checkpoints. Next, we registered as researchers and viewed a PowerPoint slide show detailing other rules and regulations to follow in the building. Basically no writing materials brought could be used in the facility. Only paper and pencils provided to us by government employees. These are pretty much universal rules in any archival institution. Pencils can be erased prohibiting much damage to any archival materials if someone would do something malicious to it. Anything else we carried sat in a locker in the basement before we went upstairs to the Still Picture Research Room.

As the search began, research assistants gave us a quick understanding on how to search their card catalogs. Yes, these photo archives do not have the collections digitized to search for on an online database or an in-house computer database either. This can become a topic in itself. Digitization allows researchers to access information and resources without having to travel far distances for extended periods, for example a roadtrip from Michigan. Yet, the vast amount of photographs held at the National Archives presents a problem as well. Who will give the resources and time to digitize about 8 million images? Searching through the card catalog could be done by keywords such as parachute, Anzio, France, or the unit’s number (509^th). From there, we wrote down the photo’s specific number (SC 325999) and then utilized another finding aid listing the photos numerically and how they were placed in boxes. Photo 325999 was in a certain range that placed it in Box 684. Next, we filled out a pull card that needed all this information including the researcher’s name. Box pulls occurred at specific times throughout the day so it was almost a mad rush to find photos we wanted to look at, find the box numbers, and fill out a pull card.

Archival workers would take our pull cards and retrieve the requested boxes and place them on a book cart and wheel them out to the waiting researchers. Jim brought his laptop and scanner up to the research room. Understandably, scanners seem like a thing of the past in this computer and digital age. Truthfully, scanners are not used as readily as once before unless of course an archive uses them to digitize their collections. People can simply plug their cameras into a computer and after a short upload any photos taken are immediately digitized for usage. However, researchers utilize these “archaic” devices to bypass any charges for requesting prints of photographs. These charges can put a hurting to a researcher’s wallet if a reproduced print of a single photograph costs eight to ten dollars. Thankfully, the National Archives permits researchers to bring a scanner and scan individual pictures directly to their personal computer.

I helped facilitate this process for Jim by helping finding photos to look at and to assist with the scanning. I would remove the photos from the box, (we had to wear the white gloves to protect the photos), and allow Jim to see if he wanted the photo. From there, he would type the caption on the back and then load the photo on the scanner and scan it. We went through close to fifty boxes in a few hours, which might have taken Jim alone two days at the least. It was a long day but I enjoyed the time being able to do some professional research and assist a good friend. I would recommend utilizing the Still Photo Research Room to anyone. The staff was friendly and assisted with any questions/requests to make our work move along. Hopefully, I can travel down there again and do some research in the other research rooms as well.

Photo 185273, Box 196, Equipment carried by a parachutist radio operator. Equipment includes: M-1 Rifle, with one 8 round clip, bayonet, 200 rounds of ammunition, lensatic compass, flashlight and radio.

Photo 279944, Box 534, 24 Jan 45 Infantrymen moving toward enemy position near St. Vith, Belgium, 7th Armored Division, 509th Parachute Infantry.

Check out Jim's Blog at www.rovinghistorian.com.

Oral History & Human Memory

2010-03-13T13:48:00.008-05:00

I felt I should respond to The Roving Historian (Jim) in regards to his last blog, “Stolen Valor & Getting It Wrong.” Before continuing, I suggest you read Jim's entry about Charles Pellegrino and his grave error resulting from an important source utilized heavily in his book The Last Train From Hiroshima. Now, I will not comment completely on this but I do agree with Jim on Pellegrino’s irresponsibility and gullibility when speaking to his sources. A competent and thorough researcher would fact check any individual’s claims about their participation in a highly critical mission. Furthermore, the individual Joseph Fuoco shamefully provided and fabricated misleading and utterly false experiences and information to the author. Professionally-trained historians understand the human mind’s limitations when recalling specific events and personal experiences. Oral histories bolster a book’s source material and provide unique revelations about an event. However as is apparent, an interviewee may add embellishments, but a historian must analyze and filter this to pull out the facts.

While reading Jim’s blog, I remembered a book I had read during my graduate program in an oral history class. This incident dealing with Pellegrino and Fuoco reminded me of a specific example in Alessandro Portelli’s The Death of Luigi Trastulli and Other Stories: Form and Meaning in Oral History. Portelli states “Oral sources tell us not just what people did, but what they wanted to do, what they believed they were doing, and what they now think they did.” He highlights this statement by describing Luigi Trastulli’s death. In March 1949, Trastulli succumbed to injuries received in a confrontation with police and factory workers in Terni dealing with Italy’s acceptance of the North Atlantic Treaty. This was his true fate. Despite this, Terni’s inhabitants place the event years later. Two individuals evoked religious imagery and execution-like descriptions when retelling Trastulli’s death. Others placed his death later in 1953 when three thousand workers lost their jobs. Portelli comments that, “the firing…is the most important dramatic event in the town’s working-class history and…it is only appropriate that the most tragic episode should find its place in this context.” The relative distance and association between the events dealing with Trastulli, the workers, and NATO manifest themselves “as a series of discrete, if similar and connected events.” These narrations illustrate how individuals reconstruct memories to give meanings to events transpiring in their community and on an individual basis.

Oral histories manage to bring out important viewpoints and first-hand accounts to larger historical events by adding a personal spin. Human memory ultimately can allow for exaggerations or misplacements in chronology when describing a historical event. As Portelli illustrates, an author must have the facts before moving forward with a historical book or narrative. His knowledge of Trastulli’s death allowed Portelli to analyze an individual’s account of the event and to elaborate on how these people connected personal occurrences to it. Whereas Pellegrino entrusted his source by not following up with sound primary source research and in the end created a historical work supported by bold-faced lies by an individual hoping to add glory where it was not due. Brave individuals sacrificed much to win World War II. Fuoco’s ego does a great disservice to them and sets up, if not remedied, a blemish on the historical record. Historians must be vigilante and follow up with strong primary source research to ensure these accounts do not enter the historical record for future generations to accept.

Sources:

Second Paragraph:

Alessandro Portelli, The Death of Luigi Trastulli and Other Stories: Form and Meaning in Oral History (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1991), 50 (first quotation), 1-2, 11-12, 15 (second quotation), 25 (third quotation).

The Strength Of Our Democracy & Third Parties

2010-02-11T19:04:00.019-05:00

I pride myself on being as politically active as possible since reaching the legal age to vote in this country. No election passes me by without placing my ballot. I have not always favored those sitting in seats of power in our government, but I refuse to let it discourage me from participating in a given right that so many have sacrificed defending from the Revolutionary War to World War II. Nevertheless, our government appears to be at a standstill with one political party taking the reins while the other drags it feet. Democrats and Republicans engage in this practice quite frequently. Our elected officials appear to have lost track of whom they should be representing or which interests should take precedent. In the past nine years, I have seen continual mudslinging and jockeying over the most asinine issues and contentions. And I ask for what? Simply, to one up the other party.

A two-party system illustrates serious flaws in a governmental system, especially when the two parties had significant time to entrench their power structures and personnel. They dominate the system limiting other new parties, groups, or other thinkers to enter the political arena. Americans need a political arena with diversity. The United States represents to the world national diversity, spiritual diversity, economic diversity, and geographic diversity. However, 300 million people are governed mostly by two political ideologies that are politically different sides of the same coin. Why can’t the United States have stronger third parties that challenge Democrats and Republicans? I urge Americans to start looking at third party candidates when they feel unrepresented by Democratic and Republican ideas and issues. A stronger nation will result with this change and competition in the political arena.

Historically, third parties played roles in United States political history and popped in and out with rising social, economic, and political events. The Know-Nothing Party rose from relative obscurity and dominated state and local politics during the 1850s and disappeared with the ascending Republican Party. Abraham Lincoln could technically be labeled the first third party candidate to win as a Republican taking the 1860 presidency from the Democrats and the declining Whig Party. In 1948, Strom Thurmond running as a Dixiecrat won a handful of states receiving their electoral votes during Harry Truman and Thomas E. Dewey’s campaigns. Twenty years later, George Wallace basically took the same states in the 1968 Presidential Election. (As a note, I do not think that Strom Thurmond or George Wallace were ideal candidates because they ran on issues such as segregation and intolerance.) I vaguely remember seeing the rather eccentric Independent Ross Perot chatting away on the televised presidential debates in 1992. Ross Perot would be the only third party candidate I would see in a live presidential debate to this point. More recently, Ralph Nader, the former Green Party presidential candidate, received close to 3% of the national vote in the 2000 Presidential Election. These were tiny spotlight moments during the critical presidential campaigns, but they illustrate a far greater need especially with our country’s critical situation transpiring over the past decade.

Now, I understand that many may challenge my assertions that the United States needs more political parties. Others can already label them as scapegoats and spoilers in many elections, Ross Perot heard that from the Republicans, and Ralph Nader heard it the worst from Al Gore’s followers in 2000. I do not buy that any third party candidate is intentionally attempting to ruin some other candidate’s chances by running in a campaign. Ralph Nader did not sabotage Al Gore; Al Gore failed to win those voters’ ballots. He did not even win his own state Tennessee. I personally welcome the new dialogue on candid issues or stalemated issues, plus I wish they would be included in the debates. Yet, these are controlled by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which was formed by the Republican and Democratic Parties, effectively creating barriers for other party candidates to make it to the national stage.

To lighten the mood, I would to like to mention a specific episode of The Simpsons entitled “Citizen Kang.” It entails the one-eyed aliens named Kang and Kodos taking the human forms of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole during the 1996 Presidential Election. Their hope is to be voted in as the president and then take over the planet. Through a series of events, Homer Simpson reveals their identities to the populace. Kang and Kodos tell the people that, “It’s a two party system you have to vote for one of us.” A stranger in the crowd shouts out, “Well in that case, I’ll cast my vote for a third party.” They respond by saying, “Go ahead throw your vote away,” and begin to cackle in laughter. Scene cuts away to scan the crowd stopping on Ross Perot wearing a political boater/skimmer. He rips off the hat and punches the top out of it in disgust. Frankly, this assertion of ‘throwing your vote away’ echoes true to most Americans. Why cast your vote for someone who you know isn’t going to win? Regardless, you are expressing your voice and how you stand politically. It is not about winning or losing, but by demonstrating this right to vote and choose. I implore Americans to think about their voice a little more next time and maybe throw their vote away next time. Perhaps, enough people will do this someday and we may shock the very foundations of this two-party system.

Flight 93 Memorial

2009-12-20T19:14:00.024-05:00

Americans will never forget where they were or what they were doing as events unfolded on September 11th, 2001. This day remains etched in this country’s collective memory as one of the worst tragedies to befall it. In the last eight years, I visited the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Yet, I never really had a chance to see the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A few months ago an opportunity presented itself while out in western Pennsylvania. Shamefully, I did not realize that the Memorial was only a short drive from where I was staying so before returning home I decided to visit it.

Without sounding offensive to the lives lost on that fateful day, I felt unimpressed and betrayed at the memorials and other remembrance pieces. The temporary Memorial sits on a gravel parking lot with a small shack signifying Flight 93. An individual could spend thirty minutes at this location and be able to see everything. Flight 93’s final resting place stands about 500 yards from the Memorial surrounded by chain link fence with an American flag attached to it, barely visible to the naked eye or a telescopic camera lens.

Benches and angel figurines stand commemorating the lives’ lost on this flight with plaques and polished-stone memorials lining the Memorial donated by groups and other individuals. Emotionally, I could not celebrate their sacrifice whereas I left mourning their actions. This land can be considered hallowed ground, but the whole place left a morose feeling. How long must it take to build a reflective and honorable memorial?

A permanent memorial is set to be finished in 2011 around the attack’s ten-year anniversary. According to the National Park Service’s website for Flight 93, the Memorial will be an extensive site with numerous aesthetic features to commemorate and honor the passengers’ and flight crews’ sacrifice. I cannot say if I will travel out to Somerset County to see the Memorial again. Understandably, the families may not want to “cover” up the final resting places of their loved ones so soon. Should the nation have waited this long to memorialize this ground or leave it untouched out of respect to the families? . I do feel as though these places need memorials sooner than later. If they are left without proper commemoration, the location scars the landscape and the nation.

The Environment And You

2009-06-09T09:44:00.014-04:00

Should climate, raw materials, pathogens, flora, and fauna be studied in order to explain history’s course? Numerous examples pop into one’s mind when thinking about these subjects and their relation to historical events. We’ve seen the damaging repercussions weather-related calamities brought countries and people’s populations in the last five years. How can we forget the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami or Hurricane Katrina? Climate and weather have played a huge role to areas affected by these disasters. Yet weather and geography not only promote destruction and death, they create unseen barriers preventing germs or plant species from spreading, which can either be beneficial or detrimental. As a history fanatic, I never really thought about how long term trends are illustrated utilizing the factors I listed earlier. Jared Diamond wrote about these subjects in his Pulitzer-Prize winning book, Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies.
Diamond argues on page 25, “History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples’ environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves.” He often states how people and cultures developed unequally through a lack of certain advantages like domesticated animals or pathogen resistance, not genetic or mental capacities. Geographic positions also affected how these factors diffused throughout the continents. Diamond displays on page 77 the continents directional orientations, Eurasia east to west, the Americas and Africa north to south. For example, Africa’s Saharan Desert greatly impedes diffusion from the continent’s southern half to its Mediterranean coastlines. Nevertheless, Diamond’s explanations and examples for each criterion demonstrate how things evolved and developed in one region versus another region, perhaps affecting all of human history.
A term I found most interesting appears right when Diamond describes his argument, “environmental determinism.” This term or better yet, theory, supposes that historical developments have directly resulted from humans’ reaction and interaction with the natural world. When thinking about this concept, it first appears intriguing and thought provoking. Earth literally causes its own history. However, environmental determinism seems overly simplistic. Historical events and human development cannot be limited to weather patterns or other ecological agents. They provide an influence and pressure, but not enough to explain the course of history.

An Afternoon At The Extreme Capitalist's New Yankee Cathedral

2009-05-20T13:16:00.018-04:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity with some family members to watch a baseball game at the new Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. I used to reside in Brooklyn, NY when I was a child so I grew up with the Yankees being my favorite baseball team. Last September I watched my final game at the old stadium and looked forward to the new Yankee baseball diamond. Sports history represents a huge subtopic in the grand schemed of history in general. People find sports history easier to connect to based on their youth or even from hearing stories from parents and grandparents. It’s a way to actually take part in an historical event, such as Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech or those blasted Boston Red Sox coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win the 2004 American League Championship against the Yankees no less. I’m not bitter. They are pleasurable events adding nostalgic feelings to an individual and those other witnesses.
Frankly, I was in awe at the new stadium. After crossing over E. 161st Street and the old stadium to your back, you find yourself at Babe Ruth Plaza between Gates 4 and 6. Most ticket holders probably would want to enter here because you are immediately in what is called “The Great Hall.” Huge banners displaying Yankee greats are draped down from the ceiling in this hall. If you ever had the opportunity to see the old Yankee Stadium, you would understand how narrow the halls and concourses herded fans to their seats and the food/drinks/souvenir stations. Fans can now see the entire field from the lower level where the food courts and other shops are located. As I was walking I did pass the Yankee Museum on one of the ramps leading to my seat, though I did not go to it. Now besides these new amenities, the stadium reincorporated the old Yankee Stadium’s history with Monument Park, the facades, the retired numbers, and the Yankee World Series Championships.

Are you hungry yet? I could have spent the entire game just going to the different food stations and eating. Of course, it holds the typical Nathan’s hotdogs, soda, beer, pretzels, and French fries. Grand additions have been made also, everything from sushi, Kosher foods, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Hard Rock Café, NYY Steak steakhouse, and a Mohegan Sun in center field. I ate a Lobel’s steak sandwich, priced at $15 a pop. They literally prepare all the steak right there at the stadium and a window shop to show how they age and butcher the meat.
Sadly due to outrageous ticket prices for this stadium, there are a large amount of empty seats throughout the entire stadium. It is $1200 for one seat behind home plate; they were originally $2600 per seat!! Prices are slightly ridiculous at the new ballpark and with these troubling economic times baseball games are not selling out. However, I would still go to many more games if I were in close proximity to New York and if you ever get the chance, I suggest you go see this capitalistic spectacle.

Swine Flu

2009-04-27T22:21:00.008-04:00

I’ve been monitoring the news the last few days in regards to this outbreak of swine flu. People are becoming alert and fearful about a full-blown pandemic. According to commentators and medical professionals, we will not know for a couple of days how infectious and lethal this new strain of flu will be to the human population. Only a few years ago, officials worried the global population about the avian or bird flu. The Spanish Influenza ravaged the early-twentieth century after World War I. Europe lost millions in the fourteenth century caused by the bubonic plague. Frankly, there is an environment of fear due to twenty-four hour news networks and bombardment of terms like “Swine Flu Emergency” and “Flu Outbreak.” Should we use caution, like hand washing and covering sneezes? Yes, use common sense to protect your well-being and other’s health. Be alert, but we do not need to become eccentric and paralyzed with fear.
CNN displayed a map highlighting countries with reported swine flu cases. It made me think of a game I played on the internet a few months ago. This game developed by Dark Realm Studios, located on crazymonkeygames.com, was entitled “Pandemic II.” Simply, a player must engineer a viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection that wipes out the entire planet’s population. An individual receives evolution points as the infection spreads. These points then can be used to unlock symptoms, resistances, and transmission vectors. Countries contain hospitals, seaports, and airports. Planes and ships go back and forth to these locations during gameplay dispersing the infection. There are also simulated weather, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and droughts that either boost or hinder its effectiveness. Strategically, a disease must be highly “lethal” and “infectious,” but not “visible” or the world governments will initiate actions to prevent its further spread. These procedures include: handing out masks and bottled water, closing borders, seaports, airports, and hospitals, exterminating rodents and insects, burning the deceased’s bodies, and developing a vaccine.
Honestly, this seems like an odd thing to write about because of the gravity of the situation. The swine flu should be taken seriously and I hope I did not offend anyone. However, Pandemic II demonstrates, in a sense, how the world might react to a global epidemic.

Operation Valkyrie Is In Effect...

2009-01-30T21:56:00.013-05:00

I figured I would change it up for a blog and comment on something a little differently. Over Christmas 2008, the movie Valkyrie was released into theaters nationwide. Being a history fanatic especially with subject material dealing with World War II, I decided to go see the movie. I admit I have no formal background into the failed assassination or any of the conspirators in the plot. Honestly, the story is an enjoyable, quick route to the assassination plot on Hitler’s life and subsequent attempt to institute Operation Valkyrie on the German homeland. It definitely piqued my interest into the German resistance against Hitler’s Nazi regime. I could almost feel myself rooting for the German officers to kill Hitler, but ultimately you know they fail. After viewing the movie, I decided to contact one of my professors from graduate school whose expertise is in German history. Dr. Mark Spicka responded to my email with fascinating comments and information that helped me in seeing how scholars could critique Valkyrie.
Now, the main character in the movie was Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg. Tom Cruise’s portrays the Colonel as a value-driven man with noble intentions for the German land and people. Dr. Spicka informed me that Von Stauffenberg lived by strong morals with a duty to protect Germany’s honor. Yet, these values might not have included every single German citizen’s participation if they succeeded in killing Hitler. Ludwig Beck, played by Terrence Stamp, fills another intricate role in the July 20 Plot. Since I knew nothing in great detail about all of the actors in the assassination attempt, I either didn’t hear that he was a former general in the movie or they failed to mention it. His character appeared to be on an honorable platform just like Von Stauffenberg’s depiction. However, Dr. Spicka continued to tell me that General Beck resigned over disagreements with Hitler dealing with Czechoslovakia in 1938. I now quote what he wrote about the General: “He (Beck) did not think that Germany was yet strong enough to risk war, but was not against the idea pursuing an expansionist war at some future point.” I greatly appreciated all Dr. Spicka’s comments because it definitely helped me realize where historical movies of such magnitude have some flaws.

Open Records Law

2009-01-02T17:06:00.003-05:00

Well it feels good to be writing a new blog after a month of absence. A new year arrived and cold winter weather covered many states. On another note, I’ve discovered a few interesting things. Historical research presents many exciting things, the thrill of new problems and locating answers to those hard to find questions. I can attest to being in that situation quite often when I was researching papers and other projects. While browsing the Chambersburg local newspaper, The Public Opinion, I read an article dealing with Pennsylvania’s updated Right-To-Know Law. Most state agencies, much like federal agencies, are required to release information to the public. For example, if you were to request military discharge information on a relative, it can be requested from the National Archives. Yet, it would have to fall under the 60-year rule for any researcher who is not a next of kin to request an individual’s record. I have heard that some agencies drag their feet with information requests even when the individual claims Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) privilege. When I read this article about Pennsylvania I was definitely disconcerted but glad as well. Pennsylvania seems to be one of the most restrictive states when it comes to information release requests. As a history student and researcher, this comes as a surprise because frankly I had no idea that Pennsylvania held such a negative distinction. Would I have difficulty in receiving government documents if I requested them? The article stipulates that Pennsylvania shows progress by altering its Right-To-Know Law, but still needs more work.

Are You A Knowledgeable Citizen?

2008-12-03T10:45:00.006-05:00

I’ve decided to write a different sort of blog this time. I checked the news last week and located an article describing how some of our elected officials failed a civics test. I wanted to know what this test was and to see how well I fared on it. Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) is the group that created this test. It consisted of 33 multiple-choice American history questions and a few economic questions as well. I can say it starts out easy, but the questions do get much tougher. ISI’s website also contains a press release describing their findings based on the civics test. I often wonder why we as Americans do so horribly on information that ought to be second nature. I know that history can bore some because it doesn’t interest them, too many events and dates to remember, or it’s the past. Yet I feel that can be disrespectful. Many citizens voice loudly and proudly that they are Americans, but can’t tell you what the First Amendment guarantees.
I grew up in an environment that encouraged this type of learning because it makes you a better citizen. History is not about dates and events; it’s about a collective past binding citizens together. Where did we come from? How did we get here? These are questions historians ask whether it be about the United States or Japan. I can proclaim that I’m prould to be an American. I vote during every local and national election, especially the mid-term elections. I read the news daily. I’ve read too many history books to be counted in my lifetime already. I do not wish to sound condescending to others, but I find this article and report disheartening about my country and my fellow citizens. I urge all Americans to learn more about our history and celebrate it.
In closing, I took this test and I did quite well. A handful of my family members took this test over Thanksgiving break. We had a few laughs about some of the results I will say. Frankly, my history background helped out immensely on the test. I say give it a whirl if you got the free time. Here are the links for the test and the press release.

Pennsylvania's Revolutionary War General

2008-11-17T20:52:00.040-05:00

National history can often obscure prominent stories at the local and regional level. If I asked if you knew General George Washington, you would say, “Of course." Now if I asked, do you know Brigadier General William Thompson? I would have to assume you would say, "Who is that?" Not so long ago, I did not know the General. William Thompson served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He does not have such notoriety like Paul Revere or John Paul Jones, but Thompson sits as an important Pennsylvania figure. Thompson traveled to Pennsylvania in the early 1750s and resided in Carlisle after leaving his native country Ireland, in his late teens. He was a soldier in the French and Indian War. With revolution rising, Thompson became the first commissioned Colonel in the Continental Army and later a Brigadier General. Yet, a promising tale turns disheartening when he becomes a prisoner of war after American forces failed at the Battle of Three Rivers near Quebec, Canada. Thompson would not be freed until his exchange a couple years later and died shortly thereafter. (General Thompson stands on the far right in this painting.)
I received an amazing opportunity when I applied to be an intern at the Cumberland County Historical Society (CCHS) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I met with the museum curator and she told me how they were preparing for a visiting exhibit dealing with William Thompson. They needed manuscript artifacts to supplement the objects being brought to CCHS. I would be researching their archives to locate documents revolving around the General’s non-military life and his family. To research William Thompson, I started with genealogical records, wills and other documents. By locating his will, it listed inheritances and family member’s names, which could help with further research. Thompson appeared to be fairly wealthy by bestowing a few hundred acres of land and slaves to his wife and children. His wife was Catharine Ross, daughter of Declaration of Independence signer George Ross. CCHS utilizes a computer system called Past Perfect that allows an organization to list, display, and organize documents, objects, and photos for the staff and outside researchers. It is basically like a keyword database that an individual can type in a name or term and the system lists possible hits to investigate further. Past Perfect does not allow for direct searches for specific names or items. For example, typing in William Thompson will make the system look in every entry for a William and a Thompson, not solely William Thompson. This setup proved to be frustrating and counterproductive.
After looking through Past Perfect and CCHS’s card catalog, I located two folders holding thirty-three documents particular to William Thompson, in addition to random documents located elsewhere in the archive. These documents needed to be transcribed to see if they contained pertinent information outside his military exploits. Over the course of a few weeks, the eighteenth and nineteenth-century transcriptions told a spotty story in regards to William Thompson. Most of the letters and correspondence relate to his family and property after his death in 1781. I should note that Folder 3, Papers relating to Wm Thompson and Catharine Ross Thompson are photocopied negatives of the original documents from the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Everything else was an original document. Furthermore, transcribing eighteenth and nineteenth-century script was a daunting task. It took me a couple days to really get used to the language and handwriting. I often asked Robert Schwartz, a CCHS employee, to help me figure out certain words. We often looked in dictionaries, legal and online ones to finally realize what word was written.

Sources:
First Paragraph: Allan G. Crist, William Thompson...a shooting star, 5-6, 9-10, 23, 26-27, 31-36, 42-45. (Pamphlet printed by the CCHS)
The painting is John Trumbull's Death of General Montgomery in the Attack on Quebec.

Second Paragraph:
Cumberland County Book of Wills, Book D, pgs 53/4; Cumberland County Historical Society Archives, Microfilm JBH 134-5 Positive Cumberland Co, PA WILLS Books D, E, F, 1779-1803, 5-15.

Third Paragraph:
Cumberland County Historical Society Archives, Box 36, Folder 2, Papers of William Thompson and Catharine Thompson; Cumberland County Historical Society Archives, Box 36, Folder 3, Papers Relating to Wm. Thompson (1736-1781) & Catharine Thompson; Cumberland County Historical Society Archives, James Hamilton Papers, Box 33, Folder 7-9, 11-12.

44th President Of The United States: Barack Obama

2008-11-05T19:19:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, the United States voted for a new president. Disregarding individual political viewpoints (I hope you all voted), it represents an astonishing change. Barack Obama becomes both the 44th president in American history and the first African-American one. I, for one, am completely stoked as an American citizen and as a historian for what this event holds for the country. We have all these unique and impressive examples dealing with heads of state internationally: Margaret Thatcher, first female United Kingdom prime minister and more recently Evo Morales, first indigenous Bolivian president. These are just a few awe-inspiring occurrences in the political world etched in history. Barack Obama joins this same group. African-Americans have been on the North American continent for four centuries. Brutalized through slavery, they fought in the American Revolution and Civil War. After emancipation, they suffered under Jim Crow laws. Separate but equal, segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, the list can go on forever. Despite all the negative events, there are bright, uplifting moments throughout the struggles. Barack Obama’s election will be remembered and celebrated!

Our Lady Of The Visitation Continued...

2008-11-03T23:28:00.016-05:00

It was surprisingly a tough project to work on for my class. Locating information and the temporary resting places for Our Lady of the Visitation (OLV) in Shippensburg provided the most difficult aspects. As a researcher, assumptions arise frequently and they can become problematic to overall goals or a project’s completion. I honestly thought I would find a plethora of sources and have a complete picture of Shippensburg Catholics and their church. Now the story I told is not complete, it is has many holes, but I created a logical, straightforward, concise tale with the sources available.

How did I choose the OLV? I admit I wasn't sure what to choose at first, often inspiration pops up or you luck into it. I happened to have a copy of The Shippensburg Historical Society: A Fifty Year Retrospective 1945-1995. Since I basically grew up in Shippensburg, I felt it only appropriate to pick a place in town to research. Flipping through the pages, I landed upon the churches section. Though the book contained a brief history about the Catholic Church in Shippensburg, I ran with the idea and figured I could fill in the blanks. I proceeded to visit places and repositories to create the church’s story for my tour.

Obviously my first visit was to go to the OLV and the Shippensburg Historical Society (SHS). The church secretary showed me a file that contained a short article from the church’s newsletter basically describing what the Shippensburg Historical Society book detailed. I figured the SHS would reveal a few tidbits of information for me. I assumed too much, which is a huge pitfall when doing research. I asked a volunteer if they had any folders dealing with the Catholic Church in town. The volunteer instantly went to a bookshelf and pointed out the same book that I used to pick my topic. I was a little frustrated I will have to say, but I let my expectations determine what I would find before I even got to the historical society.

Being in Cumberland County, I made a phone call up to the Cumberland County Historical Society and asked if they could assist me as well. Library assistants told me that their holdings did not contain any real primary sources. They did have some early maps of the town, but we could not locate the original location of the Catholic Church. I was lead to a work by William Burkhart, a local Shippensburg historian. His work, The Shippensburg Story 1730-1970, also listed church histories and made a claim about its original location. Cross-referencing the maps and his information, I could never pinpoint its resting place. Early in the research process, I felt slightly lost. I wasn’t discovering a landmark source with what I needed. There was no eureka! However, I was finding pieces that led me forward.

So I was in sort of a conundrum. I had a basic idea about where the church was in town. I knew it was somewhere off the railroad tracks running through town originally. Next mass was held in Corpus Christi for seventy years. My holes were the African-American school and the Shippensburg resident household masses. I had to turn to two other places, one suggested by my mother, and another by my professor, Dr. Steven Burg. My mother said I should talk to one of the church elders and see if they can help me. Dr. Burg mentioned the Harrisburg Diocese Archives. I contacted the Boyles in Shippensburg and sat down for a short meeting with them. I described my project and they gladly wanted to talk with me. Mrs. Grace Boyle discussed how she was a co-worker with Mrs. Starr’s daughter and witnessed a couple of the masses after being invited to the house. She retold how the priest conducted mass in the living room while the parishioners sat on chairs and other furniture. Mrs. Boyle also helped point out where the original church’s location, the information was repeatedly told to her by another parishioner as they drove over the railroad tracks on Penn Street in Shippensburg. I was pleased with the information provided by the Boyles.

The last hope I had in finding out the last bit of information about the OLV was at the Harrisburg Diocese Archives. Once again, I held some assumptions. As a Catholic and my viewpoint of the Catholic Church, I felt that the Catholic Archives would hold massive amounts of documents, maybe even the church’s original location. The archivist, Dr. Linda Itzoe, brought out two folders dealing with the Shippensburg parish. It didn’t fill in all my holes, but displayed a personal nature to Shippensburg Catholics’ plight. I read a few letters written by priests and other individuals describing the need for a Shippensburg parish and the lack of space in the former African-American school in town. These letters were a blessing compared to the other sources I had located in previous searches.

Like I said earlier, my assumptions got the best of me. I can say I was disappointed at times, but I can’t fault the archivists or the repositories I visited. I was given the task of scripting a tour and I proudly wrote, despite a shortage of sources, a well-rounded story for the Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. I provided a copy of my tour to the church, the Diocese’s Archives, and the Shippensburg Historical Society for future readers and researchers.

Here are the websites for the archives I visited...

Cumberland County Historical Society

Harrisburg Catholic Diocese Archives

Shippensburg Historical Society

Our Lady Of The Visitation Catholic Church

2008-10-30T17:29:00.014-04:00

I figured I’d begin by discussing a class project I worked on while in the Applied History Program at Shippensburg University. My classmates and I were given the task of creating a Historic Site Tour, which involved writing a script describing the tour. Students usually chose a physical building because it is much easier than doing a tour of an entire town or region. The professor, Dr. Steven Burg, urged us to find something not completely daunting, but perhaps a place or locale with a personal, even sentimental attachment. As a Catholic, I chose the local parish, Our Lady of the Visitation (OLV) in Shippensburg. Now, this entry won’t be a copy and pasted replica of my class project. I intend to describe the church’s history in town and also discuss the repositories I visited to research it in a second blog.

Nineteenth-century America witnessed a large Irish Catholic arrival caused by deteriorating situations in Ireland. With little or no marketable skills, these Irish left the US cities and moved westward. In 1840, the Bishop of the Diocese of Philadelphia Rt. Reverend Francis Patrick Kenrick purchased a plot of land from George Hartline in Shippensburg. On this piece of land, St. Mary’s of the Visitation stood. Due to a small parishioner population who worked as “transient laborers,” the church closed in 1864 (“The Shippensburg Parish,” Collection: Parish History Folders, Diocese of Harrisburg Box 55, 1).

With no church, Shippensburg Catholics still remaining traveled to Chambersburg to attend mass at Corpus Christi. After seventy-five years traveling to Corpus Christi, Reverend Thomas Johnson implored the Bishop that Shippensburg residents needed a place of worship in their own town. It would seem to be approved, but they were would be no new construction of a Shippensburg parish. Instead, residents, like Mrs. Mary Starr volunteered their homes for worship starting in 1940. Not much longer, Shippensburg Catholics moved to the former African-American school to practice their religion. It was rented and renovated while Corpus Christi priests traveled to conduct mass. With more followers coming to the cramped building, Reverend Johnson wrote again to the Bishop urging for a new church for Shippensburg Catholics. In 1950, the Bishop made Shippensburg a parish in the Harrisburg Diocese.

Land was bought on Prince Street to erect a new church. The property originally belonged to the Hosfeld family. Their stable/carriage house was renovated and became the chapel for the time being. Eventually, the carriage house did not adequately house the parish and in the early 1960s, a larger chapel was built. Our Lady of the Visitation officially opened in 1967. By the turn of the millennium, the parish constructed a new parish hall for Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) and the old carriage house was torn down. OLV has a large college student following aided by its location right off Shippensburg University's campus.

Sources:

Second Pargraph:

Tyler Anbinder, Nativism and Slavery: The Northern Know Nothings & the Politics of the 1850s, 5-8.

“Deed George Hartline and Wife to Rt. Rev. F. P. Kendrick,” Collection: Chancery Records: Open Parishes, Diocese of Harrisburg, Box 48, Folder #2: “Shippensburg: Our Lady of the Visitation. The Bishop of Philadelphia’s name is Francis Patrick Kenrick. The deed misspelled his name.

“This Indenture, Made the Twenty eighty day of December,” Collection: Chancery Records: Open Parishes, Diocese of Harrisburg, Box 48, Folder #2: “Shippensburg: Our Lady of the Visitation.

Third Paragraph:

The Shippensburg Historical Society: A Fifty Year Retrospective 1945-1995, 161.

“Our Lady of Visitation Catholic Church to Be Dedicated Sunday,” The News-Chronicle, 30 June 1967, A1.

“Dear Father Mulcahy. March 27.140.” Collection: Chancery Records: Open Parishes, Diocese of Harrisburg, Box 48, Folder #2: “Shippensburg: Our Lady of the Visitation.”

Mrs. Grace Boyle. Parishioner of OLV, Interview by author, 4 October 2006, Shippensburg, Residence of Mr. and Mrs. John Boyle.

William H. Burkhart, ed., The Shippensburg Story 1730-1970, 126.

“The Most Reverend Bishop. Most reverend and dear Bishop.- Feb.18.1942,” Chancery Records: Open Parishes Box #48, The Diocese of Harrisburg Archives.

“Dear Sir: May I impose upon your will…May 8, 1947,” Collection: Chancery Records: Open Parishes, Diocese of Harrisburg, Box 48, Folder #2: “Shippensburg: Our Lady of the Visitation.”

Fourth Paragraph:

“The Shippensburg Parish,” Collection: Parish History Folders: Diocese of Harrisburg Box 55, 2.

Janice Ilo, “Our Lady of the Visitation Church, Shippensburg,” Collection: Parish History Folders, Diocese of Harrisburg, Box 55, 1.

“The Shippensburg Parish,” 2-3; “Our Lady of the Visitation Catholic Church to Be Dedicated Sunday.