American History

[DavidS]

Who else here is a history nut? My main focal points are the settlement and exploration of Kentucky/NorthWest Territory, Texas, and California. They are some of the most dramatic impactful time in the early years and really draw me.

What’s your study and why?

 

[Wolfsage]

A bit of everything. American revolution, Civil War, WW1,WW2, Early Settlement of North America, and world history. Though I've gotten rusty on that subject.

 

[Sherlock77]

I also enjoy history

Living in western Canada I have strong interest in that region, it's interesting because I believe that western Canada was one of the last places in the developed countries to be settled, most of our history only started in about 1890, with mostly fur trade activity before that with a very limited population base

Also, any automotive history, in particular obscure European cars from WW2 to the 1970's, a kind of car in rather short supply where I grew up and still live here in hinterland (AKA Alberta)...

 

[OkRad]

Ancient History!

 

[Nitro]

I'm a WWII buff, mostly because of how quickly their low technology at the time evolved to better technology in such a short span of time.

The entire country all pulled on the oars together, something of which may never happen again.

World War II

 

[GadAbout]

I love history and even pre-history. I enjoy visiting "living history" museums and sites where guides dress up and speak in the fashion of the era and place they are portraying. I also really dig "Time Team" archaeology episodes which are available on several streaming services and YouTube. Britain has an amazing breadth of different levels of civilization and history.

Through genealogy, I have explored the different stories of my own American ancestors, some of whom came over on the Mayflower. I was going to title my family history manuscript "Pilgrims, Patriots and Pioneers," focusing on three key eras in American settlement, namely the pilgrim migration, the Revolutionary War (independence from Britain), and the westward expansion across the continent in the 19th century. But someone else already had used that title for a blog, so I'll have to come up with something else!

 

[Tom]

Have loved reading history since I was first able to read. My main interest is ancient - medieval. Was fortunate enough to be stationed in Germany for several years and explored historical sites (of all periods) many weekends. In recent years it has leaned more towards following and reading the archeology based books and articles.

I'll give you an example. One Saturday I was hiking alone, in the hills just a few miles from the small german village I lived in, and in sequence came accross the remains of a medieval watchtower, the site (with marker) of a massacre during the 30 years war and WWII german trenches, shell holes and bomb shrapnel. All in an hour or two.

I have studied certain aspects of other periods including American history. Specific things that caught my interest, like The Battle of the Little Bighorn, Battle of Gettysburg and D-Day. On long drives I'm currently listening to a recorded book on Sam Houston and the Texas war. I see you are in San Antonio. I was very glad to have got to visit the Alamo on Town Liberty day when I went thru basic Training at Lackland. It was a bit strange. I had imagined it being out in the desert (from films and such) and there it was downtown in the middle of the city.

 

[Tom]

I love history and even pre-history. I enjoy visiting "living history" museums and sites where guides dress up and speak in the fashion of the era and place they are portraying. I also really dig "Time Team" archaeology episodes which are available on several streaming services and YouTube. Britain has an amazing breadth of different levels of civilization and history.

Through genealogy, I have explored the different stories of my own American ancestors, some of whom came over on the Mayflower. I was going to title my family history manuscript "Pilgrims, Patriots and Pioneers," focusing on three key eras in American settlement, namely the pilgrim migration, the Revolutionary War (independence from Britain), and the westward expansion across the continent in the 19th century. But someone else already had used that title for a blog, so I'll have to come up with something else!

If you take just the last part of your desired title you get 'Grims, Riots and Neers*'. Catchy don't you think?

* I'll let you decide what Neers are.

 

[GadAbout]

If you take just the last part of your desired title you get 'Grims, Riots and Neers*'. Catchy don't you think?

* I'll let you decide what Neers are.

Well, you lose the alliteration.

 

[Thinx]

I love history and even pre-history. I enjoy visiting "living history" museums and sites where guides dress up and speak in the fashion of the era and place they are portraying. I also really dig "Time Team" archaeology episodes which are available on several streaming services and YouTube. Britain has an amazing breadth of different levels of civilization and history.

Through genealogy, I have explored the different stories of my own American ancestors, some of whom came over on the Mayflower. I was going to title my family history manuscript "Pilgrims, Patriots and Pioneers," focusing on three key eras in American settlement, namely the pilgrim migration, the Revolutionary War (independence from Britain), and the westward expansion across the continent in the 19th century. But someone else already had used that title for a blog, so I'll have to come up with something else!

Could you just drop the 'and'?

 

[GadAbout]

@Thinx - oh you mean in the title. No, I've come up with an alternate title I like just as well.

 

[DavidS]

Have loved reading history since I was first able to read. My main interest is ancient - medieval. Was fortunate enough to be stationed in Germany for several years and explored historical sites (of all periods) many weekends. In recent years it has leaned more towards following and reading the archeology based books and articles.

I'll give you an example. One Saturday I was hiking alone, in the hills just a few miles from the small german village I lived in, and in sequence came accross the remains of a medieval watchtower, the site (with marker) of a massacre during the 30 years war and WWII german trenches, shell holes and bomb shrapnel. All in an hour or two.

I have studied certain aspects of other periods including American history. Specific things that caught my interest, like The Battle of the Little Bighorn, Battle of Gettysburg and D-Day. On long drives I'm currently listening to a recorded book on Sam Houston and the Texas war. I see you are in San Antonio. I was very glad to have got to visit the Alamo on Town Liberty day when I went thru basic Training at Lackland. It was a bit strange. I had imagined it being out in the desert (from films and such) and there it was downtown in the middle of the city.

You hearing Kilmeade’s book the Alamo Avengers? I’ve been meaning to join their volunteer living history staff but haven’t gotten to it yet. This upcoming week there is a push to restore the Alamo to its original footprint, there so much missing in the eyes of the interested observer. Fingers crossed if it will happen.

 

[DavidS]

A bit of everything. American revolution, Civil War, WW1,WW2, Early Settlement of North America, and world history. Though I've gotten rusty on that subject.

I like to study certain theatres and people in the Revolution and the Civil War. Francis Marion, Daniel Morgan, all the southern campaigns, George Rogers Clark and his men, Civil War Missouri bushwhackers and the conflict in the 5 civilized tribes.

 

[DavidS]

I love history and even pre-history. I enjoy visiting "living history" museums and sites where guides dress up and speak in the fashion of the era and place they are portraying. I also really dig "Time Team" archaeology episodes which are available on several streaming services and YouTube. Britain has an amazing breadth of different levels of civilization and history.

Through genealogy, I have explored the different stories of my own American ancestors, some of whom came over on the Mayflower. I was going to title my family history manuscript "Pilgrims, Patriots and Pioneers," focusing on three key eras in American settlement, namely the pilgrim migration, the Revolutionary War (independence from Britain), and the westward expansion across the continent in the 19th century. But someone else already had used that title for a blog, so I'll have to come up with something else!

That’s a fascinating lineage I’d love to read about!

 

[VictorR]

My main interest is Roman history though I dabble in a bit of everything, with a focus on social and cultural history.

On the topic of the US Civil War, see pages 48-54 of Canadian Journal of Autism Equality Vol. 1 No. 1 for an interesting article on Braxton Bragg.

 

[oregano]

I grew up only a few miles from the site where gold was discovered in California, along with the associated towns, some of which are among the oldest settlements in Anglo California (excluding the Spanish-Mexican areas along the coast south of San Francisco). Lots of field trips to such places. Got a lifelong love of Victorian architecture from being driven through places from Placerville to downtown Sacramento on school buses. I was one of the few kids who bothered to look out the bus windows (no friends to talk with, of course, unlike the other kids) and saw a world vastly different from the semi-developed exurban area I lived in. It changed my life, eventually.

Also interested in World War 2, like @Nitro. I have a love of consumer items made during the war, since consumer manufacturing was limited to "maintenance and replacement" of existing goods. To buy anything durable you had to first prove to your local ration board that your old item was beyond repair.

I have an ice bag made under this system, complete with OPA (ration board) tag inside. Also have a couple vacuum tubes labeled "M-R". Even if you wanted something as mundane as a tube of toothpaste you had to turn your empty old one in to your local ration board and get approval!

Always wanted a Telechron Waralarm, a special alarm clock with a ringing sound designed so only the person it was intended for could hear it. The Waralarm was embossed on the back with its price, $7.95 USD. When I first got onto Ebay I went looking for one, but even 20 years ago the asking prices were exorbitant.

Today even the suggestion of rationing drives people bonkers, and they immediately buy up everything in sight.

 

[LadyS]

Love history too. I like touching on pretty much everything but especially Ancient histories like the Egyptians and Native Americans, World Wars, American Civil War, etc. I also find pivotal historical events and figures fascinating like famous inventors, scientists, artists, politicians, etc. I also love visiting historical sites, preferably in their original state. History Channel is also a favorite. My all time favorite show obsession is Curse of Oak Island. I also like Drunken History for a humorous take on history.

 

[Qoyote]

I haven't done detailed study, but I'm moving towards the postwar period, 1945-sometime in the 70's. The government's a big part of it. It feels like it had more purpose then, for good and bad. Could you imagine if they had to build the interstate today? They've spent twenty years trying to get back the Number One Enemy they lost when the Cold War ended, but all the options are either too weak or not different enough.

Spoiler: Cold War rambling

People make fun of the Cold War now and a lot of it was BS, but they thought they were in for the long haul. Dad's dad served at Fort Bliss for a few years when he was growing up. They were nuclear-capable, so they'd be a first target if anything happened. They still did duck and cover drills even though it was the late 70's. It really affected him for a while, in like sixth grade he had to write a paper on "what will you be doing in 2000" and they called his parents because his character was radiation-crippled after the end! He wasn't trying to be edgy, he genuinely didn't think the world would still be here.

My distant ancestors aren't so great, that I know of. I'm very distantly related to the first cotton plantation owner in Texas, and there's a family legend about a race murderer who fled to another state and changed his name, and that's how we got our current last name (who knows if it's true, but why would they come up with that).

Not interested in WWII, but my great-grandpa was a pilot and they captured him when he had to parachute. Spent at least two years in a POW camp, the story goes that his old family doctor moved back to Germany way before the war and ended up working there, though I don't know if that's true either (the doctor, not the POW). Everyone assumed he was dead, so I can't imagine what it was like coming back. He wasn't all there by the time I was born, so I never knew him, and I don't think we'd get along, but it's crazy thinking someone in my family went through all that.

 

[s704m]

For a while I've been bumping around Irish history (my ancestry), Italian history (also Italian, just dislike it), Chinese history, and Japanese history. However, deeply intertwined and entrenched in my fascination with my countries' histories is my obsession with linguistics. I'm a bit more obsessed with their languages than I am with the study of their specific histories. Exception -- Irish history, that is deeply personal to me, and I'm still untangling that one.