Dunkirk Miracle Made D-Day Possible
Guest post by Adam Black, adjunct history professor at Monmouth University Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is the stylistic antithesis of what we expect from a World War II film. The film is powerful. It brilliantly captures this critically important battle an entire year before the U.S. joined the fighting. It was spring of 1940. Luftwaffe fighter planes….Read more
Is the “Special Relationship” with Great Britain on the Rocks?
With Brexit on the horizon and Prime Minister Theresa’s May’s invitation to Trump in limbo, we may ask, “What happened to the special relationship between Great Britain and the United States?” Will it survive the Trump administration? After the London terror attack, President Trump tweeted about Mayor Sadiq Khan, causing Khan to oppose the president’s visit, and a petition….Read more
VIDEO: Can’t We Abolish Taxes?
Did you ever hear the phrase: “It’s not about the money, it’s about the principle”? In a nutshell, that was the American revolt against British taxes in colonial times. Americans refused to obey laws that they had no voice in making. After the new federal government launched in 1789, Americans continued to dispute taxation, well before federal….Read more
55 Words that Changed History: Guest Post by Historian Glenn LeBoeuf
by Glenn LeBoeuf When news of the fighting at Concord & Lexington in April 1775 reached Patrick Henry in Virginia, he rose in the House of Burgesses, knowing that many still did not want to break with Great Britain and exclaimed: “Gentlemen cry ‘peace, peace,’ but there is no peace! Our brethren are already in the field! Why….Read more
Who Cares About NATO?
Trump’s administration is hostile to international agreements such as the Paris Climate Accords, NAFTA, NATO and The Trans-Pacific Partnership. America first, he insists. On a recent European trip, the president did not explicitly commit to NATO’s Article V, its mutual aid clause, an affirmation that other NATO members were hoping for in light of his criticisms on the campaign trail. He did jab allies….Read more
VIDEO: The Preamble Defines Our Mission
Schoolchildren are made to recite the Preamble. They may not fully understand what they’re saying, but the founders wanted us to comprehend what they bled for on the battlefield, and then debated at the conference table, for a decade and a half. The Constitution’s Preamble sets America’s national purpose. It’s our mission, handed down from our forefathers,….Read more
VIDEO: Keep Teaching, Teachers!
It’s end of school year time. The kids have spotted land. So-called “landfall syndrome” is affecting our sailors, and it’s hard to keep them on task, so the History Doctor provides some suggestions to manage the end of year purgatory. Land ho! End of school near See our quick video to get the doctor’s prescription for end of year….Read more
VIDEO: Are Confederate Monuments Preserving History or Condoning Oppression?
Elected officials have recently had to make some hard choices about Confederate monuments in their cities, such as the enormous Robert E. Lee statue in New Orleans. Protesters say it’s whitewashing history and political correctness run amok. Robert E. Lee was a brilliant general and more of a loyalist to his state of Virginia than a defender of slavery….Read more
America First, America Alone?
What does “America first” mean for America’s allies and for our not so friendly relationships around the world? America has typically tried to keep its friends close, and its enemies –well, somewhat close. The U.S. needs to protect its interests around the world. And America strives to use its military might and economic power wisely to help those in need.….Read more
Impeachment is Not Guilt: Here’s What It Does Mean
America has impeached exactly two presidents, and removed neither from office. Wait a second. Doesn’t impeachment mean that the president lost his (eventually her) job? When the founders designed the Constitution in 1787, they wanted a government strong enough to keep order. But not so strong that it could abuse its citizenry. Call it Madison’s Dilemma, because….Read more