Author Archives

I have a PhD in United States History and I am a legal refugee. I run a history wiki called DailyHistory.org and the blog Dailyhistoryblog.com.

• Fate of the Revolution: Interview with Lorri Glover

  By Sandvick on July 6, 2016 • ( 0 )

  Starting in 1787, states began to ratify the newly drafted federal Constitution which would determine the fate of the new American Republic. In order for the Constitution to go in effect, nine of the states needed to agree to the… Read More ›

• The Mysterious Illness of Jim Bowie: How Did He Contribute to His Own Decline?

  By Sandvick on July 6, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Directly or indirectly, Jim Bowie’s enigmatic illness during the siege of the Alamo resulted from his own actions. A hearty man of six feet in height, Bowie was a walking contradiction; a slave trader who fought for freedom, a generous… Read More ›

• Was the Destruction Perpetrated by Lincoln, Grant, and Sherman Necessary to End the Civil War?

  By Sandvick on July 5, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  January 1, 1863 marked a pivotal moment in the American Civil War. On this date the Emancipation Proclamation, the preliminary of which was issued by President Lincoln on September 22, 1862, took full and permanent effect, thus changing the Union’s… Read More ›

• American Revolution Top Ten Booklist

  By Sandvick on July 4, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress. This act was only the first step towards the creation of the United States. The United States then fought a seven year war to cement its… Read More ›

• The Greek Philosophers Top Ten Booklist

  By Sandvick on July 3, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Ancient Greek Philosophers living from the 6th century BCE until the demise of Plato’s famed academy in 529 CE has a profound influence on Western though. What is amazing is how their influence was able to survive and influence societies… Read More ›

• The Best Historians and Books According to James McPherson

  By Sandvick on July 2, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  In 2014, the New York Times published a brief interview with noted Civil War historian James McPherson, The George Henry Davis 1886 Professor of American History at Princeton University. McPherson is considered to be the dean of Civil War historians…. Read More ›

• What was Plato’s academy and why did it influence Western thought?

  By Sandvick on June 30, 2016 • ( 1 )

  

  .The Academy, founded by the philosopher Plato in the early 4th century BCE, was perhaps one of the earliest institutions of higher learning. While it was not like a university where people would enroll and obtain advanced degrees, it functioned… Read More ›

• Alexander the Great Top Ten Booklist

  By Sandvick on June 29, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Creating a top ten list for books on Alexander the Great is not easy, since few ancient historical figures have been written about as much. Everything from his complex personality and his sexual life to his military and logistical tactics… Read More ›

• Voodoo, Kidnapping and Race in New Orleans during Reconstruction: Interview with Michael A. Ross

  By Sandvick on June 27, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  The Oxford University Press published The Great New Orleans Kidnapping Case: Race, Law, and Justice in the Reconstruction Era by Michael A. Ross, an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland. Ross’s first book, Justice of Shattered Dreams: Samuel Freeman Miller… Read More ›

• American Legal History Top Ten Booklist

  By Sandvick on June 25, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  These are our Top Ten legal history books. Why do we like these books? Besides being awesome, we believe that these are some of the most exciting legal history books we have read. These books helped us think about legal… Read More ›

• The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: Interview with Terri Halperin

  By Sandvick on June 21, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 were four laws that were passed by the predominantly Federalist Congress and signed by John Adams to strengthen the national security of the United States. These acts not only restricted the ability of… Read More ›

• Why was the worship of Mithra so popular?

  By Sandvick on June 16, 2016 • ( 1 )

  

  Today the god Mithra or Mithras is not recognized by many in the West. Mithra is often seen as just one of the many gods that was once worshiped in Europe, the Near East, and South Asia. However, in the… Read More ›

• Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Fathers and Christianity: Interview with Sam Haselby

  By Sandvick on June 15, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Recently on Twitter, a debate broke out between Annette Gordon-Reed, Sam Haselby, and John Fea on the nature of Thomas Jefferson’s religious beliefs. The debate centered on the questions of whether or not Thomas Jefferson could be described as a… Read More ›

• African American Soldiers During the Civil War: Interview with Author Bob Luke

  By Sandvick on June 14, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Here’s an excerpt from our interview with Bob Luke about his book Soldiering for Freedom that looked at African American soldiers during the Civil War: What drew you initially to the story of black Union soldiers? How did you first… Read More ›

• Angels of the Underground: Interview with Theresa Kaminski

  By Sandvick on June 12, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  The Oxford University Press recently published Theresa Kaminski’s Angels of the Underground: The American Women who Resisted the Japanese in the Philippines in World War II. Kaminski’s book follows the lives of four American women who were stranded in the… Read More ›

• Why Were Homosexuals Persecuted in Nazi Germany?

  By Sandvick on June 11, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  In Nazi Germany, the ideal Aryan male was stereotyped as being strong, handsome, fanatical about his appearance, and obsessed with youth. The ideal homosexual was stereotyped as being strong, handsome, fanatical about his appearance, and obsessed with youth. The only… Read More ›

• How Did Gold Become Desired by Ancient Civilizations?

  By Sandvick on June 10, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  Gold is first known to have been acquired by ancient human societies in the 4th millennium BC, a time when copper and metals were beginning to be utilized more frequently. The use of gold expanded during this period because pyro-technologies… Read More ›

• Engineering Victory during the Civil War: Interview with Thomas F. Army, Jr.

  By Sandvick on June 9, 2016 • ( 1 )

  

  Logistics win wars. Logistics is the coordination of complex operations such as moving, housing and supplying troops and their equipment. War is the ultimate test of any logistician. During the Civil War, the Union troops fought almost the entire war… Read More ›

• The Hays Code, Gangsters, and Prohibition: How did 1934 change Hollywood?

  By Sandvick on June 8, 2016 • ( 1 )

  

  1934 was a pivotal year for the United States. Americans were enduring the fifth year of the Great Depression and the rural population was in an extreme state of suffering that had begun prior to the stock market crash in… Read More ›

• What was the evolution of water technologies like?

  By Sandvick on June 7, 2016 • ( 0 )

  

  The history of water use and technologies to bring water to human societies is long, particularly in some of the world’s most arid regions where human settled societies first began. Technologies of water also evolved as other technologies developed and… Read More ›