The American Civil War, on both sides, was replete with generals trained and educated at West Point. At that time, the most in vogue tactics were those of Napoleon due to his legendary campaigns throughout Europe and beyond in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. However, throughout history the greatness of others on the … Continue reading Failing to Learn from History
Ulysses S. Grant is best known as a Civil War General and United States President. However, what is less well known about him is the high level of character he showed in his earlier life, even during times of personal hardship. After the Mexican American War, he had to leave his wife and newborn child … Continue reading Grant: Man of Character
I am currently reading the biography of Ulysses S. Grant (1 of 3 presidents to serve in the war along with Taylor and Pierce) and it dedicates a chapter to the Mexican American War. Honestly, I don’t remember learning a single fact about this in school, except perhaps the date of when it happened in … Continue reading Why is the Mexican American War Forgotten?
The satirist Juvenal quipped that “bread and circuses” kept the Roman people happy. Despite the simplicity of this statement, there was still a lot of truth to it, and the free grain dole to the people of Rome confirms that the emperors knew this to be true as well. In the book I am reading … Continue reading Bread and Circuses: Rome – A Curiously Dependent Superpower
Nero is one of the most infamous characters in Roman history, and quite possibly of all time. He was famous for his debauchery as well as his cruelty. How did he become that way? What created the man who would one day use Christians as human torches for his lavish dinner parties in addition to … Continue reading The Woman Who Made Nero
Julius Caesar’s writings on his involvement in the Gallic War are one of the most valuable primary sources in all of history. Recently, when reading what we now know as Caesar’s Commentaries, I was thinking about lessons to take from his writings. It must be understood that Caesar was writing for public consumption. It could … Continue reading Julius Caesar: One Man Propaganda Machine
A common characteristic of human nature is the introduction of rules or regulations with honorable intent, but as time progresses people will find ways to exploit loopholes in said rules. This was certainly the case in the Middle Ages where the concept of tariff penance gained popularity. Analogous at the time to modern Catholic confession, … Continue reading Tariff Penance: Exploiting the Loophole
In the 10th century, oblates were children who were given by their parents, usually between the ages of 7 and 10, to serve God by means of sending them away to live a monastic life. Though it may feel cold, if not completely immoral, in modernity to send our children away forever, it was a … Continue reading The Moral Quandary of 10th Century Oblation
Most people are at least familiar with the name Hadrian’s Wall, arguably the second most famous wall of all time behind the Great Wall of China. Running East-West across northern Britain consisting of earth and stone, from the River Tyne near the North Sea to the Irish Sea, Hadrian’s Wall has been in existence since … Continue reading Hadrian’s Wall: A Wall Operated the Roman Way
Chancellorsville is one of the most famous battles of the American Civil War, and is known as the high water mark of the Confederate campaign. Known as Robert E. Lee's "perfect battle," the Confederates divided up their forces to defeat the overwhelmingly large number of opposition Union troops. Chancellorsville ranks second behind only the Battle … Continue reading Anywhere But There: Hidden Horror At Chancellorsville
Seven Hills History 