History lessons is a grouping of historical stories and tidbits. The topics range from the American Civil War through interesting items from around the world. Please use the comments area to ask questions and make suggestions for future topics.
In May 1864, 150 years ago, President Lincoln was still immersed in the Civil War. Although the key victories of Gettysburg and Vicksburg had passed, a full year of the conflict still lay ahead. That month was also a time of flags for the Great Emancipator. In mid-May, supporters of the president gathered to promote… continue
Many people like flags, but some take their interest to the nth degree. Those people are called vexillologists, meaning those who study the history, lore and meaning of flags. One such person is Scot Guenter, a professor of American Studies at San Jose State University. He agreed to answer some questions about his fascination with flags…. continue
This year marks the 450th birthday of William Shakespeare (see last week’s posting for examples of his use of flags in his plays). Besides being a writer, he was a co-owner of the Globe Theatre, located across the Thames River from London. The site used flags to attract play-goers. The pennants were necessary because communication… continue
This year marks the 450th birthday of William Shakespeare. No one is sure in what month and on what date he was born, but tradition has placed it in late April because he was baptized on April 26, 1564. He spent his life writing, and his writing often turned to flags. Take this passage from… continue
This year marks the 225thanniversary of the New York City inauguration of George Washington as the first president of the United States of America. Later in 1789, Washington visited Boston, where he was greeted by jubilant citizens waving an endless array of flags.