History Lessons

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.

History Lessons

Designing 18th-century flags

When people come together to form something new – a neighborhood club, a scouting troop, a sports team – they often design a flag or banner as a visible sign of their unity. So it was for the 18th-century Americans who rebelled against Great Britain. As they created an army and navy, they needed new… continue

History Lessons

Waving ‘A Grand Old Rag’

By James Breig Every Fourth of July, Turner Classic Movies broadcasts “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” the 1942 movie about the life of singer-songwriter-playwright-dancer George M. Cohan. It does so because Cohan, played by James Cagney, penned not only the title tune but also “It’s a Grand Old Flag” and other patriotic anthems. Cohan was renowned for… continue

History Lessons

Flags fly amid battles

By James Breig The just-concluded 150th anniversary of the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg brought renewed attention to the role flags played during Civil War conflicts. When cannons and muskets began firing, regimental and other flags became essential ways of communicating amid the smoke and chaos. The banners rallied troops to common points on the… continue

History Lessons

Twin victories on Fourth of July

A commemoration of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1913

By James Breig This year’s Fourth of July marks not only the 237th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, but also the 150th anniversary of two seminal battles of the Civil War: Gettysburg and Vicksburg. If you subtract 150 from 237, you get a number associated with Abraham Lincoln. The twin historic conflicts, which spanned… continue

History Lessons

Vicksburg inspired flag salutes

By James Breig Americans are familiar with the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union victory 150 years ago that turned back a Confederate attempt to invade the North. Less well known is the simultaneous Union triumph in Vicksburg, Mississippi. As a result, the upcoming July 1-4 sesquicentennial of those dual turning points in the Civil War… continue