The Great Experiment

The date was January 16, 1919, and the Eighteenth Amendment had just become a reality.

Prohibition -- the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- legally banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors. Often referred to as "The Great Experiment," it had its roots in the previous century, championed by the Anti-Saloon League (an Ohio organization founded in 1893). The League had their work cut out for them: in 1909, there was one saloon for every three hundred Americans. There were more saloons than schools, libraries, hospitals, theaters, parks, or churches. (Location was a factor, however; the city of Chicago had more saloons than the entirety of the South.) Interestingly enough, the Anti-Saloon League consisted of members who, generally speaking, favored progressive politics such as votes for women, an end to monopolies, better working conditions, and immigration aid.

Before Prohibition, there was the Webb-Kenyon Act, which was passed in February 1913. Overriding a veto from President Taft, the law regulated the transportation of liquor from "wet states" to "dry states" (that is, no transporting liquor from the states that sold it to the states that did not). Four years later, Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; by January 1919, forty-six of the forty-eight states had ratified the amendment (Rhode Island and Connecticut being the two hold-outs). Despite ratification, however, many states failed to actually adopt state Prohibition, including Pennsylvania (as well as California, Illinois, New York, and others).

From the beginning, Prohibition had its work cut out. Many large cities outright rejected state or municipal liquor bans. The states where Prohibition proved unpopular often decided that the federal law was a federal matter, and so left the law's enforcement to the federal government. And while Prohibition did not prove costly (about a quarter of what states were spending on their parks department), it had the side effect of cutting funding in its own way -- in 1914, before the Amendment had been passed, one-third of the federal government's revenue came from liquor licenses and taxes on domestic liquor sales.

Then, too, were other (unexpected) side effects. Bootlegging, the illegal manufacturing and selling of liquor, became a booming business. As it was also an illegal business, it was organized crime who benefited from bootlegging the most; it's estimated that Chicago's Al Capone earned $60 million a year alone, thanks to the bootlegging operations and speakeasies he controlled. Those living in large cities were generally the most vehement protestors of Prohibition, and law enforcement and politicians alike were bribed there to look the other way. Once the Great Depression took hold, the popularity of Prohibition slipped even further. When Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for presidential office in 1932, his campaign included the repealing of the 18th Amendment. (Roosevelt won the election).

Ultimately, Prohibition was reversed with the 21st Amendment, proposed and enacted in 1933. The Great Experiment was at an end.

More on the History of Prohibition:

-- The 18th and 21st Amendments - Complete with scans of the original amendment, newspaper articles, and more.

-- Prohibition: Facts and Summary - From the History Channel.


From the Catalog:

-- Last Call: The Rise And Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent.

-- The Prohibition Hangover: Alcohol in America from Demon Rum to Cult Cabernet by Garrett Peck.

-- Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Karen Blumenthal. For YA readers.

-- Prohibition: A Ken Burns Documentary [DVD]


Other Reads (from the Catalog):

-- Drink: A Cultural History of Alcohol by Iain Gately.

-- Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol by Ann Dowsett Johnston.

-- Drinking: A Love Story by Caroline Knapp



-- Post by Ms. B 

Come Fly With Me

This July 2nd marks the 77th anniversary of one of the biggest unsolved mysteries of all time: the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, a pilot attempting to make history as the first woman to fly around the world. But while we remain primarily fascinated with her today due to the unanswered questions surrounding her disappearance, it's worth noting that she was considered a heroic figure long before her final flight.

Amelia Earhart spent her childhood sledding, climbing trees, and hunting rats with a .22 rifle. She also, from an early age, admired women who defied the conventions of the time, even putting together a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about women who had succeeded in male-dominated fields like film directing, law, management, and engineering.

At age 23, she took her first piloting lesson, and she purchased her very own, second-hand plane a scant six months later with money she's saved from her job as a social worker in Boston. She promptly used her new ride to set her first record: the first woman to fly to an altitude of 14,000 feet.

Earhart would set many other records, such as becoming the first woman (and the second person, ever, after Charles Lindbergh) to fly solo across the Atlantic ocean. Her dangerous, and daring, accomplishment resulted in President Herbert Hoover awarding her a gold medal from the National Geographic Society, while Congress made history by giving Earhart the Distinguished Flying Cross -- the first time the Cross had ever been awarded to a woman. Later, in 1935, she became the first person (of either gender) to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean, from Honolulu to California.

On the cusp of her 40th birthday, Earhart decided to try for one final record: to become the first woman to fly around the world. When she set off with navigator Fred Noonan on June 1, 1937, it was actually her second attempt to make the trip; the first, earlier that spring, had failed when her plane had undergone severe damage.

It was a highly dangerous trip to make in 1937. Still, by July, Earhart had only 7,000 miles remaining to complete the trip and set her record. But the next leg of the journey -- a 2,500-mile stretch from New Guinea to Howland Island -- was by far the hardest to navigate. Howland Island is only a mile and a half long and a half-mile wide, and frequently changing weather conditions add to the difficulty. Though the weather reports promised ideal conditions, the sky quickly turned cloudy, and navigator Noonan apparently lost his bearings. Earhart radioed for assistance from a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, stationed just offshore of the island, but her radio signal was breaking up. Earhart, Noonan, and the plane all ultimately disappeared.

A rescue attempt was launched. The U.S. government spent $4 million to search 250,000 square miles of ocean (the most extensive air and sea search in the history of the navy). Ultimately, no clue was found as to precisely what became of her, her navigator, or her plane.

To this day, no one can say with certainty what happened to Amelia Earhart. (Though theories abound ... and abound and abound.) While freshly-examined evidence points to the possibility that Earhart may have made it to a small island and survived for days or even weeks, the results are still inconclusive. (See our links below for more information.)

What is certain, however, is the Amelia Earhart will always be remembered for her courage, skill, intelligence, and decided love of adventure.

"Please know I am quite aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others."

Find Out More 

-- The Official Website of Amelia Earhart

Includes quotes, photos, and a timeline of Earhart's life.

-- Will We Ever ... Discover What Happened to Amelia Earhart? - from BBC.com

A look at the compelling, if not conclusive, evidence surrounding the mystery of Earhart's disappearance. Includes discussion on the artifacts that may point to Earhart surviving for weeks on a deserted island.

-- Amelia Earhart Reenactment Flight

Named after the legendary pilot (though she's of no relation), the 31-year-old Amelia Rose Earhart is attempting this summer to complete her namesake's goal of flying around the world. Track her progress here.



From the Catalog:

-- The Fun of It: Random Records of My Own Flying and of Women in Aviation by Amelia Earhart

-- 20 hrs, 40 min -- Our Flight in the Friendship: The American Girl, First Across the Atlantic by Air, Tells Her Story by Amelia Earhart

-- Amelia Earhart: The Mystery Solved by Elgen M. Long and Marie K. Long

-- Amelia Earhart: The Thrill of It by Susan Wels

-- Where's Amelia Earhart? [DVD] - a National Geographic special

-- Amelia [DVD] - a 2009 film starring Hilary Swank in the title role

-- Post by Ms. B

A Walk on the Wild Side

It runs more than 2,100 miles along the eastern half of the U.S., crossing over a total of fourteen states (from Georgia to Maine). It's maintained entirely by volunteers; in fact, it's said to be the largest volunteer-run undertaking on earth.

And if you decide to travel it end to end, you'll be traveling it on foot.

Welcome to the Appalachian Trail.

This hiking trail started life as the brainchild of Benton MacKaye. He first published the details of his idea in the pages of Journal of the American Institute of Architects, edited by his friend Charles Harris Whitaker. MacKaye actually envisioned the "AT" as much more than a hiking trail. It was to be less a simple walking path and more a network of self-sustaining communities, filled with hostels, inns, work camps, and farming villages.

While MacKaye's plans were published in 1921, it wasn't until 1930 that real progress was made. That was when Myron Avery, an admiralty lawyer and hiking enthusiast, took over the development of the AT. Avery's aim was to produce not a multi-state nature commune, but a simple (if ambitious) hiking trail.

Despite falling out with MacKaye, it was Avery who mapped out the pathways, enlisted the assistance of volunteer crews, and supervised the construction of hundreds of miles of trail. Formally completed on August 14, 1937, the AT actually received little attention or fanfare for the first years of existence. It wasn't until 1948 that Earl V. Shaffer became the first person to hike the AT from start to finish in a single summer -- bringing the AT back under the spotlight for the first time since its inception.

There are almost as many ways to hike the Appalachian Trail as there are hikers. Some hikers break the journey up into chunks, hiking a section and then leaving the woods entirely for weeks or months, returning to pick up the trip from where they left off. Others are "thru-hikers," marching their way straight through from start to finish. Regardless of how you hike, you need to carry all of your supplies with you -- and that includes water, food, clothes, a tent (for when there isn't one of the AT's handy wooden shelters), sleeping bag, cooking supplies, and a plethora of other camping equipment. (Most hikers are lucky if they manage to condense their supplies down to a 40-pound pack slung over their back.)

You can start at either end, but it's most commonly agreed upon that the sensible choice is to start in Georgia in spring (early March to late April) and make your way north, trying as hard as you can to stay ahead of the worst of the summer heat. Every year, close to 2,000 people set off from Springer, Georgia, with the intention of reaching the end at Katahdin, Maine. About ten percent make the full attempt; 20 percent drop out before the first week's up.

But, as they say: it's about the journey, not the destination. After all -- you don't have to hike all 2,100 miles to appreciate the beauty, grandeur, and adventure of the Appalachian Trail.

An afternoon stroll will do just as nicely.

Recommended Reading

Road Trip USA: Appalachian Trail by Jamie Jensen -- A brief overview of the sights, stops, and landmarks of the AT, divided by state.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson-- A hilarious (and informative) tale of two friends' attempt to hike the AT.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King -- This unusual King novel tells the story of nine-year-old girl who has only her wits and her Walkman to find her way through the woods of the Appalachian Trail.

-- Post by Ms. B 

Staff Recommendation #27: Hail to the Chaff

A Treasury of Great American Scandals: Tantalizing True Tales of Historic Misbehavior by the Founding Fathers and Others Who Let Freedom Swing 

By Michael Farquhar

With Presidents' Day just recently behind us, it seems like a good time to recommend a book that takes a novel approach to American political history.

Michael Farquhar is the author of one of my very favorite history books: A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories of History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors. The book does exactly what it says on the tin, revealing the most scandalous of stories behind the history of Western Europe's royalty (with a few Russian kings and Roman emperors thrown in). Here, Farquhar takes the same approach with American history, unveiling some of the lesser-known faults, foibles, and follies of our presidents and politicians ... with hilarious and insightful results.

Read on for just a few of my personal favorite factoids from the book:

It's not easy being the president.

-- Despite her tombstone reading, "Mary, the Mother of Washington," Farquhar suggests that George Washington's mother might be better known as "the Bother of Washington." She pestered him constantly for money, nagged him for spending so much time away from home, and embarrassed him as publicly as possible. (She once petitioned the Virginia House of Delegates to come to her personal financial assistance.) She was known to be so pushy and miserable that some people theorized she was actually a secret Royalist, trying to undermine the American Revolution!

-- With a father as a former president, and as a president himself, maybe it's understandable that John Quincy Adams had high expectations for his children. Within reason. Of course, he maybe took it a little far, informing his sons (attending school at Harvard) that their "blast of mediocrity" was shaming the family name. He forbade them to come home until they ranked within the top six of their class, proclaiming that otherwise, "I would feel nothing but sorrow and shame in your presence." 

-- Warren Harding had a fatal flaw for a national leader: he was a people pleaser. His friends took advantage of him even after he gave them high-ranking government posts (actually, especially after he gave them high-ranking government posts). Harding's picks for government office ended up accepting bribes, stealing funds from the Veterans' Bureau, and instigating a little incident known as the Teapot Dome scandal. In regards to his presidency, Harding himself was quoted as saying, "My God, this is a hell of a job!  I can take care of my enemies all right. But my friends, my ... friends, they're the ones that keep me walking the floor nights!"

The Teapot Dome scandal. Caption:

"Who Says a Watched Pot Never Boils?"

-- Trying to pick just one Andrew Jackson duel out of his many encounters is a tough task. But perhaps his most famous (or infamous) challenge came in 1806, when Jackson faced off against a Tennessee lawyer named Charles Dickinson. As Dickinson was well-known to be the better shot, Jackson's strategy was to let the lawyer have the first chance. Dickinson's blow landed squarely in Jackson's chest -- but Jackson was apparently unfazed. Jackson fired back, and despite a faulty pistol hammer, emerged the victor. "I've had hit him," Jackson said later of Dickinson, "if he had shot me through the brain."

-- The first president to be impeached, Andrew Johnson inherited the presidency after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Stubborn and increasingly withdrawn, Johnson remained holed up in the White House, much to the consternation of the rest of the government and the country. But Johnson had his own personal duties to attend to: making friends with the White House mice. Taking pity on the rodents after his daughter had brought in cats, traps, and poison to rectify a mice infestation, Johnson stepped in to save the day. He began spreading flour out around the fireplace for the mice to snack on, then added other treats and dishes of water. He was eventually able to confide to one of his aides that he'd won the confidence and trust of "the little fellows." (Evidently, he won the confidence of the nation, as well, with the Senate failing to convict and Johnson retaining his presidency.)

Andrew Jackson, in one of his many, many, many duels

-- And we think our presidential campaigns get vicious ... in 1864, Harper's Weekly compiled a list of the insults that had been used against Abraham Lincoln by the Democratic supporters of his opponent, George B. McClellan. Among other things, Lincoln was referred to as: Filthy Story-Teller, Despot, Liar, Thief, Braggart, Buffoon, Usurper, Monster, Ignoramus Abe, Old Scoundrel, Perjurer, Robber, Swindler, Tyrant, Fiend, Butcher. (These, mind, were all from the North -- the South had their own selection.)

-- After leaving office in 1845, John Tyler returned to his Virginia estate. He lived a quiet life for fifteen years ... at which point he took up a cause during the Civil War. The rebel cause. The former president supported Virginia's secession from the Union, and was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives in 1861. The only reason he didn't make history as the only U.S. President to serve under two different governments was that he died just before taking office.

-- In the 1850s, it was reported that a Washington policeman arrested a drunken horseback rider for driving crazily down the streets and running over a pedestrian. All charges were dropped when the rider was identified. It was the current president of the United States: Franklin Pierce.


For more on these stories -- and many, many more -- be sure to check out A Treasury of Great American Scandals. History has never been so interesting.

From the Catalog:

- A Treasury of Great American Scandals -- [book]

- A Treasury of Great American Scandals -- [large print]

- A Treasury of Great American Scandals -- [e-audiobook]



-- Post by Ms. B

A Woman Called Moses

She is remembered as one of the most famous conductors of the Underground Railroad, helping to smuggle dozens of people out of slavery and into safety. But she was also an abolitionist, a Union spy during the Civil War, and spent the last years of her life aiding the poor and aged.

Escaping from slavery in 1849, Harriet Tubman would return to the South first to rescue members of her family, then, later, to help strangers to freedom. She is believed to have rescued over 300 people along the Underground Railroad -- and that's not counting the 750 slaves Tubman helped the Union army to rescue in a South Carolina raid during the Civil War. When she died, she was buried with military honors at the Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn, New York.

Read on to learn more about the life and legacy of this amazing woman:

Online Resources:

-- Harriet Tubman - a biography from History.com (the History Channel's official website). Includes videos and a photo gallery.

-- Harriet Tubman - another look at Tubman's life, featured by Biography.com.

-- Tubman: Civil War Spy - this all-ages article from National Geographic Kids tells the story of Tubman's role in the Civil War: "the first woman in American history to lead a military expedition." (The article mentions the book Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent -- click here to get it from the Library!)

-- Harriet Tubman - from America's Library. An all-ages look at the life and stories of Harriet Tubman, from the Library of Congress.

-- Harriet Tubman's Amazing Grace - from Smithsonian Magazine. A closer look at an artifact from Tubman's past.

-- Petition of Harriet Tubman - Despite her service during the Civil War, Tubman was not awarded any benefits for her service (drawing, instead, a small widow's pension given to her for her husband's war service). See scans of the affidavit which Tubman presented to Congress, petitioning for her rightful benefits.

-- Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged - from the National Park Service. Read more about the home Tubman helped open to aged and impoverished African Americans in the last years of her life.

-- The New Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park - this Maryland state park, slated to open next year, commemorates the life and legacy of Harriet Tubman.

From the Catalog:

-- Harriet Tubman: Imagining a Life by Beverly Lowry.

-- Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton.

-- Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero by Kate Clifford Larson.

-- Harriet Tubman: Myth, Memory, and History by Milton C. Sernett.


Other Resources from the Catalog:

-- Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Kadir Nelson. A beautifully-illustrated picture book for all ages, about Tubman's first trip north to freedom.

-- They Shall Run: Harriet Tubman Poems by Quraysh Ali Lansana.

-- A Woman Called Moses [DVD] - starring Cicely Tyson as Tubman.



-- Post by Ms. B

Free at Last

Wednesday marked the 85th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights activist who made history with the delivery of his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In addition to being the leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement, King was also a pastor, and preached the use of nonviolent civil disobedience to further the causes of civil rights.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day has been an officially recognized federal holiday since 1986, held on the third Monday of every January. Scroll down to find out more about this American hero:


Links:

- Martin Luther King, Jr. Biography -- from Biography.com.

- Celebrate the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. This Weekend -- Have a three-day weekend?  Head to the D.C. area to take part in one of these special events. (From the Washington Post.)

- His Dream, Our Stories -- the legacy of the March on Washington. Hear personal stories from those who were present at the March.

- Martin Luther King, Jr. Iconic Speeches -- The "I Have a Dream" speech has taken its rightful place in history. But King was an inspirational speaker who delivered other powerful speeches. Check out this collection of videos, audio, photos, and transcripts, from his Noble Prize acceptance speech to his eloquent opposition to the Vietnam War.

- Martin Luther King, Jr. (from Comcast) -- a collection of photos from the life and legacy of Dr. King.

- Noble Prize Biography -- NoblePrize.org's official biography on Dr. King.

- The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

From the Collection:

- The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Speech That Inspired a Nation -- by Drew D. Hansen.

- April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Death and How it Changed America -- by Michael Eric Dyson.

- King Remembered -- by Flip Schulke and Penelope Ortner McPhee.

- Desert Rose: The Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King -- by Edythe Scott Bagley with Joe Hilley.

- The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. -- by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

* All Books on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Historical Perspective [DVD].

- Citizen King, 1963-1968 [DVD] -- Part of the PBS documentary program The American Experience.

- In Remembrance of Martin [DVD] -- Personal recollections from the family, friends, and acquaintances of Dr. King.

- Martin Luther King: "I Have a Dream" [DVD] -- The iconic speech.

* All DVDs on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.



-- Post by Ms. B

Astonish the Rest

Still remembered as one of our greatest humorists, Mark Twain is among the best-known and best-loved authors in American history. Born on November 30, 1835, he was named Samuel Clemens -- "Mark Twain" was a pen name he'd permanently choose after first trying out such names as "Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass" and "Josh."

Best known for such classics as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Twain's writings are celebrated to this day for their wit, fun, and forthright wisdom. So let's give thanks to one of our favorite authors by taking a closer look at the life and times of Mark Twain:

- Samuel Clemens chose his pen name based on the phrase used by Mississippi River steamboat crews to announce that the water was at least 12 feet deep -- and, therefore, safe enough to travel.

- He encouraged his younger brother, Henry, to also become a steamboat pilot. Henry was eventually killed when a boiler on his boat exploded -- an event which Twain claimed to have seen in a dream before it happened.

- While growing up, Twain's family once owned 19 cats at the same time. (Twain was prone to finding colorful names for his cats, including Sin, Sour Mash, and Famine and Pestilence.)

- Though there were some drawbacks to using it -- it only typed in capital letters, and you had to use a foot pedal to advance to the next line -- Twain purchased his first typewriter in 1874 for $125.

- A mark of his fame: he once received a letter from a fan, who wrote down for the address: "Mark Twain, God Knows Where." (That was enough for the postal service!)

- The author put The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn on hold while he invented and patented his very own memory game. (See it here!)

- Twain asked that all his unfinished manuscripts be burned when he died. (No chance of someone coming along to finish his unfinished stories!)  One unpublished work remained, however: his autobiography, mostly written by dictation, which he left with strict instructions that it was not to be published until a century after he died. His request was (mostly) honored -- and the first two (of three) volumes were published in 2010 and 2013.

- Halley's Comet (named after English astronomer Edmond Halley) passes through Earth's vicinity once every 75 years, give or take. When Twain was born, the Comet was visible in the night sky, a fact which Twain was quite proud of:

"I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. ... The Almighty has said, no doubt: 'Now here are these two unaccountable freaks; they came in together, they must go out together.' Oh, I am looking forward to that." 

Twain proved right; when he passed away in 1910, the Comet had just emerged from the far side of the Sun.

Some words of wisdom from Twain:

"It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them."

"There are two times in a man's life when he should not speculate: when he can't afford it, and when he can."

"The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter."

"The proper office of a friend is to side with you when you are in the wrong. Nearly anybody will side with you when you are in the right."

"A sin takes on a new and real terror when there seems a chance that it is going to be found out."

"All you need is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure."

"Always do right. That will gratify some of the people, and astonish the rest."

"When in doubt, tell the truth."

On the web:

- The Official Web Site of Mark Twain

- Mark Twain Biography - from Biography.com

- Mark Twain House and Museum - the official site for the Connecticut museum.

- "The Eternal, Charming Chatter of the "'Autobiography of Mark Twain'" - from the New Yorker.

- "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses" - In my favorite Twain piece, the author reviews The Last of the Mohicans and the other books in James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking series.


At the Library:

- From the Catalog - Twain's books and audiobooks, as well as filmed adaptations of his works, available through the Library Catalog.

- The Autobiography of Mark Twain - Volumes 1 and 2 now available from the Library Catalog.



-- Post by Ms. B

Local History Comes Alive

Over a two-day period in August 1763, the fate of the future of Pittsburgh, and of the United States, was determined. The Battle of Bushy Run took place ten miles east of present-day Monroeville, near what is now Harrison City. The battle was a pivotal moment in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), which was actually fought between the French and the British for control of North America. (In Europe and Canada, it is called The Seven Years' war.)

The North American conflict began in 1754 with the battle for Fort Duquesne, where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River. The French, along with their Native American allies, controlled this important waterway, but the British felt they had the right to these lands and rivers. The first attempts by British troops to take control failed, but by 1758, the French would abandon the fort with the approach of General John Forbes's army. A new fort was soon built and named Fort Pitt, in honor of William Pitt, Britain's Minister of War.

In August 1763, Colonel Henry Bouquet was on his way to bring relief to Fort Pitt, which had been held under siege for two months by Indians. Bouquet and his troops set off from Fort Ligonier on August 4th. They camped along the trail that night and headed towards Bushy Run Station the following day.  After traveling seventeen miles, and only being about a mile away from Bushy Run, they were attacked by Indians.

Bushy Run Mounument

By nightfall, 60 of Bouquet's soldiers would be dead. The Colonel was unsure whether they would survive another day. He felt the only way they could defeat the Indians was by making them believe that the British were retreating. The idea was to get the enemy into the open where Bouquet's men could fight them. The next morning, August 6th, Bouquet met with his officers to inform them of his plan.

The plan worked. The Indians sustained a high number of casualties, but that didn't stop them from making one more attempt at attacking the British. However, the Indians were not successful. Despite suffering great losses, the British troops marched on towards Fort Pitt, where they were able to provide supplies and relief to the civilians and troops trapped in the fort.

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of this historical battle, the Bushy Run Battlefield Historical Site is hosting a three-day event (August 2-4), filled with activities, lectures, and a reenactment. Don't miss out on this educational and fun event.

To learn more about the Battle of Bushy Run, and other events during the French and Indian War, check out some of the books, DVDs, and websites below:


-- "Broken Promises, Broken Dreams: North America's Forgotten Conflict at Bushy Run Battlefield" (Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine)

-- "Events mark Bushy Run battle's 250th" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)


-- Bushy Run Battlefield by David Dixon

-- The Battle of Bushy Run by Niles Anderson

-- War For Empire in Western Pennsylvania Edited by J. Martin West

-- War That Made America (DVD)


-- Post by Tracy

Wanted Dead or Alive

You've read the story of Jesse James

Of how he lived and died

If you're still in need of something to read

Here's the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

 (written by Bonnie Parker)

I'm a big fan of the Golden Age of Piracy, that time from the late 1600s through the early 1700s when pirates like Blackbeard, Calico Jack, and Anne Bonny and Mary Read roamed the seven seas (or at least the Caribbean), pillaging and plundering and engaging in all those romantic piratical adventures. Authors like Robert Louis Stevenson and "Captain Charles Johnson," artwork by such painters as N.C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle, and actors from Errol Flynn to Johnny Depp have all captured the imagination of book-lovers, movie-goers, and people of all ages for centuries. The fact that the reality of historical pirates was often brutal, bloody, and filled with a decidedly unglamorous violence doesn't deter the popular imagination from picturing pirates as lovable figures of swashbuckling derring-do.

So, while I'm hardly an expect on them, I do understand the appeal of Bonnie and Clyde. A staple in our popular culture since their two-year criminal careers during the Great Depression, they are remembered as figures somewhere between Robin Hood and Maid Marian, and Romeo and Juliet. But to get at the real story, we need to take a closer look.

Clyde Barrow

Clyde Barrow was the fifth of eight children, born to a poor Texas tenant farmer and his wife. The family long struggled to support themselves; Clyde dropped out of public school when he was 16 to get a job at a Proctor and Gamble plant. Clyde's older brother, Marvin, first drew Clyde into a life of crime (their first attempted robbery involved trying to smuggle turkeys). It wasn't long before Clyde had quit his job and followed Marvin into a gang of vandals who robbed various small businesses. And it wasn't long before Clyde, intelligent and charismatic, was in charge.

Bonnie Parker

(Parker later said she was not the tough, cigar-smoking, gun-wielding type this photo made her out to be; the pictures were taken in fun.)

Bonnie Parker was the second of three children, born to a brick mason and his wife. Her father died when she was five, and the family relocated to a Dallas suburb. Bonnie grew up in a happy home, was a good student, and had a knack for writing and reciting poetry. She married a schoolmate at the age of 16, though the marriage was a rough one, with her husband disappearing on and off for long periods of time.

At age 19, Bonnie was still technically married when she started doing household chores for an injured neighbor. The neighbor was Clyde's girlfriend, and when Clyde showed up to visit her, he ended up paying more attention to Bonnie. The feeling was mutual, and Bonnie and Clyde were sweethearts when Clyde abruptly found himself arrested for burglary. Nothing daunted, Bonnie wrote letters to Clyde while he was in prison, cajoling him to give up his criminal lifestyle -- until, on a visit to the prison, she discovered that Clyde and his cellmate were coming up with an escape plan. At their request, Bonnie smuggled a gun into the prison for them.

Eventually, Clyde made it out of prison (his initial escape attempt worked, but he was caught quickly and thrown back in for another two years). When he was paroled in 1932, Bonnie was waiting for him.

The next two years saw Bonnie and Clyde join up with various outlaws to form small gangs of four or five. (The gang members rotated as they were caught by law enforcement, but Bonnie and Clyde themselves always managed to evade capture.) The gangs held up gas stations, grocery stores, and the occasional bank. It was Bonnie's job to keep watch, and the gang would escape the scenes of their crimes in stolen cars. Both Bonnie and Clyde enjoyed kidnapping bystanders -- and the occasional police officer -- and taking them on wild joyrides before releasing them unharmed. (Clyde was particularly fond of dropping off police officers hundreds of miles away from where they'd been taken, relishing in the opportunity to embarrass them.)

In late April of 1932, fellow gang member Raymond Hamilton shot and killed the owner of a gas station; later that year, Clyde murdered a grocer who was refusing to cooperate with the gang. While most accounts suggest that Clyde never took any pleasure in killing the grocer (or several police officers he fired upon), the line between robber and murderer had still been crossed.

Bonnie and Clyde both seemed to understand that their life of crime would have one inevitable outcome. In May of 1934, they were in Louisiana with their current gang when one member -- Henry Methvin -- was accidentally left behind. (Methvin had ducked into a cafe to grab lunch for the group; a passing police car alarmed Clyde, waiting with the rest of the gang outside, and the group sped off without Methvin). Methvin promptly made his way to his father's, where he let slip the location the gang was most likely heading towards. Methvin's father passed the information on to the authorities.

Police officers from Louisiana and Texas gathered along a country road outside Sailers, Louisiana. The gang drove in the morning of May 23, 1934, and were instantly surrounded by the waiting officers. Clyde went for his gun, and the police opened fire. Over 150 bullets shot through the Ford sedan, and Bonnie and Clyde both died almost instantly.

Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker

Nearly 80 years later, the names Bonnie and Clyde still conjure up images of flashy heists, daring exploits, and the romantic adventures of two glamorous lovers. The public had been fascinated by the couple during their two-year crime spree, but interest hardly seems to have waned as the decades have rolled by. (In 1998, the pants that Clyde Barrow had been wearing at the time of his death were sold by a Texas rarities dealer at $199 per square inch.) From movies and novels to historical reads and documentaries, Bonnie and Clyde have been forever cemented in the public imagination as star-crossed lovers on a romantic run from the law.

Were they simple criminals or the Robin Hoods of the Great Depression?  It's for you to decide.

Read:

-- The Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde by E.R. Milner.

Relies on primary sources (articles, interviews, diaries, and letters) to paint a picture of the couple.

-- Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn.

An in-depth biography about Bonnie and Clyde.

-- Bonnie and Clyde: The Lives Behind the Legend by Paul Schneider.

A well-researched but somewhat glamorized account of their lives.

-- Bonnie and Clyde: A Love Story by Bill Brooks.

The story told in fictionalized, novel form.



Watch:

-- Bonnie and Clyde [1967]

The famous movie starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway.

-- Crime Wave: 18 Months of Mayhem

This documentary looks at other outlaws of the era (such as John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson), along with Bonnie and Clyde. Includes the bonus feature Bonnie and Clyde: The Story of Love & Death.




-- Post by Ms. B

Freedom's First

Thanks to our Children's Librarian for another great post -- all about Elizabeth Keckley, dressmaker and companion to one of our country's most famous First Ladies! 

Elizabeth Keckley (played by Gloria Reuben) and Mary Todd Lincoln (played by Sally Fields)

The Oscar-nominated film Lincoln brings to life many historical figures who played a part in the struggle to pass the 13th Amendment. Some, like Secretary of State William Henry Seward (1801 – 1872) or Congressman Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania (1792 – 1868) were well-known in their own right.

But the character portrayed by Gloria Reuben probably would not be remembered at all if it wasn’t for her connection to President Lincoln through Mrs. Lincoln --  even though her life is the stuff movies are made of.

Elizabeth Keckley (some places spelled Keckly) was born a slave, and through her skills as a dressmaker, was able to buy her freedom. She met Mary Todd Lincoln on the day of the first inauguration, and she soon became dressmaker, companion, and confidant to the troubled First Lady.

Mrs. Lincoln had grown up in the care of her beloved “mammy,” and Elizabeth became another great source of strength and comfort to her, especially when the Lincolns' son, Willie, died.

The President, on the other hand, was not accustomed to dealing with “coloreds” on a personal level. He certainly did not grow up with servants, and because he was from Illinois (a state that had a severely enforced segregation policy), he did not have the experience with free blacks that many in his government did. This scene from the movie (screenplay by Tony Kushner) sums up the feelings of both Lincoln and Elizabeth:



(The carriage has pulled up and Mary is entering the White House. Lincoln helps Mrs. Keckley down from the carriage.)

(She hesitates before proceeding in. Then she faces Lincoln.)

ELIZABETH KECKLEY
I know the vote is only four days away; I know you’re concerned. Thank you for your concern over
this, and I want you to know: They’ll approve it. God will see to it.

LINCOLN
I don’t envy Him His task. He may wish He’d chosen an instrument for His purpose more wieldy than the House of Representatives.

ELIZABETH KECKLEY
Then you’ll see to it.

(Lincoln looks at her, considering. Then:)

LINCOLN
Are you afraid of what lies ahead? For your people? If we succeed?

ELIZABETH KECKLEY
White people don’t want us here.

LINCOLN
Many don’t.

ELIZABETH KECKLEY
What about you?

LINCOLN
I … I don’t know you, Mrs. Keckley. Any of you. You’re … familiar to me, as all people are. Unaccommodated, poor, bare, forked creatures such as we all are. You have a right to expect what I expect, and likely our expectations are not incomprehensible to each other. I assume I’ll get used to you. But what you are to the nation, what’ll become of you once slavery’s day is done, I don’t know.

ELIZABETH KECKLEY
What my people are to be, I can’t say. Negroes have been fighting and dying for freedom since the first of us was a slave. I never heard any ask what freedom will bring. Freedom’s first. As for me: My son died, fighting for the Union, wearing the Union blue. For freedom he died. I’m his mother. That’s what I am to the nation, Mr. Lincoln. What else must I be?

On the night the President was shot, Mary called for Elizabeth to be by her side. After his death, Mary gave Elizabeth some of the President’s personal grooming items, as well as the blood-spattered cloak and bonnet that Mary had been wearing at the theater. (These items were later the center of controversy with Mary, when Elizabeth attempted to sell them.)

Elizabeth traveled with Mrs. Lincoln to Chicago to help her start a new life. There was no pension for the President’s widow, and Mary, who had often been criticized for her lavish spending, was deeply in debt. When Mary, with Elizabeth’s help, tried to raise funds by selling her White House wardrobe, she was again harshly criticized.

In 1868, Elizabeth's book, Behind the Scenes: or Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White 
House, was published. In her book, using alternating chapters, she attempted to “place Mrs. Lincoln in a better light before the world,” while also describing her own “rise from slavery to [being] a middle-class businesswomen.”

The publisher included letters from Mrs. Lincoln to Elizabeth, and instead of being viewed as a personal narrative giving insight into history, as she had intended, Elizabeth was stunned to find her memoir viewed as a tell-all by the hired help. It has been suggested the Mary’s son, Robert, who had his mother committed to an asylum in 1875, played a part in the negative backlash over the book.

Elizabeth Keckley died in 1907, a resident of the National Home for Destitute Colored Women and Children in Washington, D.C.

Keckley

Titles in our collection:

Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Keckly: The Remarkable Story of the Friendship Between a First Lady and a Former Slave by Jennifer Fleischner

Mary Lincoln's Dressmaker: Elizabeth Keckley's Remarkable Rise From Slave to White House Confidante by Becky Rutberg

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker: A Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini


From the county:

Behind the Scenes: or Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House by Elizabeth Keckley

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker: The Unlikely Friendship of Elizabeth Keckley & Mary Todd Lincoln by Lynda Jones

Epic Lives: One Hundred Black Women Who Made a Difference from Visible Ink Press

An Unlikely Friendship: A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln and Elizabeth Keckley by Ann Rinaldi