Amerikansk historie

Home to the location where George Washington took command of the troops and to America's oldest Ivy League university, Cambridge is a city that feels like a town. Hasty Pudding meetings were enlivened with mock trials spoofing happenings in Cambridge and among the faculty; by 1860 the trials had evolved into shows. In a corner of the Cambridge Common, across from Harvard Yard, a Gilded Age statue of a Puritan has been toppled several times. Letters home from Robert Kennedy were found stashed on a high shelf in a college room he occupied, over 30 years after he graduated. From protests to the "Beer Garden Summit", author Jane Merrill shares the stories behind notable landmarks and some significant but little-known facts in and around town.

Nestled in the town square of Concord, Massachusetts, the windows of the Colonial Inn have gazed upon more than three centuries of bloodstained history. Known for its role in the American Revolution, the Inn was originally built as three separate buildings with the oldest section of the property dating back to 1716. A stone's throw from Old North Bridge, the Inn is notoriously haunted by the ghosts from its Revolutionary War past. Guests report phantom footsteps, disembodied voices, and spirited soldiers lurking in the shadows of the labyrinthine hallways and empty rooms of this infamous inn. Local author Sam Baltrusis has worked the graveyard shift at Concord's Colonial Inn trying to unravel the chilling mysteries and lingering legends associated with one of the country's oldest and most haunted hotels.

Warren township in the southern portion of Herkimer County has been the scene of more than one gruesome event. In January 1885, locals reeled in horror when disgruntled wife Roxalana Druse shot her husband and dismembered his corpse to incinerate it in a farm house stove. Her trial and hanging was followed up in May of 1901 with two murders in yet another farm house kitchen. John C. Wallis had allowed his ex-wife Arvilla to return home, one year after running off with hired farm hand Ben Hoyt. Wallis then rehired Hoyt and within months both Ben Hoyt and Arvilla Wallis were dead. Did Ben Hoyt murder Arvilla in cold blood or did John C. Wallis kill both of them? Author James M. Greiner investigates a mysterious case of marriage, infidelity and multiple murders in turn of the century Herkimer County.

Journey to the burial places of the people who lived in Poe's world. Edgar Allan Poe considered himself a Virginian. Credited with originating the modern detective story, developing Gothic horror tales, and writing the precursor to science fiction, Poe worked to elevate Southern literature. He lived in the South most of his life, died in Baltimore and made his final home in Richmond. His family and many of his closest associates were southerners. Visit the graves of the people with whom he worked and socialized, who he loved and at times loathed and gain a fuller understanding of Poe's life. These were individuals who supported, inspired, and challenged him, and even a few who attempted to foil his plans. Professor and cemetery historian Sharon Pajka tells their stories.

Native American legends, ghosts, river mysteries, and more populate the pages of Spooky Great Lakes.

There's so much to love about Mexico. Indigenous traditions stretching back millennia; colourful cuisine that's loved the world over; and vibrant festivals bursting with joyful energy. Mexico is a country worth celebrating - and that's exactly what ÆViva Mexico! is all about.--

On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian struck Fort Myers, Florida, ravaging Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel, Captiva, Matlacha and Pine Islands. Ian was just the latest in a series of storms that have influenced how the region has developed since the mid-1800s. In fact, it was an 1841 hurricane that followed roughly the same track as Ian that caused the Army to move its central supply depot to Fort Myers' present-day location, a site presumably safe from impacts such as storm surge, hurricane force winds and inland flooding.That was not true then. It is not true now. Of all the towns and cities that dot the coast of the United States from the Rio Grande to Eastport, Maine, the City of Fort Myers has the sixth most homes and fourth most multi-family dwellings at risk for storm surge in the entire nation. With more than 400 miles of canals encompassing 520 square miles, neighboring Cape Coral is America's most vulnerable city when it comes to flooding produced by tropical systems. The severity of these impacts and the associated loss of life and property damage are expected to increase in the future due to sea level rise, climate change and ongoing development of single family, multi-family and commercial properties in the shallow flood plains that drain the Caloosahatchee River and its tributaries.With Historic Hurricanes of Fort Myers, local historian Tom Hall blends a meticulously researched analysis of where and why Fort Myers is uniquely subject to storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding with old-time stories of how the region's early pioneers weathered storms as they built a town and an economy based on cattle exports to Cuba.For the historian at heart, Historic Hurricanes of Fort Myers transports readers to a time when rugged, enterprising men and women assayed to build a town in the footprint of an old Seminole and Civil War fort on the southern bank of the Caloosahatchee River. It chronicles the role played by iconic cattlemen like Jake Summerlin and Capt. Francis Asbury Hendry and the singular importance of the cattle industry in decades following the end of the Civil War.For residents and property owners, this book provides a street-specific road map that delineates each neighborhood's risk for mild to catastrophic damage from storm surge, hurricane force winds and freshwater flooding. It considers how these impacts are likely to worsen in a wetter, hotter climate. And with input from WINK TV Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt, Historic Hurricanes of Fort Myers provides useful tips and concrete recommendations for how to survive a storm ... and when and why to evacuate in advance of one.Readers will glean a greater appreciation of the factors that led to the settlement of this part of Florida. But given the region's unique risk for storm impacts in a changing climate, Historic Hurricanes of Fort Myers serves as the quintessential tropical cyclone survival guide.

"American Whitelash is indispensable. Really. It is." - Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an AntiracistFrom a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a shocking investigation into the cyclical pattern of violence that has marred racial progress in AmericaIn 2008, Barack Obama's historic victory was heralded as a turning point for the USA. And so it would be - just not in the way that most Americans hoped. The election of the nation's first Black president fanned long-burning embers of white supremacy, igniting a new and frightening phase in a continuous historical cycle of racial progress and white backlash.In American Whitelash, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Wesley Lowery charts the return of this blood-stained trend, showing how the forces of white power retaliated against Obama's victory - and both profited from, and helped to propel, the rise of Donald Trump. Drawing on gripping first-hand reporting, he investigates four incidents of white violence since 2008: the killing of an Ecuadorian immigrant in a working-class town in Long Island, a mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, an attack on a Jewish Community Center in Kansas City, and the murder of Oscar Grant, the first in an unrelenting series of police shootings that would lead to the largest sustained protest movement in the US since the Civil Rights era.Interweaving deep historical analysis with interviews with both victims and perpetrators of violence, Lowery uncovers how this vicious cycle is entering into ever more perilous territory, and how the country still might find a route of escape.

'Gripping' ED CAESAR ¿ 'Masterly' GEOFF DYER ¿ 'Incredible' TIM HARFORD ¿ 'A universal story that transcends time' NEW YORK TIMES ¿ 'Superb' DAILY TELEGRAPH ¿ 'We know what's going to happen, but feel the suspense nonetheless' THE TIMES** THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **** WINNER OF THE KIRKUS BOOK PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024 **The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger space shuttle disaster based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research - this is riveting history that reads like a thriller.On the morning of 28 January 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions around the world witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in twentieth century history - one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened - and why - has never been told.Based on extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space follows a handful of central protagonists - including each of the seven members of the doomed crew - through the years leading up to the accident, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It's a compelling tale of optimism and ingenuity shattered by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubristic 'go fever'; and of an investigation driven by heroic leakers and whistle-blowers determined to bring the truth to light.With astonishing clarity and narrative verve, Adam Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program, the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster, as well as the designers, engineers and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space. A masterful blend of riveting human drama, fascinating science and shocking political infighting, Challenger brings to life a turning point in our history. The result is an even more complex and extraordinary story than any of us remembered - or thought possible.Finalist for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction 2024A New York Times Notable Book of the Year 2024A Washington Post Notable Book of the Year 2024An Amazon Best Book of the Year 2024Goodreads' nominee for Readers' Favourite History and Biography 2024

The official trail diary of pioneer woman, Sarah Jane Rousseau.For Sarah Jane Rousseau, an accomplished pianist from New Castle Upon Tyne, this seven-month journey means leaving all her gentrified comforts behind. It's a sacrifice she is willing to make, however, if she ever wants to walk again.After years of trying everything he could for his wife, Dr. James Rousseau is desperate to find a cure for Sarah's debilitating rheumatism. He hopes that a climate cure in the warm, dry air of California might be the answer she needs. While the Civil War is raging in the east, the Rousseaus join with three other families from Pella, Iowa to make the arduous covered wagon journey across the American Plains. Along the way, tensions run high under the stern captaincy of Sgt. Nicholas P. Earp. In Idaho Territory, unsuspecting emigrants are caught in the crossfire of angry Northern Plains Indians. In Utah, Mormons put Dr. James to the test while sickness runs rampant. When they leave, Paiute Chief Kanosh sends them with a guide who leads the Pella Company across the desolate Mohave Desert and into the Valley of Fire. By the time they reach the Sierra Nevada, food and water supplies are exhausted and every bit of ammunition spent. When the Rousseaus can go no further, the Pella Company leaves them stranded in Winter.In the only complete, surviving account from the Pella Company, read how the Iowans face fierce enemies, quicksand, hailstorms, poison water, and the blazing sun. Feel the budding romance between youths. See who has enough mettle to survive. And meet surprise heroes who restore the emigrants' faith in humanity.Sarah Jane Rousseau captures every exquisite detail in this family heirloom; now, a treasured tale of American History.

Explore la fascinante historia de una guerra que pocas veces se menciona en los libros de texto estadounidenses.La guerra del Paraguay de 1864-1870 fue la guerra más sangrienta entre naciones de la historia de Sudamérica. Descubra cómo el pequeño Paraguay tenía un tirano con un ego gigantesco y el mayor ejército del continente, y cómo y por qué invadió Brasil y Argentina. Entérese sobre la mayor batalla naval de la historia de Sudamérica y sobre la fortaleza paraguaya llamada el Gibraltar de Sudamérica.También conocerá cómo el rey de Portugal se trasladó a Río de Janeiro con su corte para escapar de Napoleón y cómo declaró a Brasil igual a Portugal. Aprenda cómo su hijo y su nieto se convirtieron en emperadores del Imperio independiente de Brasil.Descubra a Eliza Alice Lynch, la mujer irlandesa que fue amante de un tirano y poseyó más propiedades que ninguna otra mujer en el mundo. Quedará cautivado por su escandaloso amor por un tirano asesino y por cómo lo siguió hasta su muerte, enterrándolo a él y a su hijo mayor en una tumba que cavó en el barro con sus propias manos.En este libro, aprenderá lo siguiente:Las misiones jesuíticas a los guaraníes, una teocracia independiente única en la historia.El Dr. José Gaspar de Francia, o el Supremo, que obligaba a los visitantes extranjeros a permanecer en Paraguay el resto de sus vidas.Carlos Antonio López, el Excelentísimo, que engordó tanto que no podía montar a caballo.Francisco Solano López, el Mariscal, que pensaba que los pelotones de fusilamiento eran un desperdicio de balas y mandaba ejecutar a bayoneta o machete.Cómo Uruguay y Paraguay sobrevivieron siendo vecinos de superpotencias.Cómo un ejército de niños y ancianos continuó una guerra durante más de un año.Cómo Paraguay logró sobrevivir a pesar de que el 90 por ciento de sus hombres murieron en la guerra.¡Y mucho más!