Political Duels: Bad Ass U.S. Politicians
Unless you live under a rock, you might have noticed that there is some political turmoil in the United States, today. Things are getting pretty nasty, but nothing compared to what used to happen in the day, it is pretty minor. When men had a disagreement, they challenged each other to a duel. This would entail agreeing upon a weapon and fighting it out. These political duels weren't a shootout like in the days of the Old West. They were more civil affairs that often didn't end in death. Probably the most famous of these was the duel between Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury, and Aaron Burr, the Vice President. Hamilton lost that fight and his life. There were other politicians that settled their differences with the prospects of a duel. You might be surprised by these names!
Categories: History Tags: abraham lincoln, Andrew Jackson, duel, duels, George W. Bush, george washington, Henry Clay, presidents
Five World Leaders Who Had Smallpox
Smallpox is a pretty nasty and contagious condition that can be deadly. Today, it is pretty much wiped out, although every once in awhile some crazy world leader comes up with the idea to use it to attack their enemies. Smallpox may have been around since 10,000 BC. It was a disease that didn't discriminate. Lots of world leaders met their match with smallpox, a disease that causes raised , fluid-filled blisters all over the skin. Like I said, it's pretty nasty. If it doesn't kill you - like it did to half a million people a year in the 1700s, it can cause you to go blind. Here are five world leaders that did catch this disease. Luckily, they survived... Read more...
Five U.S. Presidents Who Got In Trouble
Every once in awhile, the political parties have to do something to stir things up with the President. This is not to say that they are all innocent, but sometimes it gets so bad that it goes to trial - or an impeachment. There are other ways that the President can get in trouble, too. In this case, it is called Censure, and the government basically turns its back on the President and says, "Bad! Bad!". It is nothing more than an official reprimand by Congress. This happens a lot more than you'd think. So far, thirty-two presidents have been threatened with impeachment. It's only gone so far to impeach two of them. Even these decisions are split along party lines: One Republican, one Democrat. The reason we have impeachment is because Benjamin Franklin did not want our leaders to be assassinated - and we've had some really bad leaders. We always think that the president in office is the worst president ever. If you believe this, you need to read the list below. Read more...
Categories: History, Politics Tags: abraham lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, barack obama, Bill Clinton, Censure, George W. Bush, Impeach, impeachment, president bush, president obama, Richard Milhous Nixon, richard nixon, Teapot Dome Affair, trail of tears, warren g. harding, William Jefferson Clinton
Five Greatest American Military Victories
A few days ago, we wrote about the greatest American defeats in the history of the military. Now it is time for the greatest victories. Everyone loves a winner and here in America, we love to remember the times we've won the battle. These battles go through many wars and I've chosen the ones I thought were historic and significant battles. Would you have picked these five? Read more...
Categories: History Tags: Andrew Jackson, battle of midway, battle of new orleans, Bufallo Soldiers, george washington, iwo jima, jean lafitte, John "Black Jack" Pershing, Lord Cornwallis, revolutionary war, Rough Riders, San Juan Hill, Spanish-American War, Theodore Roosevelt, War of 1812, world war two, Yorktown
Five People Born on March 15
Today is March 15, 2010 and the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. There are 290 days left in the year 2010. According the Mayan calendar, there are 1012 days till the end of the current cycle. It is the Ides of March, made famous in the Shakespearean play, Julius Caesar. On this date, in 44 BC, Julius Caesar was assassinated. Here are five people that share a birthday on this day: Read more...
Sins of Our Fathers: Five U.S. Atrocities
America is considered one of the greatest countries in the world. However, there are some events that we don’t have exactly the right to be proud of. Certain occurrences have marred the upstanding history of America. While there are many more atrocities done in the name of U.S. expansion and national security, these five events stick out as particular black marks on our past. We need to remember: It couldn't happen here - or could it? Read more...
Categories: History Tags: 1863 draft riots, american indians, Andrew Jackson, anti-semitism, cherokee, civilized tribes, draft riots, FDR, franklin roosevelt, general order 11, grant, Japanese American Internment, jews, lincoln, new york city, trail of tears, Tuskeegee Experiment, Tuskeegee Syphilis Experiment, ulysses s. grant
