Category Archives: History

“I do not want to see the Republican party ride to political victory on the Four Horsemen of Calumny—Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear.” Margaret Chase Smith

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson “I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national condition,” Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine told her colleagues on June 1, 1950. “It is a national feeling of fear and frustration … Continue reading

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Scott Pelley speaks to 2025 graduates

Thanks to Mike C. Good morning, everybody. What a beautiful day. What a beautiful North Carolina day for a graduation. Incredible. Thank you, President Wente, Provost Gillespie, members of the Board of Trustees and Katy Harriger, my faculty sponsor, for … Continue reading

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May we remember

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We Are Not Being Asked to Run Into Cannon Fire. We Just Need to Speak Up.

By Drew Gilpin Faust in the NYT Ms. Faust is the author of “This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War” and a former president of Harvard University. Frederick Douglass thought Decoration Day — the original name for Memorial … Continue reading

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Quo vadis, Pope Leo XIV? – commentary by Heather Cox Richardson

Ed note from ChatGPT: “Quo vadis?” is Latin for “Where are you going?” or more literally, “Where are you marching?” It’s famously associated with a Christian tradition involving Saint Peter. According to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, as Peter was … Continue reading

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Ten Famous American Horses

Heather Cox Richardson I had thought to post a picture tonight and then realized that today was the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby. The event was launched in 1875 as horse racing—with its famous Black jockeys, who won more … Continue reading

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Are we on the cusp of a new religious revival? 

By David Brooks Opinion Columnist in the NYT – article titled “How to Survive the Trump Years With Your Spirit Intact” I had forgotten how exhausting it is to live in Donald Trump’s world. He’s not only a political figure. He … Continue reading

Posted in Essays, Government, happiness, History, Mental Health, Religion | 1 Comment

See (and hear) the memorable Mel Blanc

Thanks to Bob P.

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The Nosh: A restaurant wokking tour through Seattle’s CID (Tai Tung, Bruce Lee’s table and more)

You may have eaten a meal in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District, but how much do you know about its history? Click here for a quick video tour. Host Rachel Belle sets out on foot for the popular Tastes of the Chinatown International District tour … Continue reading

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The Ugly Historical Echoes of Kennedy’s Comments on Autism

By Jessica Grose Opinion Writer in the NYT (thanks to Ed M) Last week Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held his first news briefing as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, to address a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and … Continue reading

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‘Don’t Fight the Stupidity’ and Other Relevant Bonhoeffer Advice

by Tim Snyder in Sojourners (thanks to Mary Jane F.) As a theologian, I get nervous when reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer becomes all too relevant. I’m the kind of theologian who would rather not find myself in what some scholars refer … Continue reading

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📢 An Activist’s Prayer to the Fearless Women Who Came Before—and Stand Among—Us

by Laurie Woodward Garcia and People Power United (thanks to Bob P.) 🗽People Power United is a grassroots group of over 250,000+ members in all 50 states-powered by people like YOU. We champion progress and power to the people. Click here to … Continue reading

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Put Barber and the Tribal Canoe Journeys – a Tribute

Posted in History, Kindness, Obituaries, Social justice | 2 Comments

Happy Birthday, Maine

Heather Cox Richardson March 15 is a crucially important day in U.S. history As the man who taught me to use a chainsaw said, it is immortalized by Shakespeare’s famous warning: “Cedar! Beware the adze of March!” He put it … Continue reading

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From Churchill to Trump – a terrifying transition

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson (thanks to Mary M.) In the gym of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946, former and future prime minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill rose to deliver a speech. Formally titled … Continue reading

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Remembering Skyline resident Alan Black

Thanks to Mary M. — from The History Link Supporter Spotlight: Alan F. Black Charitable Fund We are filled with gratitude for the Alan F. Black Charitable Fund’s wonderfully generous support of the Forest History Project, which, when combined with … Continue reading

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Understanding RFK Jr.

Ed note: Since the time of Pasteur, Lister, Koch and Semmelweis we’ve all (but for a few) accepted the germ theory of disease. One of those few who does not accept established science is RFK Jr. Yet, he’s about to … Continue reading

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The Pediatrician’s Lament

Eleanor R. Menzin, M.D. in The New England Journal of Medicine “It’s your fault!” the renowned infectious disease attending told the cluster of students and residents. In the late 1990s, the varicella vaccine was relatively new, and uptake was disappointingly low. “You … Continue reading

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Commentary on Day One

Ed note: Somehow the Trump cartoons don’t seem funny to me anymore. They reflect the negativity that is now reality and evoke sadness rather than humor. Historian Heather Cox Richardson helps me see the present in an historical context. As … Continue reading

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Two great presidents’ masterful inaugural speeches

By David Adler in the Seattle Times Special to The Idaho Statesman When Donald Trump assumes office Monday, as the 47th president of the United States, he will mark the solemn occasion with an inaugural address. While not required by the … Continue reading

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Yes, there are heroes

Commentary by Heather Cox Richardson You hear sometimes, now that we know the sordid details of the lives of some of our leading figures, that America has no heroes left. When I was writing a book about the Wounded Knee … Continue reading

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Dick’s Drive-In begins serving Seattle hamburgers on January 28, 1954.

In History Link – thanks to Pam P. On January 28, 1954, Dick’s Drive-In opens to begin serving hamburgers, french fries, and milkshakes on NE 45th Street in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. Dick’s comes to represent the quintessential 1950s, a cross … Continue reading

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Can you read cursive? It’s a superpower the National Archives is looking for.

Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY If you can read cursive, the National Archives would like a word. Or a few million. More than 200 years worth of U.S. documents are in need of transcribing (or at least classifying) and the vast … Continue reading

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A Tribute to Jimmy Carter

Heather Cox Richardson Former President Jimmy Carter died today, December 29, 2024, at age 100 after a life characterized by a dedication to human rights. His wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter, died on November 19, 2023; she was 96 … Continue reading

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Masterpiece Story: Statue of Liberty

Anastasia Manioudaki (thanks to Ann M. who notes I think the Lady must now be weeping. Please note her imagined damage (head knocked off) in the WW1 poster on display in our Art of the Month + her history below. … Continue reading

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