What started out as a lark, a delightful romp down the Potomac River on board the Navy’s sparkling new warship, turned into a bloody tragedy on Feb. 28, 1844, when a huge gun exploded on the deck of the U.S.S. Princeton, killing eight people including two Secretaries from President Tyler’s Cabinet. The cannon Peacemaker had successfully been fired twice earlier on the cruise and was supposedly done for the day, but Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gilmer—who became one of the fatalities—insisted the gun be fired a third time to impress the guests, and Captain Robert F. read more...
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On Feb. 20, 1862, Confederate President Jefferson Davis issued a proclamation calling for a “day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer” on February 28. His formal inauguration as president was two days away (he had been serving as the “provisional” Confederate president for a year), but Davis knew this was not a joyous time for celebration in the South. He felt some nationwide soul-searching and somber reflection were required. read more...
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Long-simmering tensions on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation exploded into violence on Feb. 27, 1973, when local Lakota Indians, joined by activists from the American Indian Movement (AIM), occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota. This historic site had been the scene of a massacre of more than 150 Lakota by U.S. troops in 1890, and was chosen for its symbolic value. This began a tense, 71-day stand-off that did not end until the town was evacuated on May 8, 1973. read more...
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On Feb. 27, 1973, traditional members of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) tribe and activists from the American Indian Movement (AIM) occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, a protest designed to draw attention to the deplorable living conditions on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the corrupt rule of Richard Wilson, head of the tribal council. The site where U.S. troops massacred more than 150 Lakota in 1890, Wounded Knee was chosen for its symbolic importance. The activists hoped the federal government would not dare repeat a massacre of Indians at the infamous spot. read more...
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One of the clearest signs that Reconstruction was changing the face of America came when Hiram Rhodes Revels was sworn-in as the new senator from Mississippi on Feb. 25, 1870, becoming the first African American member of the U.S. Congress. Although his election received the strong support of Senate Republicans and members of the liberal press, conservative Southern Democrats tried to block Revels by referencing the notorious Dred Scott Decision of the U.S. Supreme Court. read more...
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Just 80 days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that launched the U.S. into WWII, anti-aircraft (AA) guns fired into the sky over Los Angeles, California, in the early morning hours of Feb. 25, 1942. That the “Battle of L.A.” happened is a fact; more than 1,400 AA shells were fired in the pre-dawn darkness. But what exactly the battle was about remains a mystery to this day. read more...
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At the outset of the Civil War, Southern hopes for victory rested upon the strength of its people, valor of its soldiers, and skill of its leaders, both political and military. read more...
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When Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the provisional president of the newly-formed Confederate States of America in February of 1861, he told the assembled crowd: “We have resorted to the remedy of a separation [i.e., secession from the Union], and henceforth our energies must be directed to conduct our own affairs and promote the perpetuity of the confederacy we have formed. If a just perception of mutual interests shall permit us peacefully to pursue our separate political career, my most earnest desire will have been fulfilled. read more...
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On Feb. 22, 1819, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams and Spanish Foreign Minister Luis de Onis concluded negotiations and signed the Adams-Onis Treaty, whereby a weary Spain ceded to the United States all of Florida and the Gulf coastline west to New Orleans. After nearly three centuries of rapine and enormous profit, Spain’s New World empire was crumbling—revolutions would soon establish independence in Spanish colonies throughout Central and South America, and Spain knew it could not spare any resources to resist the Americans’ desire for Florida. read more...
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I understand that when writing a blog, it’s necessary to show a picture and say a few words about yourself, so that people don’t think a nameless, faceless committee or advisory board is running the show. Here I am, a real person. My name is Tony Pettinato, and I live in Deerfield, Mass. I did my undergraduate studies in English at Oberlin College, my graduate work in Journalism at UC Berkeley, and have been a reporter for six newspapers. For the past fourteen years I have worked at NewsBank, six of those as a managing editor for the U.S. Congressional Serial Set project – NewsBank’s acclaimed effort that digitized and indexed twelve million pages of primary source documents – that gratified my lifelong interest in American history. And that led me to editing this history blog!
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