Among the constitutional amendments, the First is the most sacred. Its guarantees of the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and the right to petition have made American shores a beacon for the world. The quiet and bookish man who first proposed it spent many years reflecting on its related issues in solitude—an uncommon pastime…
James Madison’s Essays Became the Foundation for Separating Church and State.
Beyond Valentine’s Day: Examples of Love and Devotion From History
Who can explain it, who can tell you why? Fools can’t explain it, wise men never try. Those lines from “Some Enchanted Evening,” one of the numbers in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical “South Pacific,” are speaking of love, particularly love at first sight. But are they accurate? Can love not be explained? Let’s imagine that…
Discovering the Ancient Colors of Yucatan | Documentary
This film is unavailable in Switzerland, San Marino, Italy, and Holy See (Vatican City State) because of territorial licensing. A trip to the Yucatan Peninsula, amid Caribbean colors and history—that part of Mexico is dedicated to tourism, inhabited by the Maya, and with amazing seabeds where turtles and whale sharks come to breed. …
Profiles in History: Isadore “Izzy” Einstein: Prohibition’s Federal Agent and Comedic Genius
Shortly after Prohibition took effect in the United States in 1918, Isadore “Izzy” Einstein (1880–1938) was struggling to make ends meet as a postal worker in New York with a wife and four boys. The combination of the 18th Amendment and the eventual rise of bootlegging became his financial ticket. While reading the newspaper in…
Hildegard of Bingen: Harmonious Visionary
From Buddhist and Jain monks to Sufi mystics, all religions recognize common traits of holiness. Self-denial, patience, humility, and gentleness are a few that come to mind. During the Middle Ages, European civilization embodied this ideal in the status it accorded members of monastic disciplines. To the medieval mind, monks and nuns fulfilled an immensely…
John Wilkes: The Hero of Liberty Who King George III Arrested for ‘Sedition’
In the long history of memorably scintillating exchanges between British parliamentarians, one ranks as my personal favorite. Though attribution is sometimes disputed, it seems most likely that the principals were John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, and the member from Middlesex, John Wilkes. Montagu: Sir, I do not know whether you will die on the…
A Pair of Eagles: The Lindberghs’ 7,000-Mile Trek From America to Japan
During two days in May of 1927, Charles Augustus Lindbergh stepped from obscurity into history. His 3,600-mile transatlantic flight from New York to Paris is legendary. Flying solo for 33.5 hours, he became known as the “Lone Eagle.” Seven months after that fateful flight, the young aviator met someone who would become his partner as…
Kilwa: The Forgotten History of the Swahili People | Arkeo Ep28
Along the eastern coast of Africa, the Swahili people have long intrigued scientists. It is believed that between the 10th and 15th centuries, the Swahili erected dozens of stone-built opulent cities in this area. …
Parked Beautifully: Ornate Train Car Harkens Back to Bygone Travel Era
While picking up a takeout order from the Holiday Inn café in West Yellowstone, Montana last summer, I was taken aback. Situated in front of the hotel is a historic Pullman train car. I ascended the metal platform stairs and entered. A true back-in-time experience awaited. And, as I am already exceptionally enamored with trains…
Bridging the Golden Gate Strait: Joseph Strauss and the Building of the Golden Gate Bridge
Today, the Golden Gate Bridge has come to symbolize San Francisco, and it is the universally recognizable icon of that great port city. Although conceived as a way to move people from place to place, it has become a destination in its own right. Spanning the Golden Gate Strait, a place of stunning natural beauty,…
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