Graham Platner’s Disqualifying Behavior
The Washington Post put it this way: Platner, before the latest allegation, faced scrutiny for old social media posts dismissive of sexual assault, a tattoo resembling a Nazi symbol that he has since covered up, sexually explicit text messages he sent to other women...
But first, coffee: The drink that energized the American Revolution
A consequential act of defiance secured tea's place as perhaps the most iconic beverage of America's colonial era. The Boston Tea Party became an essential ingredient in the recipe for revolution in the following years. But tea wasn't the only hot beverage with a...
The Fall of Vicksburg
When I was 19, I knew a much older man who'd grown up in 1930s Alabama. "We didn't celebrate the Fourth of July," he told me. "For us, it was the day Vicksburg fell." Vicksburg, Mississippi, fell to Union troops on July 4, 1863. The Confederates surrendered, as was...
News From Around the South, 6/29 to 7/6
SOUTH CAROLINA: SC militias fought for America’s freedom – who fights for their battlegrounds? As a boy, Rick Wise was hooked on military history from the beginning. But he was never told he lived mere miles from the pivotal spot where the backcountry’s “Swamp Fox,”...
July 4, 2026
"Which is better — to be ruled by one tyrant 3,000 miles away or by 3,000 tyrants one mile away?" — Rev. Mather Byles (1706-1788) Does it really matter if the instrument curtailing liberty is a monarch or a popularly elected legislature? This conundrum, along with the...
Nearly 250 years in the making, new Baton Rouge Revolutionary War marker vanished in 3 days
Three years of planning and fundraising to commemorate an obscure but major piece in America's 250th celebration was wiped out in just three days. The story starts before the American Revolution. The British built Fort Bute at the confluence of Bayou Manchac and the...
The Issue is Israel
The little girl had to go to the bathroom. They went into the cafe, one of a small chain, and the barista was happy to help. The father, who wasn't really thirsty, bought a cup of coffee anyway and added a tip to thank her. A few hours later, a picture of the man,...
News From Around the South, 6/22 to 6/29
SOUTH CAROLINA: He died fighting for America’s independence at 14. He’s only just been identified Thirteen of America’s first ever veterans lie beneath a towering pine forest that was once the site of one of the Revolutionary War’s bloodiest battles, names lost to...
War and Constitutional Indifference
Since its inception, the government of the United States has inexorably exceeded its powers under the Constitution. All three branches have been complicit in a consistent pattern of constitutional indifference. Congress has regulated in areas of governance nowhere...
Charleston in Revolt, 1775–1783
Excitement is growing as we begin 2026 as this year will mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our nation. America 250 has designated Charleston, along with Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, as cities for enhanced...
Obiter Dicta
The Washington Post put it this way: Platner, before the latest allegation, faced scrutiny for old social media posts dismissive Read More
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SOUTH CAROLINA: SC militias fought for America’s freedom – who fights for their battlegrounds? As a boy, Rick Wise was hooked on military history from the beginning. But he was Read More