Engaging Life with Courage and Intelligence
A post with a historical reference
All humans fall along a behavioral spectrum of friendliness and hostility. This spectrum is learned and usually transmitted from one generation to another. It would be pure speculation to associate this spectrum with different modes of living. One could say that the hunter-gatherers of 3000 BCE would be more aggressive and unfriendly to outsiders, while…
While the past is immutable, our recollections can fade and be twisted by those who purposefully distort the facts. One example of those currently distorting the facts is the legion of anti-vaxxers. Who needs a vaccine when we can drink a magic drink or hope for the best? While researching a branch of my ancestry,…
This historical snippet begins with the blood lust of duels over 200 years ago. The most famous duel between Alexander Hamilton Sr and Aaron Burr Jr was presaged by a duel between Hamilton’s son, Philip Schuyler Hamilton, and George Eacker in 1801. The 19-year-old Philip died in the duel. It was not a good omen…
Humans (including Neanderthals, Denisovans, etc.) existed for millennia in small hunter-gather groups. Each group made up its own behavioral rules and language or grunts. About 10,000 years ago, some homo sapiens put down roots and invented agriculture. These farmers no longer roamed around exclusively looking for wild food and game. These agricultural pioneers created communities…
Proctology and history are probably two of the least favorite majors in graduate school. They both study the ebb and flow of things and are the first to recognize when an eruption is about to occur. Since I know nothing about proctology and want to avoid its subject matter, I will focus on the history…
Classical Liberalism Arising from the Age of Reason was a comprehensive political philosophy known as classical liberalism. This philosophy was widely adopted in early America and elsewhere. Ironically, many MAGAs mistakenly believe that liberalism is a dirty, forbidden word. The mere mention of the word in some parts of America will cause “patriots” to whip…
Fanatical extremists have controlled local towns, counties, regions, and countries worldwide. Before the American Revolution, the Village of Salem and the Witch Trials come to mind regarding religious extremism. The religious fanaticism that gave rise to witch trials started in Europe in the 17th century, but most Europeans came to their senses by the middle…
We have discussed the deleterious effects of extremism and autocracy in the 21st century. Let’s go back several centuries to review three experiments in which brave people found ways to break the chains of tyranny instead of remaining attached to the umbilical cord of a freedom-sucking autocracy. As individuals, we tend to be drawn to…
Speaking of the alignment of people, the Dutch Revolt, which started in 1566, is a prime example of the unpredictable nature of political magnetism. The Spanish Netherlands, which today consists mainly of the Netherlands and Belgium, was controlled by the House of Habsburg and the Holy Roman Emperor in 1566. The independent-minded and disunited subjects…
The first question arising from the phrase “the English Civil War” is which one? Scholars may debate what constitutes a discreet English civil war, but there have been around eleven since the Norman Conquest in 1066. Most of the civil wars were between rival barons and royal houses. A succession crisis typically sparked conflicts after…