IHARE – Teacherhostels, History and Archaeology Programs
“Now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting sun.” Ben Franklin uttered these words on September 17, 1787, at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention. He was looking at George Washington’s chair which was topped with half a sun and rays shining forth. Franklin, of […]
The tradition of the Presidential Library began with Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The Library was located on his home grounds in Hyde Park where he had served as the local historian before moving on to bigger jobs. I used to take teachers there for professional development programs. Depending on the program we might be there for […]
In 2021, Vice President Mike Pence did not have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and the Constitution. The penalty for the failure to rise to the occasion and be a profile in courage to save the country is simple, direct, and brutal: death, death by hanging, death […]
There is nothing inherently political about “where we go one, we go all.” It contains no message overt or covert that is political. It is a phrase of solidarity. It could be used by Superbowl football teams huddling before running out on the field. It existed for over two decades without having the meaning used […]
As I write these words during the second impeachment hearings for the insurrection on January 6, 2021, never has the need for a national narrative seem more urgent and less likely. Instead of unity, the talk is of civil wars both within the Republican Party and between it and the Democratic Party. Who would have […]
During America’s Second Civil War, Confederates seceded from the United States. During the current civil war, Trumpicans remain in the United States and the halls of Congress even as they advocated for the overthrow of the democratic process. Confederates expressed no desire to rule over the North. By contrast, the Trumpicans want to govern the […]
We are a storytelling species. That means history is important. The enrollments as history major majors may be in decline. The earning prospects for history majors may seem bleak. But the importance of history remains. In one of his last acts as President, the outgoing President released his 1776 Commission report. In one of his […]
The fate of the constitutional republic of the United States of America remains unknown. Will it survive to celebrate its 250th anniversary? Will it dissolve into its constituent parts? Will it simply muddle along under constant strain because the alternative is too scary? No one knows the answer to these questions. Before beginning a series […]
Inaugural Day is a day for Presidents. January 20, 2021, was no different. There were Presidents physically in attendance. There were Presidents there in spirit through mentions of them in speeches. There was a President who provided the backdrop for a celebration of America. Truly it was a day for Presidents. Of all the Presidents, […]
The Roman god Janus look back and ahead as we are doing this January 20, 2021. The morning is the time of looking backward to one of the worst years in the history of the United States. In the afternoon, we begin to look forward. We stopped the steal attempt by our criminal insurrectionist President. […]
by Peter Feinman
by Peter Feinman
by Peter Feinman
