Pope Day - Boston

In the mid-1700s, the 5th of November was one of Boston’s most popular holiday. Check out this website to learn more about the history of it: 5th of November in Boston.

The blog Boston1775 also has some great information about this day too.

Dawn of Discovery Review

Recent review of the video game Dawn of Discovery. Great game for those who love city building, with a heavy emphasis on trade and micromanagement. Not your typical game based in the 21th Century, but this city-building game takes you to the 14th Century...Certainly worth a try.

Battle of Bosworths - Start Your Tudor Engine

Lost to history was thought to be the location of the Battle of Bosworths, which saw the death of Richard III and ushered in the Tudor dynasty. But recently a team of historians and archaeologist, believe they have found the site. Learn more here.

King Arthur and not King Henry?

This year has seen the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession, but few people probably know he wasn't the original heir to the throne. His brother, Arthur was first in line and it was Arthur's wife who Henry married first (Catherine of Aragon).

Interesting article asking the question how would Tudor England turned out had Arthur been King and not Henry?

Comments are welcomed!

Queen Mary's Last Letter

The last letter written by Mary Queen of Scots is to go on display for the first time in 30 years. The 422-year-old manuscript – written six hours before her execution – will be unveiled at the National Library of Scotland later this month.

During Queen Mary's few remaining hours, she penned one last letter to King Henri III of France. One interesting tidbit of information from the letter is that she asks King Henri to pay the wages of her servant. To read the letter click here

Thaddeus Kosciuszko - American Revolution War Hero

Lafayette and Baron von Steuben are two well known historical figures who had a large impact during the America Revolution. But they weren't the only foreign soldiers helping to win America's freedom. Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a Polish soldier with a background in engineering made several significant contributions to the war effort. From creating the under water obstacle chevaux de frise, to helping to draft the strategy for the battle of Saratoga, he is one of the lesser known heroes of the war. Read more about his accomplishments here and why Thomas Jefferson called him "as pure a son of liberty as I have ever known.”

3,700 year old wall found in Jerusalem

A city of long lost ancient treasures continues to surface more undiscovered wonders. Archaeologist digging in Jerusalem have found a wall that dates back 3,700 years ago. It is the oldest example of a fortification found in the city. The wall dates back to 17th Century B.C. at a time when Jerusalem was a small town populated by the Canaanites. Learn more here

German ace Werner Mölders and Vierfinger or “finger four” formation

During WWII pilots were still trying to figure out what is the best tactic to use during dogfights. The lone wolf tactic wasn't helpful because it usually turns into a 2v1 contents; the tight formation and everyone for themselves doesn't work because again its easy to be 2v1. But during the war German ace Werner Mölders figured out the "finger four" formation. Even though it is up for debate as to who was the first person to actually create it, there is no doubt how important this aviation tactic has become.

Fragments of an Emperor Augustus statue found in Germany

Fragments of a statue depicting Augustus, the Roman Emperor, were found in Germany. While Roman artifacts are nothing new, archeologist believe, “There has never been a find of such quality and preservation in Germany,” a statement from the ministry said, adding that it was a “sensational” discovery.

Sunken Pirate Ship - Whydah

You hear so much about pirates in the age of sail, but rarely do we hear about pirate shipwrecks. The pirate ship Whydah is the exception. From the expeditions website:

"The Whydah was the first pirate shipwreck to be positively identified, and, nearly a quarter of a century later, remains the only pirate shipwreck whose identity is unquestionably authenticated."

The Whydah lies off the coast of Cape Cod and is still providing treasures 25 years after its discovery.

Gettysburg and Gen. Lee's Lost Cause

This long, but fantastic article on Gettysburg is a must read for any Civil War Buff. It discusses how General Lee and his failure to communicate properly with his generals may have been one of the reasons why the Confederates lost the battle. As the author notes in his article

"While any commander expects there will be differences between what is planned and what occurs, it is sobering to realize how much of Lee’s plan was either mistaken in its assumptions or misunderstood by its participants."

It is a must read for any Battle of Gettysburg enthusiast.

J. Booth threaten's the life of President Andrew Jackson

Junius Brutus Booth, the father of John Wilkes Booth wrote a threatening letter to President Jackson demanding that he pardon a couple of pirates or "I will cut your throat whilst you are sleeping." For over 170 years this "letter" was consider to be a fraud, but it wasn't until PBS' "History Detectives" took the time to figure out what has been considered as "fake" was actually a written letter by J.B. Booth.

Learn more about the story behind the letter and President Jackson's relationship with Booth here and here.

If you find this article interesting, you may also want to learn about President Jackson's duel against one of the premier duelist of the times...

British Troops in American (circa 1775-1783)

In history classes across the country, rarely do children learn about the British soldier who served in the American Revolution. But if you are one of the few who is turned on by redcoat jackets, sparkling bayonets and stories long forgotten, then the blog British Soldiers, American Revolution is for you


Don Hagist, the blog author, touches upon the soldier's experience serving the British army, providing remarkable stories of deserters, prisoners of war and career soldiers. It's a must read for any British reenactor.

Thinking about George Washington...

Great little article providing an quick recap of George Washington's military and political career. Tossed throughout the article are quotes by George himself, one which I enjoyed, “Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.”

This was written in 1759 to the Captains of the Virginia Regiments. 19 years later, it would be General Baron von Steuben who would come into Washington's camp at Valley Forge and instill that discipline which Washington's speaks of.

Washington may not have been a brilliant tactical leader, but he knew what made a great army, with discipline being one of them.

Save Brandywine!

More sad news in the world of losing our battlefields. Brandywine Battlefield, one of the largest and of the bloodiest battles fought in the Revolutionary War, is due to close in the coming future. Closing the battlefield will have an impact on the visitor center, Washington and Lafayette's headquarters as well as the cancellation of a battle reenactment.

Visit Save Brandywine to learn how you can help keep it open.

10 Paces for Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson - 7th President, Military Hero and Duelist?!

Back in 1806, Charles Dickinson , a renowned duelist met his fate when he went 10 paces against Andrew Jackson. Charles wounded Jackson, but Jackson survived, leveling his pistol and killing Charles. Up until now, the grave site of Charles has not been cleary identified, but Archaeologist Dan Allen believes he has found the location in Nashville. If confirmed, this would put to the end to the mystery of Charles Dickinson's final resting place (even if his remains have vanished...)

Read more about the duel here.

John Quincy Adams - Tweets from the 1800s...

Ever wonder what someone would tweet about in the 1800s? Well the Massachusetts Historical Society is answering your call. John Quincy Adams seems to have had a fondness for short diary entries, perfectly constructed for tweets.

The Massachusetts Historical Society is under taking a project which provides you with line a day entry that John Quincy Adams wrote in his diary.

For today, August 10th, he writes:
8/10/1809: Squally Night and rainy Morning. Saw a Ship. Lat: 43-49. Long: 56-30. Read Plutarch's life of Romulus.

Added bonus, MHS provides a link showing you the exact location.

Continue to follow his adventures at twitter.

Band of Brothers and the Berchtesgaden Myth

Band of Brothers, a tremendous book by Stephen Ambrose which turned into a great mini-series by HBO contains an error. As John McManus points out in his excellent blog posting, there is an error regarding Easy Company being the first unit to arrive at Berchtesgaden, home of Hitler's mountain top retreat. Read his blog entry to learn who really arrived first and how historians are trying to correct this erroneous mistake!

Russian Court: To Be Seen and Learned...

In continuation with the Russian Monarchy theme, comes the news of the reopening of Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and is now home to the exposition “At the Russian Court: Palace and Protocol in the 19th Century.”

The article mentions "The grand exhibition offers visitors an impression of the 19th century Russian Court and a varied display of more than 1,800 treasures, including court dresses, paintings, jewelry, chessboards, and royal shoes.

The treasures, all from the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, display the elaborate social hierarchy and richly layered traditions of the Tsarist court.

The exhibit is divided into two sections. A left wing is devoted to the 19th century court—a period that spanned the reigns of tsars from the little-known Paul I, son of Catherine the Great, to the tragic Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia. The other wing focuses on the parties and themed balls hosted by the tsars."

Russian Monarchy Rising Again?

Emperor Nicholas II of Russia was unceremoniously deposed of his crown on July 17, 1918 by the Bolsheviks. Since that time, there has not been a Russian Monarch, but recently there has been talk of re-establishing the Monarchy in hopes of unifying the country during these troubling times.

The idea is rather enticing and will need approval from the Russian parliament as well as the Russian people, but it would be rather interesting to see the Romanov's rise to power once again (albeit in a constitutional role).

Altinum Rises Again...

Altinum, a former Roman city, which dates back to the Bronze Age has been recently uncovered north of Venice's airport.

Unlike most ancient cities, you won't find half standing structures, lone columns or half covered fresco's decorating the landscape. Altinum, has since been replaced by a rising lagoon and farms in the surrounding area.

In July 2007 a team from University of Padua in Italy, and his team took aerial photos of the surrounding countryside and noticed something..."a buried metropolis emerged. The researchers discovered that the crops planted on the land were in different stages of ripening, thanks to differences in the amount of water in the soil. Lighter crops traced the outlines of buildings--including a basilica, an amphitheater, a forum, and what may have been temples--buried at least 40 centimeters below the surface." The article shows these images providing a unique perspective on a lost city.

Sunk Treasure Ship and the $495 Million Question

In 2007 the Spanish treasure ship was re-discovered by Odyssey Marine Exploration. The Spanish government argues that the galleon "Mercedes" belongs to Spanish government and was sunk by a British warship in 1804. Meaning, the lost treasure of $495 million belongs to the Spanish government under sovereign immunity rules. Odyssey argues that the treasure ship was a commercial vessel and falls under the Salvage Law and the Law of the Sea Convention, allowing for them to keep the treasure. Add in a claim by the descendants of the crew of the Mercedes and the Peruvian government, this is a legal nightmare that won't be coming to end anytime soon...

America's Army 3 Review

Recent review of America's Army 3. Sponsored by the U.S. Army, they have continued with their prior success of the America's Army franchise and developed a well rounded, engaging, first person shooter.

British Roman Fort - Vindolanda

One of the more interesting finds in England, is the Roman fort at Vindolanda. It is a rather large encampment that has uncovered some great Roman finds, one being the letters of Roman soldiers back to their family. It's a fascinating look into the emotions and day to day life of your typical Roman soldier. Also, to the eager amateur archeologist is being able to be part of the excavation team, which can help uncover the vast remains of the fort.

Recently uncovered at Vindolanda is a mysterious altar dedicated to an eastern cult deity. One of the many interesting tidbits from this article: "according to Anthony Birley, chairman of the Vindolanda Trust and the author of many books on ancient Roman history, the discovery is important because "there are absolutely no literary references to Dolichenus, so all that we know about the religion is based on some 300 surviving inscriptions and sculptures from different parts of the Roman Empire."

Diving for Roman Shipwrecks

Roman ruins are nothing new to archaeologists. Finding 5 Roman shipwrecks in waters over 300 feet deep, which date back to the first century B.C., can be categorized as "exciting."

As the article mentions, these ships loaded with prized fish sauce from Spain and north Africa, and a mysterious cargo of metal ingots from Italy, possibly to be used in the construction of statues or weaponry, were headed for safe harbor. Why they sunk is a mystery, but my guess is bad weather and an upset Neptune may have had something to do with it.

These wrecks could become more common as technology helps the weekend diver discover nooks and crannies of the ocean's depth.

First POW Camp Found?

What could be the first POW camp has been found in England. Used during the Napoleonic war, it is one of the first camps that humanly housed thousands of prisoners. More then 1,700 prisoners died during the 17 year history which is rather remarkable for the time period and sanitary conditions. To put that into context, over 12,000 U.S. Union prisoners died at Andersonville prison.

In the coming months we should be learning more about this camp and how it operated...stay tuned!

Battle of Chelsea Creek Continued...

Earlier this week I posted about the Mass Board of Underwater Archeological Resource being given a grant to Battlefield Protection Program Grant for the 1775 Battle of Chelsea Creek.

The blog Boston1775 has continued on that theme and has an excellent write up, providing you with a better understand of the that day's events, I highly recommend checking it out.

Little Rome Peeking Through

Outside of the southern city of Naples, lays what Cicero once called "Little Rome." Pozzuoli and the surround seaside villages are unearthing roman treasures, one being the marble head of the Roman Emperor Titus.

Pozzuli has had a tumultuous history, in the 2nd century it was replaced as the main trading port, followed by years of declining population. In 1538 an eruption scared away the population and in 1970, once the population was coming back, "activity of the Phlegraean Fields volcanic area caused the ground to rise and fall." And now, due to the economic climate digging may stall.

Hopefully with these new discoveries and opening it up to the public, more tourist will flock to the area.

Queen Boudicca and Roman Ruins

Archaeologist think they have found one of Britain's earliest Iron Age towns with a planned layout. Making the discovery more interesting is that they believe Queen Boudicca may led an attack against the Roman soldiers occupying the town.

Queen Boudicca is an interesting character and one who took no mercy. During her uprising, she had amassed an army of over 100,000 and torched and put to the sword any Roman that got in her way. Unfortunately for her, she ran into a Roman general named Paulinus. At the Battle of Watling Street, Paulinus, with superior Roman tactics and better trained army completey destroyed Boudicca's army.

http://blog.taragana.com/n/archaeologists-find-evidence-of-britains-earliest-iron-age-town-111028/

The Forgotten Battle of Chelsea Creek

Exciting news in the realm of protecting of battlefields (see prior post about the unpleasant news of the Wilderness). From the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources:

"The Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources has been awarded a 2009 National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program Grant for the 1775 Battle of Chelsea Creek. Overshadowed by the battles at Concord/Lexington and Bunker Hill, the Battle of Chelsea Creek (or Noddles Island) was the first naval engagement of the Revolutionary War—and an American victory. The objective of this grant is to precisely locate British and American military operations and their associated archaeological resources, including the remains of the HMS Diana, through archival research and field documentation to assist in the identification, delineation, and interpretation of the battlefield. The $48,300 grant will be used for interns to undertake the research and to provide outreach to Chelsea, Revere, and East Boston."

The Battle of Chelsea Creek is one of the many engagements in and around Boston that few people know about. Prior to April 19th, in 1774 there was the Powder Alarm, which the blog boston1775.blogspot.com has an excellent analysis of.

Civil War Honor Roll Published

Exciting bit of information to those who are genealogy nuts. Familyrelatives.com has released an honor roll from the civil war. Genealogy is becoming more and more popular over the years and having this database available will surely make many civil war reenactor and buffs alike excited at the possibility of tracking down family members.

http://ca.sys-con.com/node/1037514

Suleiman I, the Lawgiver or Magnificent

Suleiman I, the Lawgiver, not a terribly familiar name, but he was one of the longest reigning sultans of the Ottoman Empire during the 16th Century. His legacy is one of military strength, economy and culutural development, which made his reign one of the more prosperous of the Ottoman Empire.

Since his death at the siege of Szigetvar, his tomb has not been located. Archaeologist though are now on the hunt and hope with a team experts they can find it...stayed tuned.

http://news.smashits.com/405985/Archaeologists-start-search-for-tomb-of-Suleiman-I-in-Hungary.htm

Marco Polo Travel Notes...from China

When Marco Polo writes, people listen. In this case, during his travels he described the prosperity of Yuan Shangdu, since then, archaeologist have been drawn to the area. Recently Chinese archaeologist believe they have found the layout of the capital of Kublai Khan's empire. What makes it even more interesting (besides being mention with the World Heritage Site) is that Kublai Khan was the founder of the Yuan Dynasty


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/08/content_11673561.htm

Happy Bastille Day

To all those with French roots, Happy Bastille Day. To learn a little more, check out the wiki entry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day

Each year there is a massive parade on the Champs Elysées. This year the Maratha Light Infantry will join the numerous troops partaking in the event.
http://www.rfi.fr/actuen/articles/115/article_4316.asp

A little history about the unit, from wiki "It was formed as the 103rd Maharattas in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment of the Army."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maratha_Light_Infantry

Julius Caesar's short lived British holiday

Julius Caesar - Gaul, Roman Emperor/Dictator, Brutus, Assassination. Rarely do you think of him as someone who attempted to secure Britain for the Roman empire 100 years prior to Emperor Claudius invasion of Britain.

Brenda Ralph writes a great article on Caesar's short lived holiday in Britain...

http://www.historynet.com/julius-caesar-in-britain.htm/print/

Confederate Dollars for Sale

South Carolina is finding a new way to make money...they decided to start selling money. Not U.S. minted money though, but Confederate dollars.

After the civil war, Confederate dollars were worthless and should have been destroyed. Call it lazy or call it a time capsule, but boxes of left over dollars were stored away in the State House and the government is now selling off those dollars to collectors to make some extra cash.


http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/special_reports/50483277.html

Cleopatra's Tomb?

If feels like Christmas every time Cleopatra's tomb is mentioned. Everyone keeps saying that they are "close" to finding it, but we still lack certain proof.

I just hope when we do wake up, it's lost relics of the ancient world and not lumps of coal.

Archaeologist Kathleen Martinez believes she is close and the Discovery Channel will be filming for a documentary, which makes you believe "something" is there.

Added bonus, they believe Mark Antony might be buried with her...

http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/world/2009/6/26/32402/Well-soon-find-Cleopatra-Dominican-archaeologist-says


http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/04/15/cleopatra-anthony-tomb.html

Wilderness Battle now sponsored by Wal-Mart

If you're a Civil War buff, when you think of the Wilderness, the first thought that comes into you head isn't Wal-Mart. But be prepared to have that reality set in. John Farrell is blogging about the unpleasant news of Wal-Mart plans of building a store near the battlefield. He does a great job capturing what most of us historians (Civil War buffs or not) are feeling. Hopefully there will be a public backlash to stop this, but until then, stay up-to-date with John


http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2009/05/13/wal-marts-attack-on-civil-war-battlefield-in-northern-virginia.html

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/john-farrell/2009/07/06/wal-mart-closer-to-paving-over-civil-war-battlefield-in-virginia.html

Continuing with Henry VIII...

With so much news about Henry VIII, I thought I would continue the trend and pass along some interesting links.

The first link is an online exhibit of some items from Henry's reign. There is even an Interactive section which has you trying to pick out Henry's notes (side note: brush up on your Latin).

The second article details the reproduction of the document which the English peers sent to Pope Clement VII asking for the annulment of Henry's marriage.

Stay tuned as I'm sure we'll be seeing more and more articles/blogs/fan pages devoted to Henry VIII this year.

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/henryviii/index.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/5614835/Vatican-sells-facsimiles-of-Henry-VIII-letter-that-led-to-schism-with-Rome.html

Henry VIII and One wife

This year, being the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII accession to the throne, there seems to be more and more interesting and thought provoking articles out there. Most recently, what if...

Henry VIII went through 6 wives and two religions, but what would have happened if he never divorced Catherine of Aragon and instead stayed with the Catholic church? Does he still go through the reform and break away from the Church or stay a loyal subject to the Pope? It's an interesting debate, one that was started in the link below.

What do you think would have happened? Mary would have been Queen and not Edward and we know where should stood on the Catholic religion...


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-big-question-what-would-have-happened-if-henry-viii-had-obtained-his-divorce-1717976.html

Iron Cross meet the Honour Cross

When you think of a soldier wearing the Iron Cross, you may instinctively think of Nazis and World War II. Trying to reshape and redefine the Iron Cross, Germany is unveling a new Honour Cross which will be given to bravery on the battlefield. The Times has an interesting article giving more of a background into the medal and where it orginated. Few probably know that the medal orginally had an F.W. on it for Friedrich Wilhelm III, King of Prussia or later those intials were changed to W. for Kaiser Wilhelm.

Great article and always interesting to learn where military medals originated.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6661507.ece

Great History Blog

Great new blog has been posted by Weider History Group. Wide ranging covering lots of topics, with so many bloggers you are sure to find something interesting.

The Weider History Group encompasses a myriad of websites and articles to dig through. From Civil War to Iraq, you are sure to find something interesting. If you have the time, start with armchairgeneral.com and poke around, who knows what you'll find!

http://greathistory.com/

Jerusalem - Another Day, Another Ancient Discovery

Jerusalem seems to be a treasure chest of discoveries. Every so often you'll read another article about how they found pottery dating back 2,000 years or the oldest written Hebrew text. Most recently during construction of an apartment block workers stumbled upon an ancient quarry. They believe the quarry dates back to King Herod and could possibly be used in the construction of the Western Wall. Check out the article for more information.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090706/ap_on_sc/ml_israel_ancient_quarry

Rome - Let's Rediscover It

Great article in the NY Times about Rome's Forum and Palatine Hill and how recently there will be more access given to some of the lost treasures of the city. This new initiative hopes to bring to life the mystery of the forgotten monuments and buildings of the ancient Romans. From the House of Livia (the wife of Augustus, Emperor of Rome, adopted son of Caesar) to the Loggia Mattei which was built in the 16th century, first time tourist and veterans of Rome alike, will get to rediscover Rome all over again.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/arts/design/04forum.html?_r=2#

Crown of Glory: Emperor's Edition

The link below is to a review I did on Crown of Glory: Emperor's Edition. To those new to the Crown of Glory series, this game won't be easy to pick up like Total War, but veterans of CoG will love this game and probably crush my review. Either way, if military strategy and walking a tight rope of economic and diplomacy game play is your cup of tea, then I recommend this game to you.



http://www.armchairgeneral.com/crown-of-glory-emperors-edition-pc-game-review.htm

The First Post

Welcome to All Links History blog. With so many great websites and blogs about history, it is so hard to keep track of where to go each day. This blog is going to try reduce the stress that comes with so much web surfing. Every couple of days, we'll scour the Internet and find interesting articles or blogs that deal with history and if we like the topic, we'll post it here with a short recap and if we don't, we won't post it, simple enough!


What we hope to accomplish is a blog that brings together the very best of what is out in the vast Internet world and make it easier for you (and us) to continue to learn about history. As an added bonus, to those who enjoy the video games, we'll also post historical related video games reviews! Also, if you find yourself coming across a great blog, let us know and I'll check it out!