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historical myths

“Don’t fire till you see the whites of their eyes?”

John Fea   |  June 25, 2020

Who said it? Over at the Journal of the American Revolution, historian J.L. Bell (of Boston 1775 fame) answers this question for us. Here is a taste of his piece: Don’t fire till you see the whites of their eyes!” is...

The Author’s Corner with Richard Hughes

Annie Thorn   |  January 21, 2019

Richard Hughes serves as the Scholar-in-Residence in the College of Bible and Ministry at Lipscomb University. This interview is based on the second edition of his book Myths America Lives By: White Supremacy and the Stories that Give Us Meaning (University...

Five Myths About Christmas

John Fea   |  December 12, 2018

Here are five myths from Rick Shenkman, editor and founder of History News Network: Retailers have ruined Christmas by commercializing it. Christmas cards are a venerable tradition Clement Moore wrote the poem, “The Night Before Christmas.” Christmas trees are traditional...

When Abraham Lincoln “Visited” 40 Plantations

John Fea   |  February 13, 2018

Check out Rice University doctoral student William R. Black‘s fascinating piece at The Atlantic: “Abraham Lincoln’s Secret Visits to Slaves.”  A taste: Shortly before the election of 1860, a man came upon a plantation near Marlin, Texas, some 20 miles southeast of Waco. Though...

The Author’s Corner with David Krueger

John Fea   |  October 19, 2015

David M. Krueger is an independent scholar of American religious history based in Philadelphia. This interview is based on his new book Myths of the Rune Stone: Viking Martyrs and the Birthplace of America. (University of Minnesota Press, 2015). JF:...

How Could Washington Be a Married Man (And Never Tell A Lie)?

John Fea   |  April 22, 2014

From the Library of Congress collection: http://media.loc.gov/player/flowplayer.commercial.swf?0.9832027803640813<!–  Recording Title How could Washington be a married man (and never tell a lie), 1916 Composer Al Piantadosi Conductor Josef Pasternack Lyricist Ballard MacDonald , Joe Goodwin Tenor vocal M. J. O’Connell Genre(s) Humorous songs...

Maryland County Commissioner Prays Bogus George Washington Prayer

John Fea   |  March 27, 2014

George did not chop down the cherry either A federal judge recently ruled that the Carroll County, Maryland Board of Commissioners would not be allowed, at least temporarily, to start their meetings with a sectarian prayer.  The order, however, did...

Spurious George Washington Quotes

John Fea   |  December 4, 2013

George Washington’s Mount Vernon has created a list of quotations misattributed to George Washington. These quotes come from correspondence sent to Mount Vernon. Here are a few: “I cannot tell a lie, Pa” “It is impossible to rightly govern a...

Tracy McKenzie “Flips the Bird” on Rush Limbaugh

John Fea   |  November 27, 2013

Over at The Anxious Bench, David Swartz of Asbury University reviews Tracy McKenzie’s The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us About Loving God and Learning from History.  In the process, he shows how McKenzie’s book offers a more...

Myths in History

John Fea   |  August 3, 2012

J.L. Bell at Boston 1775 reviews Gil Klein’s recent article in Colonial Williamsburg magazine.  Klein suggests, with historian John Thorn, that myths are the “people’s history” and are thus a good thing, but Bell is not so sure.  Here is...

New Blog: “MythicAmerica”

John Fea   |  May 21, 2012 Leave a Comment

Ira Chernus, a Religious Studies professor at the University of Colorado, will be bringing a new blog to the History News Network.  It is called “MythicAmerica” and it will focus on the mythic expressions that have pervaded, and still pervade […]

Is Robert E. Lee’s Profile Carved Into the Back of Abe’s Head at the Lincoln Memorial?

John Fea   |  August 31, 2011

Mollie Reilly discusses some of the more popular Washington D.C. historical rumors.  And some of them may be true!  Here are my favorites: No, Lee’s head is not carved in the back of the Lincoln Memorial. Yes, the Washington Redskins...

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