Southern Themes in The Outsiders
S.E. Hinton published The Outsiders in 1967 at the age of eighteen. It’s a coming of age story that is widely read within schools and takes place in Oklahoma in 1965. The novel focuses on… »
Reconsidering William Jennings Bryan
When William Jennings Bryan died in 1925, H.L. Mencken wrote a scathing eulogy stating: “There was something peculiarly fitting in the fact that [Bryan’s] last days were spent in a one-horse Tennessee village, and that… »
Killed for the Flag
Anthony Hervey was born in Water Valley, Mississippi in 1965. He grew up in Oxford, served in the military for a short period, then went on to the University of Mississippi, where he studied sociology… »
“Chesty” Puller and the Southern Military Tradition
Lewis Burwell Puller is a Marine Corps legend and American hero. Nicknamed “Chesty” for his burly physique, he was one of the most combat-hardened leaders in military history and saw action in Haiti, Nicaragua, WWII,… »
The North and Hitler
In 1933, General Smedley R. Butler blew the whistle on an attempt by American fascists to overthrow president Franklin D. Roosevelt. In this speech he detailed the following: “I appeared before the congressional committee, the… »
Cane Fighting
For five days in May, 1856, Charles Sumner delivered a speech entitled The Crime Against Kansas. For those five days, he continuously slandered South Carolina and its senator, Pierce Butler. Regarding South Carolina, Sumner stated:… »
American History Textbooks vs. Reality
Donald Trump made the following statement at a recent rally in Phoenix, Arizona on August 22: “In the proud tradition of America’s great leaders, from George Washington — please, don’t take his statue down, please.… »
Understanding the War on Monuments
Agitation, Abstraction, Disruption, Distraction… These words are the most primal reasons that southern, and arguably mainstream American, history is under attack throughout the country. On August 16, 2017, I attended a protest to remove the… »
