History

Here we bring you the fascinating world of history: U.S. history; archeological, anthropological, natural, and evolutionary history; plus historical figures and military history. To know where we are going we must first understand where we have been.

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The Antilla Shipwreck Tells the Story of When World War II Came to Aruba

Noah Lederman / Smithsonian magazine

As we drop below the surface of Malmok Bay, parrotfish and a sea turtle swim into view. Here in the waters just west of Aruba’s northern tip, the sun illuminates everything in kaleidoscopic clarity. Yet the most curious thing on the seafloor isn’t the tube sponges or the gorgeous brain coral, but the noble-looking wreck of the 400-foot German ship Antilla. It’s one of the largest shipwrecks in the Caribbean and also one of the most accessible in the world, as it’s right along the coast, visited by all the snorkel tours and just 60 feet below the surface. Its bones tell the story of when World War II came to these blissful seas.

Though many World War II maps and textbooks understandably put Europe at the center, many world leaders in the 1930s and ’40s also had their eyes on the Caribbean, particularly on its oil. Companies were constantly moving oil in shallow-draft tankers from Venezuela, a petro titan, over to Curaçao and Aruba, which then held some of the world’s largest and most important refineries. In 1940, Dutch officials had even drawn up plans to place both of these islands, then part of the Dutch Antilles, under the…Read more, and see photos here.

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Historians Reveal Secrets of the Strange Hat Wars That Shook Early Modern England

By Cambridge University Press – SciTechDaily

Hats once signified power, defiance, and social status in England, influencing politics, behavior, and everyday life.

From courtroom protests to encounters with highway robbers, hats in England once carried meanings that went far beyond simple fashion. New research indicates that headwear played a powerful role in shaping social behavior, political resistance, and personal identity.

Today, hat etiquette is largely a personal choice in Britain, but 400 years ago, it followed strict social rules. Refusing to remove, or “doff,” a hat could signal open defiance. A recent study in The Historical Journal (Cambridge University Press) highlights how this simple act became politically charged.

In 1630, an oatmeal maker brought before England’s highest church court responded boldly when told some judges were both bishops and privy councillors. “as you are privy councillors… I put off my hat; but as ye [bishops] are rags of the Beast, lo! – I put it on again.” His reaction…Read more here.

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In 1776, the Declaration of Independence Was Breaking News. Here’s How the Founding Document Reached the American Public

Rebecca Brenner Graham / Historian, Brown University / Smithsonian magazine

In January 1777, Baltimore printer Mary Katharine Goddard published the first copies of the Declaration of Independence that included the signers’ names. By then, the document was already old news.

Congress adopted the Declaration on July 4, 1776. That same day, Philadelphia-based printer John Dunlap produced the first copies of the text, which were soon sent on to state assemblies, military officers and local leaders across the nascent nation. Newspapers reprinted these early broadsides, and many communities held public readings of the Declaration. Many copies traveled overseas; others were confiscated or thrown overboard from ships.

Today, the original signed parchment version of the Declaration sits behind bulletproof glass at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., its titanium frame sturdy enough to transcend political divisions while reiterating the righteous circumstances of the nation’s birth. Read more and see video here.
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Why the Oak Is America’s National Tree

Becky Little – history.com

If you live in the United States, you probably know that the country has a national anthem and a national bird. But did you know it has a national tree?

In 2004, Congress passed a bill designating oak as the country’s official tree. The decision was based on a vote that the Arbor Day Foundation conducted three years earlier. Some 400,000 people participated, and around one-quarter of them selected oak as the tree that should represent America.

“It really wasn’t a huge surprise that oak was chosen as the national tree,” says Dan Lambe, CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation. Over 60 species of oak trees (Quercus) grow in the United States. “They grow in the humid southeast, the arid southwest and the cold northern states. So from coast to coast, they really are a symbol for all Americans.” Read more here.

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