A surprising show of silhouettes at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. sheds light on obscure chapters of US history
1. Queen Elizabeth II is related by blood to U.S. President George Washington. Their last common ancestor died in 1681.
“But there is one front and one battle where everyone in the United States – every man, woman, and child – is in action and will be privileged to remain in action throughout this war. That front is right here at home, in our daily lives, and in our daily tasks.” Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1942 We chose to do a bike ride along part of the 30 mile Ormond Scenic Loop. We started our ride on the beach and then after about a mile, we crossed to street to the sidewalk that is part of the loop and takes you to Flagler Beach. We pedaled down about 3.5 miles of the Ormond Scenic Loop before turning around. I guess we are just not as young as we used to be or as in shape. It was a nice scenic bike ride out but coming back we had the wind in our face so it made for a long three miles going back. On the way back, we spotted this tower up on the beach and had to stop and check it out. It was a neat looking 30 foot high wooden tower that stands around the 2100 block of Ocean Shore Boulevard aka Route A1A which runs next to the ocean and has beautiful views to enjoy along the way. We crossed the road to check it out. The sign stated it was a coastal watch tower and stands here today as a monument to the civilian men and women who served the country when the country needed them most. We had seen watch towers before up in New Jersey and Delaware that were tall cement cylinders, but this was very different and pleasing looking up against the shore line. Just after the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, the American government went on high alert and put the Civil Defense Force as a high priority. Just five days after the attack, fifteen locals from New Smyrna Beach, took and passed the exam to become Coast Guard Auxiliary Members. They became a part of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 44 which was called Flotilla 1-3 during WWII. When they built this wooden watch tower in 1942 and they treated it with creosote to protect the wood and it is one of the last watch towers remaining in Florida. It was staffed by volunteer “spotters” which was a part of our ground force. During WWII there was always at least one spotter on the tower at all times to search for German submarines, aka U-boats and at least one spotter searching for enemy aircraft. They were only armed with a pair of binoculars and a telephone so if they did spot anything suspicious they could report it. During that time, even with the shores being blacked out, our ships became easy targets in that area when the Cape Canaveral Light illuminated their silhouettes. Twenty-five of our ships were sunk in the area between Daytona Beach and Fort Pierce, Florida and as many as 19 U-boats destroyed. This tower was only one of 15,200 observation posts spread out about every 6 miles on the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coast and still a haunting memory of that scary time in our history. During WWII, a total of 650 US merchant ships were sunk and as many as 6,000 merchant ships worldwide. In May 1944, the watch towers were abandoned when Germany was no longer a threat to our nation. There were steps to the top of the tower but they have been removed to prevent anyone from getting injured on the well worn flooring above. The tower got refurbished in 2003 and later in 2018 it was deeded to ICU Homes which is part of the Verona Community. This is a wonderful reminder of what our country went through during WWII. It is hard to imagine now looking out over the peaceful ocean that at one time, there were enemies lurking in the waters just off the coast wanting to harm to us. Many thanks to all the civilian volunteers that helped protect our country. Till next time. Bye for now.
History gives us many examples of technologies which are obscure to the modern reader. Here are ten of the most interesting lost technologies from the past.
Spirituality of hair is an interesting yet obscure subject that has the potential to transform the way we see our personal care and appearance.
Many Americans are trying to keep the “Manifest Destiny” and “Great Person” theories of US history going. They want the United States of America’s creation to have been some result of divine forces so that more people treat it with fervor, if not reverence. This view of American history is especially desirable when issues such as reparations are being discussed. The truth of American history is that a lot of the most significant events were essentially mad men grasping wildly. Most creators of history curriculums don’t want to admit that, so the historical periods where they had the most influence
1. Queen Elizabeth II is related by blood to U.S. President George Washington. Their last common ancestor died in 1681.
By Lisa J. Yarde When the Normans crossed the Channel and invaded England in 1066, they brought a new culture, language, architectural style and legal codes to the conquered country. They also replaced at least ninety percent of the landed aristocracy with members of their own class. The new Norman nobility could afford to be fashionable with their increased lands and wealth. At first, they wore costumes that would have been familiar to their English counterparts, having encountered the Norman retinue of King Edward the Confessor prior to the Conquest. The types or colors of dyes used for fabric, the quality of the fabric, and embellishments including embroidery or colored, ornamented braid known as passements, indicated class distinctions. For instance, the nobility had access to fine linen, woolen cloth and later, silk, but the average person would have worn a homespun cloth of russet or coarse wool. Clothing styles for women often changed; the tight-fitting sleeves for women’s dresses in the late eleventh century became elongated during the reign of King Stephen, only to revert to the former fashion in the late twelfth century. The Crusades also influenced fashion, with the introduction of silk and the surcote, modeled on twelfth-century Persian garments. From 1066 through the 1130’s, the dress of a Norman noblewoman followed the example at the left, a representation of Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror. In this representation of William’s diminutive queen, she wears a white robe as her outermost garment. Embroidery decorates the wrists and neckline of the robe. The bodice is form-fitting, while the skirt widens at the hips and falls in folds. Although not visible, it's likely she wears a camise / chemise next to the skin as an undergarment. The material for the undergarment would be chainsil, made from flax into a fine cloth. The girdle, which the Normans also introduced, drapes her hips with tasseled ends trailing almost to the floor. The blue mantle covering the robe also bears the same rich embroidery on its border. Mantles were a distinct mark of the nobility. Cords fastened them across the shoulders. A thin veil, the Norman couvrechef, covers her head. The Normans typically used white cambric or chainsil for the veils. A Norman noblewoman might have worn a circlet of silver or gold to hold the veil in place. The costume of Queen Matilda's granddaughter and namesake from the late twelfth century is shown on the right. She was the daughter of Henry I and fought her cousin Stephen for the English crown during a period known as the Anarchy. Her outermost garment is the bliaut, fashioned from silk and dyed in varying colors. The most noticeable difference is the addition of voluminous sleeves, fitting closer at the shoulder before widening to the wrists. The bliaut also has a wider skirt with many folds. This one is also lined inside with a green material. A billowing red mantle falls around the shoulders and back. A sleeveless corsage over the bliaut seems to have gold or jewels on its surface. Another change is the visible hair in an elaborate style of nearly floor-length braids bound in gold ribbon. The girdle of previous decades remains, but the veil is no longer strictly white. Fashionable Anglo-Norman women also enhanced their costumes with brooches, fastenings for their mantles and girdles ornamented with pearls, gold and silver, precious gemstones and enamels. One standard remained the same no matter the decade. Women always wore long garments covering them from neck to ankles. Lisa J. Yarde writes fiction inspired by real-life events. She is the author of historical novels set in medieval England and Normandy, The Burning Candle,based on the life of Isabel de Vermandois, and On Falcon's Wings, chronicling the star-crossed romance between Norman and Saxon lovers. Lisa has also written Sultana and Sultana’s Legacy, novels set during a turbulent period of thirteenth century Spain,where rivalries and ambitions threaten the fragile bonds between members of a powerful family.
Without this now-obscure land investment scheme, the Yazoo Land Affair, Georgia might have been a "super state."
Male dominance is frequently assumed to be the norm in the animal kingdom and has been a significant matter of reform in modern human society. Yet other species, some well-known and others obscure, with extremely intricate social arrangements or perplexing life histories may astound us with their incredible characteristics of female domination within the species. We take a tour of some highly gender role biased species where the female takes the upper hand, sometimes putting males at a disadvantage, and sometimes simply being the greater predator or literally the sole bloodthirsty one out of the two genders in a species.
Are we human... or are we living in an alternative timeline?
Our Knowledge And Understanding Of History Grows With Each New Photograph We See
'In speaking of any language is global, and in our case, particularly English, several categories could be discussed to give us more understanding. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Frederic S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The History of English The first is the history of the language, where did it originate? If we say English was an obscure German dialect we can also say that without knowing more of the history behind it, there would be no way for us to plot its progression or understand its populari'
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple(Luke 2:22- 40)-February 2 the young-the old observance-prophecy + Pope Francis said the Presentation is “a meeting between the young full of j…
Recreational drug use has been with us forever, and so have the challenges that this use brings to medicine and society. But the nature of the modern drug scene has changed to such an extent that the health…
Source: Hyrule Historia Credits: Melora of historyofhyrule.com Notes: 600pdi scan I have this in here, because people who want to be inspired by the art for the first game would be looking for it here, but it was done for BS Zelda.
Inspired by Mr. Beat's court series, The Power of Our Supreme Court walks through many supreme court history cases from landmark cases to the more obscure. Matt Beat explains how each case affects us to this day in a way that is engaging, applicable, and easy to understand, even for beginners.
This is one of those “what if” stories that always fascinate those of us interested in history, and in this particular case stories related to our country’s history.
Discover the history of US silver coins used as money! From 1794 Flowing half dollars to the obscure 3 cent silver piece we cover every coin!
