Hi! My name is Tammy. I am an independent historian. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in History and a Minor in Film Studies from California State University, San Marcos. I am, additionally, a member of Phi Alpha Theta, which is the National History Honors Society. The goal of this Blog is to educate and to raise, or further, your interest in American history, including African American History. I hope to bring new research to those looking for ideas to further their own scholarship. I hope you find the reviews / travel posts / blogs about history informative. The goal is that you become interested enough in what you read here to read the books, watch the series or films, and/or visit these locations for yourself to further your own understanding of this most important history. Happy reading, happy viewing, and most of all, happy traveling...
The television show “Julia” was my very first favorite show. I was almost five years old when the program first aired on tv and when I headed to first grade….well, of course I carried my “Julia” lunchbox with great pride. I had no idea that some 35 plus years later I would be asked to … More An Historical Myth: Julia as a Groundbreaking Television Show
By the late 1930s, a second world war loomed in Europe. The United States Congress legislated a policy of non-involvement should such a conflict break out, with the passage of more than one Neutrality Act. Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, however, thrust America into World War II. Militarily the United States had failed to maintain … More The Home Front: How Rivets and Ration Cards Won WWII
Every day, it seems, I hear someone say “America is about to experience a revolution.” This is always interesting to me because I wonder what they mean by their comment? Are they referring to a revolution as was our experience when we fought, and won, our independence from the Crown? If that revolution is what … More The Great Depression of the 1930s: Was America Close to a Revolution?
I know this post has nothing to do with “traveling” but I have been asked to include some of my ideas about film history for one of my younger followers who is interested in film studies. We had been talking about early films and their impact on society so I thought this would be of … More Early Films and Their Impact on Society
Sometimes you read a really great book and you take away so much from it that you just want to share with others what you’ve discovered. That is what this is…a discovery of what Anne Moody shared in her autobiography and what I took from it. Anne Moody grew up in what was the most … More Anne Moody and Coming of Age in Mississippi: Civil Activism and the Generation Gap
As I travel throughout the south, from one plantation or museum to another, the one constant is the way in which the tour guides discuss the topic of slavery. I have found, with the exception, to some degree, of The Magnolia Plantation and Gardens in Charleston, South Carolina, the view of slavery is painted as … More Experiences of Enslaved Men, Women and Children
One of the aspects of history I love most is the research. While in college I never felt more alive than when in classes where research was heavily required. Digging to find information, and then finding it, gave me a high that is really only understood by those who have experienced it for themselves. I … More Phibby…..A Mystery I Hope to Solve….
My journey to Edenton, North Carolina, actually began in a women’s history class back in 2003. I was attending classes at Palomar College in San Diego County when I stumbled into the classroom of a history professor who could tell a story better than any person I have ever met. That professor, Dr. Linda Dudik, … More Edenton, North Carolina: An Historic Town
Although it was not their original intention, colonists in the New World gave birth to a modern form of slavery. Within the burgeoning colonies, slavery evolved far beyond what any other people in history had known or established — the enslavement for life of one race. Clearly, slavery was not the result of a single … More A Short Essay on the Origins of American Slavery
How I descend from Quaker John Churchman II of Pennsylvania Sarah Churchman (b. 17 Jan 1716; d. 2 Aug 1750) was the daughter of John Churchman II (b. 1665 in Ireland; d. 1724) and Hannah Cerie (b. 1677; d. 1759). Sarah was the sister of John Churchman III (b. 4 Jun 1705; d. 24 Jul … More Family Connections
American History for Travelers 