One of the cherished tunes that fills the air during the Christmas season originated not as a holiday anthem but as a humorous ditty performed in minstrel shows in the 1850s. “Jingle Bells” is among the most popular American songs of all time. Although it is strongly...
The following woodcut by Winslow Homer depicts the inaugural celebration of Thanksgiving as an official national holiday in the aftermath of the Civil War. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a nationally recognized holiday, marking this...
The History of Thanksgiving in the United States In the early days of the United States, Thanksgiving was declared by Presidents George Washington, John Adams, and James Madison, but it was primarily observed on a state or territory level in the following years....
Laura Keene, a renowned British-American stage actress, is celebrated for her pivotal role as the first influential female theater manager, instrumental in establishing New York City as the premier theatrical hub in the United States. Her legacy is forever intertwined...
The poem was written by Marie Ravenel de La Coste and was later put to music. It appeared in newspapers, North and South, during the Civil War. A bleak and haunting poem about the loss of a young soldier during the Civil War. This poem, reprinted here as it...
Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin issues this proclamation during the Civil War on October 16, 1861: Proclamation of a Day of Thanksgiving. – 1862. Pennsylvania, ss. (Signed) A. G. Curtin. IN THE NAME AND BY the Authority of the Commonwealth of...
