tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-198954822012-01-05T11:30:22.170-05:00Discussion of the events, individuals, movements, peoples and connections that, sometimes together, sometimes separately, make up the History of the World. Questions are welcome.Novus Livynoreply@blogger.comBlogger551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-80266079558110688102011-12-05T20:03:00.001-05:002011-12-05T20:08:48.416-05:00

"Air Raid Pearl Harbor, this is no drill!" The frantic alert went out in the clear on all radios at Pearl Harbor. Seventy years ago, Japanese aircraft slashed through the morning skies over Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Ford Island Naval Air Station, Hickam Field Army Air Corps Station, and Wheeler Field and the Schofield Barracks Army Station on the northwest side of Oahu. Alerted by the

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-30357181095152331562011-11-29T10:03:00.000-05:002011-11-29T10:03:24.729-05:00

The Artillerist on the 4th New York Independent Battery monument [Captain James E. Smith] located on the south end of Houck’s Ridge [behind Devil’s Den] has been restored and is now standing as a silent sentinel over the Gettysburg Battlefield area once again. For those who drive through Devils Den area, and then up and around to where Benning’s Brigade of Georgians assaulted the left of Ward’s

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-90297300214108912472011-11-20T11:47:00.007-05:002011-11-21T10:34:35.108-05:00

In 1621 the settlers of the Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts, gathered to celebrate a harvest of food they had no cause to even dream of when they landed. Thanks to the local Native Americans, the Wampanoag Tribe, who taught the colonists how to fish and gave them seeds to plant, the 102 colonists not only had sufficient food for the winter, they had enough to have a celebration of

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-54908327996249248312011-11-11T11:47:00.001-05:002011-11-11T11:48:03.181-05:00

In 1918, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, at the eleventh hour, a pre-arranged cease fire ended the hostilities between the Allies [The United Kingdom, France, The Russian Empire, the Japanese Empire, Italy, Belgium, Montenegro, Greece, Serbia, and the United States] and the Central Powers [the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, The Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria]

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-59992525340864281952010-08-03T00:24:00.001-04:002010-08-03T00:25:28.048-04:00

The historian in us has been stymied by a dilemma. Someone sent an email to us with a quotation attributed to George Washington. Here is the quotation: "The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceived veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." -- President George

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-6854012385486498062010-07-04T07:37:00.000-04:002010-07-04T07:37:49.968-04:00

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-46352143245162348122010-07-02T02:32:00.002-04:002010-07-02T04:30:46.421-04:00

Presented here for the next several day will be a description of the people and events that made up the Battle of Gettysburg, and a final piece that deals with the Battlefield itself.  The essays are now posted in chronological order for ease of access and reading.  Read them from the top, from 1-9.   When you get to the bottom of the page, click on "Older Posts" to finish the series.  We

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-83407737006159596902010-07-01T20:00:00.001-04:002010-07-02T02:09:01.352-04:00

June 30, 1863, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Pettigrew The sight that greeted Sarah Broadhead as she looked out her window on the west side of Gettysburg on the morning of June 30th, 1863 caused her to draw a sharp breath. There had been rumors, but the view of the Seminary and the ridge on which it stands was complicated by a large group of men, and the Confederate flags they were carrying. She

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-84138059810553020882010-07-01T14:49:00.003-04:002010-07-02T01:58:13.250-04:00

Heth Major General Henry “Harry” Heth was anxious to get his men going in the pre-dawn hours of July 1. Camped along the Chambersburg Road near Cashtown, his force for the morning’s march to Gettysburg would use only two of his brigades, Archer’s and that of Joseph Davis, totaling about 3,000 men. Behind them would come an additional 3,500 men in Brockenborough’s and Pettigrew’s Brigades. At the

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-65920543882749704902010-07-01T01:48:00.000-04:002010-07-02T01:59:43.234-04:00

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. July 1, 1863. Afternoon Howard Major General Oliver Otis Howard, 4th in his class of 46 cadets who graduated from West Point in 1854, commanded the 11th Corps in the Army of the Potomac. Howard was wounded severely in 1861 while leading a brigade in the Union 2nd Corps at the Battle of Fair Oaks. He lost his right arm there. Howard remained with the army after

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-18967444667337851142010-06-30T23:00:00.000-04:002010-07-02T02:01:03.139-04:00

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. July 2, 1863. Morning and Afternoon. Hood Major General John Bell Hood, West Point class of 1853, 44th in his class of 52, was one of the true hard fighters of the war. Admired by all, he was an excellent leader, and one of the best division commanders in the Army of Northern Virginia. About 5 AM on the morning of July 2 he stood near the Seminary observing General

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-35038291057291928132010-06-30T20:24:00.002-04:002010-07-02T02:07:38.249-04:00

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1863. Evening. Meade/Sickles Major General George Meade had ridden south to check on the disposition of Sickles troops. Major General Daniel Sickles had moved his troops almost a mile out in front of the Union lines, and Meade was there to get him moved back. He was patiently explaining to Sickles the folly of his move when Sickles offered to move his two

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-54976337234611821312010-06-30T18:36:00.000-04:002010-07-02T02:11:50.395-04:00

GearyBrigadier General John W. Geary commanded the Second Division of the 12th Corps, Army of the Potomac. He had been ordered to remove two brigades earlier in the day to help stem the tide on Cemetery Ridge. Johnson It was growing dark when Johnson began to move. To his surprise, Johnson’s men began the climb up the lower slope of Culp’s Hill virtually unopposed. Finding the Union works empty,

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-51292124269587991052010-06-30T14:00:00.000-04:002010-07-02T02:18:04.910-04:00

Gettysburg Pennsylvania. July 3, 1863 The Bliss FarmOn the morning of July 3, 1863, the small farm belonging to William Bliss was the focus of entirely too much attention. Situated some 100 yards west of the Emmitsburg Road, the farmhouse, and barn, and the orchard behind the buildings, were providing cover for men of both sides. The Confederates of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-68718642132462649772010-06-30T11:50:00.000-04:002010-07-02T02:22:37.301-04:00

After the fighting ended on that 3rd day of July, 1863, and after the smoke had cleared, some 150,000 men stared blankly across the slope separating Seminary Ridge from Cemetery Ridge, and wondered what version of Hell would next present itself. A small group of soldiers ventured out from Union lines on Cemetery Ridge, in front of the artillery pieces that were now cooling and silent. They went

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1144478624300038592010-06-30T03:17:00.001-04:002010-07-02T03:27:14.603-04:00

There is something about the tranquillity of the Battlefield in the darkening of an evening. There are few places around any more that show as many stars, and viewed from the Wheatfield, a full moon rising over Little Round Top is superior to any thunderous dawn of Kipling’s. In the summer, after the visitors go, the park’s non-human inhabitants come out – deer anywhere around the park, fox kits

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-75421185446370569312010-05-26T22:26:00.000-04:002010-05-26T22:26:08.207-04:00

They lie in rows of white crosses, or white stones, often stained by the decades or even centuries of weathers. The contrast with the green grass is stark, clean, almost pristine. Many of these fields are in foreign lands near where they fell. Sometimes they lie in unmarked fields or hillsides that once were the scenes of the combat in which they fell, unnoticed, and alone. Some who rose to

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-28842024061387340282009-04-18T07:13:00.007-04:002009-04-18T08:06:00.668-04:00

On the night of April 18-19, 1775, Boston silversmith Paul Revere and fellow Sons of Liberty member William Dawes were sent to the villages of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts to warn the leaders of the Sons, John Hancock and Samuel Adams of the advance of British Infantry troops out of Boston toward those villages. After warning Lexington, and joined by Dr. Samuel Prescott, the three men

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-55158360231900788032009-02-11T08:20:00.002-05:002009-02-11T08:45:07.597-05:00

I have always believed that when a president is inaugurated, swears that oath and enters the Oval office for the first time, he undergoes a sea change. Suddenly, he becomes wise, and just (there have been some few exceptions, one of whom was from Pennsylvania), and this is because when they swear that oath, they don the Mantle of Constitution. It can sometimes wear very heavily, as it did with

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-42277501515866197252008-11-10T21:40:00.004-05:002008-11-11T01:46:19.127-05:00

Since uncounted and unnamed battles fought in the years before the May 18th, 1754 Battle of Jumonville Glen in western Pennsylvania, "Americans" have been fighting for America, for the idea of America, and for the ideal of America.The American Revolution put a name to that ideal in July of 1776, calling it the United States of America.Twenty-two years later the United States began a naval war

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-21884056784053057922008-07-03T19:36:00.004-04:002008-07-03T19:48:50.408-04:00

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-10272893073459468632007-12-07T01:34:00.001-05:002008-07-03T19:33:16.951-04:00

"Air Raid Pearl Harbor, this is no drill!"Sixty-six years ago today, Japanese aircraft slashed through the morning skies over Pearl Harbor Naval Station, Ford Island Naval Air Station, Hickam Field Army Air Corps Station, and Wheeler Field and the Schofield Barracks Army Station on the northwest side of Oahu.Alerted by the thump of bombs falling from high above, and from the rattle of machine gun

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-89619855314600312282007-05-27T18:52:00.000-04:002007-05-27T19:04:25.410-04:00

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania - 1863After the guns became silent, the cleanup began. It started with the wounded -- thousands of wounded. Those not already in hospitals in the many barns nearby, and not already on their way back to Virginia as Lee pulled his men back from the costly repulse at Gettysburg, those that still lay on the blood soaked fields, and among the trees and rocks of this ground

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-39962365661252565882007-03-27T09:09:00.000-04:002007-03-27T09:10:30.002-04:00

Fellow vets. As you all know, the Gold Star Mothers is an organization of women who have lost a son or daughter in combat. Renowned artist Andrew Chernak has been commissioned to design and sculpt the National Gold Star Mothers Monument in Washington, D.C. Chernak, of suburban Philadelphia, recently unveiled the original Gold Star Mother’s monument in Putnam, New York. Below is a photo of the

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1167105430741802822006-12-25T22:29:00.000-05:002006-12-25T23:18:24.750-05:00

I wanted to share with you something brought to my attention by friend Randy. It is a speech given by a Lieutenant Colonel Randolph C. White, Jr., at the graduation ceremony for advanced infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia this past April.I wanted to present a transcript of the entire speech to you, but then had the thought that, no…it would not do. It is much better that you should go to

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1158288460617064742006-09-14T22:44:00.001-04:002006-09-14T22:47:40.673-04:00

Fellow vets. As you all know, the Gold Star Mothers is an organization of women who have lost a son or daughter in combat. Renowned artist Andrew Chernak has been commissioned to design and sculpt the National Gold Star Mothers Monument in Washington, D.C. Chernak, of suburban Philadelphia, recently unveiled the original Gold Star Mother’s monument in Putnam, New York. Below is a photo of the

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1152372453279629292006-07-08T11:23:00.000-04:002006-07-08T11:27:33.330-04:00

Hello History fans! Here is an index to the recent series on the Battle of Gettysburg. The 8 posts are listed in order and numbered as such. Each post contains links at the bottom taking you to the next in the series, the previous in the series, or home to the History of the World Blog’s main page. Enjoy! And thank you for reading!The Battle of Gettysburg· Part 1: "Fight Like the Devil"·

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1152086993160987452006-07-05T04:30:00.000-04:002006-07-05T11:12:37.026-04:00

After the fighting ended on that 3rd day of July, 1863, and after the smoke had cleared, some 150,000 men stared blankly across the slope separating Seminary Ridge from Cemetery Ridge, and wondered what version of Hell would next present itself. A small group of soldiers ventured out from Union lines on Cemetery Ridge, in front of the artillery pieces that were now cooling and silent. They went

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1152079006083299422006-07-05T04:20:00.000-04:002006-07-27T09:33:09.123-04:00

Gettysburg Pennsylvania. July 3, 1863The Bliss FarmOn the morning of July 3, 1863, the small farm belonging to William Bliss was the focus of entirely too much attention. Situated some 100 yards west of the Emmitsburg Road, the farmhouse, and barn, and the orchard behind the buildings, were providing cover for men of both sides. The Confederates of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1152086768769624842006-07-05T04:04:00.000-04:002006-07-27T09:35:58.670-04:00

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. July 2, 1863. Evening and night.JohnsonJohnson’s Division of Ewell’s Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia was ready. They were on the east side of Rock Creek waiting to hear Longstreet’s assault commence. Johnson was uncomfortable, however, in that he was lacking his largest brigade, the fabled Stonewall Brigade, under Brigadier General James A. Walker. Walker’s

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1152074352667268602006-07-05T00:37:00.000-04:002006-07-05T11:04:46.413-04:00

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1863. Evening.Meade/SicklesMajor General George Meade had ridden south to check on the disposition of Sickles troops. Major General Daniel Sickles had moved his troops almost a mile out in front of the Union lines, and Meade was there to get him moved back. He was patiently explaining to Sickles the folly of his move when Sickles offered to move his two Divisions

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1152033662882671282006-07-04T13:20:00.000-04:002006-07-05T11:02:36.260-04:00

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. July 2, 1863. Morning and Afternoon.HoodMajor General John Bell Hood, West Point class of 1853, 44th in his class of 52, was one of the true hard fighters of the war. Admired by all, he was an excellent leader, and one of the best division commanders in the Army of Northern Virginia.About 5 AM on the morning of July 2 he stood near the Seminary observing General Robert E

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1151903802296670242006-07-03T01:15:00.000-04:002006-07-05T11:01:18.783-04:00

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. July 1, 1863. AfternoonHowardMajor General Oliver Otis Howard, 4th in his class of 46 cadets who graduated from West Point in 1854, commanded the 11th Corps in the Army of the Potomac. Howard was wounded severely in 1861 while leading a brigade in the Union 2nd Corps at the Battle of Fair Oaks. He lost his right arm there.Howard remained with the army after recuperation,

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1151812996214014732006-07-02T00:02:00.000-04:002006-07-05T10:58:43.183-04:00

July 1, 1863. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Morning.HethMajor General Henry “Harry” Heth was anxious to get his men going in the pre-dawn hours of July 1. Camped along the Chambersburg Road near Cashtown, his force for the morning’s march to Gettysburg would use only two of his brigades, Archer’s and that of Joseph Davis, totaling about 3,000 men. Behind them would come an additional 3,500 men in

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1151689179760760452006-06-30T13:38:00.000-04:002006-07-05T10:59:58.236-04:00

June 30, 1863, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.PettigrewThe sight that greeted Sarah Broadhead as she looked out her window on the west side of Gettysburg on the morning of June 30th, 1863 caused her to draw a sharp breath. There had been rumors, but the view of the Seminary and the ridge on which it stands was complicated by a large group of men, and the Confederate flags they were carrying. She would

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1150904494293960352006-06-21T11:37:00.000-04:002006-06-21T11:41:34.360-04:00

We will be moving this blog to a dedicated server sometime next month. It is highly recommended that those of you who receive email notifications from us every time an essay is posted, please subscribe to the blogs through the subscription window at the top left of the page. This will result in your receipt of notification of new posts every morning from Feedblitz. If no new post has been made,

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1139458480769117622006-02-08T23:12:00.000-05:002006-03-25T08:41:44.030-05:00

After the fighting ended on that 3rd day of July, 1863, and after the smoke had cleared, some 150,000 men stared blankly across the slope separating Seminary Ridge from Cemetery Ridge, and wondered what version of Hell would next present itself. A small group of soldiers ventured out from Union lines on Cemetery Ridge, in front of the artillery pieces that were now cooling and silent. They went

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1136908174835662862006-01-10T10:47:00.000-05:002006-01-24T13:25:23.963-05:00

Frequent reference is made to “small town America”, as opposed to “urban America”, and “suburban America”. When the Main Stream Media does it, they usually find some farm community in Iowa, or someplace like Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, scene of the most horrific battle of America’s Civil War, is small town America, also. It is surrounded by peaceful farms, and

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1136221005298729002006-01-02T11:56:00.000-05:002006-01-02T12:45:26.473-05:00

At the time, Maryland was a slave state, and Pennsylvania basically a free one, though there were lingering effects of slavery almost up to the Civil War. The last legal slave sale in Pennsylvania took place somewhere between Lancaster and Reading around 1842. It so outraged everyone in the state (well, almost everyone), that the practice was outlawed.Along the southern border of Pennsylvania,

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1135290029449668372005-12-22T17:20:00.000-05:002005-12-22T17:43:05.390-05:00

One of the first officers of either side to recognize the efficacy of joint Army/Navy operations in the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant wasted no time in demonstrating that the use of Naval assets to provide both transport, and water-borne artillery in support of army operations allowed extra advantages that paid dividends for the Union war effort.At the Battle of Belmont, Missouri, Grant planned to

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1135099954696481702005-12-20T12:32:00.000-05:002006-01-21T20:06:18.810-05:00

I have always believed that when a president is inaugurated, swears that oath and enters the Oval office for the first time, he undergoes a sea change. Suddenly, he becomes wise, and just (there have been some few exceptions, one of whom was from Pennsylvania), and this is because when they swear that oath, they don the Mantle of Constitution. It can sometimes wear very heavily, as it did with

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134670737725211072005-07-06T23:34:00.000-04:002005-12-15T13:39:07.840-05:00

In ancient Rome, a conquering general would return to Rome with his conquered enemies in tow. A grand parade would lead to the Senate building. The general would ride at the head, in a chariot, while a slave, standing behind him would whisper in his ear, “Thou are mortal” repeatedly, lest the celebration swell his head. Behind his chariot, trumpeters and drummers would mark the pace of the parade

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134670701472020812005-07-01T16:21:00.000-04:002006-01-24T12:59:19.320-05:00

Few of us give much thought now to the Internet. It came upon us in the 1990s with the advent of a series of advances in software and hardware technology that brought the price of a home computer, or PC, down to an affordable level. For most of us, just having a PC was truly remarkable, but there was this thing called the Internet that came with it. It allowed us to send email to our family and

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134670606093686212005-07-01T16:18:00.000-04:002006-01-24T12:57:55.816-05:00

In 1854, Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the United State Navy sailed into Tokyo Bay with four wooden ships that belched black coal smoke from one stack and white clouds of steam from another. Until that time, Japanese exposure to western ways, and ships had been limited to the wooden merchant and exploration vessels that sank in Japanese waters and cast their surviving seaman onto Japanese shores.

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134670576888500962005-07-01T14:01:00.000-04:002006-01-24T13:01:04.633-05:00

In China it is known as “cha”. It is a commodity that for centuries traveled the Silk Road, the Spice Road, and the sea routes that replaced them when seafaring technology allowed it. It is neither silk, nor spice, although some say it is as smooth as silk, and some add spices to it. In English, it is known as “tea”.Tea was a commodity brought back from China to Europe by the great traveler

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134670532122511232005-06-29T11:27:00.000-04:002006-01-24T13:02:19.853-05:00

The dominance over the oceans that master mariners like Sir Francis Drake and his Sea Hawk compatriots gave to England lasted for almost a century. Not long in the context of this series, but In between Drake and the 19th Century were a number of British mariners who did much to explore the “Great South Sea”, as the Pacific Ocean was called, and one Dane who sailed for Peter the Great, Czar of

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134670441658307812005-06-21T17:55:00.000-04:002006-01-24T13:03:28.580-05:00

Things changed drastically in 1688. In that year, His Most Catholic Majesty, King Philip II of Spain, who was embroiled in a decades long war to impose Catholicism on Protestant Holland, launched a fleet of 130 ships to invade England and overthrow Elizabeth I, a protestant who had declared for Protestant Holland. Philip had the backing of Pope Sixtus V. It took over six weeks for this vast fleet

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134670389388726352005-06-21T14:57:00.000-04:002006-01-24T13:04:12.910-05:00

With the opening and exploitation of the “New World”, the European Monarchies suddenly found themselves elbowing each other out of the way to gain an advantage over the others by discovering, exploring, then colonizing for exploitation as many new lands as they could. While the Portuguese led the way with the explorative voyages of colonization down the west coast of Africa, the Spanish soon

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134670337417552622005-06-18T11:48:00.000-04:002006-01-24T13:05:02.170-05:00

06: “From Caves to Warehouses: The Path of Civilization Through Trade” Part 6The ancients began trading with each other, and, as would naturally happen, someone at Point A would have a product, and would trade it with someone at Point B, and so on, until, after many iterations, the product, if it had any value at all, was being passed through many hands before it got to Point Z. It would be very

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134670277045830822005-06-12T12:15:00.000-04:002006-01-24T13:05:54.183-05:00

The Portuguese captains trained and sent out by Prince Henry the Navigator, built forts on the Ivory (modern Cote D’Ivoire), Gold (Modern Ghana) and Slave (Modern Togo, Benin, and Part of Nigeria) Coasts of Africa. The first one below the Sahara built by the Portuguese captains was on the Gold Coast, and was called Sao Jorge da Mina (Saint George of the Mine), and was built at a location where

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134669947681859282005-06-11T21:51:00.000-04:002006-03-26T01:52:42.993-05:00

It took time, of course, over a century, in fact, to absorb the information provided by Marco Polo, process it, and figure out the possible ramifications. When the book was first circulated, European seafaring skills were probably just a bit ahead of the science they would eventually need to sail the deep blue waters of the world. Handicapped thus, they were at the mercy of the Arabs from

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134669884687697302005-06-11T01:48:00.000-04:002006-01-24T13:07:35.843-05:00

Niccolo and his brother Maffeo Polo began their first trip to “Cathay” in 1255. It took them eleven years before they reached what is now Beijing but was then called Khanbaliq. There they became the emissaries of the Great Kublai Khan, who would send with them a letter to the Pope requesting teachers to show the great Khan’s people what life was like in the West.In 1271 the Brothers Polo set off

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134664464418622882005-06-10T23:21:00.000-04:002006-01-24T13:08:24.493-05:00

Trade: the act of commerce between individuals, or peoples. Requirement: a common manner of communication, and an understanding of the economy of the other party, and a commodity or skill for sale, or barter. Communication: The transmission of ideas, messages or information between two persons.After the clans discussed in Part 1, came the eventual villages of tribes, and later cities, then

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134669738464823972005-06-10T20:14:00.000-04:002006-01-24T13:09:28.980-05:00

The very first time one hungry caveman looked at another and saw he had a piece of food, crime was invented. At the very least, theft, robbery, and probably assault and battery as well, if not downright murder, was commited. At some point, and we have no idea how long this thought would have taken to occur, the first peaceful transfer of possessions from one individual to another, what we call “

Novus Livynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19895482.post-1134669635914240802005-06-10T18:00:00.000-04:002005-12-15T13:00:35.916-05:00

We plan to discuss history here, real history, of the real world. We may discuss some theoretical items, and some controversial matters as well. We do not intend to shy away from anything. What we will not do is create history here. Hopefully, we will also be able to incorporate the essays and discussions of others.Novus LivyCopyright © 2005, Novus Livy and The History of the World Blog. All

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