Small bands of Patriots and Loyalists who fought with fierce devotion were formed during the early Revolutionary War period in the Carolinas and Georgia. Because of the numerically small number of forces involved, and because of intense passions that existed on both sides, the engagements were both personal and bitter. The most significant of these engagements was the Battle of … [Read more...] about Moores Creek Bridge: A small battle with huge implications
History Archives
The Spoilers of Our Land
How the British Government Responded to the Great Hunger In January 1847, the Nation published a poem entitled ‘The Stricken Land.’ It was a searing indictment of the policies of the British Government in the wake of the second failure of the potato crop only a few months earlier. It was written by a young woman, Jane Elgee, who was drawn from the Protestant … [Read more...] about The Spoilers of Our Land
The Irish Role in the Viking Discovery of America
As the thousandth anniversary of the Viking discovery of America will soon be celebrated in the year 2000, Thomas J. Martin and Donald V. Mehus examine the role that the Irish, with their own long seafaring tradition, played in those daring Atlantic voyages of exploration and discovery. A thousand years ago one of the most remarkable discoveries of the European peoples came … [Read more...] about The Irish Role in the Viking Discovery of America
Have the Irish Made It in America?
Sociologist and best-selling author Andrew M. Greeley looks at the various immigrant waves of Irish to this country and how they fared. Have the Irish made it in America? That the question is still asked shows that the Irish are still insecure about their success in this country. In fact, Irish Catholics are the most successful gentile ethnic group in American society and … [Read more...] about Have the Irish Made It in America?
Why Famine Came to Ireland
The potato blight that arrived in Europe in the summer of 1845 was, like the potato itself, an American export. The fungus that caused the blight was a microscopic organism that would not be identified scientifically for another fifteen years. But even after its identification, no effective treatment for the blight would be found till a Frenchman named Millardet would notice … [Read more...] about Why Famine Came to Ireland