What the Barista is Brewing Today
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Declaration and Constitution: Travels of the Charters of Freedom
70 years have now passed since our nation’s founding documents came together and became known collectively as the Charters of Freedom. By Milton Gustafson Introduction Pennsylvania Avenue, the site of countless parades and marches, had never seen a procession quite like this one. On a December Saturday in 1952, uniformed members of all branches of[…]
“Incited by the Love of Liberty”: The ‘Amistad’ Captives and the Courts
From the time that the Amistad captives arrived in the United States, their quest for freedom played out within the federal court system. On August 29, 1839, a lone West African man named Sengbe Pieh stood in shackles before a special session of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. Judge Andrew Judson[…]
Political Accountability in the U.S. and Its Early Modern Roots in England
The British – who invented impeachment – decided it no longer served its purpose and found more effective methods to deal with bad leaders. Introduction Impeachment was developed in medieval England as a way to discipline the king’s ministers and other high officials. The framers of the U.S. Constitution took that idea and applied it[…]
Rights and Responsibilities under the Medieval System of Feudalism
Feudalism is the most distinctive and significant factor of the early and central middle ages. What Was Feudalism? Before the period known as the Middle Ages, the Roman Empire controlled most of Western Europe. Under Roman rule, Europe was organized and unified region. But in 400 A.D., the Roman Empire was split in two: the[…]
5 Common Mental Health Myths That Need to Be Busted
Modern society has progressed in myriad ways. Smart homes, connected cars, VR gaming, digital money – this is just a glimpse of the numerous technological advancements that have resulted in the fast-paced development of our society. Today, it’s possible to accomplish nearly everything from the comfort of your home. But there’s one crucial aspect of[…]
Las Vegas: How it got the Nickname as Sin City
Introduction In the early 1700s, a 60-man party of Spanish traders was travelling along the Spanish Trail to Los Angeles. One of them, Rafael Rivera, was the first to notice a valley floor with grassy meadows on this trip. He called the valley “Las Vegas”, which is a Spanish term that translates roughly into “the[…]
The Medieval History of Passover: Libel, Conspiracy, and Hope for Freedom
In medieval Europe, Passover was a touchpoint for conspiracy theories, violence, and libel against Jews. Introduction The Seder celebrates the memory of Exodus, when a people bound to labour in Egypt for centuries gained its freedom. So profound was this experience that survivors and future generations were instructed to retell the story annually to their[…]
Viking Prophecy: The Poem Völuspá of the Poetic Edda
Every god has a specific enemy with whom they will do battle and many will be slain, including the chief god Odin. By Irina Manea Introduction The Völuspá (Old Norse: Vǫluspá) is a medieval poem of the Poetic Edda that describes how the world might have come into shape and would end according to Norse[…]
Ancient Rome’s Response to the Spread of Christianity
Examining the growth of the new religion from persecution of early Christians to Constantine’s conversion. Introduction During the 1st century CE, a sect of Jews in Jerusalem claimed that their teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, was the ‘messiah’ of Israel. ‘Messiah’ meant ‘anointed one’, or someone chosen by the God of Israel to lead when God[…]
The Origin of ‘Satan’ in Ancient and Medieval Literature and Theology
The concept of Satan emerged over time and in phases. Introduction Satan, or the Devil, is one of the best-known characters in the Western traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Surprisingly, this entity was a late-comer in the ancient world. Satan, as a totally evil being, is nowhere to be found in the Jewish Bible.[…]
A Modern History of the Search for a Vaccine to Vanquish the Plague
There are three types of plague infection — bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic — and all are caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. The plague is best known for wiping out as much as a third of Europe’s population during the Black Death pandemic of the 14th century, but it’s not entirely a thing of the[…]
Competing Theories of the Medieval ‘Black Death’
Several possible causes have been advanced for the Black Death. Introduction Theories of the Black Death are a variety of explanations that have been advanced to explain the nature and transmission of the Black Death (1347–51). A number of epidemiologists since the 1980s have challenged the traditional view that the Black Death was caused by[…]
Oribasius: Ancient Physician to Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate
Oribasius was considered as one of the most illustrious representatives of intellectual circles. Introduction Oribasius (c. 320-400/403 CE) was the physician and political advisor of the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate (r. 361-363 CE). A native of Pergamon, a rich and powerful Greek city in Mysia, he studied medicine and oratory and belonged to the[…]
Anonymus Londinensis: Ancient Greek Physician and Author
His work is the most important surviving medical papyrus and provides information about the history of Greek medical thought. ‘On Medicine’ Overview While only fragments survive of some portions of the text, the papyrus containing the work of Anonymus Londinensis is exceptionally well preserved, with 3.5 meters of the roll largely intact, containing almost 2,000[…]
Family: How to Build Good Relationships
The way we relate to our families determines how we see others. The importance of family cannot be understated as it is the fabric that holds us together at our best and worst. Children are particularly sensitive when it comes to building relationships as they are affected the most by actions and words. How you[…]
George Washington and the Building of the Capital City
The decision to create a national capital city and the execution of the plan was an underappreciated legacy of George Washington. By Dr. Robert P. WatsonDistinguished Professor of American HistoryLynn University Against all odds, George Washington and a ragtag band of poorly trained blacksmiths and ill-equipped farmers managed to pull off a most unlikely victory[…]
Andries Beeckman’s ‘The Castle of Batavia’ and 17th-Century Dutch Colonialism
The Dutch occupied this city, as well as several others in Asia, for centuries. A Castle on Colonial Soil The air feels humid with a thick layer of clouds covering most of the blue in the sky. Tall palms stand in unnaturally precise rows and shade a busy marketplace of exotic goods and colorfully dressed[…]
The Ancient Celtic Gundestrup Cauldron
The cauldron was an integral part of ancient Celtic feasts and had its own special place in mythology. Introduction The Gundestrup Cauldron is a gilded silver bowl found in Gundestrup in Denmark in 1891 CE. It was likely made in the Balkans, perhaps in the 1st century BCE, and shows a clear influence from Celtic[…]
Celtic Warriors, the ‘Barbarians’ of Antiquity
Our best view of the Celts in terms of written sources is the works of Greek and Roman writers. Introduction The warriors of Celtic Europe were amongst the most distinctive of any fighters in the ancient world. With their great height, long hair and moustaches, frequent nakedness, painted and tattooed bodies, and fondness for collecting[…]
The Ancient Assyrian Empire and What Made Them a Superpower
Back in the times of the early bronze era or approximately 2000 BCE (long before things such as cars, telephones, internet, video games, Intertops Casino bonus) was the empire known as Assyria. The Assyrian Empire was the largest empire of its time and lasted for almost fourteen hundred years. All in all, a long time to[…]
How To Mod-Up Your Online Gaming Experience
Gaming is among the most-engaging industries in the modern world. Fast internet speed and better gaming devices have made everyone get the urge to join the industry. Those who were already doing it are also happy because they now have access to better gaming accessories that make it easy to experiment with different games. However,[…]
The History and Legacy of ‘Black Wall Street’
Before 1921, most of Tulsa’s 10,000 African American residents lived in the vibrant district with flourishing Black-owned businesses. By Dora Mekouar Until recently, many Americans had never heard of the Greenwood District of the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, one of the largest, most prosperous Black communities in the United States that was destroyed in 1921 during what the Oklahoma[…]
“I, Too, Sing America”: Remembering David Driskell and Two Centuries of Black American Art
In 1976, the exhibition Two Centuries of Black American Art, 1750 to 1950, curated by David Driskell, debuted at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Opening the year of the Bicentennial, the anniversary of the country’s founding, the landmark exhibition was one of the first to document, in comprehensive detail, the enormous contributions of[…]
Fighting School Segregation in the North during the Civil Rights Movement
In the 1950s, Harlem mother Mae Mallory fought a school system that she saw as ‘just as Jim Crow’ as the one she had attended in the South. Introduction Whether it’s black-and-white photos of Arkansas’ Little Rock Nine or Norman Rockwell’s famous painting of New Orleans schoolgirl Ruby Bridges, images of school desegregation often make[…]
John Brown: Blazing a Moral Path for the Cautious Lincoln to End Slavery
President Lincoln was a statesman. John Brown was a radical. That’s the traditional view of how each one fought slavery. Introduction One of the most underappreciated figures in the nation’s history, John Brown, has been introduced to Americans by the Showtime series “The Good Lord Bird,” based on the James McBride novel of the same[…]
Tobacco and the Colonial American Economy
Tobacco, and the economic system of mercantilism, factored into the grievances of the colonists leading to the American Revolutionary War. Introduction The most important cash crop in Colonial America was tobacco, first cultivated by the English at their Jamestown Colony of Virginia in 1610 CE by the merchant John Rolfe (l. 1585-1622 CE). Tobacco grew[…]
A Brief History of Tobacco in the Americas
Tobacco, along with the “three sisters” (beans, maize, and squash), was among the most significant crops cultivated by Native Americans. Introduction The history of tobacco use in the Americas goes back over 1,000 years when natives of the region chewed or smoked the leaves of the plant now known as Nicotiana rustica (primarily in the[…]
Ancient Trees Show When the Earth’s Magnetic Field Last Flipped Out
The Earth is a giant magnet because its core is solid iron, and swirling around it is an ocean of molten metal. An ancient, well-preserved tree that was alive the last time the Earth’s magnetic poles flipped has helped scientists pin down more precise timing of that event, which occurred about 42,000 years ago. This[…]
Palmyra: The Fight to Preserve an Ancient Homeland in Syria
History and identity come together to tell the story of Palmyra. Introduction Born and raised in Palmyra, Syria, Waleed Khaled al-As’ad can trace his family’s lineage in the city back five generations. Now a refugee in France, he hopes to someday return to Palmyra, an important world heritage site that suffered widespread destruction by ISIS[…]
New Gaming Trends That Will Drive Online Casino in 2021
The rise in popularity of online casino games has grabbed the attention of the gaming community in recent times. After the life-changing year of 2020- 2021 promises to bring stability and current innovations together to create a more immersive gaming experience in online casinos’ virtual domain. Online casinos have recorded high e-traffic from people from[…]
