What feels like a modern fight over Confederate monuments began at Gettysburg in the 1880s. In this episode of the Public History Podcast, Codie Eash shows how veterans battled over memory, treason, and power - and how the Lost Cause was challenged by US veterans from the start on America’s most famous battlefield. Read the full story.
This holiday episode of the Public History podcast revisits It’s a Wonderful Life as more than a Christmas classic. We unpack the war trauma behind Jimmy Stewart’s performance, the clash between Bedford Falls and Potterville, and why Frank Capra’s critique of power still feels uncomfortably relevant today. Read the full story.
When Captain Edwin Severn died in 1872, Mary Severn stepped into the role of Postmaster of Mahanoy City.
Civil War veterans in Tower City, PA were infuriated by an insulting story about them in a local newspaper. So they took action.
In 1905, outraged Union veterans in Port Carbon, Pennsylvania came together to take down a confederate battle flag.
Schuylkill County Civil War veterans took a stand against the construction of a Robert E. Lee monument at Gettysburg in 1903.
In 1865, Union soldiers began their triumphant return to Schuylkill County. Their future, however, was uncertain.
In the early hours of November 11, 1918, news of the armistice ending World War I swept through Williams Valley, Pennsylvania. Communities like Tower City and Lykens erupted in spontaneous celebrations, with bells, whistles, and parades marking the end of the Great War. Residents rejoiced in a hard-won victory, though the seeds of another conflict had already been planted. Read the full story.
Photographs taken on Memorial Day 1907 in Williamstown, Pennsylvania show a community commemorating its war dead.
What happens when the United States declares war and few young men appear at the recruiting offices to answer the call?