Trusted Writing on History, Travel, and American Culture Since 1949
May 2012
From very personal experience I can tell you it’s tough to sail against winds of change in publishing and the difficult economic times of recent years.
After surmounting many challenges, our publishing company must end its run of 61 years. In its place, a new organization—The American Heritage Society—rises to the occasion. As a nonprofit, the Society will be able to secure additional funding from donors, foundations, and government agencies.
Almost five years ago now, I read the obituary of American Heritage in The New York Times. It seemed impossible that this distinguished magazine would no longer tell the story of America’s spirit.
Our dedicated group of staff, directors, and supporters—especially the Forbes family, Albert Small, the late Robert H. Smith and his son, David Bruce Smith—stepped in to save American Heritage.
1812: The Navy's War
By George C. Daughan
1812: The Navy’s War recounts the familiar tales of how American captains—men such as Stephen Decatur and Isaac Hull—bloodied the nose of Great Britain’s powerful navy. The exploits of the USS Constitution rank among the most famous: it dismasted and captured the HMS Guerriere in one skirmish and later defeated the HMS Java in an intense three-hour battle off Brazil, thus earning it the legendary sobriquet “Old Ironsides.” Although small and frequently outgunned, the U.S. Navy ranged from the interior waters of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific, inflicting much damage on British shipping in all three theaters of war.
When Paul Jaskot, a historian of architecture and art at DePaul University in Chicago, started researching the design of Nazi concentration camps, he confronted immense stacks of archival materials. The Germans, after all, were meticulous record keepers—and the data included construction drawings, freight manifests, and purchase orders. How could he possibly mine information from such a diverse and exhaustive trove of primary source documents? Too much information can prove as daunting as too little.
For help Jaskot turned to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a computer-based data management tool that integrates geographical and spatial information with all sorts of other data. GIS mapping techniques can overlay enormous amounts of seemingly unrelated information onto a map. When the right questions are posed, surprising new answers often arise.
Founded in 1891, the Beverly Historical Society chronicles over 300 years of history since the city's founding in 1668. The site hosts lectures and living history demonstrations that cover colonial times, early American history, and modern events that affected Beverly. Hosting close to one million artifacts and documents, it can be a valuable research tool for those interested in Beverly history.
Since 1892 the Beverly Historical Society has called the 1781 John Cabot House its headquarters. Cabot was an American privateer and merchant who explored the Baltic Sea after American independence. More recently, the society acquired the John Balch House and the Reverand John Hale House, two 17th-century houses. All three houses are open to the public and can be seen via guided tours.
Many plans are afloat to commemorate the 1513 landing of explorer Ponce de León in Florida. He was said to be looking for the fountain of youth, but instead found a land so full of springtime flowers that he named it “La Florida.”
The Sunshine State is eager for visitors to appreciate its rich history, so Secretary of State Ken Detzner is heading VivaFlorida 500, a commission to help organize a full year of events. The quincentennial commemorates many players and eras, including Florida’s vital, but often forgotten, role in both the American Revolution and Civil War. Tall ships will circumnavigate the state, and numerous festivals will celebrate food and heritage.
Of course, Ponce de León’s landing will be reenacted. But where, exactly, was that? It’s such a matter of contention that the Florida Historical Society plans to kick off the year with a mock trial at the historic courthouse of Palm Beach County to debate the alternatives.
“Lawyers will present evidence for whether the landing was in St. Augustine, Ponce de León Inlet, Melbourne, or Jupiter Island,” says Ben Brotemarkle, the Society’s Executive Director.