by Matt Rozsa | Aug 7, 2023 | History, Salon.com
When we typically think of an ice age, the first thing that comes to mind is often prehistoric humans hunting wooly mammoths or battling saber-toothed tigers. Technically, an ice age is a prolonged period of colder climates when polar and mountain ice sheets are unusually extensive across the earth’s surface and on geological timescales, they happen regularly....
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by Matt Rozsa | Jun 4, 2023 | History, Salon.com
Abraham Lincoln referred to it as “the ludicrous incident of sewing up the hogs eyes.”
“As a youngster he shot a wild turkey and was so disgusted he claimed he never again raised a weapon to kill an animal.”
The story comes from a short autobiography that the future president co-authored for his 1860 election campaign....
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by Matt Rozsa | May 22, 2023 | History, Salon.com
Believe it or not, there once was a time when trans people could be the stars of popular fiction without arousing nationwide controversy and manufactured outrage.
“Even though it’s ‘just’ a short story, it must have resonated with readers because it appeared in one of the most popular magazines of the day.”
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by Matt Rozsa | May 20, 2023 | History, Salon.com
President Lyndon B. Johnson is one of American history’s most enigmatic figures. Although he is rightly criticized for bungling the Vietnam War, he was also one of the most productive progressives to ever inhabit the White House. Thanks to his knack for parliamentary maneuvering, Johnson passed some of the most important liberal legislation in American history: the landmark civil rights laws of the 1960s, Medicare, Medicaid, consumer protections, federal funding to education and the arts and protecting the environment....
Originally posted on salon.com
by Matt Rozsa | Dec 24, 2022 | History, Salon.com
When Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated for his first presidential term in 1869, thousands of people showed up to celebrate. It was one of the grandest and swankiest parties held in generations, with pricey tickets and a level of pomp befitting the figurative coronation of the general who had preserved the Union....
Originally posted on salon.com