The USS Monitor was the Navy's first ironclad vessel, but it was not the only one in Civil War waters. The Virginia had started life in 1855 as the Merrimack, a Union ship that had been burned to the waterline, sunk, and abandoned in the Gosport Navy Yard in Norfolk, VA. The Confederates raised what … Continue reading A Submerged House: Ironclads and the Civil War
Here at Prologue: Pieces of History, we have Facial Hair Friday. On the Harry S. Truman Library's Facebook page, they celebrate Millinery Monday! When I was very little, I loved poking through my mother's old hatboxes stored in the basement. Alas, the era of wearing hats for every occasion had passed, but she had saved her … Continue reading Hats off to Bess Truman!
In a break with tradition, today's Facial Hair doesn't feature a picture of a beard, but the man whose accomplishments we are featuring did indeed have a luxurious beard. And whether or not whiskers tickle your own chin, you almost certainly have one of his inventions attached to your face at some point during the … Continue reading Facial Hair Friday: Can you hear me now?
When I voted to approve appropriations for the country’s highways, I didn’t think I’d have to build them!Last's week winning caption goes to Marc, whose plowman did not expect to have quite such an active role in government. If you thought this looked like a victorious pursuit for these two well-dressed gentlemen, you would be correct. … Continue reading Thursday’s Caption Contest
