The American Flag

It is a popular belief that Betsy Ross designed and made the very first American flag for the general of the Continental army, George Washington, in 1777.

 But that is unfortunately a misconception. 
 

"The first American flag was a banner with thirteen alternating red and white stripes with the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew set into to the upper left corner. These were symbols of the British throne and captured the hope that there might still be a political resolution that would maintain some connection between Americans and the throne of England."
{Don't Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis ISBN 0-06-008382-4}

I never knew that there was a flag design that predated the 13 star flag, but in a way it makes logical sense.

Originally the colonists did not want to be free of the English throne, they just wanted to feel like proper countrymen. The slogan "No taxation without representation" started because the English Parliament decided to tax the colonies to help pay the dept of the previous "Seven Years War", also known by the colonial name of the "French and Indian War".
This upset the colonists but it was really a minor thing in the long run, just something to get the people to start having ill-feelings towards the Crown.

As time went on the the tug-of-war between the colonies and England continued until Parliament decided to put its foot down and passed series of bills which the colonists called the Intolerable Acts, which spurred the colonists to convene for the First Continental Congress in 1774.

Even as the Revolution was beginning there were still many colonists who were loyal to the Crown and the patriots had to keep that in mind, thus the British symbols were incorporated into the flag to show that they were willing to work with the Crown but only to an extent.

As well all know by now, the English and the colonists could not come to an agreement and the Declaration of Independence was signed on the 4th of July, 1776.

The Revolutionary War does not officially end until the Treaty of Paris is ratified by Congress in January of 1784.

I find it interesting that we as Americans celebrate when we declared independence instead of when we actually acquired independence, but I can't really argue with the nationally holiday, now can I?

I am proud to say that I am an American; knowing that our country is not perfect, never has been and never will be, but we worked hard for our country to be a place of peace and prosperity.

Historic Events

October 18, 1867
The US purchases Alaska from Russia for 7.2 million dollars.

October 18, 1867
The US takes possession Puerto Rico.

October 18, 1926
Singer-songwriter Chuck Berry was born.

October 18, 1984
Singer-songwriter Esperanza Spalding was born.

Not really sure where I was going with this other than I was also born on October 18....

Baseball...

So on this day in 1903 the first modern World Series was played in Major League Baseball.

I know very little about baseball but I have made a couple new friends that hopefully will teach me why it is one of America's favorite sports. I grew up watching college football mainly, we had a stint of watching professional hockey for a while but that fizzled out when the team we followed fizzled out of talent.

Anywho, back to 1903.

 {Top row: Pittsburgh Pirates; Middle row & floor: Boston Americans}

There apparently were two major leagues back in 1903, the American League and the National League. The American League was created by Ban Johnson, who was originally president of the Western League a minor league organization. Johnson began competing for all the best players and got in a little spat with National League Pittsburgh Pirate's owner Barney Dreyfuss.
In an attempt to settle the spat Dreyfuss challenged Johnson's league to a series of nine games between his Pittsburgh Pirates and Johnson's Boston Americans. This series was actually a voluntary arrangement and it would not be until 1905 until it became a compulsory event.

The Boston Americans would eventually win the series with five to three, winning the last four {much to Barney Dreyfuss' chagrin I'm sure}.


Very little of this means anything to me but here is the composite line score {thanks to Wikipedia}.

1903 World Series (5–3): Boston Americans (A.L.) over Pittsburgh Pirates (N.L.)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Americans	4	0	3	5	3	10	7	3	4	39	69	14
Pittsburgh Pirates	5	1	3	2	1	1	7	3	1	24	64	19
Total attendance: 100,429   Average attendance: 12,554 Winning player's share: $1,182   Losing player's share: $1,316[12]

On this Day...

In 1973, Swedish police used gas bombs to end a seven-day hostage situation in a bank in Stockholm; during the incident the hostages had emotionally bonded with their captors, leading to the term - Stockholm syndrome.

If we look back in our world history we can see other examples of "stockholm syndrome".
Primitive tribes all over the world would abduct women from neighboring tribes or defeated enemies and incorporated them into their own tribes.
In some countries it has become a tradition for young men to "kidnap" your future brides from her family.

Other times in our history, I suspect, some people are said to have suffered from Stockholm syndrome to try to explain away their irrational choices or behavior.

I believe a wonderful example of that is with Patty Hearst.

The granddaughter of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, she gained notoriety in 1974 when she joined the Symbionese Liberation Army after they had kidnapped her. Apprehended after having taken part in a bank heist with other SLA members, Hearst was imprisoned for nearly two years before commuted by President Jimmy Carter and later pardoned by President Bill Clinton.

Sides...

I was looking through one of my history books for a suitable topic for today's random history when I came across something interesting.

August 23, 1914:
Japan declares war on Germany
{Don't Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis}

Most people know very little about World War I {myself included} so when I saw this little tidbit, my curiosity was spurred.
Nearly everyone knows that Japan joined forces with Hitler's Germany during World War II and their attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii gave the US a valid reason to join in the war.

Turns out that in the early 1900's, Japan was allied with the United Kingdom and wanted to expand into China's mainlands and surrounding islands. Japan told their allies that they would assist against Germany as long as they could take control of Germany's Chinese territories.

Since the United States did not want to get involved in World War I, the United Kingdom heavily relied on help from their other allies. The Japanese Imperial Navy was essentially given free rein in the far east, where they quickly took control of the German territories in China.
While the United Kingdom was engrossed in the war, Japan attempted to take further control of the Chinese with their Twenty-One Demands of the president {which would have turned China into a Japanese protectorate}.
The United States {among other countries} condemned Japan and the Japanese later withdrew their demands.
Overall, Japan helped the United Kingdom quite a bit during World War I mainly with exports of supplies and transporting/escorting troops.

So why did Japan change sides when World War II came around?

One word.
China. 

Japan is an island with only so much room and natural resources. Japan had become more militarized since World War I and were actively trying to take control of China's mainlands.
Once again the United States {among other countries} condemned Japan and stopped exports to the island country.
Japan was hoping that by attacking Pearl Harbor {among other places held by the British, Chinese and Dutch} the United States would want to sign a treaty to prevent more attacks and withdraw the embargoes against Japan.

Boy were they wrong and the rest is history. :)

Flying Shuttle

What comes to mind when you hear the words, "Flying Shuttle"?
The space ship?
The speeding bus from Harry Potter? {One of my favorite book series growing up}

How about cloth?
Cloth??? What does that have to do with a flying shuttle??

The flying shuttle was a device created by John Kay in 1733, that would increase the speed of cloth weaving and ultimately the production power of the looms.

Let me set the scene...

The Industrial Revolution began in England in the second half of the eighteenth century.
England was rich in raw materials secured from the colonies and worldwide trade. Wealthy men had the capital to invest in machinery and factories and the Agricultural Revolution provided the large pool of displaced workers needed to run them.

This revolution first took off in the textile industry {hence why we care about the flying shuttle}.
In the 1700s, as the demand for cotton goods grew, inventors came up with a string of devices that revolutionized the British textile industry.
John Kay's flying shuttle sped up the weaving by the loom and created a demand for more thread. One invention led to another, such as the spinning jenny, the water frame, the power loom and the cotton gin. The innovations in the textile industry improved productivity.
Improvements in chemicals, railways, ships, and heavy machinery would occur in the nineteenth century as the need for markets led to the development of different sectors of the economy.
{Credit: European History by Micheal J. Romano}

Why do I care about the flying shuttle or the British Industrial Revolution?

Because I love the BBC mini-series "North and South" based on the book by Elizabeth Gaskell.

The main heart-throb Mr. John Thornton, played by Richard Armitage {aka the dwarf leader Thorin in the movie The Hobbit}, is a cotton mill owner/operator in England during this time period.

{sigh} So handsome.

Anywho, there is your random history for the day. :)

{Bonus pictures of Richard Armitage}

Yummy. ;)

Lover of Two...

Lover of two countries, that is. 
Marquis de Lafayette {1757-1834}

"One of the {American} Revolution's idealists, this young Frenchman came to America at age 19, wealthy enough to pay for his own ship to make the journey. Like other young European aristocrats for whom war was a matter of personal honor and social standing, Lafayette came in search of glory and adventure. In exchange for a major general's rank, he offered to serve without pay, and quickly earned Washington's affection. They developed an almost father-son relationship. Given a minor command, Lafayette proved to be an able and loyal commander.
During a trip back to France, he was instrumental in securing the French military assistance that was the key to the American victory at Yorktown. At the surrender, Lafayette's personal band proudly piped "Yankee Doodle Dandy," once a song mockingly sung by the British to taunt the Americans. After the war, Lafayette returned to France with enough American soil in which to be buried."
{Don't Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis ISBN:0-06-008382-4}

While Lafayette seems to be most celebrated here in the states for helping with our bid for freedom from Britain; in his native France he is held to a lesser degree by historians. Depending on who you listen to he was either a hero and great influence in France or a half-wit from a wealthy family playing soldier.

"To the historians on the left, he was a traitor to the glorious cause. To historians on the right, he was too ineffective to be their hero"
{Patrice Gueniffey, “Lafayette” in François Furet and Mona Ozouf, eds., A Critical Dictionary of the French Revolution}

I personally just like the bit about how he brought back enough American soil to be buried under in France. Now some people of my generation might not get the significance of this, but I studied European history in high school and know full well how extremely proud theses men and women were when it came to their country. 

Anywho, there is your random history for the day. :)  

{PS: I'm not sure what is going on with the font size... sorry if it is difficult to read}