A Brief History On July 25, 1969, President Nixon declared the “Nixon Doctrine,” stating that from this point on Asian countries were expected to defend themselves rather than rely on the US to defend them.  This policy began the pathetic process of “Vietnamization” of the Viet Nam War, turning over responsibility for the war to South Viet Nam.  Presidents have been declaring “doctrines” all the way back to James Monroe.  Here we list 10 of those presidential doctrines.  Whether or not they were/are a good idea is for you to decide.   Digging Deeper 10. Monroe. The original policy labeled a…

A Brief History On July 25, 1593, Henry IV, King of France, converted from Calvinism back to the Catholicism of his birth.  Henry had been raised Protestant, although he was baptized Catholic.  His conversion back to Catholic came in the midst of the Wars of Religion, battles between Catholic and Protestant Europeans. Digging Deeper Was Henry’s re-conversion a political ploy or a sincere action of conscience?  It would seem to be a move made for political expediency, something monarchs and other national leaders have done throughout history.  Napoleon Bonaparte did not think highly of religion, but he recognized the usefulness…

A Brief History On July 24, 1814, British forces under Phineas Riall marched to the Niagara River to halt an American force from invading Canada.  The War of 1812 is misunderstood by many Americans, with most Americans assuming the US won the war, when the truth is much more like a tie at best.  The British never intended to conquer the US, as they were busy with Napoleon and bigger issues than the US.  The war was more about a punitive expedition by the British.  The final battle, after the war was over, in New Orleans was an American victory…

A Brief History On July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland, a passenger ship only 265 feet long and 38 feet wide, rolled over while tied up at dock, killing 848 people, the greatest loss of life in any Great Lakes maritime disaster. Digging Deeper The Eastland had been in service since 1903, carrying passengers from Chicago to South Haven and back for 3 years, and then back and forth from Cleveland and Cedar Point for the next 8 years.  In 1914 she changed hands again and worked the Chicago to St. Joseph, Michigan route. After the Titanic disaster, maritime safety laws…

A Brief History On July 23, 1903, the Ford Motor Company sold its first car.  For some reason many Americans are under the impression that Henry Ford invented the automobile and that Ford was the first brand of cars.  Although Ford got into the business early in the industry’s infancy, he was far from the first.  These sort of misunderstandings, myths, and mistakes fill our minds and our history books.  We are listing 10 such erroneous “facts” to help set things straight.   Digging Deeper 10. Thomas Jefferson Freed His Slaves When He Died. Hardly.  Jefferson owned hundreds of slaves and…