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Category Archives: American history
Rethinking Ranchers and Government: A Fresh Look at an Old Debate
For decades, the conventional wisdom has portrayed Western ranchers as caught in a paradox—an industry built on independence that criticized federal regulation while relying on government programs. It’s become the accepted narrative—and according to Dr. Tim Gresham, it misses the … Continue reading
Posted in Agricultural history, Agriculture, American history, American West, Cattle industry, Ranch history, Uncategorized
Tagged Alan K. Simpson Fellowship, American Heritage Center, beef fundamentalism, cattle ranching, government regulation, Hereford cattle, industry-government relations, Meat Industry, National Cattlemen's Association, National Live Stock & Meat Board, nutritionism, ranching history, Tim Gresham, western history, Wyoming Hereford Ranch
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How a Civil War Farmer’s Letters Changed My View of Independence Day
I’ve been an archivist at the American Heritage Center for almost 25 years, and I thought I knew our collections pretty well. But as I was searching for the perfect topic for this year’s Independence Day blog post, I found … Continue reading
Posted in 19th century, American history, Civil War, Uncategorized
Tagged 120th Indiana Infantry, 1864, 1865, Agnes Hull, American Heritage Center, Archival collections, Atlanta Campaign, Battle of Franklin, Battle of Nashville, Civil War correspondence, Civil War home front, Civil War letters, Civil War soldiers, Confederate General Hood, Digitized collections, Family letters, Independence Day, Indiana farmers, John H. Hull, July 4th, military history, Patriotism, Sacrifice and service, Union Army, Union victory, War Correspondence, William T. Sherman
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Felicia Gizycka and Cissy Patterson: The Relationship that Defined a 20th Century Life
Felicia Gizycka was born in 1905 to Count Josef Gizycki and his wife, Countess Eleanor “Cissy” Patterson. Her early years were colored by her father’s kidnapping of her and her mother’s aloofness. Her adult life was one of “international flapper,” … Continue reading
Posted in 1920s America, American history, American Social History, Biography and profiles, Journalism, Uncategorized, women's history, Wyoming history
Tagged 20th Century, American Heiresses, American Heritage Center, Chicago Tribune, Cissy Patterson, Dollar Princesses, Drew Pearson, European Aristocracy, Felicia Gizycka, Medill Family, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Newspaper Industry, Socialites, Women Publishers, Writers
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“Asters All A-blow”: Women’s Gardening Aesthetic in Industrial America and Eliza Toppan’s Gardening Manuals
The Toppan Rare Book Library is inextricably linked to the legacies of members of the Toppan family: Frederick, Clara, and Eliza. Fred, a geologist, met Clara Raab when he and Eliza moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1941. As a … Continue reading
Posted in American history, Book history, Gardening, Uncategorized, women's history
Tagged Book collecting, Botanical illustrations, Cottage-style gardens, Eliza Toppan, Female authors, Gardening manuals, Helena Rutherfurd Ely, Horticulture, Illustrated books, Industrial America, Margaret Armstrong, rare books, Toppan Rare Book Library, Victorian era, Women gardeners
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Gale Cleven and George Niethammer: The Wyoming Connection in “Masters of the Air”
If you are interested in the history of the Second World War, or interested in aviation, you may have been watching Masters of the Air, a new television series on Apple TV+. A companion to Band of Brothers and The … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Adaptations, American history, aviation, Biography and profiles, military history, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, World War II, Wyoming history
Tagged 100th Bomb Group, Bloody Hundredth, Bomber Pilots, Eighth Air Force, Gale Cleven, George Niethammer, Masters of the Air, Prisoners of War, Stalag Luft III, WWII, WWII Heroes
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Truth to Power: US Senator McGee’s Fight Echoed in “Oppenheimer”
Senator Gale McGee of Wyoming was an important figure in the groundswell of political change occurring in his time. Notably, as one of the rare Democrats in the state’s predominantly political sphere, he brought his extensive knowledge of history to … Continue reading
Posted in American history, Biography and profiles, Entertainment history, Film History, Hollywood history, Motion picture actors and actresses, Political controversy, Political history, Uncategorized
Tagged Cold War America, Confirmation Hearings, Corruption, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gale McGee, Integrity, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Lewis Strauss, McCarthyism, Oppenheimer, Speeches, U.S. Senate, Wyoming Senators
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Unveiling the Language of Anti-Environmentalism: Insights from the James Watt and Malcolm Wallop Papers
As a recipient of the AHC’s 2021 Alan K. Simpson Fellowship in Western Political History, my research project delved into the intriguing world of two influential figures, James Watt and Malcolm Wallop, to shed light on their roles in shaping … Continue reading
Posted in American history, Anti-environmentalism, Biography and profiles, Conservative politics, environmental history, Environmental policy, Political history, Uncategorized
Tagged Alan K. Simpson Fellowship, Climate change, James Watt, Malcolm Wallop, Ronald Reagan, Sagebrush Rebellion, Wise Use Movement
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The Laboratory-War Zone: Natural Knowledge and Frontier Violence in the American West
The “Skull of [a] Medicine Man” sits among 728 photographs in William Henry Jackson’s Descriptive Catalogue of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories produced between 1869 and 1873. This seemingly unremarkable catalog listing obscures a disturbing reality – … Continue reading
Posted in 19th century, American history, American Indian history, Anthropology, Colonialism, Photography, Racism, Uncategorized, Western history
Tagged Epistemology, Ethnographic Photography, Geological Survey, Hayden Survey, Louis Agassiz, Manifest Destiny, Scientific Racism, Senses, Vision, William Henry Jackson
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