Bruce's History Lessons
- Bruce’s History Lessons: Truman’s controversial decision to recognize Israel
- By Bruce Kauffmann/For the Appeal-Democrat
- This week (May 14) in 1948, at the direction of President Harry Truman, the United States recognized the existence of the newly formed nation of Israel, which had declared independence earlier that day. It was, Truman later stated, among the most imp... Full story
- Bruce's History Lessons: Suggested readings and spring cleaning
- By Bruce Kauffmann/For the Appeal-Democrat
- Time for my annual spring cleaning column, in which I address reader issues and answer frequently asked questions.
Issue No. 1: My one reader issue this year is still the same. I appreciate the volume of reader mail I get and I pride myself on answe... Full story
- ‘Bull’ Connor was unsuspecting champion of civil rights
- In 1963, Eugene "Bull" Connor was the public safety commissioner of Birmingham, Ala. Bull Connor was also the stereotypical red-faced, bull-necked, racist lawman who believed all blacks were genetically inferior. And Bull Connor was also, ironically,... Full story
- Bruce’s History Lessons: The Constitution and power to make war
- By Bruce Kauffmann/For the Appeal-Democrat
- One of the longest-standing and regularly recurring of our national political debates — a debate that, if anything, is even more intense today — is what powers the president and the Congress have with regard to America's involvement in wa... Full story
- Bruce's History Lessons: Alexis de Tocqueville's 'Democracy in America'
- By Bruce Kauffmann/For the Appeal-Democrat
- Alexis de Tocqueville, who died this week (April 16) in 1859, is best known for his seminal work "Democracy in America," which is not only the best book ever written about democracy, it is arguably the best book ever written about America. Having tra... Full story
- Bruce’s History Lessons: Civil War began this week
- By Bruce Kauffmann/For the Appeal-Democrat
- The Civil War began this week (April 12) in 1861 with the shelling of the Union fort, Fort Sumter, by Confederate troops in South Carolina.
Four years later that war ended with the total defeat of the Confederacy, and in the war's wake many historia... Full story
- Lister’s life-saving discovery
- By Bruce Kauffmann/For the Appeal-Democrat
- Joseph Lister, who was born this week (April 5) in1827, was an amazing physician but a poor salesman. In 1867, this unknown British doctor, having read an article on microorganisms by the French chemist Louis Pasteur, concluded that the same microorg... Full story
