Kenneth C. Davis's Blog, page 133

Jefferson, Slavery and Nazis in Paris

Last evening, I had a thrilling experience. In a small, darkened room with the feel of a chapel inside the magnificent New York Public Library, I saw Thomas Jefferson's handwritten copy of his original draft of the Declaration of Independence. For me this was a "Grail Moment." Setting aside all of Jefferson's contradictions and human flaws, I found the experience of seeing these words in his own hand exhilarating.

We take them for granted, of course. But Jefferson gave full voice to the idea that

Independence Week: The Most Important Signer You Never Heard of

In the third installment of my Independence Week Refresher Course, I focus on a man who most of us never heard of. But the United States of America exists, in part, because of his efforts.

Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, a few names are familiar. Most Americans, if pressed, can probably name a true handful –Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John and Sam Adams, and John Hancock, he of the famous signature.

But among the other men who set their names on the Declaration –in essence,

Independence Week: Declaration 101

In the run-up to the nation's birthday, here are some more things you "need to know" about the Declaration of Independence and the men who created it.

-It's not a "piece of paper." The original version of the Declaration  was "engrossed" (a word for preparing an official document in a large, clear hand) on parchment (which is an animal skin, stretched and treated to preserve it). The Declaration was probably "engrossed" by Timothy Matlack, an assistant to Charles Thompson, the Secretary of the Co

"Self Evident Truths" –The Real National Treasure

As we work our way towards Independence Day on July 4th, here are a few fascinating facts about the document that created the United States of America and the day that the nation was born.

–First of all, we celebrate the wrong day –as far as John Adams was concerned. The Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, actually voted on a resolution of independence on July 2d. John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that this day would be a day of history that would be marked with bonfires, church bel

Today in History: Stonewall

There have been many remarkable changes in this country and the world over the past 40 years– an African American president, the woman's right movement, the end of the Soviet Union and South Africa's apartheid, to name a few. But as a person who has lived most of those 40 years in New York City's West Village, another shift I have witnessed is the change in attitudes about homosexuality.  I am sure it is not fast enough or sweeping enough for many people. But remember, it was not that long ago t

JFK in Berlin

It was one of the most famous sentences spoken during the Cold War.

"Ich bin ein Berliner." ("I am a Berliner.")

John F. Kennedy spoke those words on June 26, 1963, to an enormous crowd in a Berlin divided by the Cold War.

Here is a link to the New York Times account of the speech: http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0626.html#article

With the end of World War II in 1945,  the city of Berlin was divided between Communist east and democratic west. For years it served as a tense symb

Don't Know Much About the Korean War

It used to be called the "Forgotten War."  But it is no longer forgotten, as recent headlines continue to prove. And it never really ended.

The Korean War started on June 25, 1950,

In the wake of World War II, when Korea had been brutally occupied by the Japanese, the Korean peninsula was divided by the victorious allies between a Soviet-allied North and a western allied South Korea. The Korean people were not consulted on the matter.

On June 25, 1950, more than one hundred thousand troops from Com

The Truth- Still Out There?

Who you gonna believe? Mulder and Scully? Or your government?

Twelve years ago, on June 24, 1997, the Air Force released a report on the so-called "Roswell Incident." According to the Air Force, the "alien bodies" witnesses reported seeing in 1947 around Roswell, New Mexico were actually life-sized crash test dummies.

I know I am asking for trouble by even raising this issue. But inquiring minds want to know. The frenzy surrounding Roswell and the infamous "Area 51″ began back in July 1947 when a

A Revolting Reading List

Revere and his horse. Jefferson and his quill, Franklin and his kite. Washington and those false teeth. Okay. Most of us now know there was more to the American Revolution than these stock images. And the bestseller lists have been well-stocked over the past few years with books that plumb the "great men" of the Revolutionary Generation.

But with Independence Day just around the corner, here is a list of ten of my favorite books about the Revolutionary War era. It is by no means compete or compre

Galileo's Sentence

This is a day to ponder the power of science and reason against the power of religious authority. On this date, reason lost.

On June 22, 1633, the 70-year-old astronomer Galileo went before the Inquisition in Rome. He wore the white shirt of a penitent. Then he heard sentence passed:

We say, pronounce, sentence, and declare that you, the said Galileo, by reason of the matters adduced in trial, and by you confessed as above, have rendered yourself in the judgment of this Holy Office vehemently susp