Gilbert M. Stack's Blog, page 123

Today in History: The Atlanta Compromise

On this day (September Eighteen) in 1895, Booker T. Washington and many southern black leaders forged the controversial Atlanta Compromise with southern white political leaders. In the compromise, the whites agreed to provide blacks with due process of law and a basic education steered toward vocational and industrial work in exchange for blacks not pushing for the vote, or complaining about segregation and the lack of their civil rights. Originally the Compromise received support from other black leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois, but as the twentieth century dawned opinions changed in favor of fighting for full civil rights.

Today in History: The Lord of the Flies

On this day (September 17) in 1954, Lord of the Flies was published by William Golding. If you haven’t read it yet, you should definitely put it on your reading list. At its roots, when you get past the basic adventure story of a group of boys stranded together on an uninhabited island, this is a novel of civilization and how easily and rapidly it unravels in extreme circumstances. I’d heard about this novel most of my life but decided to read it only after reading Stephen King’s Hearts in Atlantis. In the opening novella of that collection, King brilliantly weaves the plot of Lord of Flies into his larger story. This book continually makes it on to top 100 book lists. Give it a read. You won’t regret it.

Today in History: The Camp David Accords

On this day (September 17) in 1978, the Camp David Accords were signed establishing the framework that led to peace between Egypt and Israel. The treaty was signed by Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin after 12 days of secret negotiations. U.S. President Jimmy Carter served as mediator. It was in essence a “land for peace” deal. Israel agreed to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula and return it to Egypt and Egypt guaranteed Israel’s access to the Suez Canal and to limit its military presence in Sinai. To sweeten the deal, the U.S. agreed to provide several billion dollars in subsidies each year to both countries.

Today in History: Anarchists Strike Out Against Wall Street

On this day (September 16) in 1920, a bomb was exploded on Wall Street that killed 38 and people and seriously injured 143. No one knows precisely how many hundreds more received minor injuries. The bomb was maneuvered into place in a horse wagon (which makes is a predecessor of the car bomb). It was the deadliest act of terrorism on U.S. soil up to this time and was probably carried out by Italian anarchists called Galleanists for Luigi Galleani, an anarchist famous for promoting the “propaganda of the deed” (using violence to prompt the overthrow of governments). Unfortunately, it was decided that cleaning up so that the stock exchange could open the next day was more important than the criminal investigation, so we will never know for certain who was responsible for the carnage. The bomb was composed of 100 pounds of dynamite and 500 pounds of cast iron sash weights (used to keep window panels in place).

3 Weeks Left to Get Discount on Blood Ties

Less than 3 weeks left to take advantage of the pre-order discount price for my supernatural thriller, Blood Ties.

It seemed like such an easy case. All attorney Liz Dunn had to do was escort Ryan Hart to meet his long lost uncle in the tiny country of Carpathia on the Transylvanian border. Ryan stood to gain a ten million dollar estate. Liz wanted the hefty check that would keep her law firm in the black. But Ryan’s dying uncle, the enigmatic Stefan Carpathios, planned to get something far more sinister in return. In an ancient land where legends come to life, Liz is about to discover that the world is much more complex than she believed and a blood tie can be an exceedingly dangerous thing.

Today in History: Charles Darwin

On this day (September 15) in 1835 Charles Darwin reached the Galapagos Islands. Darwin visited the Galapagos as part of the HMS Beagle survey. He carried out geological studies and collected animal specimens while the Beagle surveyed the coasts of the islands. It was his experiences in the Galapagos and on his voyage that led Darwin to begin thinking about the differentiation of species and to develop theories that he would eventually call Evolution and Natural Selection. Darwin is one of the most influential people to have ever lived.

Today in History: The Battle of Devil's Hole

On this day (September 14) in 1763, the Seneca defeated the British at the Battle of Devil’s Hole. The battle took place near Niagara Falls which the British had taken from the French in the French and Indian War. The British had invested in improving the trails so that ox drawn wagons could make the portage, putting several hundred Seneca out of work in what they viewed as their own land. They decided it was time to drive the British out and joined with other tribes in the Great Lakes Region in what has come to be known as Pontiac’s Rebellion. They attacked a wagon train and its armed escort and then ambushed two companies of British soldiers who tried to rescue the wagon train. The Seneca killed 21 out of 24 men in the wagon train and 81 soldiers. The Seneca suffered one wounded.

Today in History: The First Motor Vehicle Death in America

On this day (September 13) in 1899 Henry Bliss became the first person in America to die in a motor vehicle accident. Bliss had just stepped off a streetcar in New York City when he was hit by an electric-powered taxicab. His head and chest were crushed and he died from his injuries the next morning. The driver was charged with manslaughter but acquitted because he had no malice and was not negligent.

Today in History: Prehistoric Art

On this day (September 12) in 1940 Paleolithic cave paintings were discovered in a cave in Lascaux, France. There are over 600 pictures on the walls and ceilings of the cave complex that were painted over generations some 17,000 years ago. Most of the paintings depict large animals, human figures or abstract images (more than 6000 in total). No one living knows why the painting were produced, although it is theorized that they were either spiritual messages trying to ensure a good hunt or memorials of particularly successful hunts.

Today in History: The Battle of Stirling Bridge

On this day (September 11) in 1297 the Scots defeated the English at the Battle of the Stirling Bridge. The Earl of Surrey, leading English forces, rejected advice to send cavalry to flank the Scots by using a ford two miles down the river that would have allowed his cavalry to cross en masse. Instead he utilized Stirling Bridge which was the safest point of crossing but was only wide enough to permit two men on horseback to cross side by side. The Scots permitted about two thousand men to cross and then attacked, cutting off further reinforcements from crossing the bridge and probably killing most of the two thousand men who had already crossed. The loss broke the confidence o the Earl of Surrey who destroyed the bridge and retreated.