Tag: US History
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Round and Round Went the Great Big Wheel: The History of an Eponymous Fairground Ride
The Ferris wheel as we know it today was created for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. Verity Limond explores the story of the classic fairground ride’s invention, construction, and its legacy.
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Gerald Ford: The Commuter-in-Chief
The commute to work is something many professionals have had to contend with – including the 38th President of the United States. Sam Marks explores Gerald Ford’s unconventional start to his presidency.
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Project Greek Island: Duck and Uncovered
In the 1950s, during the height of the Cold War, nuclear panic led to the creation of underground fallout shelters around the world–sometimes in unexpected places. Sam Marks tells the story of the creation of a classified nuclear bunker for members of the US government underneath an unassuming hotel.
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Film Review – Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling: Tragedy and the Pursuit of Perfection
Olivia Wilde’s 2022 feature, “Don’t Worry Darling” blends the macabre and the glamorous against a background of 1950s America. Georgia Smith delves into Wilde’s world of seduction, tension, and Victory.
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Origin of the Graham Cracker
Few biscuits are as iconic as the graham cracker, but how did this treat gain such widespread popularity? Sam Marks explores the history of this humble cracker in our first Retroshort.
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The Walker Expedition: Unmanifested Destiny
Written by Sam Marks. In the earliest years of its founding, the United States of America underwent rapid expansion, driven by filibusters who held the belief that such aggressive territorial acquisition was destined. Sam Marks explores the colonisation efforts of William Walker and the ensuing uprising against his regime.
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‘Fighting Bob’: Attempting an American Labour Party
Written by Sam Marks. US Politics remains, on average, shifted to the right when compared to European states. But, the 1924 presidential election has one often overlooked candidate who was the champion of the progressive movement. Sam Marks explores the significance of Robert M. ‘Fighting Bob’ La Follette.
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The Life of Squanto
Written by Amy Hendrie. The story of the first thanksgiving is told yearly in the US, and is widely known throughout the world. Amy Hendrie explores the figure of Squanto, or Tisquantum, pivotal to the story of this first thanksgiving.