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On January 24, 1972, two fishermen were checking shrimp traps along a small river on the island of Guam. They were attacked by a strange man dressed in tatters and very thin. They subdued him and took him to the nearest village, believing it to be his home. Instead, it was Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi, and he had been living in hiding since the end of WWII in 1945.
Yokoi, born in 1915, served with the 29th Infantry Division of the Japanese Army in Manchuria and was then transferred to Guam in February 1943. When American forces took Guam in 1944, he and nine others went into hiding in the jungle. Seven eventually left, but Yokoi and two others remained hidden, living separately but meeting together until two died in a flood in 1964. Yokoi continued in hiding alone for 8 years, subsisting on nuts, mangos, papaya, shrimp, snails, frogs, and rats. When found, he was in relatively good health, just slightly anemic.
As he told his story, he revealed that the three men found out the war had ended in 1952, but continued to hide because they had been indoctrinated to believe that Japanese soldiers never ever surrender. He married and was treated as a celebrity and hero in Japan until his death in 1997.
I found a few books on the last soldiers to be discovered. I haven't read any, but it's such a fascinating story.
Place.
On January 24, 1972, two fishermen were checking shrimp traps along a small river on the island of Guam. They were attacked by a strange man dressed in tatters and very thin. They subdued him and took him to the nearest village, believing it to be his home. Instead, it was Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi, and he had been living in hiding since the end of WWII in 1945.
The Battle of Guam took place from July 21 to August 10, 1944 as American forces recaptured Guam from the Japanese. The recapture of Guam and the larger Marianas campaign crippled Japan's naval air power and enabled the US to build large airbases that allowed for missions against Japan. The Japanese forces on Guam were outnumbered three to one. There were 7,784 US casualties, including 1,783 dead. Japanese forces 19,587 casualties, including 18,337 dead, reflecting the Japanese belief that surrender was not an option. Japanese soldiers were indoctrinated to believe that there were only two options, victory or death. That belief was why Yokoi hid for so long; he was ashamed for disgracing himself, his ancestors, and his emperor.
Things
On January 24, 1972, two fishermen were checking shrimp traps along a small river on the island of Guam. They were attacked by a strange man dressed in tatters and very thin. They subdued him and took him to the nearest village, believing it to be his home. Instead, it was Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi, and he had been living in hiding since the end of WWII in 1945.
There are perhaps more WWII artifacts per square mile on the island of Guam than anywhere, according to some experts, and there are two major museums that tell the story. The Pacific War Museum started as one USMC veteran's personal collection of battle artifacts. The National Park Service also administers the War in the Pacific National Park, which allows visitors to visit actual battlefields.
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"Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is in a "light Scots dialect" of English, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these writings his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest.
He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish diaspora around the world. Celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature. In 2009 he was chosen as the greatest Scot by the Scottish public in a vote run by Scottish television channel STV.
As well as making original compositions, Burns also collected folk songs from across Scotland, often revising or adapting them. His poem (and song) "Auld Lang Syne" is often sung at Hogmanay (the last day of the year), and "Scots Wha Hae" served for a long time as an unofficial national anthem of the country. Other poems and songs of Burns that remain well known across the world today include "A Red, Red Rose", "A Man's a Man for A' That", "To a Louse", "To a Mouse", "The Battle of Sherramuir", "Tam o' Shanter" and "Ae Fond Kiss"." (Wikipedia)
January 25 is celebrated as Burns Night and with a Burns supper. Although my last name is Burns (and probably related), I've never been to a Burns Night dinner. Tonight we plan to attend one at a local pub, and it will be my first time trying haggis, the traditional meal of the night.
Place.
Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns, was born on January 25, 1759. January 25 has traditionally been set aside in Scotland and beyond to celebrate the man and his work with a Burns Night Dinner or Burns Supper. We're planning to attend our first Burns Supper tonight at a local pub, and as of now, I plan to try my first haggis.
For today's Place, here's Burns' poem celebrating the Scottish Highlands.
Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the north,
The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.
Chorus
My heart’s in the Highlands, my heart is not here;
My heart’s in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;
A-chasing the wild-deer and following the roe,
My heart’s in the Highlands, wherever I go.
Farewell to the mountains high-cover’d with snow;
Farewell to the straths and green vallies below;
Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods;
Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.
Thing.
Scotland's most famous poet, Robert Burns, was born on January 25, 1759. January 25 has traditionally been set aside in Scotland and beyond to celebrate the man and his work with a Burns Night Dinner or Burns Supper. We're planning to attend our first Burns Supper tonight at a local pub, and as of now, I plan to try my first haggis.
A major part of a Burns Supper is the "Presentation of the Haggis," Scotland's national dish. Haggis is a "savory pudding containing sheep's pluck(heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal's stomach though now an artificial casing is often used instead." (Wikipedia)
‘Address to a Haggis’ is traditionally recited on Burns Night after the haggis has been brought in and set on the table. Here's part of the poem:
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great Chieftan o’ the Puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’ need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber mead.
His knife see Rustic-labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit hums.
Is there that owere his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect scunner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit! ....
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Did Benjamin Franklin propose the wild turkey as America's symbol instead of the bald eagle? Technically, no, but, in a letter written to his daughter dated January 26, 1784, he criticized the original drawing of the eagle on the Great Seal, seen here, saying it looked more like a turkey. He went in to say that the eagle is " a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly...is too lazy to fish for himself."
So, it wasn't an actual proposal, just musings, but I think Franklin saw a kindred spirit in the wild turkey based on his description. In 2022, Jack E. Davis published an excellent cultural and natural history of the The Bald Eagle.
Place.
The American wild turkey is native to North America, unknown to Europeans until the first European landed in North America. There were two distinct species, one in upper North America and one in Mexico. Today's domesticated turkey is descended from the Mexican species.
I always told my students that they can't picture domesticated turkeys when they hear about Benjamin Franklin's comments about wild turkeys. Hunters will tell you that wild turkeys are very intelligent and brave, even aggressive when defending their own, and you can find lots of videos of turkeys attacking people, cars and animals.
While Ben Franklin opposed the eagle as America's symbol, the eagle was selected for the Great Seal of the US. Jack Davis wrote an excellent cultural and natural history of the bald eagle, published in 2022.
Thing.
On January 26, 1784, Benjamin Franklin wrote in a letter to his daughter that he disapproved of the selection of the bald eagle for the Great Seal of the U.S., opining that the turkey would be a better choice.
Wikipedia:
The Great Seal is a principal national symbol of the United States. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself, which is kept by the US Secretary of State and more generally for the design impressed upon it. ... Largely designed by Charles Thomson, secretary of the Continental Congress, and William Barton, and first used in 1782, the seal is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the federal government of the United States. Since 1935, both sides of the Great Seal have appeared on the reverse of the one-dollar bill. The coat of arms is used on official documents—including United States passports—military insignia, embassy placards, and various flags. The Seal of the President of the United States is directly based on the Great Seal, and its elements are used in numerous government agency and state seals.
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On January 27, 1976, "Laverne & Shirley," a spinoff of "Happy Days," premiered on ABC, and it ran for 8 seasons. Laverne was played by Penny Marshall, brother of the creator of both shows, who went on to become one of the most successful female movie directors in Hollywood. In 2012, she published her autobiography, My Mother Was Nuts.
Marshall (1943-2018) was born in the Bronx, New York. Her mother ran a very successful dance school for girls, and her father directed industrial films. Penny studied dance as a child and then went to the University of New Mexico. In Albuquerque, she got pregnant, married, and left school, and she developed an interest in the stage when she worked for the Albuquerque Civic Light Opera. She moved to Hollywood where her older brother Garry was building a very successful tv writing career. She did a few commercials and small tv appearances. In 1971, she took the role of Myrna, the secretary, on "The Odd Couple." Guest appearances on "Happy Days" led to the "Laverne & Shirley" run. She then became an accomplished director and producer on her own, directing hit movies like Big and A League of Their Own.
We listened to the Audiobook version of her autobiography and really enjoyed it. It was fun hearing her tell her story in her unmistakable nasally Bronx-accented voice. She was very honest and revealing. Who knew that Laverne knew practically everybody who was anybody in Hollywood? In fact, chances are, they probably stayed in her house at one time or another. It's a great light read about a very likable Hollywood celeb.
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On January 27, 1976, "Laverne & Shirley," a spinoff of "Happy Days," premiered on ABC, and it ran for 8 seasons. Laverne was played by Penny Marshall, brother of the creator of both shows, who went on to become one of the most successful female movie directors in Hollywood. In 2012, she published her autobiography, My Mother Was Nuts.
As soon as Penny Marshall opened her mouth, it was obvious that she was a Bronx girl, and she never lost the distinctive accent. The Bronx, one of the boroughs of New York City, covers 42 square miles and has a population of almost 1.5 million. It is the only borough that is not primarily on an island. It was named after Jonas Bronck who established the first settlement in 1639, when it was part of the New Netherland colony. The Bronx has been home to members of practically every immigrant group, first from Europe, then the Caribbean, then West Africa, then southern American blacks, and Latin Americans. Although the Bronx contains the poorest congressional district in the US, the 15th, it also contains upper- and middle- class neighborhoods.
Thing.
On January 27, 1976, "Laverne & Shirley," a spinoff of "Happy Days," premiered on ABC, and it ran for 8 seasons. Laverne was played by Penny Marshall, brother of the creator of both shows, who went on to become one of the most successful female movie directors in Hollywood. In 2012, she published her autobiography, My Mother Was Nuts.
From Wikipedia:
"The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) was a professional women's baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. The AAGPBL is the forerunner of women's professional league sports in the United States. Over 600 women played in the league, which consisted of eventually 10 teams located in the American Midwest. In 1948, league attendance peaked at over 900,000 spectators. The most successful team, the Rockford Peaches, won a league-best four championships. The 1992 film A League of Their Own is a mostly fictionalized account of the early days of the league and its stars."
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On January 28, 1865 Confederate President Jefferson Davis selected three peace commissioners to meet with President Lincoln at Hampton Roads Virginia in February to discuss terms to end the Civil War. He selected Vice-President Alexander Stephens and two others.
I wrote a paper on Stephens in a college class and found him to be one of the most interesting men in Georgia history. Born in Crawfordville Georgia in 1812, he died in 1883 after having served in the Georgia State House, Georgia State Senate, Confederate Congress, as Confederate Vice-President, in the U.S. House before and after the war, and finally as Governor of Georgia. Standing 5'7" and weighing 100 pounds or less, Stephens was nicknamed "Little Aleck" and referred to himself as "malformed." As he got older he was in constant pain from rheumatoid arthritis and pinched nerves.
Before the war, and after, he was a staunch defender of states' rights. In the US House, he supported the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Yet, as a member of Georgia's secession convention, he opposed secession, arguing that it was not time to abandon the Constitution which he likened to a "leaky boat"; there was still a chance to compromise in Congress. Nevertheless, Georgia seceded, and he agreed to be Vice-President. He almost immediately became one of President Davis' worst critics, condemning what he saw as Davis' extraconstitutional power grabs.
Stephens is one of the founders of the "Lost Cause" argument that the South was justified in secession. In one of his first speeches as VP, he called slavery and white supremacy the "cornerstone" of the Confederate Constitution and government. After the war, he wrote his "Constitutional View" of the war, laying out his arguments for states' rights and secession based on the document itself and all the legal decisions and precedents since.
Place
On January 28, 1865 Confederate President Jefferson Davis selected three peace commissioners to meet with President Lincoln at Hampton Roads Virginia in February to discuss terms to end the Civil War. He selected Vice-President Alexander Stephens and two others. Stephens was one of Georgia's most important men in the 19th century. At first, he opposed secession, but he chose to go with his state when it seceded. He became one of President Davis' most outspoken critics, attacking him for overstepping his powers as President.
Just a couple of miles off Interstate 20, west of Augusta, Georgia maintains the Alexander Stephens State Park, including Stephens' home, called Liberty Hall or Bachelor's Hall. The park also includes a civil war museum and campsites and trails. Liberty Hall is just a couple of miles south of where the cabin Stephens was born in once stood. Many of the park's facilities were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps of the New Deal.
Stephens is one of the founders of the "Lost Cause" argument that the South was justified in secession. In one of his first speeches as VP, he called slavery and white supremacy the "cornerstone" of the Confederate Constitution and government. After the war, he wrote his "Constitutional View" of the war, laying out his arguments for states' rights and secession based on the document itself and all the legal decisions and precedents since.
Thing.
On January 28, 1865 Confederate President Jefferson Davis selected three peace commissioners to meet with President Lincoln at Hampton Roads Virginia in February to discuss terms to end the Civil War. He selected Vice-President Alexander Stephens and two others. Stephens was one of Georgia's most important men in the 19th century. At first, he opposed secession, but he chose to go with his state when it seceded. He became one of President Davis' most outspoken critics, attacking him for overstepping his powers as President.
From Wikipedia:
The Hampton Roads Conference was a peace conference held between the United States and representatives of the unrecognized breakaway Confederate States on February 3, 1865, aboard the steamboat River Queen in Hampton Roads, Virginia, to discuss terms to end the American Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William H. Seward, representing the Union, met with three commissioners from the Confederacy: Vice President Alexander H. Stephens, Senator Robert M. T. Hunter, and Assistant Secretary of War John A. Campbell.
The representatives discussed a possible alliance against France, the possible terms of surrender, the question of whether slavery might persist after the war, and the question of whether the South would be compensated for property lost through emancipation. Lincoln and Seward reportedly offered some possibilities for compromise on the issue of slavery. The only concrete agreement reached was regarding prisoner-of-war exchanges.
Stephens is one of the founders of the "Lost Cause" argument that the South was justified in secession. In one of his first speeches as VP, he called slavery and white supremacy the "cornerstone" of the Confederate Constitution and government. After the war, he wrote his "Constitutional View" of the war, laying out his arguments for states' rights and secession based on the document itself and all the legal decisions and precedents since.
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Like most US history teachers, I always taught that Eleanor Roosevelt was FDR's eyes and ears, traveling around the country and making reports and suggestions based on her meetings with everyday people and seeing issues firsthand. However, I just read a great biography of a woman that most Americans have probably never heard of, even though she was one of the most accomplished figures in American history. Anna Rosenberg wasn't unknown during her life. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television shows covered her frequently, reporting on the little woman who wore the fancy hats and got things done. Like Eleanor, she advised FDR ( and four other presidents, through LBJ, over her nearly 50 years in government). The difference is that FDR actually listened to Anna Rosenberg, and he constantly ignored Eleanor because he feared her constant advocacy for civil rights would cost him southern Democratic votes in Congress and in elections.
Anna Lederer was born to a Jewish family in Budapest probably in 1899, although it could have been a year or two later. Her family immigrated to New York in 1912 to follow her father who had arrived in 1910. Her father instilled his great patriotism and love for his new country into his children. Anna married Julius Rosenberg in 1919.
Anna made national news as a high schooler when she led a student movement against a plan for mandatory military training. By the 1920s, she had become a part of the Tammany Hall Democratic political machine, mentored by Belle Moskowitz, the most powerful female Democrat in New York. From there she became a political consultant. After meeting the Roosevelts, she quickly became FDR's most trusted advisor. From there, she was involved in many of the most important actions of the 20th century.
About to run out of characters; more later today. Christopher C. Gorham has written the first (incredibly) biography of this woman. It's due to be released on February 21. Put it on your list or pre-order now
Like most US history teachers, I always taught that Eleanor Roosevelt was FDR's eyes and ears, traveling around the country and making reports and suggestions based on her meetings with everyday people and seeing issues firsthand. However, I just read a great biography of a woman that most Americans have probably never heard of, even though she was one of the most accomplished figures in American history. Anna Rosenberg wasn't unknown during her life. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television shows covered her frequently, reporting on the little woman who wore the fancy hats and got things done. Like Eleanor, she advised FDR ( and four other presidents, through LBJ, over her nearly 50 years in government). The difference is that FDR actually listened to Anna Rosenberg, and he constantly ignored Eleanor because he feared her constant advocacy for civil rights would cost him southern Democratic votes in Congress and in elections.
Anna Lederer was born to a Jewish family in Budapest probably in 1899, although it could have been a year or two later. Her family immigrated to New York in 1912 to follow her father who had arrived in 1910. Her father instilled his great patriotism and love for his new country into his children. Anna married Julius Rosenberg in 1919.
Anna made national news as a high schooler when she led a student movement against a plan for mandatory military training. By the 1920s, she had become a part of the Tammany Hall Democratic political machine, mentored by Belle Moskowitz, the most powerful female Democrat in New York. From there she became a political consultant. After meeting the Roosevelts, she quickly became FDR's most trusted advisor. From there, she was involved in many of the most important actions of the 20th century.
About to run out of characters; more later today. Christopher C. Gorham has written the first (incredibly) biography of this woman. It's due to be released on February 21. Put it on your list or pre-order now
Places.
Like most US history teachers, I always taught that Eleanor Roosevelt was FDR's eyes and ears, traveling around the country and making reports and suggestions based on her meetings with everyday people and seeing issues firsthand. However, I just read a great biography of a woman that most Americans have probably never heard of, even though she was one of the most accomplished figures in American history. Anna Rosenberg wasn't unknown during her life. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television shows covered her frequently, reporting on the little woman who wore the fancy hats and got things done. Like Eleanor, she advised FDR ( and four other presidents, through LBJ, over her nearly 50 years in government). The difference is that FDR actually listened to Anna Rosenberg, and he constantly ignored Eleanor because he feared her constant advocacy for civil rights would cost him southern Democratic votes in Congress and in elections.
FDR sent Rosenberg on numerous fact finding missions. Her work involved coordinating industrial production and labor requirements in American factories to meet the demands on the battlefield. In the waning months of the war in Europe, she accompanied US troops as they liberated the Nordhausen concentration camp, and she became one of the first Allied women to enter a concentration camp. She was also with American soldiers as they entered Hitler's personal retreat mountain home, the Eagles Nest at Berchtesgaden. As she traveled with troops and got to know them, she learned that they shared concerns about how they would readjust to civilian life: this led directly to her work on the GI Bill. Finally, she became the highest ranking woman in the Pentagon and the Department of Defense in 1950 when she became Assistant Secretary of Defense.
Like most US history teachers, I always taught that Eleanor Roosevelt was FDR's eyes and ears, traveling around the country and making reports and suggestions based on her meetings with everyday people and seeing issues firsthand. However, I just read a great biography of a woman that most Americans have probably never heard of, even though she was one of the most accomplished figures in American history. Anna Rosenberg wasn't unknown during her life. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television shows covered her frequently, reporting on the little woman who wore the fancy hats and got things done. Like Eleanor, she advised FDR ( and four other presidents, through LBJ, over her nearly 50 years in government). The difference is that FDR actually listened to Anna Rosenberg, and he constantly ignored Eleanor because he feared her constant advocacy for civil rights would cost him southern Democratic votes in Congress and in elections.
FDR sent Rosenberg on numerous fact finding missions. Her work involved coordinating industrial production and labor requirements in American factories to meet the demands on the battlefield. In the waning months of the war in Europe, she accompanied US troops as they liberated the Nordhausen concentration camp, and she became one of the first Allied women to enter a concentration camp. She was also with American soldiers as they entered Hitler's personal retreat mountain home, the Eagles Nest at Berchtesgaden. As she traveled with troops and got to know them, she learned that they shared concerns about how they would readjust to civilian life: this led directly to her work on the GI Bill. Finally, she became the highest ranking woman in the Pentagon and the Department of Defense in 1950 when she became Assistant Secretary of Defense.
Things.
Like most US history teachers, I always taught that Eleanor Roosevelt was FDR's eyes and ears, traveling around the country and making reports and suggestions based on her meetings with everyday people and seeing issues firsthand. However, I just read a great biography of a woman that most Americans have probably never heard of, even though she was one of the most accomplished figures in American history. Anna Rosenberg wasn't unknown during her life. Newspapers, magazines, radio, and television shows covered her frequently, reporting on the little woman who wore the fancy hats and got things done. Like Eleanor, she advised FDR ( and four other presidents, through LBJ, over her nearly 50 years in government). The difference is that FDR actually listened to Anna Rosenberg, and he constantly ignored Eleanor because he feared her constant advocacy for civil rights would cost him southern Democratic votes in Congress and in elections.
Aside from all of her other accomplishments, Anna Rosenberg was the driving force behind three of the most important acts of the 20th century while she was an advisor to FDR and to Harry Truman. First, Executive Order 8802 required integration of government jobs and jobs in the defense industries, prohibited discrimination, and created the Fair Employment Practice Committee to enforce it. Second, Truman issued Executive Order 9981 which required integration of military units. As Asst. Secretary of Defense, integration was one of her biggest responsibilities. Finally, the G.I.Bill gave veterans free educational, vocational, and financial benefits to help them readjust to civilian life. Rosenberg practically wrote all three, and all three faced major opposition. (Yes, even the GI Bill.)
Christopher C. Gorham has written the first (incredibly) biography of this remarkable woman.
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On January 30, 1615, the first Japanese ambassador to Europe, a samurai named Hasekura Tsunenaga, met with Spanish king Philip II in Madrid. Japanese novelist Shusako Endo wrote the story of this diplomatic mission in Samurai, which is going on my to-read list. I've read Endo's Silence, about the first Christian missionaries in Japan.
In the years 1613 to 1620, Hasekura led the Keicho Embassy, a diplomatic mission to Pope Paul V. Hasekura was a relative of the emperor a vassal of an important daimyo, a Japanese lord, an important man. Spanish and Portuguese priests had just recently introduced Christianity to Japan, breaking Japan's self-imposed isolation. Hasekura's job was to forge trade agreements and to meet the Pope. In the process, Hasekura's expedition marked the first Japanese presence in Mexico, where he left a number of Japanese merchants, Cuba, Spain, France, and Italy.
Upon the expedition's return to Japan, however, Hasekura found a new emperor who had begun a violent attack on all Christians and Christianity in Japan and had returned Japan to strict isolation. Hasekura died a year later, and Japan would not attempt relations with Europe again until 1862, more than 200 years later.
On January 30, 1615, the first Japanese ambassador to Europe, a samurai named Hasekura Tsunenaga, met with Spanish king Philip II in Madrid. Japanese novelist Shusako Endo wrote the story of this diplomatic mission in Samurai, which is going on my to-read list. I've read Endo's Silence, about the first Christian missionaries in Japan.
In the years 1613 to 1620, Hasekura led the Keicho Embassy, a diplomatic mission to Pope Paul V. Hasekura was a relative of the emperor a vassal of an important daimyo, a Japanese lord, an important man. Spanish and Portuguese priests had just recently introduced Christianity to Japan, breaking Japan's self-imposed isolation. Hasekura's job was to forge trade agreements and to meet the Pope. In the process, Hasekura's expedition marked the first Japanese presence in Mexico, where he left a number of Japanese merchants, Cuba, Spain, France, and Italy.
Upon the expedition's return to Japan, however, Hasekura found a new emperor who had begun a violent attack on all Christians and Christianity in Japan and had returned Japan to strict isolation. Hasekura died a year later, and Japan would not attempt relations with Europe again until 1862, more than 200 years later.
Place.
On January 30, 1615, the first Japanese ambassador to Europe, a samurai named Hasekura Tsunenaga, met with Spanish king Philip II in Madrid. Japanese novelist Shusako Endo wrote the story of this diplomatic mission in Samurai, which is going on my to-read list. I've read Endo's Silence, about the first Christian missionaries in Japan.
In the years 1613 to 1620, Hasekura led the Keicho Embassy, a diplomatic mission to Pope Paul V. Hasekura was a relative of the emperor and the vassal of an important daimyo, a Japanese lord, an important man. Spanish and Portuguese priests had just recently introduced Christianity to Japan, breaking Japan's self-imposed isolation. Hasekura's job was to forge trade agreements and to meet the Pope. In the process, Hasekura's expedition marked the first Japanese presence in Mexico, where he left a number of Japanese merchants, Cuba, Spain, France, and Italy.
Upon the expedition's return to Japan, however, Hasekura found a new emperor who had begun a violent attack on all Christians and Christianity in Japan and had returned Japan to strict isolation. Hasekura died a year later, and Japan would not attempt relations with Europe again until 1862, more than 200 years later.
On January 30, 1615, the first Japanese ambassador to Europe, a samurai named Hasekura Tsunenaga, met with Spanish king Philip II in Madrid. Japanese novelist Shusako Endo wrote the story of this diplomatic mission in Samurai, which is going on my to-read list. I've read Endo's Silence, about the first Christian missionaries in Japan.
In the years 1613 to 1620, Hasekura led the Keicho Embassy, a diplomatic mission to Pope Paul V. Hasekura was a relative of the emperor and the vassal of an important daimyo, a Japanese lord, an important man. Spanish and Portuguese priests had just recently introduced Christianity to Japan, breaking Japan's self-imposed isolation. Hasekura's job was to forge trade agreements and to meet the Pope. In the process, Hasekura's expedition marked the first Japanese presence in Mexico, where he left a number of Japanese merchants, Cuba, Spain, France, and Italy.
Upon the expedition's return to Japan, however, Hasekura found a new emperor who had begun a violent attack on all Christians and Christianity in Japan and had returned Japan to strict isolation. Hasekura died a year later, and Japan would not attempt relations with Europe again until 1862, more than 200 years later.
Thing.
Legacy.
On January 30, 1615, the first Japanese ambassador to Europe, a samurai named Hasekura Tsunenaga, met with Spanish king Philip II in Madrid. Japanese novelist Shusako Endo wrote the story of this diplomatic mission in Samurai, which is going on my to-read list. I've read Endo's Silence, about the first Christian missionaries in Japan.
In the years 1613 to 1620, Hasekura led the Keicho Embassy, a diplomatic mission to Pope Paul V. Hasekura was a relative of the emperor and a retainer of an important daimyo, a Japanese lord, an important man. Spanish and Portuguese priests had just recently introduced Christianity to Japan, breaking Japan's self-imposed isolation. Hasekura's job was to forge trade agreements and to meet the Pope. In the process, Hasekura's expedition marked the first Japanese presence in Mexico, where he left a number of Japanese merchants, Cuba, Spain, France, and Italy.
"The very existence of the travels of Hasekura was forgotten in Japan until the reopening of the country after the Sakoku policy of isolation. In 1873, a Japanese embassy to Europe (the Iwakura mission) headed by Iwakura Tomomi heard for the first time of the travels of Hasekura when shown documents during their visit to Venice in Italy.
There are statues of Hasekura Tsunenaga in the outskirts of Acapulco in Mexico, at the entrance of Havana Bay in Cuba, in Coria del Río in Spain, in the Church of Civitavecchia in Italy, in Tsukinoura, near Ishinomaki, and two in Osato town in Miyagi. Approximately 700 inhabitants of Coria del Río bear the surname Japón (originally Hasekura de Japón), identifying them as descendants of the members of Hasekura Tsunenaga's delegation. A theme park describing the embassy and displaying a replica of the San Juan Bautista was established in the harbour of Ishinomaki, from which Hasekura initially departed on his voyage." (From Wikipedia)
Legacy.
On January 30, 1615, the first Japanese ambassador to Europe, a samurai named Hasekura Tsunenaga, met with Spanish king Philip II in Madrid. Japanese novelist Shusako Endo wrote the story of this diplomatic mission in Samurai, which is going on my to-read list. I've read Endo's Silence, about the first Christian missionaries in Japan.
In the years 1613 to 1620, Hasekura led the Keicho Embassy, a diplomatic mission to Pope Paul V. Hasekura was a relative of the emperor and a retainer of an important daimyo, a Japanese lord, an important man. Spanish and Portuguese priests had just recently introduced Christianity to Japan, breaking Japan's self-imposed isolation. Hasekura's job was to forge trade agreements and to meet the Pope. In the process, Hasekura's expedition marked the first Japanese presence in Mexico, where he left a number of Japanese merchants, Cuba, Spain, France, and Italy.
"The very existence of the travels of Hasekura was forgotten in Japan until the reopening of the country after the Sakoku policy of isolation. In 1873, a Japanese embassy to Europe (the Iwakura mission) headed by Iwakura Tomomi heard for the first time of the travels of Hasekura when shown documents during their visit to Venice in Italy.
There are statues of Hasekura Tsunenaga in the outskirts of Acapulco in Mexico, at the entrance of Havana Bay in Cuba, in Coria del Río in Spain, in the Church of Civitavecchia in Italy, in Tsukinoura, near Ishinomaki, and two in Osato town in Miyagi. Approximately 700 inhabitants of Coria del Río bear the surname Japón (originally Hasekura de Japón), identifying them as descendants of the members of Hasekura Tsunenaga's delegation. A theme park describing the embassy and displaying a replica of the San Juan Bautista was established in the harbour of Ishinomaki, from which Hasekura initially departed on his voyage." (From Wikipedia)
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Person.
On January 31, 1863, the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment (later the 33rd US Colored Infantry Regiment) was officially mustered into the US army. One of the first black units allowed to serve, it was composed mainly of formerly enslaved men of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina and mostly saw action in raids along the Georgia and Florida Coasts.
Harriet Tubman served with the 1st for a while as cook, nurse, scout, and spy, as did Susie King Taylor, known as the first black nurse in the Civil War. Taylor was born enslaved on a plantation in Liberty County Georgia in 1848. At age 7, she moved to Savannah to live with her grandmother and two younger siblings, and the three attended an illegal underground school run by two free black women, including Savannah's first black nun. Susie became friends with a white girl and boy who continued teaching her briefly after the nun told her grandmother that she had taught her all that she knew.
Evacuated to St. Simon's Island in 1862, a ship's captain found out she could read and write and put her in charge of a school for the island children. At age 13, she began educating 40 children by day and adults at night. She would go on to open several schools in Georgia during Reconstruction.
When the 1st SC Volunteers Unit was formed, her husband Edward King was a sergeant, and other male relatives enlisted. She served as laundress and teacher at first, but, as she accompanied the unit into the field, she primarily became a nurse for the duration of the war. After the war, she opened schools in and around Savannah, but the Freedman's Bureau took over education, leaving her without a job. When her husband died in a work accident, she was forced to take domestic jobs until 1879, when she married her second husband. She became a civil rights activist, particularly working for recognition and pensions for black veterans. She published her memoirs in 1902.
On January 31, 1863, the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment (later the 33rd US Colored Infantry Regiment) was officially mustered into the US army. One of the first black units allowed to serve, it was composed mainly of formerly enslaved men of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina and mostly saw action in raids along the Georgia and Florida Coasts.
Harriet Tubman served with the 1st for a while as cook, nurse, scout, and spy, as did Susie King Taylor, known as the first black nurse in the Civil War. Taylor was born enslaved on a plantation in Liberty County Georgia in 1848. At age 7, she moved to Savannah to live with her grandmother and two younger siblings, and the three attended an illegal underground school run by two free black women, including Savannah's first black nun. Susie became friends with a white girl and boy who continued teaching her briefly after the nun told her grandmother that she had taught her all that she knew.
Evacuated to St. Simon's Island in 1862, a ship's captain found out she could read and write and put her in charge of a school for the island children. At age 13, she began educating 40 children by day and adults at night. She would go on to open several schools in Georgia during Reconstruction.
When the 1st SC Volunteers Unit was formed, her husband Edward King was a sergeant, and other male relatives enlisted. She served as laundress and teacher at first, but, as she accompanied the unit into the field, she primarily became a nurse for the duration of the war. After the war, she opened schools in and around Savannah, but the Freedman's Bureau took over education, leaving her without a job. When her husband died in a work accident, she was forced to take domestic jobs until 1879, when she married her second husband. She became a civil rights activist, particularly working for recognition and pensions for black veterans. She published her memoirs in 1902.
Place.
On January 31, 1863, the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment (later the 33rd US Colored Infantry Regiment) was officially mustered into the US army. One of the first black units allowed to serve, it was composed mainly of formerly enslaved men of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina and mostly saw action in raids along the Georgia and Florida Coasts.
Harriet Tubman served with the 1st for a while as cook, nurse, scout, and spy, as did Susie King Taylor, known as the first black nurse in the Civil War. Taylor was born enslaved on a plantation in Liberty County Georgia in 1848. At age 7, she moved to Savannah to live with her grandmother and two younger siblings, and the three attended an illegal underground school run by two free black women, including Savannah's first black nun. Susie became friends with a white girl and boy who continued teaching her briefly after the nun told her grandmother that she had taught her all that she knew.
During the Civil War, at age 13, she found herself in charge of a school on St. Simon's Island, teaching 40 children by day and adults at night. When she joined the 1st South Carolina Volunteers as laundress and nurse, she also taught lessons. Between 1866 and 1868, she established at least three schools in and near Savannah, like this one pictured here that sat on Broad Street, without aid from the Freedman's Bureau..
In 2015, a K-7 charter school was opened in Savannah and named the Susie King Taylor Community School.
On January 31, 1863, the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment (later the 33rd US Colored Infantry Regiment) was officially mustered into the US army. One of the first black units allowed to serve, it was composed mainly of formerly enslaved men of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina and mostly saw action in raids along the Georgia and Florida Coasts.
Harriet Tubman served with the 1st for a while as cook, nurse, scout, and spy, as did Susie King Taylor, known as the first black nurse in the Civil War. Taylor was born enslaved on a plantation in Liberty County Georgia in 1848. At age 7, she moved to Savannah to live with her grandmother and two younger siblings, and the three attended an illegal underground school run by two free black women, including Savannah's first black nun. Susie became friends with a white girl and boy who continued teaching her briefly after the nun told her grandmother that she had taught her all that she knew.
During the Civil War, at age 13, she found herself in charge of a school on St. Simon's Island, teaching 40 children by day and adults at night. When she joined the 1st South Carolina Volunteers as laundress and nurse, she also taught lessons. Between 1866 and 1868, she established at least three schools in and near Savannah, like this one pictured here that sat on Broad Street, without aid from the Freedman's Bureau..
In 2015, a K-7 charter school was opened in Savannah and named the Susie King Taylor Community School.
Thing.
On January 31, 1863, the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment (later the 33rd US Colored Infantry Regiment) was officially mustered into the US army. One of the first black units allowed to serve, it was composed mainly of formerly enslaved men of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina and mostly saw action in raids along the Georgia and Florida Coasts.
Harriet Tubman served with the 1st for a while as cook, nurse, scout, and spy, as did Susie King Taylor, known as the first black nurse in the Civil War. Born enslaved on a plantation in Liberty County Georgia in 1848, Taylor joined the 1st SC Volunteers along with her husband and other male family members. She joined first as a laundress, but she quickly became a teacher and nurse.
As for today's Thing post, just look at this incredible photo of Taylor taken sometime in the 1880s. The image was taken by Samuel Willard Bridgham, who served on the board of the U. S. Sanitary Commission during the war. Photography became his hobby later in life. It only recently came to light when it was acquired and identified by a photograph and daguerreotype collector named Stephen Restelli who purchased the unlabeled glass plate negative in an online auction lot along with six others.
It's one of the most incredible photographs I've ever seen. The sharpness and details in her clothing are amazing. Her face and hands reveal so much strength and experience. It's one of the most vivid and evocative portraits I've ever seen.
On January 31, 1863, the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment (later the 33rd US Colored Infantry Regiment) was officially mustered into the US army. One of the first black units allowed to serve, it was composed mainly of formerly enslaved men of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina and mostly saw action in raids along the Georgia and Florida Coasts.
Harriet Tubman served with the 1st for a while as cook, nurse, scout, and spy, as did Susie King Taylor, known as the first black nurse in the Civil War. Born enslaved on a plantation in Liberty County Georgia in 1848, Taylor joined the 1st SC Volunteers along with her husband and other male family members. She joined first as a laundress, but she quickly became a teacher and nurse.
As for today's Thing post, just look at this incredible photo of Taylor taken sometime in the 1880s. The image was taken by Samuel Willard Bridgham, who served on the board of the U. S. Sanitary Commission during the war. Photography became his hobby later in life. It only recently came to light when it was acquired and identified by a photograph and daguerreotype collector named Stephen Restelli who purchased the unlabeled glass plate negative in an online auction lot along with six others.
It's one of the most incredible photographs I've ever seen. The sharpness and details in her clothing are amazing. Her face and hands reveal so much strength and experience. It's one of the most vivid and evocative portraits I've ever seen.
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