American history

“M” is for Medal of Honor recipients. Approved by the United States Congress in 1862, the Medal of Honor is America’s highest award for military valor. Thirty-two native South Carolinians have been awarded the medal for “conspicuous gallantry.”

“M” is for Medal of Honor recipients. Approved by the United States Congress in 1862, the Medal of Honor is America’s highest award for military valor. Thirty-two native South Carolinians have been awarded the medal for “conspicuous gallantry.”

“G” is for Great Wagon Road. The Great Wagon Road stretched for almost eight hundred miles from Philadelphia west to Lancaster and York Pennsylvania, and thence south through the Shenandoah Valley into the Carolina backcountry.

“G” is for Great Wagon Road. The Great Wagon Road stretched for almost eight hundred miles from Philadelphia west to Lancaster and York Pennsylvania, and thence south through the Shenandoah Valley into the Carolina backcountry.

Margaret Seidler thought she knew her family’s history. Then, a genealogical search on-line led her to connect with a cousin who, unlike Margaret, was Black. Determined to find as much as she could about her lineage, Margaret soon came face to face with more than just an expanded family tree. And what she found led her to devote years to historical research and many difficult conversations about the centrality of the institution of slavery in Charleston, and the part some of her ancestors played in helping it flourish. This week we talk with Margaret Seidler about how this journey into history challenged her and about her new book, Payne-ful Business: Charleston’s Journey to Truth (2024, Evening Post Books).In the book, Seidler has written about the realities of Charleston’s racial history while highlighting the historians, journalists, and community members who work to reconcile those truths. And the enslaved individuals whom she found advertised for sale in ante bellum newspapers are brought to vivid life by artist John W. Jones. He truly uncovers the humanity hidden beneath those detached advertisements.

In 1976, the Cowpens, SC, Bicentennial Committee decided that the next town festival would be called the Mighty Moo Festival in honor of former crewmen of the USS Cowpens WWII aircraft carrier. Over the years since, many veterans who served on the ship during the war have attended the festival along with their families. Today, the town continues to celebrate the service of the carrier each father's day.In his book, The Mighty Moo: The USS Cowpens and Her Epic World War II Journey from Jinx Ship to the Navy’s First Carrier into Tokyo Bay, Nathan Canestaro tells the story of the ship and its untested crew who earned a distinguished combat record and beat incredible odds to earn 12 battle stars in the Pacific.Nathan joins us this week to talk about The Might Moo.

Mountain Laurel has a fascinating pattern of twisting and turning branches, very decorative to look at but hard to maneuver through.

Mountain Laurel has a fascinating pattern of twisting and turning branches, very decorative to look at but hard to maneuver through.

A relative of our beloved mountain laurel is Kalmia angustifolia, called white wicky or sheepkill.

A relative of our beloved mountain laurel is Kalmia angustifolia, called white wicky or sheepkill.