Shall Liberty Dwell? James Forten and the Struggle for Black Rights in Early Pennsylvania

Posted by on Dec 1, 2023 in | Comments Off on Shall Liberty Dwell? James Forten and the Struggle for Black Rights in Early Pennsylvania James Forten “is not the most well-known of Revolutionary War–era patriots,” Stephan Salisbury observed in The Philadelphia Inquirer of November 14, 2021. The qualification enabled Salisbury to emphasize the importance of Forten’s contribution to the construction of the United States: “But his story is an essential American story.” It is appropriate to proclaim Forten’s life “essential” to the...
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Geography and Resources: The Story of Adaptation

Posted by on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on Geography and Resources: The Story of Adaptation The country itself, in its soil, air, water, seasons, and produce, both natural and artificial, is not to be despised. – William Penn Man is a creative and inventive creature capable of either adapt­ing to the environment, when need be, or adapting the environment to suit his particular needs. In the words of Max Savelle, “the history of the Anglo­American colonies is . . . a history...
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Beloved, Beleaguered, and Belittled: Ole Bull’s New Norway

Posted by on Nov 26, 2013 in | Comments Off on Beloved, Beleaguered, and Belittled: Ole Bull’s New Norway It is said that, on certain autumn days, a visitor to one particular mountain top in Potter County can still hear the haunting violin strains of nineteenth century music legend Ole Bull, drifting ever-so-faintly amidst the whispering pines and the soft murmur of Kettle Creek wending its way through the valley below. It seems that the trilling of the songbirds and the chattering of resident...
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