Hunting History

01/07/2017

31/05/2017

History teachers! For questions and comments join the Cork HTA Facebook Discussion Group www.facebook.com/groups/corkhtai

18/05/2017

THE ANGEL WHO KILLED A KING...

One day in 1675 the town of Hadley in Massachusetts came under attack by the local Wampanoag tribe over land disputes with White European settlers.

The town was completely unprepared for the fearsome natives, with no local militia to protect them.
Suddenly, a mysterious old man appeared from the forests to organise the villagers into defensive lines. Somehow the tactics of this white haired man with an old sword managed to pay off. As soon as he arrived to save the day, he disappeared into the woods.

Who was this figure?

Some years before in 1649, the English parliament and a number of Generals decided to oust their King from the throne. After a bitter civil war, King Charles I's forces were defeated by Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army.

The victorious parliamentarians decided the only way to secure their control of the country was to commit the unthinkable, kill the King.

30 men signed the death warrant of Charles I. For 20 years parliament was headed by a Lord Protectorate. But by 1660, King Charles II was back on the throne, demanding vengeance on those who signed his father's death warrant.

The newly restored and young king set up an international man hunt for the men responsible, succeeding in capturing many. One who set sail for American sanctuary was a man named William Goffe, a former general under Cromwell.

He settled in Massachusetts. Just outside of the town of Hadley. Descriptions of the 'Angel of Hadley' match that of an aged Goffe. He was known to still carry his old sword as protection. He lived in a cave not far from the town with another regicide, Edward Whalley, who was also his father in law. Whalley died in 1675. Goffe disappears from record in 1679.

04/05/2017

At the Young Historian of the Year 2017 awards today in Co. Meath.

Some really talented students from around the country.

Far more creative than I could dream of being!

27/03/2017

21/03/2017

Ireland has lost a major figure in Modern History with the death of Martin McGuinness (1950-2017).

From IRA Commander to Peace-Reconciliator, McGuinness' contribution to Northern Irish politics has been immense.

RIP.

08/03/2017

In honour of one of Ireland's greatest heroines - Constance Markievicz.

"Dress suitably in short skirts and strong boots, leave your jewels in the bank and buy a revolver"

Happy International Women’s Day.

08/03/2017

TODAY IN HISTORY: 1917

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY, BREAD, PEACE & REVOLUTION...

Scores of women textile workers began a wide scale protest for 'Bread and Peace' in Petrograd, modern day Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

The major political unrest surrounding Russia's involvement in the First World War put enormous pressure on the country's female population, where they were expected to fulfil the roles of both male & female in war-time society.

Historians agree that this event was crucial to the outbreak of the Bolshevik-Communist October Revolution later in the year.

This would transform not only Russian society, but global politics for the 20th Century and beyond.

24/02/2017

OUTSIDE THE DEATH GATE OF BIRKENAU...

Today I went to visit Auschwitz-Birkenau. This site is the area of the largest mass murder in human history.

Auschwitz-Birkenau served both as a concentration camp and an extermination camp.

Of the 1,300,000 million people sent to the area, 85% were killed. Of this number, 1,100,000 were European Jews, 100,000 Polish soldiers/prisoners, and 15,000 Soviet POWs. The remaining thousands were Gypsies and political prisoners.

It's very difficult to put into words what I and many others experienced today, you have to be here to see & feel it.

I have read widely about this place, but to be here and experience it was something else entirely.

The level of cruelty N**i's were capable of is unimaginable and inconceivable. Yet it happened. And it continued for a number of years. Like a business.

Looking into the gas chambers and crematoriums was disturbing.

But it is so important to know. To share the knowledge of what happened. To make sure it never happens again.

Remember the victims of the N***s.

23/02/2017

HE WHO SAVES ONE LIFE, SAVES THE WORLD ENTIRE...

Here is the typewriter of Oskar Schindler, the one he used to write up his famous 'List'.

It was really interesting to learn more about Krakow's experience during N**i occupation by visiting Schindler's Enamel Factory.

By using his political contacts and business dealings, Schindler managed to save the lives of over 1000 Jews by concealing them within his business.

He is one of the few non-Jewish people to be recognised by Israel & Yad Vashem as being 'Righteous Among the Nations'.

22/02/2017

TODAY IN HISTORY: 1943

ANTI-NAZI WHITE ROSE MEMBERS DIE BY GUILLOTINE...

One of the most prominent anti-N**i movements in Germany takes a severe blow when three of it's leading figures are executed for committing treason.

The White Rose activist group was made up of university students, primarily from the University of Munich.

Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl and Christop Probst were captured by the Gestapo for distributing anti-war leaflets on the university campus.

The three pacifists were handed over to notorious N**i judge Ronald Freisler, who ordered their executions on the same day of their arrests.

Before being led to her death, Sophie Scholl spoke to her prosecutors at Stadelheim Prison:

"Somebody, after all, had to make a start. What we wrote and said is also believed by many others. They just don't dare express themselves as we did."

After their deaths, a copy of the 6th leaflet they were handing out was smuggled into Scandinavia, becoming a symbol of hope against the N**i Regime.