“If everybody was satisfied with himself, there would be no heroes.” – Mark Twain The more I learn, the more I know history is a funny line of work. Modern historians rarely grasp the ambition or ability to rise to the prominence of their subjects. Their archives are scant sought. The effect is humans writingContinue reading “Heroes”
Category Archives: Passionately Curious
Knights of Ellijay
Wednesday, April 23, 2014– Chivalry is alive. Yes, that knightly code from the days of Charlemagne France, Medieval times (not the fun-filled dining experience of middle-class Americans), and the pedestalization of Southern women by Southern men who once had no heritage to cling to other than an imaginary noble lineage. Knights and Ladies, we are.Continue reading “Knights of Ellijay”
Toombs: Athens’ Original Student Scoundrel
At UGA, traditions give purpose to succeeding generations of rebellious young students. One legend established more traditions of irascibility than any other student who ever attended the university. The honoree was Robert Toombs. According to the official watered down campus tour, on graduation day in 1828, Toombs, a fiery, boisterous young man, stood under aContinue reading “Toombs: Athens’ Original Student Scoundrel”
“We Want Fred!:” UGA’s Reaction to Kent State, 1970
May 6, 1970- Shattered glass flew into Park Hall from several windows. Outside, a few thousand students and citizens demanded attention from U.G.A.’s president Fred Davison. When he sent anybody he could convince to face the angry crowd in his stead, they violently broke into the academic building. Four thousand voices rose into the coolContinue reading ““We Want Fred!:” UGA’s Reaction to Kent State, 1970″
In Floating Fragments: The Great Freshet of 1840
Monday, May 25, 1840– The turbid waters of the Oconee swelled. The artery of a nascent Athens community revolted. The rains began that afternoon and created an injurious effect: the Greatest Natural Disaster in Athens’s History. For days it rained relentlessly. Banks gave way in the Oconee and Savannah watersheds. Milledgeville (then the state capital), Augusta,Continue reading “In Floating Fragments: The Great Freshet of 1840”
Them’s Fightin’ Words
When I realized that a handful of bearded duck callers had taken over the shelves of Wal-Mart and the hearts of many, I felt like the South was taking a GIANT leap backward. The phenomenon seemed to blend Honey Boo-Boo, Quran burners, and Paul Broun into a rancid Brunswick stew. There are those that knowContinue reading “Them’s Fightin’ Words”
A Windshield History: Athens-Augusta (Part 2)
Most mornings I drive with the window down. The cool air brings the scent of the Piedmont to me. Although shrouded in machinery, it is my way of letting nature in. A window pane is not the best way to see the environment. Working farms smell like manure and sweet feed. Rivers smell sweet andContinue reading “A Windshield History: Athens-Augusta (Part 2)”
One Planet, a Singular Problem
I often field questions about Environmental History. “What is Environmental History?” Is the most obvious and common. A certain knot sets in my gut when I have to answer, not because I am uncertain about my choice of profession, but because I know I am stepping into dangerous territory. Environmentalism is a polarizing topic. GlobalContinue reading “One Planet, a Singular Problem”
Southerner
Heat, sweat, rednecks, and slaves. Beer cans floating on molasses rivers. Preachers throwing bibles at demons, deacons visiting widows. Mint Juleps, porch swings, pines, and red clay. Big trucks, battle flags, country tunes, and white lightning. Such is the South, to some. I was born in Tampa, Florida, southern by geography not culture. My grandfatherContinue reading “Southerner”
The Curse
Becoming a specialist creates a curse. An engineer cannot stop trying to figure out how things work. A psychologist cannot have an average conversation. A historian cannot live entirely in the present, a condition which annoys my friends and family to no end. Because much of history is bleak, darkness follows me. Knowing what mostContinue reading “The Curse”
Anthony Sadler 