"forgotten lives" Blog

New Website: "Forgotten Lives, Buried Stories"

My latest project is a website: - forgotten-lives.com - intended to throw a spotlight on people, events and ideas that don't often make it into the history books. It involves an eclectic mix of subjects, ranging from the story of Nicholas Said, the first African-born soldier to enlist in the Union Army in the Civil War, to a look at the Mound Kingdoms that once dotted the eastern half of the country before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.

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Sample videos

Forgotten Lives: An Overview

This is an introduction to my new website, which will look at some of the forgotten lives, ideas and events of our past.

The Tale of Nicholas Said: Part 1

This is the first of a three-part series about Nicholas Said, the first African-born soldier to enlist in the Union Army in the Civil War. This provides an overview of his story, starting with his birth in what is now northwestern Nigeria to his career as a lecturer and teacher in the South during the Reconstruction.

Ten Things You Might Not Know About Christopher Columbus

Here are 10 things most people might not know about Christopher Columbus, ranging from the fact that he thought the world would end in 1656 to the fact that he eventually decided the world was shaped more like a pear than a globe.