Latest news with #UlyssesSGrant
Wall Street Journal
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
‘Grant's Enforcer' Review: A 19th-Century War on Terror
Amos Akerman may be the most consequential attorney general you've never heard of. Under President Ulysses S. Grant he gave federal teeth to the new 14th Amendment, personally leading a successful judicial battle against the Ku Klux Klan's war of terror across the Reconstruction-era South. Akerman was an unlikely hero. Originally from New Hampshire, he built his legal career in Georgia, owning 11 slaves and serving as a Confederate supply officer, though he harbored moral qualms about slavery and repudiated it after the Confederate defeat. He joined the Republican party and came to Grant's attention as a staunch advocate of biracial government. Guy Gugliotta's briskly written 'Grant's Enforcer' retrieves him from generations of unfair neglect. After the Civil War the South experienced a racial revolution; freed people became citizens in 1868 amid a grassroots surge of political engagement. At least 2,000 blacks held public office, from small towns to state legislatures and the U.S. Congress. From the beginning, they were subject to attack by embittered whites; by the end of the decade, revanchists had formed the nation's first organized terrorist group, the Ku Klux Klan. The Klan's origin is well-documented. Founded in Tennessee in late 1865 as a sort of Confederate veterans' fraternity that favored grotesque costumes and rituals, it was soon taken over by a formidable group of former officers who recognized its political potential. By 1868, it had spread across most of the South to become the de facto paramilitary arm of the Democratic party, and what started out as racist foolery became a systematic strategy of terror. Flogging, lynching and rapes were employed to scare Republicans away from the ballot box, destroying the South's embryonic two-party system and restoring white political control. It was highly effective: Intimidated juries wouldn't convict, frightened witnesses refused to testify. Almost everywhere, the organization was helmed by leading citizens—property owners, doctors, lawyers, even ministers. The few thousand federal troops who remained in the South were far too thinly spread to maintain the peace.
Wall Street Journal
02-07-2025
- General
- Wall Street Journal
Winston Churchill's Palliative Painting
One hundred and 10 years ago, in the summer of 1915, Winston Churchill took up painting, and for almost half a century it would be one of his most fulfilling recreations. As a former military man, Churchill was not alone in this liking for oils and canvases. Ulysses S. Grant had been another such soldier-artist, and several high-ranking officers during World War II were painters, among them Gens. Auchinleck, Alexander and Eisenhower.
The Independent
02-07-2025
- The Independent
Amtrak revives Gulf Coast service 20 years after Hurricane Katrina brought it to a standstill
Tickets are now on sale for a train service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, that has been revived 20 years after it was halted by Hurricane Katrina. The new, twice-daily Amtrak Mardi Gras Service begins on August 18, and will take three hours and 43 minutes to travel the 145-mile Gulf Coast route. End-to-end adult fares start at $15 each way and the trains will offer coach and business-class seats, as well as Wi-Fi and a café service. The first stop after New Orleans is Bay Saint Louis, which offers white sand beaches, downtown art galleries and antique stores, notes Amtrak. Next is Gulfport, where visitors can book fishing charters and explore Fishbone Alley, an "ever-evolving" public art space tucked into a historic alley. Top seafood restaurants await at the following stop, Biloxi, says Amtrak, and "incredible" 19th-century antebellum architecture at the penultimate stop of Pascagoula. Amtrak continues: "Pirate Jean Lafitte, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Zachary Taylor and Jimmy Buffet all spent time in Pascagoula and considered it home, a hideaway or a respite throughout the years. Visit La Pointe-Krebs House, circa 1718, with a panoramic view of Krebs Lake or simply relax with a picnic at Beach Park for the day, overlooking the Mississippi Sound. 'The Mardi Gras' final stop is known as the Paris of the South, a city, says Amtrak, with a vibrant history that stretches back nearly 325 years — each chapter brimming with fascinating stories and timeless traditions." Hurricane Katrina, which began as a tropical storm and intensified to a category 5 hurricane, struck the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, causing $125 billion worth of damage and leading to the deaths of 1,800 people. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), senior member of the US Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said: "I'm thrilled to have the Amtrak service restored along the Gulf Coast. "It has been almost 20 years since Hurricane Katrina interrupted this service, and its reopening has been a lot of hard work. The Mardi Gras Rail will expand travel options and allow more Americans to experience the beauty and economic benefits of the Gulf Coast. "Mississippians deserve access to reliable transportation, and the Mardi Gras Rail will provide more options for communities along the Gulf Coast. I am looking forward to joining Amtrak and thousands of fellow Mississippians at the grand opening." David Clark, Visit Mobile President & CEO, commented: "This is an incredible moment for the City of Mobile. "The twice-daily service will provide substantial options for easy and experiential travel for visitors and citizens while creating a new avenue of economic impact for the City of Mobile and Gulf Coast communities." Amtrak President Roger Harris said: "We encourage customers to get their tickets now to experience this new scenic service. "Guests can plan travel for football trips this fall, for November and December holiday travel – and even Mardi Gras Season next year."
Globe and Mail
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
The party's over on CaféTO even if it isn't the main cause of congestion
Here's a riddle: What looks like the long lines of dirt and timber, protected by felled trees with sharpened branches, that General Ulysses S. Grant's Union troops charged at Cold Harbor in June 1864? What is so ugly that if you stuck it in an art gallery and placed a sign in front entitled 'Poor Choices' you'd win the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale? What would make a nice addition to the Do Lung Bridge, the remote American outpost portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece Apocalypse Now, that is destroyed every night and rebuilt every day? What may not be the main cause of traffic congestion but significantly exacerbates it none the less? If you answered a 'CaféTO curb lane patio' to every question, you'd be correct. Yes, the Great Canadian curb lane patio – more evidence that there is no pleasurable activity that Canada (the country that put the 'un' in 'fun') cannot spoil. In theory, Canada's myriad levels of government want its citizens to experience pleasure. In practice, it hates seeing them do it. The result? Canada takes activities that other countries enjoy effortlessly and dilutes them through a finely tuned system of bureaucracy and puritanism. Alcohol? Check. Cannabis? Check. Casinos where you can't get comped alcoholic drinks? Check. The message is simple, 'You can enjoy yourself, just don't have fun doing it.' Curb lane patios are another shimmering example. Introduced in 2020 as a response to the economic damage wrought by COVID-19, cities inaugurated programs such as Toronto's CaféTO and Vancouver's 'Pop-up Patios.' These opened streets to impromptu patios in a desperate attempt to entice customers back to restaurants. They were embraced by a public reeling from COVID cabin fever. Traffic was light because no one was driving to the office and the creation of thousands of little bottlenecks did not have a significant impact. They made the program an annual event. It runs each year from May 1 to October 15. Now the party's over. Congestion is horrific. No one can argue that CaféTO curb lane patios are the main cause of traffic congestion. Nor can anyone deny that the patios make it worse. Curb lane patios occupying live traffic lanes increase congestion, particularly if they are placed on major arterial roads. In February, the Toronto Board of Trade released a report on congestion called 'Breaking Gridlock.' The paper argued that 'CaféTO curb lane patios should be reviewed based upon the impact they have on circulating traffic, especially on major arterial roadways serving dedicated connectors.' The report was derided as being 'car centric.' Curb lane café proponents believe the congestion is worth the upside. Last year, 1,500 establishments participated in CaféTO: 304 of these were curb lane cafés. Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas says they generated $130-million in economic benefits, down from $204-million in 2022. Curb lane café enthusiasts like to hail them as being 'European.' To these folks, I reply, 'We already have problems with the Americans, there is no point getting the Europeans angry at us too.' Canadian curb lane cafes are many things but 'European' is not among them. Aside from their breathtaking ugliness, CaféTO curb lane patios are far from Rome's cobbled streets or the grand boulevards of Paris. Entrees are served with exhaust fumes. Traffic is noisy and angry. Forget soft music; curb lane café meals are accompanied by a symphony of car alarms. Last summer there was a CaféTO curb lane on Yonge Street south of Richmond Street. It caused terrible bottlenecks and for what? So that customers could suck carbon dioxide, inches from traffic, while watching suffering people sprawled out on the sidewalk in front of Goodlife Fitness? C'est magnifique! Do not, however, imagine that Europeans universally embraced curb lane patios when they were introduced. In 2021, for example, Bloomberg reported that Rome 'inadvertently ignited a fierce battle for the city's streets' when it allowed cafés and restaurants to set up outdoor seating in public areas. Drivers in a city with the 'highest motorization rate in Europe' were infuriated. So, Canadians who are fed up with curb lane cafés are not alone. Is there a solution? Absolutely. Well-funded public transit paid for by congestion pricing and toll roads would solve congestion problems. Unfortunately, that will never happen in Canada. Our frustration over traffic congestion is only surpassed by our steadfast refusal to do anything about it. We are proud CARNADIANS! Here's a thought: If car congestion is the problem, maybe the best way to alleviate it is to get rid of the cars. Don't they cause the congestion? When my bathroom drain is clogged, I don't clear it by pouring in more gloop. Instead of eliminating curb lane patios, let's get rid of the cars. Let's build pedestrian zones filled with bustling cafés and restaurants, where children can play without fear of being struck by an automobile. Skeptics may ask, 'Won't that cause more congestion?' No, because everyone who used to be in cars will be enjoying themselves having a gelato or aperitivo instead of driving. That's European. On second thought, forget it. Let's do nothing and blame the government. That's the Canadian way!
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
17 Historical Figures Who Had Some Of The Most Brutal Deaths In History
Warning: This post discusses intense violence. They say history is always written from the perspective of the victor, even though those who have been defeated in gruesome deaths find themselves immortalized in some capacity. Their endings aren't pretty by any means, though they're remembered more vividly than those who've left this world on a less disastrous note. Recently, I did a deep dive on r/AskReddit where, in one post, someone asked users to name the "famous historical figures [who] had deaths proportionally brutal to their level of fame." Here's what people had to say: Note: Some responses have been condensed and edited for clarity. 1."Ulysses S. Grant, but it was still a noble death." "After losing all his money to a Ponzi scheme, he defied a throat cancer diagnosis in order to write his memoirs (published by Mark Twain) so that the proceeds would sustain his wife after his death. He wrote one thousand words a day, every day, until the cancer left him too weak to write. At this point, he hired a stenographer and dictated the final chapters through the pain of advanced throat cancer, for which he was denied morphine to keep his mind sharp. At the end, he was forced to wear a wool scarf for all public appearances to hide the fist-sized tumor in front of his neck. After a year's work and 366,000 words written, he gave the manuscript to Mark Twain to publish and was told that 100,000 copies had been pre-ordered. One week later, he succumbed to cancer. Julia Grant and their children received the modern equivalent of 12 million dollars. The work was such a commercial success, it outsold Twain's other work, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." –u/maejaws 2."Julius Caesar's death is pretty wild. Stabbed to death on the Senate floor by people he thought were his political allies and personal friends." –u/JackC1126 3."Blackbeard the Pirate (Edward Teach). Cornered by the British Navy, he went down fighting. When his body was examined, he had been shot five times and had 20 sword cuts. The British sailors fired another 20 shots into his body and cut off his head to be displayed as a warning to other would-be pirates." –u/Johhnymaddog316 4."Sigurd the Mighty. A Norwegian Jarl of Shetland who conquered part of Northern Scotland." "At one point, he challenged Máel Brigte the Buck-Toothed, a local leader, to a battle with 40 men to each side. Dishonorably, he brought 80 men to the battle instead of 40 and, as you might imagine, easily won. Máel Brigte was beheaded, and Sigurd rode home victorious with the head strapped to his saddle. That victory proved to be his last, however, as Máel Brigte the Buck-Toothed proved that his nickname was well earned. As Sigurd rode, the teeth of the severed head rubbed up against his leg, causing an open sore which became infected, leading to the death of Sigurd the Mighty." –u/Paige_Railstone 5."Charles of Navarre (Charles the Bad) died a quite terrible death. At 54 years old (1387), he fell seriously ill, and on the doctor's advice, they wrapped him in linen soaked in brandy. Because, you know, medieval medicine. Unfortunately, the maid tripped and dropped a candle, which set the brandy ablaze, burning the man alive." –u/MinuteCow8927 6."Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII must have actually loved her at one point, to then turn around and have her not only executed, but then erase her as much as he possibly could afterwards. He felt so betrayed (despite being the betrayer himself), he tried to erase her existence." –u/TrespianRomance 7."Jamestown governor John Ratcliffe, the villain in Disney's Pocahontas. Had his skin peeled off and thrown in a fire in front of him." –u/Pantastic_Studios 8."Joan of Arc, a 19-year-old girl being slowly burned to death by the same church she dedicated her life to, while chanting Christ's name over and over. Only to be named a Saint by that same church centuries later." –u/SemperFun62 9."Qaddafi getting sodomized with a bayonet has to be up there." –u/flightist 10."Robespierre. Shot in the jaw, unable to speak, which is what helped start the Terror in the first place — his words. Taken to the guillotine like so many others." –u/drulaps 11."Roland Freisler died a fittingly brutal death. He was a Nazi judge who oversaw a lot of torture and thousands of death sentences. Differing accounts say that he was killed either when a piece of his courtroom crushed him in an air raid, or when shrapnel hit him and he ran out only to bleed to death on the courthouse steps." –u/petitecrivain 12."Stalin lay on the ground in his office for about 11 hours after having a stroke, dying slowly in pain. The staff were too scared to enter his private office without explicit permission, so they waited until a senior person showed up." –u/unclear_warfare Luther King Jr., as the most visible leader of the Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated in a brutal act of racial violence intended to silence his powerful message. Instead, his death became a rallying cry for the movement and further elevated his status as a global icon of peace and justice." –u/Spice-Fairy04 14."Bonnie and Clyde. Holy shit, that car had a lot of bullet holes in it." –u/PreparedStatement 15."Joseph Smith." "Today, he is best known for founding the Mormon religion, but he had higher ambitions than that. He started a large cult, very similar to what you see today, where he was a godlike leader who had multiple wives and required complete adherence from his followers. But this was the 1830s in the 'Wild West,' where people were distracted with other things, so before time caught up with him, he had developed as a full-on nation-state, with thousands of members, in Western Illinois. For the second time in a 10-year span, Smith amassed a large, heavily armed militia, overthrew the government, destroyed the newspapers, imposed martial law, and declared that he was running for US president, at which point it was assumed he would attempt to take over the entire country, whether he won or lost. Smith was charged with treason and taken to an Illinois prison. Before he could face trial, hundreds of men stormed the jail, shot Smith repeatedly, at which point Smith tried to escape by jumping from the second-story window, which probably killed him, but the mob went outside and beat and repeatedly shot Smith's corpse just to be was a murder trial for some of the mob members who killed Smith, but all the defendants were acquitted, partially due to jury nullification, but also because there were so many people who shot, beat, and took credit for killing him, it was impossible to prove that one person actually did the deed." –u/Many_Collection_8889 16."William the Conqueror died of a massive infection caused by an injury he received from the pommel of his saddle." –u/MartialBob 17."Samuel Doe (21st President of Liberia). He faced 12 hours of torture (which included his ears getting cut off and some of his fingers and toes amputated) before he was finally murdered." If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE, which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
