A statue, a tower, and a canal walk into a bar...

I haven't figured out a good punchline to that title but it sure does sound like it could be funny!

For those of you who don't know, I LOVE board games! I love everything about them...being able to be competitive, spending fake money, winning REAL money from family members, being able to pull out random trivia that I know. My family is notorious for being competitive and for playing games so I guess it runs in the blood. One game that I've only played once but is one of my favorites of all time is TriBond. It's definitely a game that makes you think. The point of the game is to find the common bond between 3 things.

Example: Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, and Panama Canal

What bonds these three things together? Well, I'm SO glad you asked (little shout out to my ACS peeps). The construction of all three of these major monuments have a common link, a man by the name of Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel, although primarily known for the revolutionary tower that bears his name, also contributed greatly to other famous monuments in the 1870-80's.

With the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty this past weekend (October 28th), it seems fitting to delve a little deeper into this structural savant.

The second half of the 19th century brought with it a wave of products, structures and new landmarks, all made possible by the innovations of the Industrial Revolution. The manufacturing of steel, iron and other refined materials changed the game in architecture. It even changed the way you give a simple gift to a friend. And, was what the Statue of Liberty was, a gift from France to the United States that embodied their mutual efforts toward freedom and liberty for all. It would only be fitting that this gift would coincide with the centennial anniversary of the signing of the ultimate sign of freedom in the United States, the Declaration of Independence. Frederic Bartholdi took up the project but due to many factors (pondering of the idea for 6 years, some guy named Napoleon starting wars, the usual...etc) it would not be delivered by the desired anniversary date but it would come to be. However, this would not be a task for one man. Many experts in the field and many deep pockets would be necessary to pull off a woman of this size. Gustave Eiffel, a young, innovative structural engineer tagged in with the death of the architect of the head and arm. Eiffel used new and unfamiliar technology but transformed the plans into the "Lady Liberty" we know today. Throughout the process, this bold project was a sensation around the world as Bartholdi brought the constructed head of the statue to the Exposition Universelle 1878 (Paris World's Fair). Eiffel would be putting his name on his greatest masterpiece eleven years later at the next Paris World's Fair.

While riding the high of innovation in building new structures include the Statue of Liberty and a successful attempt with the Suez Canal, French representatives spearheaded by Ferdinand de Lesseps (Yes, I know that name sounds familiar and yes, you are right...this is the long ago ancestor of the husband of the "Countess" Luann from the Real Housewives of New York...he also contributed to funding the Statue of Liberty from France. However, I do not want to feed into her ego. She's not even a Countess anymore! I digress...) De Lesseps entrusted the main design with non other than Gustave Eiffel. He carried the weight of the French design and was embattled in scandal when the organization that was formed for the project went through all of their money with not much progress to show for it. Eventually the organization folded. The United States fought to revive the project but was entrenched in its own battle of Panama vs. Nicaragua. Both countries held the isthmus necessary to create a canal that would allow access between the two major oceans. This would allow for a quicker trip via boat from one end of the U.S. the other, which was particularly important with the discovery of gold in California only a few decades before. (CONTROVERSY ALERT: Many make the argument that Wall Street moguls stood to make a large profit with the U.S. bid for the canal. Check out How Wall Street Created a Nation: J.P. Morgan, Teddy Roosevelt and the Panama Canal by Ovidio Espino) The canal as we know it now, has transformed travel, trade and commerce. The failed French attempt only spurred the nation on more to build and create and show the world their prominence.

It's hard to imagine the preparation and excitement of a World's Fair with our interconnected globe these days. I would like to think it to be comparable to something like the premiere of a Harry Potter movie. Transcendent of age, gender, race, religion or creed and heightened anticipation of a life-changing event....yep, that sounds about right. The Tower, similar to it's American counterpart, sought to represent something larger than even its own stature. The 1889 Paris World's Fair was to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, France's own version of freedom and liberty. This monument however was delivered on time, but not without a few obstacles along the way. Eiffel, after beating out hundreds of other architects and engineers in a design competition, was met with much resistance from the French people, with many noting that the Tower was "ugly" or an "eyesore". It's hard to believe in our world today that France could be anything but proud of their most famous site. Eiffel seemed to turn the tide within Paris, presenting a stunning and almost unreal structure at the Fair. His design and technology baffled those around the world and eternally put pride in the hearts' of the French.

Want an awesome book about the building of the Eiffel Tower?? Look no further than to Jill Jonnes' Eiffel's Tower: And the World's Fair Where Buffalo Bill Beguiled Paris, the Artists Quarreled, and Thomas Edison Became a Count

So, there you have it...a little "monumental" trivia for the next time you decide to hop on over to France.

Spice for a city...fair trade??

I don't know many people who can resist a glass of eggnog at Christmas time...I know I sure can't! And although, we all love the slight buzz that comes from this festive drink, the star of the show comes from a small seed. Nutmeg is a spice considered to be a staple in kitchens around the world but most do not know that this everyday spice sparked a dispute that rocked the balance of European power. Who knew that something so small could mobilize armies and caused the clash of two European powers?

Exploration defined Europe in the 15th and 16th century as the Age of Discovery. The efforts of Vasco da Gama, Christopher Columbus, Ponce de Leon, and Ferdinand Magellan not only represented their own personal accomplishment and the pride of their country but a lot of freakin money! These men sought more efficient ways of reaching India, the East Indies, and China for trade of gold, silver and the topic of this post, spices. Certain spices were exclusive to the East including nutmeg which was exclusively grown on the Banda Islands of Indonesia. At this time, it had gained a reputation as a powerful spice, even warding off the Black Plauge during the 14th century. Europeans would wear pouches of nutmeg around their next to keep away illness. This may seem ridiculous to us but it has been found that the potent nutmeg they were usually actually could have kept away the disease-carrying fleas spreading the plague.

Although, all of Europe scrambled East, the British and Dutch led the way with their trade companies, Dutch East India Company and British East India Company, respectively. These companies competed in developing trade routes and controlling product flowing back to Europe. Henry Hudson, was chosen by the Dutch East India Company to find the Northeast Passage to Asia by sailing west. Hudson, who was ironically British and sailing on behalf of the rival of his own country, happened upon a small island that he later explored and named New Amsterdam. This island off the coast of a large landmass was close to other colonies such as John Smith's Jamestown.

On the opposite side of the world, the tension between the British and Dutch continued. The Dutch had taken over the Banda Islands and therefore controlled all of the nutmeg supply. All except for one small Banda Island named run that the British desperately held on to. The two major powers warred several times during the Age of Discovery. One particularly brutal clash involved the small island of Run. The Dutch finally took control of the final island exclusively taking over the nutmeg trade. The Dutch allowed them to sell the spice with a 6000% upcharge making it an extreme luxury. In exchange, through the treaty that brought the battle to and end, the Dutch conceded another small island, New Amsterdam, now better known as a little city called Manhattan.

So, how are we able to run to Jewel and buy as much of this stuff as we want for about $2.99 if it was only grown on one small set of islands? Well, the British truly made out like bandits in this deal. In another dispute in the East Indies, the British smuggled out nutmeg and replanted it in Caribbean Island British colonies including Grenada, which is now is the leading producer of nutmeg in the world. Sorry 'bout it, Dutchies!

Next time you generously sprinkle some nutmeg in your latte at Starbucks, take a second to think, this little spice not only stopped the Plague dead in its track but was at one point worth more than Manhattan.

Find out more about spices that changed history and all other sorts of small things that rocked the world. Napoleon's Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History

Take two...

"Those that do not learn from history are bound to repeat it..."

This commonly used phrase is one that I have always used to justify my history addiction. I mean, I'm just trying to prevent a repeat, right? I have tried one other time to do the blog thing while attempting to train and complete a marathon. And to relate it back to history, my attempted was somewhat reminiscent of the Hindenburg crashing into the sinking Titanic. So, I figured I would stick to what I know and love.

There are quite a few contributing factors to this blog actually coming to fruition.

1. I have been away from teaching history for over a year and am missing talking about it every day.

2. The stack of history books (my addiction as you will come to find out) was piling up and I needed the motivation to make some "me" time in my work-filled life by reading a bit more.

3. I had a simple moment at work when we were celebrating a co-worker's birthday with a red velvet cupcake that I had to restrain myself from chiming in with the sweet treat's WWII origins (don't you worry, this will make an appearance in a future post).

It dawned on me when I repeatedly would show up to my weekly work staff meeting and add a history fact of the week, that maybe I should shift my history passion to a more productive avenue. I just can't help myself...I LOVE history! I love that we are living out history in our own lives and that we can learn so much from the past. I love researching unique and interesting aspects of what might seem like boring textbook filler.

So, here goes nothing...I'm going to see how this project evolves. Right now, I see it being a combination of book reviews and some interesting tidbits that I think are worth sharing and might spark some interest. And, of course, drooling over and starting a countdown for whatever new history item is on pre-order at Amazon.com. If you have any request or are curious about any specific topics, let me know. I would love to write about topics of interest or have the opportunity to research some new facts that you might not already know!

Here's to making some more history!