Methodist Camp Meetings: A Historical Collection

In the early nineteenth century, a fascinating religious phenomenon swept through both England and the United States: the camp meeting. In these gatherings, large groups of Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists traveled to central meeting sites to camp, listen to itinerant preachers, pray, and just share in the company of their brethren. Common features of camp Continue Reading...

Titanic: A Historical Collection

April 15, 2012 marked a momentous anniversary in maritime history as well as in human history. Exactly one hundred years earlier, at 2:20 AM, the grandest ocean liner to ever grace the seas sank beneath the frigid waters of the North Atlantic just two hours and forty minutes after striking an iceberg. Before its ill-fated Continue Reading...

Republican Campaigns: A Historical Collection

Whether you love or hate the modern Republican Party, there is no disputing its rich history and the tremendous impact the party has had on American presidential politics since its beginning in the mid-nineteenth century. Founded by anti-slavery activists, ex-Whigs, and others opposed to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the party quickly gained steam as Continue Reading...

The Battle of Gettysburg: Turning the Tide

North against South. Blue versus Gray. Union against Confederate. Friend versus Friend. Brother against Brother. The American Civil War was the only time in history that America failed to be united. It was a time in history when dissenting opinions and beliefs were so divisive, that the country literally fell apart. No one wanted to Continue Reading...

Fiction House Comics: A Golden Age Comics Collection

If you were a teen in America during the 1940s and 50s, you weren’t buying the new computer game, begging your parents for Xbox games, or writing Santa for a game console. You were anxiously waiting for the newest issue of your favorite comic to hit store shelves. After all, in the world of comic Continue Reading...

Fairy Tales: Favorite Tales From Around the Globe

From the time we are children, and well into adulthood, fairy tales amuse us with their fantastical events. Colloquially, a fairy tale is a far-fetched story with a moral, and as such, hold remarkable relevance to our everyday lives. Just look at the key components of a tale. It begins with an impossible situation, followed Continue Reading...

Dogs: A Historical Collection

Today’s dogs were domesticated from gray wolves, perhaps as long as 15,000 years ago, and ever since, humans and dogs have formed a legendarily close bond that has also had a great impact on culture. For centuries, dogs have been memorialized in mind-boggling numbers of paintings, poems, fables, novels, children’s tales, memoirs, and even gravestone Continue Reading...

Chess: A Portable Library

Chess has been part of world culture since the sixth century. Originating in modern-day India, the “game of kings” moved to Persia, the Middle East, and Europe; changing and evolving over the millennia. Chess has captivated writers, artists, polymaths, and prodigies; and has been renowned as a tool for developing patience, mental dexterity, and resourcefulness. Continue Reading...

Charles Spurgeon: A Historical Collection

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was a British Baptist pastor and founder of the world’s first mega-church. For over forty years, thousands gathered at London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle to hear the “Prince of Preachers” speak. Spurgeon preached to a total of 10 million people in his lifetime, as often as ten times a week. His sermons were Continue Reading...

Pirates and Piracy: A Historical Collection

There’s nothing wrong with the buccaneer lifestyle. Living a life of luxury, sailing the high seas, and plundering any merchant vessel unfortunate enough to cross your path‚ what’s not to love? Well, there’s a lot that a pirate needs. From the dawn of piracy in the ancient world to the so-called “Golden Age” of the Continue Reading...

Wicca and White Magic: A History of Witchcraft

Contrary to popular imagination, witches aren’t cartoon-like characters who spend their time casting spells and reciting incantations over boiling cauldrons. Nor are they part of a satanic cult. Most witches, or “wiccans,” don’t even believe in the existence of Satan. A Wiccan, (another name for a self-identified “witch”) is not actually recognizable by how he Continue Reading...