Somewhat amazingly, today’s stamp celebrates one of the most shameful episodes in American history. The 3-cent stamp issued on October 15, 1948 says “Indian Centennial” followed by a list of five tribes—Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek, and Seminole – and then at the bottom, the statement “The Five Civilized Tribes of Oklahoma.” So apparently, this is […]
Ignoring the Trail of Tears Read More »
Like many of my generation, I learned that Robert E. Lee was special. Yes, we were taught that Lee fought for the Confederacy, which wanted to preserve slavery. But that uncomfortable fact was downplayed in favor of a narrative that instead highlighted both Lee’s military prowess and his strength of character, particularly his efforts to
How Could Robert E. Lee Be “A Guardian of Freedom?” Read More »
Before email and smart phones, I would always send my mother a postcard whenever I travelled abroad. I’m reminded of that habit by today’s #stampoftheday, which was issued on October 9, 1952 by the United Nations to honor the in honor the Universal Postal Union (UPU) on the 78th anniversary of the treaty that created
We All Belonged to the Universal Postal Union Read More »
Stifled in his job in Boston (and probably chafing at the city’s restrictive culture), a young man moves to New York, where he thinks he can find a job (and probably enjoy a less restrictive culture). This story (and its opposite) is a familiar one for almost everyone I know in greater Boston. But while
Ben Franklin Votes with His Feet Read More »
These days, when the worst of America has been so prominent, I’m happy that today’s #stampoftheday celebrates some of the best of America. Specifically, the 3-cent stamp, which was issued on October 4, 1948, celebrates volunteer fire fighters. The stamp, of course, is especially timely because of the many men and women who are putting
Volunteer Firemen Show America at its Best Read More »
Edgar Allan Poe, author of “The Masque the Red Death”, makes a bizarrely timely appearance as today’s #stampoftheday. Poe, who is known today for his chilling tales of horror and haunting poems, was featured on a 3-cent stamp issued on October 7, 1949, which was the 100th anniversary of his death. This choice presents two
Edgar Allan Poe Makes a Bizarrely Timely Appearance Read More »
On a strange day when it’s hard to know how to react to the news, it’s heartening that the #stampoftheday project makes me pause and ponder Mahatma Gandhi, who was born on October 2, 1869 and who appeared on the 10th Champions of Liberty stamp, which was issued in January 1961. Gandhi, of course, employed
Listening to Gandhi When Trump Got COVID Read More »
Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. I open today’s #stampoftheday post with these famous lines that start T.S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets” because Eliot was (somewhat amazingly) honored on a 22-cent U.S. postage stamp issued on September 26, 1988, 100 years after he
Let Us Go Then, You and I Read More »
Why do we hold onto and cherish artifacts from the past, particularly artifacts connected to our ancestors? That’s the question raised by today’s #stampoftheday, a 3-cent stamp, issued on September 25, 1939 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Stephen Daye Press – the first printing press used in Colonial America. In addition to being
Hoarding and Artifacts Read More »
The death of loved ones is always painful and, it seems to me, the death of your child is particularly painful because, as my father said to me after my brother died, it seems to violate the natural order of things. The power of such a loss is driven home by today’s #stampoftheday, which honors
Keeping the Faith in the Darkest of Times Read More »