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The failed 1953 raid that shaped the relationship between the government and polygamists

[In early April] when Texas authorities entered the compound of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints near Eldorado, the men, women, and children of the ranch surely thought of a similar raid conducted on their predecessors more than half a century earlier. In 1953, Arizona law-enforcement officials descended on the Short Creek community on the Arizona-Utah border and took nearly 400 Mormon fundamentalists, including 236 children, into custody. The raid on Sho

North Carolina's First Governor Is Still Missing

There's another dead end in the search for North Carolina's first governor. A team of East Carolina University archaeologists wrapped up their digging for the remains of Governor Richard Caswell today. The team found only a piece of leather and the bottom of what is believed to be a wooden casket. Excavation efforts ended after the team began a search for the governor's remains at one of his cemeteries about three weeks ago. The piece of leathe

Navy Technology to Help NOAA Find Sunken History

U.S. Navy mine-hunting technology has a potential dual use to help NOAA find historic shipwrecks by allowing maritime archaeologists to “see” below the seafloor. With greater resolutions and access to deeper depths, maritime archaeologists can better understand submerged cultural and historic resources without disturbing those sites. This technology will be put through its paces at AUVfest 2008 from May 12 – 23 in Narragansett Bay, R.I. Hosted by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (N

Grave robbers strike Sussex tomb of Bronze

Archaeologists excavating an enigmatic burial mound in Sussex believe that grave robbers beat them to the prize of finding the remains of a Bronze Age chief. Racing against time to date a burial mound on the cliffs at Peacehaven Heights in East Sussex before it collapses into the sea, they have found evidence of human occupation of the site spanning back to 8,000 years BC. But the prize was to find the remains of the warrior chief who was placed there in the Bronze Age,

Maryland Group Asking School Board To Ban Confederate Flag County-Wide

A group of black leaders is going before the Allegany County School Board to request an all-out ban of the Confederate flag. Back in February, the principal of Fort Hill High School banned the flag from being displayed on school grounds amid major racial tension that led to several student suspensions. Tuesday night, a group of community and church leaders plans to ask the school board for a permanent, county-wide ban of the Confederate flag in all public schools.

Museums worried about live shells

WAUPUN, WI—It wasn't a bomb threat, but the bomb squad was called to Waupun on Wednesday. Jim Laird, Waupun Historical Society member, contacted Waupun Police Chief Dale Heeringa on Tuesday to have some ammunition at the Waupun Historical Museum checked for being potentially explosive. The ammunition is from the Civil War and World War I. Laird heard of an expert cannonball de-fuser having an old cannonball explode because of unstable contents. With people working a wall's width aw

Relic hunter steals Civil War shell (Petersburg)

A relic hunter has been charged with stealing an intact Civil War shell that was embedded in a downtown brick building and was one of the last visible artifacts from the 10-month siege of the city. Timothy Clary, 49, of Chester was arrested Tuesday and charged with three felonies — destruction of property with intent, grand larceny and the use of explosives, according to police and court records. Clary was charged with stealing a federal Hotchkiss shell — roughly 7 in

Reclaiming the forgotten veterans (Mass.)

They wait in dusty basements, long forgotten on darkened shelves. Some have been neglected for 100 years or more. They served their country, then died, and were never claimed. Urns holding the cremated remains of war veterans are stacked in funeral homes, cemeteries, state hospitals, and even prisons around the state - a sad end for those who served their country. It isn't right, says Don MacNeill, coordinator of the Missing in America Project in Massachusetts. The 47-y

Gorbachev denies ordering Pope's assassination

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has categorically denied ordering the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II in 1981. The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that Gorbachev wrote to German foreign-policy analyst Werner Kaltefleiter in 2006, specifically denying that he was involved in the attempt on the Pope's live. La Repubblica claims to have a copy of Gorbachev's letter.

Montpelier celebrates the "first" first lady: Dolley Madison

May 20, 1768 marks the birth of Dolley Madison, one of the most revered political spouses to grace the White House. Visitors to James Madison’s Montpelier can join in the celebration on May 20 with free cake as well as free admission for those who share Dolley’s birthday. Known as the “first” First Lady, Dolley’s warmth, hospitality, and political acumen shaped much of the culture we find still today in our nation’s capital. In fact, it was 1808 when James Madison was first elected

El Nino may have helped Magellan cross the Pacific

The El Nino phenomenon that has puzzled climate scientists in recent decades may have assisted the first trip around the world nearly 500 years ago. Explorer Ferdinand Magellan encountered fair weather on Nov. 28, 1520, after days of battle through the rough waters south of South America. From there his passage across the Pacific Ocean may have been eased by the calming effects of El Nino, researchers speculate in a new study. When an El Nino occurs, the waters of the E

Dambusters remembered 65 years on

A service and fly-past has been held to mark the 65th anniversary of the World War II Dambusters mission. A Lancaster bomber flew three times over Derwent Reservoir in Derbyshire, which was used by the original pilots to train ahead of their famous raid. In 1943, the RAF's 617 Squadron set out to destroy three dams in Germany's Ruhr valley. They managed to breach two, giving a boost to Britain's war effort. The service remembered the eight aircraft and 53 crew who were lost.

Effect of the drought: Old church in Spain reappears

Drought in Spain: A medieval church that has been underwater for four decades has re-emerged from a drying dam. The village of Sant Roma had been underwater since the Catalonian valley, where it is located, was flooded -- only the church's belltower was visible. But, with the drought, which has gripped Spain and forced Barcelona to ship in water, the 11th century church has re-emerged and is attracting hordes of tourists.

Chris Matthews roasts radio talk show host who can't answer history question about 1930s appeasement

Bush appeasement slur angers Democrats

President George Bush used a visit to Israel yesterday to denounce Democratic party offers to negotiate with America's enemies in the Middle East as comparable to appeasement of Hitler. Although Bush did not name any Democratic politician, the party's presidential contender Barack Obama has offered to open negotiations with the Iranian leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Obama and other Democratic leaders expressed outrage at being compared to the

Report: Monitor warship said to be ok in its Marine Sanctuary

A new federal report on the health of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary gives good grades to the overall condition of the historic Civil War wreck and the marine resources that have grown up around it. But it also expresses continued concern about the threat of future damage to the famous ironclad warship from such human activities as illegal anchoring, looting and stray fishing nets — not to mention natural deterioration.

Lincoln Train Station sale divides Gettysburg council

The Lincoln Train Station is again at the center of growing contention in Gettysburg, but this time the discord is among Borough Council members who disagree on whether or not private entities should still be considered as potential buyers of the historic structure. At least two council members would like officials to consider selling the station to non-government entities, while several others are actively pursuing a sales agreement with the Gettysburg National Military Park.

Palestinians mark 1948 uprooting with rallies

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinians marked the 60th anniversary of their uprooting with rallies, sirens and black balloons Thursday — an annual ritual made even darker this year by crippling internal divisions and diminishing independence hopes. The memorial provided a stark contrast to Israel's all-out birthday bash, which included a high-profile visit by President Bush for the 60th independence day celebration. Bush's embrace of Israel at a time when the Palestinians w

Christian Brothers order retreats from frontline education (Ireland)

An epoch in Irish education and society is coming to an end: the Christian Brothers, who over 200 years built the most formidable of reputations, are ending their day-to-day involvement in running schools. No one disputes that the Brothers have made their mark in education but similarly no one disputes that some of them left marks – physical and psychological – on many of the boys who passed through their hands. Their reputation for propelling promising pupils into succ

Obama's Appalachian problem

According to exit polls, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton won 67 percent of the white vote in West Virginia, America's third-whitest state. Sen. Barack Obama in early March won 60 percent of the white vote in Vermont, the nation's second-whitest state. What gives? America is learning a lot about race this year, most recently that not all white voters are alike. There are enormous regional differences in how whites vote, differences with deep historical roots. Cl