Hello, Virginia!

The last ten days have been a whirlwind of travel, getting settled, and starting a new job at Central Virginia Battlefields Trust. It’s been amazing to see all the plans come together and also see what surprises God has had as I’ve made this move and am adjusting to expanding Gazette665’s reach while still keeping ties in California!

Yes, Wednesdays are usually for “Searched & Answered” videos, but tonight I wanted to be a little more personal and share some photos from my recent cross-country trek from California to Virginia. Autumn colors were in full burst in different states, and of course, I found plenty of history sites to cram into already long travel days. 🙂

Continue reading

Searched & Answered: Ulysses S. Grant

He’s the most famous Union general and remembered for his winning strategy that led to his role at Appomattox, accepting the Confederate surrender. Today, we’re answering suggested search questions about Ulysses S. Grant…

We’ll talk about his battles, how he’s remembered, some of his life accomplishments, and the story about how he was forced to change his name. Check out the new video!

Continue reading

Searched & Answered: Robert E. Lee

Open a history textbook, find the Civil War chapter. If there are photographs, I can almost guarentee you’ll see an image of Robert E. Lee. He has become the face, the figurehead, as the Confederate leader (because we all know that the war was only fought in Virginia and on the battlefields – sarcasm, folks).

As I typed his name into an internet search engine, I wondered what suggested search questions would appear. Would it be a way to “take a pulse” on Lee’s memory in this modern era? Interestingly, his beliefs involved the first question, but then there were several questions focused on his military, battlefield success.

Check out the new video to see the questions and how we dug up some history for short answers and discussions…

Continue reading

Searched & Answered: Abraham Lincoln

He’s probably one of the most famous—if not THE most famous—person from the Civil War era: Abraham Lincoln. He’s also one of the most popular presidents of the United States and is remembered through epic or heroic lens, even though he wasn’t actually that popular during his lifetime. Time and a better understanding of Lincoln’s legacy has added to his importance and reveals that his “common man” life still resonates with us today.

It was exciting to see what questions came up when I searched “Abraham Lincoln.” As expected, the questions focused on Lincoln’s memory and legacy so I expanded into the historical perspective also! It was a fascinating project. Enjoy the video and discussion about this famous president…

Continue reading

Searched & Answered: Jefferson Davis

Nothing like a controversial historic person to send people to the internet for answers, right? So…we thought we’d tackle the search term “Jefferson Davis” and answer some questions.

Of course, there’s always more to say, discuss, or write, but the purpose of these videos are to give quick answers and some extra information – not hours of lecturing. Without further ado, here are some brief answers to the suggested search questions related to Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy during the American Civil War.

Continue reading

Searched & Answered: American Civil War

We’re kicking off a new video series and aiming to expand Gazette665’s YouTube Channel! Here’s what’s coming…

Each week, I’ll enter a name or keyword in an internet search engine, then I’ll answer the suggested, follow-up questions. For now, all searches will have a Civil War theme and we’ll be doing generals, leader, and other people from the Civil War era for a while.

Continue reading