History chat with HistoryProf

I will give, free of charge, my expertise in American history. Ask a question, and I will try to answer in an understandable way. I can also recommend books if you like.

The goal is to help you win at trivia down at your local coffee shop, have some conversation starters for the holidays, and enjoy America’s fascinating and quirky history.

This is NOT a debate thread.
Let’s not veer away from history

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So let’s get this one out of the way. George Washington did have carved dentures, BUT he also had dentures made of human teeth.

He paid his slaves for some of their teeth to make dentures. Yes, he paid his slave to undergo the procedure. Not all slave owners did that.

Little known fact: Haiti never repaid loans the US made to them during the Adams administration.

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Well known fact… Haiti never received the USAid money or the money the Clinton Foundation raised for them.

As US secretary of state, Hillary helped to oversee $4.4bn that Congress had earmarked for recovery efforts by the US Agency for International Development, or USAid. “At every stage of Haiti’s reconstruction – fundraising, oversight and allocation – a Clinton was now involved,”

Besides a new luxury Marriot Hotel in downtown Port Au Prince, Haiti doesn’t have much to show for the $2.3 Billion funneled there. Most of it was given to American companies and hardly any passed through Haitian hands. Less than 3% of that spending went directly to Haitian organizations or firms.

But the USAid money was a pittance compared to the $13.3 Billion that was pledged by International donors and routed through the Clinton Foundation. Of this money, only 9% went to the Haitian government and 0.6% to local organizations.

Sorry-- but this is history. --and you brought it up. :wink:

I love love love this!

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I also said this is not a debate thread. And I don’t want it to be a political science thread, either. That is why I didn’t post it under current events.

I will say that Haiti is and has always been a mess due to dictatorships and very poor management. But they began much like the US did. That is why they got the original loan

If you want a bash the Democrats thread, start one elsewhere, please

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This thread isn’t meant for recent events. Prof is right, you can start your own bash the dems thread over in CE.

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Please establish some bookends concerning an appropriate time frame for “history.”

What is the cut off?

@Fritzpw_Admin – that’s a little over the top, don’t you think? It’s not “bashing” the dems, as you accuse, to cite historical facts complete with source material. @Historyprof opened up the thread to discuss topics that include “quirky” American history. You’d have to ask directly why Haiti was introduced, with particular attention to US loans.

Being an equal opportunity basher :grinning:, I only meant it loosely.

I see this thread as intended for something Vietnam era and older.

I don’t think prof intended, indeed he has stated so, that this isn’t meant for political science.

Reworded for the sake of our dear readers, please create a new thread in CE to discuss history of a more political nature.

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Historically inquiry normally begins twenty years after an event. Time is given for documents to be catalogued or declassified (but that can take decades) and the aftershock of the main event to settle down.

As I told students: political scientists get the meat off the carcass

Historians get the sinews and bits of hide

Archaeologists get the bones

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Understood and appreciated.

As the historical Haiti earthquake and subsequent misuse of funds was post 2010 (a mere 14 years ago) I will respectfully disengage from that tract.

I do like this thread. I’m sure you are a wealth of info on various topics.

As a point of disagreement-- @Historyprof has NOT stated that is not intended as for any discussion of a political nature. What was stated was that it was not intended to be “a debate thread” and I haven’t made it so.

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My apologies. I see current events and history as two different categories, two different academic degree designations (History is a Batchelor of Arts, Political Sciences, Batchelor of Science with Masters and Doctorate degrees following)

Fair assessment. I value intellectual honesty in the highest order.

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As do I. By the way, have you read the old novel “Advise and Consent”? I think you would find it interesting.

I have not, but it looks interesting. I’m an avid reader and I love cinema.

Synopsis (spoiler alert)

The writing style reminds me a bit of your writing style.

I appreciate that! I am a writer. My story is told a-thousand-fold across many genres. (is that too mystical?)

One of my favorites is as imagined by Ted Dekker. Are you familiar with The Circle (four book) trilogy?

No. I will check it out after I finish my current sci-fi series.

What are you currently watching?