• The 981 Project Podcast

  • Written by: Tamela Rich
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The 981 Project Podcast

Written by: Tamela Rich
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  • Summary

  • Join Tamela Rich for dispatches from all 981 miles of the Ohio River: people, places, history, culture, and more.

    the981project.com
    Tamela Rich
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Episodes
  • Did you know the Revolutionary War had a Northwestern Front?

    Did you know the Revolutionary War had a Northwestern Front?
    May 10 2024
    Every class I took on the American Revolution focused on the thirteen colonies. In my limited knowledge of the war, the French and Spanish were doing their own things west of the Mississippi, leaving the British-owned but lightly settled Illinois Country in between that saw no real action. I had no idea that the southern part of the old Northwest Territory had been a theater of war until I got a postcard advertising the Filson Historical Society’s Northwest & Indigenous Revolution Tour. It was time to expand my world view from where I’d left it in high school. Our main tour stops were Fort de Chartres, St. Genevieve, The St. Charles Heritage Museum, The Lewis & Clark Boat House Museum, Cahokia Mounds, George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, and its neighboring site Grouseland on the campus of Vincennes University.France and Spain in the RevolutionThe Bourbon kings of France and Spain were cousins. I would have had to know this to say that I forgot it. The two kingdoms were allied against the British during the Seven Years War, 1756–1763, (we call it the French and Indian War). France was badly beaten by the British during that war, and longed for vengeance. From the Seven Years War to the Revolution, the land west of the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains, called Louisiana, went back and forth between France and Spain and involved a secret treaty. Here’s a video to explain how and when it happened. You might have to watch it a couple of times—I did! The way these monarchs played with colonies reminds me of third-graders learning chess moves.Anyhow, the upshot of all this is that through 1777, France covertly supported the Revolution with guns, weapons, and cash through a shell company (thanks, Ben Franklin!). French volunteers poured into the continent, chief among them Lafayette. After a decisive American win at Saratoga, France formally declared war on England in 1778. Spain joined France as an ally in 1779 without declaring war on England itself. As had happened in the Seven Years War, the clash of empires began spreading across the globe, heavily in the Caribbean, and the British cut their losses in North America.Speaking of Franklin, I’m enjoying the AppleTV series of that name starring Michael Douglas in the title role. George Rogers Clark Takes Center StageBorn near Charlottesville, Virginia, the founder of Louisville, Kentucky, George Rogers Clark played a key role in this story. We talked about him at nearly every stop on our Filson Society tour. To set the stage for the Illinois theater of war, remember that the Seven Years War included the France relinquishing its Illinois territorial claims to England. At the start of the Revolution, the British relied heavily on native tribes to attack backcountry farms and settlements using guns and ammunition they provided. These attacks had the greatest threats to Virginians in Kentucky County (south of the Ohio River), which the Virginia General Assembly had created 1776. Yes, Kentucky was a Virginia county before it became a state.At the age of 26, after Clark requested and was granted public orders from the governor of Virginia to proceed against the British in the Illinois frontier. He also got a secret commission to launch an attack west into British-held territory. His goal was to seize Detroit, but he started easier targets (see the map above) which had few British forces to defend them.In his most successful moments he (Clark) crossed over and acted as an Indian war chief: he used their tactics, employed their methods to create group cohesion, shared their sense of honor and justice, terrorized his opponents into believing in his savagery, and even committed what Europeans regarded as atrocities. At the same time, he could put on a uniform and transform himself into a Virginia gentleman. ~National Park ServiceWith Clark’s victories in hand, after France’s recognition of the new American Republic, the Virginia legislature created the county of Illinois in 1778, comprising all the lands lying west of the Ohio River to which Virginia had any claim. Clark’s Legacy: In 1783, the Revolutionary War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, and Clark returned to private life. Of importance to The 981 Project was Clark’s role in allotting lands across the Ohio River from Louisville to men who had taken part in his campaigns. He also was appointed a commissioner to make treaties with tribes north of the Ohio River who were continuing their raids into Kentucky. Fast forward to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s dedication of the Clark memorial June 14, 1936. Here’s part of his address:George Rogers Clark did battle against the tomahawk and the rifle. He saved for us the fair land that lay between the mountains and the Father of Waters. His task is not done. Though we fight with weapons unknown to him, it is still our duty to continue the saving of this fair land. Now, let’s look at Clark in the present ...
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    12 mins
  • April '24 Trivia Time!

    April '24 Trivia Time!
    Apr 17 2024
    Welcome new subscribers! One monthly newsletter is devoted to Ohio River trivia, and always includes ten questions. It’s the rare person who can answer all ten correctly without a deep dive into each topic. Do your best and have fun while learning something new.Before delving into the trivia questions, I’ll prime you for this month’s topic with historical background on higher education in the Ohio Valley. * The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided for settlement and government of the territory and stated that “…schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” I talked about this when reviewing David McCullough’s book, The Pioneers. * Before the Northwest Ordinance was approved by the Confederation Congress, a group of Revolutionary War veterans became land speculators by forming the Ohio Company of Associates. They used their Certificate of Indebtedness (an IOU for unpaid service during the war), to buy half a million acres of Ohio land near the mouth of the Muskingum River. * “The appeal of this idea was that it offered to provide (a) a source of funds for the newly formed nation, (b) an opportunity for veterans of the Revolutionary War to get some value from the depreciated scrip in which they had been paid, (c) a scheme for orderly settlement of a frontier area, and (d) an opportunity for financial gain by the initial investors.” Source. * “Provisions of the contract with the Confederation Congress included setting aside two townships in the center of the purchase for a university. These two townships were called ‘College Lands.’" Ohio University was established on them in 1808. Source.QUESTIONSAnswers are in the footnotes.* In 1828, Ohio University conferred an A.B. degree on John Newton Templeton. What is Mr. Templeton’s historical significance ?* He is the namesake of the Templeton Prize, which honors people whose works “affirm life's spiritual dimensions” with an award of over one million dollars. Past winners include Mother Teresa, physicist Freeman Dyson, and ethologist, conservationist, and activist Jane Goodall* He was the first Black graduate of OU and the fourth Black man to graduate from a college in the U.S.* Both * In 1873, Margaret Boyd received her B.A. degree and became the first woman to graduate from Ohio University. Soon after, the institution graduated its first international alumnus from which country?* France* Turkey* Japan* This Indiana college was established in 1801 by William Henry Harrison (the ninth U.S. President) while he served as governor of the Indiana Territory. It is now a university. Name that university.* DePauw University* Valparaiso University* Vincennes University* In 2004, four college students set out to steal several volumes of some of the world’s rarest books from the first educational institution west of the Alleghenies. This institution was established in 1780 by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and its rare books were valued at more than $5.7 million. Name the university.* Spalding University* Transylvania University* Tusculum University* Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act on July 2, 1862. The Act committed the federal government to grant each state at least 90,000 acres of public land (30,000 acres for every senator and representative in the state). States could sell these lands to benefit higher education by building new institutions or improving existing ones. Which Ohio River Valley institutions are recipients of the 1862 Morrill grants? (choose as many as apply).* Ohio University* The Ohio State University* University of Kentucky* West Virginia University* “Who” were land-grant institutions designed to serve? (Choose all that apply)* “Sons and daughters of toil”* Residents of states where training in agriculture, mechanical arts, and military science were largely unavailable * Future farmers, teachers, and engineers* On Aug. 30, 1890, Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States, signed the Second Morrill Act of 1890 into law. This Act required states to either establish separate Land-grant Institutions for Black students or show that admission to a 1862 land-grant institution was not restricted by race. Which Ohio River Valley institutions received these funds? (choose as many as apply).* Kentucky State University* West Virginia State University* Lincoln University Missouri* Land-grant institutions were intended to emphasize pragmatic disciplines such as agriculture, science, and engineering without excluding classical studies. Riddle me this: if a land-grant university cuts majors or reduces faculty in foreign languages, public health, community planning, educational administration, and its math doctoral program (the only one in the state), is the university still aligned with the intent of the land-grant act? (choose as many as apply).* According to West Virginia University’s President, Gordon Gee, it is.* Perhaps it aligns, but it doesn’t pass the ...
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    24 mins
  • March '24 Trivia Time!

    March '24 Trivia Time!
    Mar 16 2024

    I heard from lots of folks about the last newsletter, “When Virginia Claimed Pittsburgh,” who were shocked by the power and rivalry of colonial governors. Heads up: to succeed in this month’s Ohio River Trivia quiz, you need to read it first. This month’s trivia is focused on Pittsburgh with a little Philly and Pennsylvania sprinkled in for flavor.

    Okay, as a reminder, the answers are in the footnotes. Good luck!

    QUESTIONS

    * Which of these nicknames is/has been used for Pittsburgh?

    * City of Bridges

    * The ‘Burgh

    * The Paris of Appalachia

    * All the above

    * Only a. and b.

    * “Hell with the Lid Off” refers to:

    * A book of that title exploring the ferocious five-year battle between Pittsburgh and Oakland for NFL supremacy during the turbulent seventies

    * Pittsburgh’s thick smog (coal smoke plus fog)

    * After a decade as a republic under Oliver Cromwell, England “restored” the monarchy under King Charles II in 1660. The restored king settled a large loan with William Penn's father (also named William) by granting him a “restoration colony” of roughly 40,000 square miles of land west and south of New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Which two of the following are also restoration colonies?

    * New York

    * New Jersey

    * The “Lower Counties” of Delaware (New Castle, Sussex, and Kent)

    * South Carolina

    * The British colony of Virginia fought Lord Dunmore’s War on two fronts. First was against the Shawnee and Mingo people of the Ohio Valley. Second was with another colony. Name that colony.

    * In what year was Pittsburgh finally established as being in Pennsylvania, not Virginia?

    * 1768, when the Mason-Dixon survey was completed

    * 1779, when Pennsylvania and Virginia agreed to extend the original Mason-Dixon line westward to a point five degrees from the Delaware river

    * In 1783, when Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States in the Treaties of Paris

    * When Pennsylvania’s Act for Gradual Abolition of Slavery was signed in 1780, were there more enslaved workers in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh?

    * One of the most-photographed scenes in Pittsburgh is the Duquesne Incline on Mt. Washington. The first Pittsburgh funicular was the Ormsby Mine Gravity Plane, built in 1844. In the course of The ‘Burgh’s industrial history, how many inclines were in service?

    * 11

    * 22

    * 23

    * Which of these foodie stories about Pittsburgh is true?

    * The Big Mac was invented there in 1967 by a McDonald’s franchisee

    * The Klondike Bar was invented there in 1929

    * To make any salad a “Pittsburgh Salad,” simply add french fries on top

    * Chipped ham was invented by the same restaurant that invented the Klondike Bar

    * All the above

    * Which of these is NOT a Pittsburgh first?

    * First PBS station

    * First Ferris Wheel

    * First Ice Capades

    * First nighttime World Series Game

    * First American hospital

    * This Pittsburgh native graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1962 and attended Pitt’s Graduate School of Child Development before going on to be a broadcaster in children's television. This TV personality is recognized by more than forty honorary degrees and several awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 1997 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002. Who is this native Pittsburgher?

    Intermission Message

    I always put a little intermission between the questions and answers to keep you from inadvertently seeing the answers before you’re ready. With vacation season straight ahead, I’ve included two posts from my other newsletter. I hope you’ll enjoy them.

    The April 8 solar eclipse will be visible throughout most of the Ohio River Valley. NASA will livestream it. Here’s the official website with cool details and interactive features.

    ANSWERS



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    17 mins
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