Popular Culture
Molly Pitcher(s?)
In 1876, caught up in the patriotic excitement of the first centennial of the American Revolution, the people of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, raised a stone inscribed “Molly Pitcher” over the previously unmarked grave of a local resident, Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley (ca. 1754–1832). In the years before her death, Hays claimed to have served at the…
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In Pursuit–Version 2
The phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” is, I believe, one of the few portions of the Declaration of Independence that most Americans can recite from memory.[1] It is no surprise that two groups have chosen “In Pursuit” as the title for history-based projects For America 250. I reviewed one of those projects…
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In Pursuit–Version 1
I only found out about a wonderful documentary series titled In Pursuit: Philadelphia and the Making of America because the show’s writer and co-producer, Nathaniel Popkin, was dogged about tracking me down via email.[1] I am so glad he did. The ten-episode series uses the specifics of Philadelphia’s story to explore the broader story of…
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