On 6 May 1933, the Institute of Sexology, an academic foundation devoted to sexological research and the advocacy of homosexual rights, was broken into and occupied by The German Student Union. Several days later the entire contents of the library were removed and burned.
Category: Historical Study
Today in History: The Battle of the Alamo Concludes
March 6, 1836 The Battle of the Alamo Siege of the Alamo: 13 Days Under Fire Just as General Cos’ Army headed towards the Rio Grande to Mexico, General Santa Anna’s Army were marching north towards Texas, unbeknownst to the Texans. Their plan was to take back the town of Bexár and end the Texas…
Happy Texas Independence Day!
Texas Independence Day During the Texas Revolution, a convention of American Texans meets at Washington-on-the-Brazos and declares the independence of Texas from Mexico. The delegates chose David Burnet as provisional president and confirmed Sam Houston as the commander in chief of all Texan forces. The Texans also adopted a constitution that protected the free practice of slavery, which had…
Racial Reality Flashback
“A Genuine Hawken!”
The Hawken Rifle Turns 200 Just as the Colt revolver and the Winchester rifle are icons of the post-Civil War West, one gun symbolizes the era of the fur trade. The rifle was the primary weapon for sustenance and defense with the early trappers and explorers in the American West. Although specific firearms makers…
Firearm Conundrums
Firearm Conundrums A few questions puzzle nimrods and veteran shooters alike: Single Action, Double Action? One of the many enigmas to newcomers in the Western gun world is the description of operating a “single action” (SA) versus a “double action” (DA). Why are two actions required of the shooter to fire a single-action…
The Bad Ass Files: Robert “R.J.” Thomas – The Story of a Real American Gunfighter
A REAL AMERICAN GUNFIGHTER AND HIS GUNS When those who grew up in my era hear the words “gunfight” or “gunfighter,” we immediately get a vision of something that never existed. Spending many of my Saturdays in the late 1940s at the West Theater to watch western movies with the likes of Roy Rogers,…
Lessons from the Battle of Adobe Walls
Lessons from the Battle of Adobe Walls An amazing but rarely discussed piece of Texas History.
Know Your Texas History: 188 Years Ago Today the Siege of the Alamo Began and Lasted for 13 Days
Remembering the Alamo February 23, 1836 — Native Americans had lived in Texas for thousands of years, undisturbed until Spanish explorers arrived in 1519 and took control. Mexico’s war of independence pushed out the Spanish in 1821 and Mexican Texas was born. To boost settlement, Mexican authorities encouraged immigration from the United States, the campaign becoming so successful that by 1834,…