Even if you aren't into politics, you're probably aware of the turmoil in the Republican Party right now, which finds itself mired in a civil war as we draw ever closer to the general election. Still, you might not know how the Republican Party started in the first place, which is the subject of this timely post. On March 20, 1854, former members of the Whig Party met in Ripon, Wisconsin, to establish a new party to oppose the spread of slavery into the western territories. Created in 1834 to oppose the “tyranny” of President Andrew Jackson, the Whig Party had been unable to cope with the national crisis over slavery. The party derailed as a result of the successful introduction of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill of 1854, an act that dissolved the terms of the Missouri Compromise and allowed slave or free status to be decided in the territories by popular sovereignty.  By February 1854, anti-slavery Whigs had begun convening in the upper midwestern states to consider the format...

Never let your past mistakes and experiences prevent you from taking on new challenges or opportunities. Most of us have had jobs that wound up being a bad fit, not to mention been in at least one relationship that ended badly. But you should never let the fear of going through another bad experience keep you from taking on a promising job or starting a new relationship that has the makings of a fruitful union. After all, it's experience that teaches us what we did wrong so that it won't happen again in the future. Next time a seemingly great job opportunity or dating prospect comes into the picture, we should be better equipped to determine whether either is right for us, given the lesson we learned the first time. Thus, experience should serve to facilitate growth and progress in our lives, not inhibit it.  I realize it can feel like a big gamble to take the plunge once more after being left hurt or disillusioned the last time. But integral to the human experience i...

On November 19, 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivered what's considered one of the most memorable speeches in American history. In fewer than 300 words, Lincoln articulated why the Union was engaged in the bloody conflict and what was at stake if the North didn't come out victorious. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought roughly four months earlier, was the single bloodiest battle of the Civil War. More than 45,000 men were killed, injured, captured or went missing over the course of three days. The battle also proved to be the key turning point of the war: General Robert E. Lee’s defeat and retreat from Gettysburg signaled the last Confederate invasion of Northern territory and the beginning of the end for the Confederates. An attorney named David Wills bought 17 acres of pasture to turn into a cemetery for the more than 7,500 who died. Wills invited Edward Everett, one of t...