Author Archives: georgelamplugh

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About georgelamplugh

I retired in 2010 after nearly four decades of teaching History at the "prep school" level with a PhD. My new "job" was to finish the book manuscript I'd been working on, in summers only, since 1996. As things turned out, not only did I complete that book, but I also put together a collection of my essays--published and unpublished--on Georgia history. Both volumes were published in the summer of 2015. I continue to work on other writing projects, including a collection of essays on the Blues and, of course, my blog.

Reading the Civil War: “Patriotic Gore”–And More

Posted on June 16, 2012 by georgelamplugh

In the Fall of 1969, I took a grad school course on the Civil War.  During a discussion of historiography, someone asked our professor his opinion of Shelby Foote’s history of the conflict, the first two volumes of which were then in … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Civil War, History, Research, Retirement, Shelby Foote, Southern (Georgia) History, Southern History, Teaching, Vietnam War | Tagged | 9 Comments

20th-Century Blues Men (Blues Stories, 5)

Posted on June 1, 2012 by georgelamplugh

[Note:  This post is the companion piece to “20th-Century Blues Women.”  A slightly different format this time, without an introductory essay (for those interested in one, go here.); instead, I offer biographical sketches of some favorite 20th-century Blues men and a song or two that capture the essence … Continue reading →

Posted in "Charley Patton", Alan Lomax, American History, Blind Willie McTell, Chicago Blues, Delta Blues, History, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Piedmont Blues, Research, Robert Johnson, Son House, Southern (Georgia) History, Southern History, The Blues | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Past Personal: Teaching the Vietnam War as History

Posted on May 1, 2012 by georgelamplugh

[Note:  This piece originated as a talk to a group of history teachers; it explains the genesis of the series, already posted here, “Growing Up With Vietnam.” (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4] * * * * * When I began … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Cold War, Current Events, History, Research, Retirement, Teaching, Vietnam War | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Unflattering Glimpses of the Georgia Legislature, 2012 and 1817

Posted on April 4, 2012 by georgelamplugh

[Note:A huge sigh of relief can be heard all round the greater Atlanta area; wives and daughters are once again permitted to leave their homes unaccompanied by a heavily armed escort; the family silver has been retrieved from its hiding place and … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Current Events, Georgia History, History, Research, Southern (Georgia) History, Southern History | 4 Comments

20th-Century Blues Women (Blues Stories, 4)

Posted on April 1, 2012 by georgelamplugh

A funny thing happened when I researched the role of women in developing the Blues in the twentieth century:  I found an alternative narrative that contained a few surprises.  For example, the year 2003 was designated by Congress as “The … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, Billie Holiday, Blues Women, Chicago Blues, Delta Blues, Francine Reed, History, Ma Rainey, Mamie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Memphis Minnie, Ruth Brown, Sippie Wallace and Bonnie Raitt, Southern History, The Blues | 3 Comments

Blues Geography (Blues Stories, 3)

Posted on March 10, 2012 by georgelamplugh

Any discussion of geographical variations in the Blues, while important in developing some understanding of the music, is also problematic, because those labels can be slippery.  As Francis Davis points out, “the widespread availability of country blues records quickly blurred … Continue reading →

Posted in "Charley Patton", Alan Lomax, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie McTell, Brownie McGee, Chicago Blues, Delta Blues, Howlin' Wolf, Memphis Minnie, Memphis Minnie, Muddy Waters, Piedmont Blues, Robert Johnson, Son House, Southern (Georgia) History, Southern History, TBone Walker, Texas Blues, The Blues, Uncategorized | Tagged | 3 Comments

Thoughts on a First Draft

Posted on March 1, 2012 by georgelamplugh

Recently, I completed a first draft of the “Project,” after about eight months of effort (which, of course, followed fifteen years of research, most of it over long school vacations, but who’s counting!).  The text (including notes, which at this point are embedded in the body … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Georgia History, History, Research, Retirement, Southern History | 2 Comments

The Birth of the Blues (Blues Stories, 2)

Posted on February 1, 2012 by georgelamplugh

                                           [Another in a series of posts about the history of the Blues and about some of those who sang and played … Continue reading →

Posted in Alan Lomax, American History, Delta Blues, History, Southern History, The Blues | 6 Comments

2011 in review

Posted on January 1, 2012 by georgelamplugh

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here’s an excerpt: A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,000 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Civil Rights–And Wrongs: Personal Reflections on Dr. King and His Legacy

Posted on January 1, 2012 by georgelamplugh

As my former American History students will tell you, I am a great admirer of the modern civil rights movement in the United States, and, especially, of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the greatest Americans of … Continue reading →

Posted in "The Race Beat", American History, Civil Rights Movement, Current Events, Dr. Martin Luther King, History, Southern History, Taylor Branch, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments