Earlier today, I made a comment to a friend of mine about why the US isn't on the Metric system. Her response "You lot really know how to hold a grudge!" She asked me to make a list of 5 things about American history she can wiki-learn over the next week.

I wanted to stay away from the obvious (eg: the American Civil War), or things she would have memories of (eg: 9/11). I wanted very badly for the list to be things America used as battle cries, preferably in the "Remember the [insert grudge]!!" vein.

I came up with:

1) X Y Z affair
2) Zimmerman Telegram
3) 54 40 or fight!
4) Teddy Roosevelt (not a thing we "remember", but he's a badass. If you want to focus on the "Remember", try the USS Maine explosion)
5) Haymarket Massacre (Chicago, not London)

Today (15 February 2015) is the 117th anniversary of the Explosion of the USS Maine. But I think we'll all agree that Teddy Roosevelt is a way more interesting subject than the Spanish/American war.

So: given my criteria, what might you have put on that list?

2006 Superhuman Registration Act. Never forget.

The Alamo.

The Alamo.

Technically, not really an American thing, as it happened in the sovereign nation of Mexico. But the history of how that happened is fascinating.

Fair enough, but there were Ohioans, Tennesseans, Louisianans, and many more Americans involved! :-)

I like to think of Texas as a microcosm of the American Experiment, starting with resisting a sovereign militaristic nation.

I think you could get it all from the tax on adult drink making in Colonial New England, then go through still making all over, prohibition, and end on stock car racing.

Not all our finest moments, but definitely shows Americans getting their backs up over stuff.

I'll never forget Corporal York. His feats are something we should all aspire to.

I'll never forget the fact you let W bush get elected, a dark day in history.

There's the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Or the Sedition Act of 1918.

Red Scares 1 and 2.

Japanese Internment Camps

Japanese Internment Camps

I used to work in a restaurant that was in a mall, which was built over a former horse race track, which had been used as an internment camp. I found out this history when a couple guests were telling me that the last time they had been at the grounds, they had been held captive by the US government. Weird bit of mental flipping, there.

1. The Action off Samar (10/25/1944)

2. The Quasi-War with France

3. The Berlin Airlift (okay, not strictly American...)

4. The Mayflower Compact

5. The Annexation of Hawaii

But I think we'll all agree that Teddy Roosevelt is a way more interesting subject than the Spanish/American war.

Debatable. Don't get me wrong, TR is awesome, but I'm more inclined to look at the S-AW, particularly the naval battles (Manilla and Santiago).

Japanese Internment Camps

I used to work in a restaurant that was in a mall, which was built over a former horse race track, which had been used as an internment camp. I found out this history when a couple guests were telling me that the last time they had been at the grounds, they had been held captive by the US government. Weird bit of mental flipping, there.

Did you at least ask if the food was better this time?

Edit: Oh, and REMEMBER THE WHISKEY REBELLION!

Japanese Internment Camps

I used to work in a restaurant that was in a mall, which was built over a former horse race track, which had been used as an internment camp. I found out this history when a couple guests were telling me that the last time they had been at the grounds, they had been held captive by the US government. Weird bit of mental flipping, there.

Did you at least ask if the food was better this time?

Edit: Oh, and REMEMBER THE WHISKEY REBELLION!

I told them that my Italian grandfather was offered the choice between fighting and internment. He fought. (His exact words were not something I wanted to repeat to Japanese-Americans...)

Even more oddly: one of the managers there had grandparents who had also been interned at that very site. We used to tell him that he had a generational curse to never leave.

1. The Action off Samar (10/25/1944)

2. The Quasi-War with France

3. The Berlin Airlift (okay, not strictly American...)

4. The Mayflower Compact

5. The Annexation of Hawaii

But I think we'll all agree that Teddy Roosevelt is a way more interesting subject than the Spanish/American war.

Debatable. Don't get me wrong, TR is awesome, but I'm more inclined to look at the S-AW, particularly the naval battles (Manilla and Santiago).

Quasi war is covered by the X, Y, Z affair. It was part of a longer discussion on why the US doesn't use metric. The Anexation of Hawii is a great one, and nearly made the cut. But it didn't fit the "Remember" theme.

I'll have to look up those various naval battles. Is there anything particularly noteworthy about them, other than being important naval battles?

The Spanish American war is mostly interesting due to Hearst and Pulitzer.

I'll never forget the fact you let W bush get elected, a dark day in history.

Ya know, I voted for him the first time, he ran as a moderate. Gore was equally spooky, but for different reasons. His reelection though, that just blows my mind, Kerry should have fought much harder.