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Hispanic History

Cuba: An Early American History

January 12, 2022 by Liz Covart Leave a Comment

ben_franklins_worldOne of the places that Christopher Columbus stopped at during his 1492 voyage was an alligator-shaped island at the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico, between the Yucatán and Florida peninsulas – the is the island of Cuba.

What do we know about early Cuba, the island the Spanish described as the “Key to the Indies?” What kind of relationship and exchange did early Cuba have with British North America and the early United States? [Read more…] about Cuba: An Early American History

Filed Under: Books, History Tagged With: Black History, Colonialism, Cultural History, Early American History, Hispanic History, Podcasts, Political History

Andalusian Allure: From Washington Irving to Thomas Edison

December 2, 2021 by Jaap Harskamp 1 Comment

Theodoor de By’s engraving of a Spaniard feeding slain women and children to his dogs, 1598.Washington Irving was the son of immigrants. His father was a Presbyterian Scot, his mother Cornish. He was born on April 3rd, 1783, the same week that New Yorkers celebrated the ceasefire that ended the American Revolution. His parents named their son after George Washington. They had settled at 131 William Street, Manhattan, and were part of the city’s merchant class.

Washington began writing letters to the New York Morning Chronicle in 1802. He gained recognition as a satirical author in 1809 with A History of New York using the pseudonym Dietrich Knickerbocker. He riveted readers with his irreverent combination of fact and fancy. [Read more…] about Andalusian Allure: From Washington Irving to Thomas Edison

Filed Under: Arts, History, New York City Tagged With: Art History, Cultural History, Dance, Film History, Hispanic History, Literature, New York City, Opera, Performing Arts, spanish history, Thomas Edison, Washington Irving

Tango Mania: From Brothel to Concert Hall

September 19, 2021 by Jaap Harskamp Leave a Comment

Ksenija Sidorova at the Last Night of the PromsOn September 11th, 2021, the traditional Last Night of the (BBC) Proms took place at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Away from the usual and rather bizarre jingoism, this performance was memorable for the “revolutionary” introduction of an accordion on stage.

Latvian virtuosa Ksenija Sidorova was the first accordion soloist ever to be invited to play on such an occasion. Her interpretation of Astor Piazzolla’s 1974 composition “Libertango” brought a packed house to its feet. [Read more…] about Tango Mania: From Brothel to Concert Hall

Filed Under: Arts, History, New York City Tagged With: Cultural History, Dance, French History, German-American History, Greenwich Village, Hispanic History, Musical History, New York City, Performing Arts, Vice, womens history

The Saratoga Racecourse Backstretch Backstory

August 27, 2021 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

Saratoga Backstretch Fred BrennerThe saga of thoroughbred racing at Saratoga has largely been told by and about the horse owners, tycoons, the rich and famous of their era.

The people who actually care for the horses, the backstretch (barn area) workers, grooms and hot walkers often receive little attention. [Read more…] about The Saratoga Racecourse Backstretch Backstory

Filed Under: Capital-Saratoga, History Tagged With: Black History, Hispanic History, Horses, Immigration, Labor History, Latino History, Saratoga, Saratoga County, Saratoga County History Center, Saratoga County History Roundtable, Saratoga Race Track, Saratoga Springs

Gompers and Hammerstein: The Cigar Makers Who Transformed Theatre

June 1, 2020 by Jaap Harskamp 5 Comments

Interior of a NYC cigar factory before the strike of 1877In 1693, Leicestershire-born immigrant William Bradford was appointed public printer for New York. Living in Pearl Street, Manhattan, he published from his offices in Hanover Square the first book with a New York imprint, entitled New-England’s Spirit of Persecution Transmitted to Pennsylvania by Quaker author George Keith.

Between 1725 and 1744, Bradford produced the New-York Gazette, the city’s first newspaper. Lower Manhattan continued to be the center of New York’s printing industry for many years, but by the 1860s the street took on a northern European accent and became known for a different type of leaf – tobacco. [Read more…] about Gompers and Hammerstein: The Cigar Makers Who Transformed Theatre

Filed Under: Arts, History, New York City Tagged With: art, Hispanic History, Labor History, Manhattan, New York City, Newspapers, Oscar Hammerstein, Performing Arts, Publishing, Samuel Gompers, Theatre

The Burned-Over District and Mexican Revolution

December 26, 2019 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

francisco-i-madero-bhimaWhen Halley’s comet, that star with the quetzal’s tail, flared across Mexican skies in 1910, it heralded not only the centennial of Independence, but a deeply transformative episode, the Revolution launched by Francisco I. Madero on November 20, what Javier Garciadiego calls “the true beginning of a process, the birth of the modern Mexican state.”

The great chorus of Mexican historians agree. And yet, almost unknown and curious as it may sound, a vital taproot of this revolution lies in the Burned-Over District of New York State. [Read more…] about The Burned-Over District and Mexican Revolution

Filed Under: Books, History Tagged With: Cultural History, Hispanic History, Military History, Poughkeepsie, Religious History

Muslims & Moriscos in Colonial Spanish America

March 28, 2018 by Liz Covart Leave a Comment

ben_franklins_worldIn this episode of the Ben Franklin’s World podcast, Karoline Cook, author of Forbidden Passages: Muslims and Moriscos in Colonial Spanish America (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016), serves as our guide as we explore some of the political, cultural, and religious history of New Spain. Specifically, how Spaniards and Spanish Americans used ideas about Muslims and a group of “new Christian” converts called Moriscos to define who could and should be able to settle and help the Spanish colonies in North America. You can listen to the podcast here: www.benfranklinsworld.com/178

[Read more…] about Muslims & Moriscos in Colonial Spanish America

Filed Under: Books, History Tagged With: Cultural History, Hispanic History, Podcasts, Religious History

Frick Publications on Spanish and Latin American Art

March 27, 2018 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The americas revealedOn Thursday, March 29, at 6 pm, the Frick’s Center for the History of Collecting is set to host an event to celebrate the recent publication of several books and exhibits on Spanish and Latin American topics.

Among them are two books that evolved from symposia organized by the Center: El Greco Comes to America: The Discovery of a Modern Old Master and The Americas Revealed: Collecting Colonial and Modern Latin American Art in the United States. [Read more…] about Frick Publications on Spanish and Latin American Art

Filed Under: Events, History, New Exhibits Tagged With: Frick Collection, Hispanic History

NYC: Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985

February 11, 2018 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Sandra EletaThe Brooklyn Museum has announced an extensive calendar of public programs surrounding the exhibition Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985.

The only East-coast venue of the exhibition, Radical Women will be on view from April 13 to July 22 at the Brooklyn Museum.

Scheduled programs include: [Read more…] about NYC: Radical Women: Latin American Art, 1960-1985

Filed Under: Events, History, New Exhibits, New York City Tagged With: Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum, Hispanic History

Utica: Diary of a Small Hispanic Community

October 30, 2017 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

diary of a small hispanic community book coverOn Saturday, November 4 starting at 1 pm, Dr. Juan A. Thomas, Associate Professor of Spanish and Director of the Ethnic Heritage Studies Center at Utica College, will explore Spanish language in Utica and its speakers during this special program co-hosted by the Mohawk Valley Latino Association.

This presentation encompasses research from Diary of a Small Hispanic Community, which is a study in contact linguistics and seeks to enhance the visibility of the local Hispanic community. [Read more…] about Utica: Diary of a Small Hispanic Community

Filed Under: Events, History Tagged With: Books, Hispanic History, Utica

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