Podcasts about Fort Pitt

Point State Park stands as the crowned jewel of downtown Pittsburgh. It is a lush, 36-acre greenspace nestled at the historic confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, where the mighty Ohio River is born.Point State Park is a focal point for community gatherings, festivals and celebrations. It provides sweeping views of the city's skyline and serves as a tranquil urban escape.The Point has become the place you bring your out of town parents to. The place you see on TV during all home games for the Pirates and Steelers. The place you see from atop of the iconic Duquesne Incline. But it hasn't always been that way. Before it was Point State Park, it was known as the Forks of the Ohio River and served as a critical military strong hold for the French, British, Native American and American militaries. Fort Prince George, Fort Duquesene and Fort Pitt were all – at one time or another – located where the state park stands.Overtime the Point developed into a thriving industrial zone, a place dedicated to supplying resources for the growing United States of America. But by the 1930s, the area had deteriorated into a commercial slum. City and state officials stepped up and completely changed the property. More than just a park, the Point is a testament to Pittsburgh's ability to reinvent itself while honoring its roots and is a powerful symbol of Pittsburgh's resilience, history and natural beauty.As the gateway to the city and the heart of its downtown, Point State Park doesn't just represent Pittsburgh—it is Pittsburgh.On this episode, I speak with Jack Lachendro. Jack is the Environmental Education Specialist at Point State Park. Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:Keystone Trails AssociationPurple Lizard MapsPennsylvania Parks and Forests FoundationSisters' SunflowersSupport the showVisit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. Hosting, production and editing: Christian AlexandersenMusic: Jon SauerGraphics: Matt Davis

Pontiac's War: Fire on the Frontier, Peace in the ShadowsIn 1763, as British flags replaced French ones across the Great Lakes, the First Peoples of Michigan faced a new empire—one that dismissed their diplomacy, severed their trade, and threatened their way of life. Led by Odawa war chief Pontiac and inspired by the spiritual teachings of Neolin, tribes from across the region united in a massive resistance campaign.This episode traces the dramatic siege of Fort Detroit, the harrowing use of smallpox at Fort Pitt, and the chilling aftermath of Pontiac's assassination, including the haunting legend of Starved Rock. From war councils beneath the pines to vengeance on the banks of the Mississippi, Pontiac's War was not just a rebellion—it was a defense of land, life, and sovereignty. And its echoes still shape the memory of the Great Lakes today. Tune in as End of the Road in Michigan brings this powerful story to life through dramatic narrative and historic insight.

Columbus Day is October 14, and is always a guarantee that there will be arguments and political posturing about how either Christopher Columbus was some great hero who discovered America, but thought it was India and so called the people Indians, or about how we was a white monster who slaughtered innocent red people who he stumbled upon randomly. Neither narrative holds up to scrutiny. Columbus was married into the family of Henry Sinclair, who ventured to the Americas from Scotland in 1398. Others like Leif Erikson came hundreds of years before that, sometime around 1000 AD. Columbus certainly didn't mistake the people he found for the population of India because that place then was called Hindustan, meaning people who lived on land beyond the Indus River. Instead he wrote of them as Indios, or “una gente in Dios,” meaning “a people in God.” The only problem was they didn't believe in the same God necessarily, and though the people generally wanted to trade and have friendship, they did not want to be forcibly converted to another religion. But this is the case for every group of people, not just Indians supposedly oppressed by Europeans. Part of the narrative includes the myths of smallpox blankets, blind murder of all heathens, and theft of all their land and resources. Yet there is only one case of potential bio-warfare at Fort Pitt, as a result of Indians refusing peace terms, and we know that Columbus himself saw the people as ready to be converted so they certainly were not heathens having already been designated "indios." Furthermore, the romanticizing of Indians as believing no-one could own the land or private property is a malicious lie, considering that most tribes had a sophisticated understanding of the previous - not to mention the Iroquois Confederacy was instrumental in forming the US Constitution many hundreds of years later. The idea that Europeans ripped Natives off, which suggest they were dumb, which they weren't, is another malicious lie. In fact, Indians and Europeans traded largely in peace, with the latter prizing the former's goods, something that may have lead to sickness spreading among tribes. Most conflicts arose from non-Indian land speculators and fur traders, but also from Indians who saw Europeans as barbarians. Today we have politicians wanting to rename Columbus Day and instead call it Indigenous Peoples Day. The problem is “indigenous” means originating from a specific place, and in the case of Indians they certainly didn't originate in the Americas. In fact, by chronology, in a sense, Erikson and Sinclair were more Native American than the Arawak greeted by Columbus. Not to mention Richard Marsh found white Indians in Panama. Recent research has also found that Australian Aboriginal DNA is within Brazilian Indians.-FREE ARCHIVE (w. ads)SUBSCRIPTION ARCHIVEX / TWITTER FACEBOOKWEBSITEPAYPALCashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tst-radio--5328407/support.

Columbus Day is October 14, and is always a guarantee that there will be arguments and political posturing about how either Christopher Columbus was some great hero who discovered America, but thought it was India and so called the people Indians, or about how we was a white monster who slaughtered innocent red people who he stumbled upon randomly. Neither narrative holds up to scrutiny. Columbus was married into the family of Henry Sinclair, who ventured to the Americas from Scotland in 1398. Others like Leif Erikson came hundreds of years before that, sometime around 1000 AD. Columbus certainly didn't mistake the people he found for the population of India because that place then was called Hindustan, meaning people who lived on land beyond the Indus River. Instead he wrote of them as Indios, or “una gente in Dios,” meaning “a people in God.” The only problem was they didn't believe in the same God necessarily, and though the people generally wanted to trade and have friendship, they did not want to be forcibly converted to another religion. But this is the case for every group of people, not just Indians supposedly oppressed by Europeans. Part of the narrative includes the myths of smallpox blankets, blind murder of all heathens, and theft of all their land and resources. Yet there is only one case of potential bio-warfare at Fort Pitt, as a result of Indians refusing peace terms, and we know that Columbus himself saw the people as ready to be converted so they certainly were not heathens having already been designated "indios." Furthermore, the romanticizing of Indians as believing no-one could own the land or private property is a malicious lie, considering that most tribes had a sophisticated understanding of the previous - not to mention the Iroquois Confederacy was instrumental in forming the US Constitution many hundreds of years later. The idea that Europeans ripped Natives off, which suggest they were dumb, which they weren't, is another malicious lie. In fact, Indians and Europeans traded largely in peace, with the latter prizing the former's goods, something that may have lead to sickness spreading among tribes. Most conflicts arose from non-Indian land speculators and fur traders, but also from Indians who saw Europeans as barbarians. Today we have politicians wanting to rename Columbus Day and instead call it Indigenous Peoples Day. The problem is “indigenous” means originating from a specific place, and in the case of Indians they certainly didn't originate in the Americas. In fact, by chronology, in a sense, Erikson and Sinclair were more Native American than the Arawak greeted by Columbus. Not to mention Richard Marsh found white Indians in Panama. Recent research has also found that Australian Aboriginal DNA is within Brazilian Indians.-FREE ARCHIVE & RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-secret-teachings Twitter: https://twitter.com/TST___Radio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesecretteachings WEBSITE (BOOKS, RESUBSCRIBE for early show access): http://thesecretteachings.info Paypal: rdgable@yahoo.com CashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings-with-ryan-gable--5328407/support.

This Day in Legal History: Treaty of Fort PittOn September 17, 1778, the newly independent United States and the Lenape (Delaware) Nation signed the Treaty of Fort Pitt, marking the first formal treaty between the U.S. and a Native American tribe. The treaty established a military alliance during the American Revolutionary War, with the Lenape agreeing to assist the U.S. in its fight against the British. In return, the U.S. promised protection and the possibility of creating a 14th state for Native Americans in the future.Despite its significance as a symbol of diplomacy, the treaty was quickly undermined. U.S. forces often ignored the agreement, and American expansion continued to threaten Lenape lands. The promise of a Native American state was never realized, and tensions between the two sides worsened. This violation of the treaty set a precedent for many future treaties between the U.S. government and Native American tribes, where promises were made but rarely honored. The Treaty of Fort Pitt highlights the complex and often troubled relationship between Native nations and the U.S. government during the early years of American independence.The Biden administration is launching a new initiative to combat the smuggling of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), potent greenhouse gases used in refrigeration, across U.S. borders. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and other agencies are collaborating, using new tools like artificial intelligence to identify suspicious shipments. HFC smuggling has surged as the U.S. phases out these chemicals under the 2019 American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, which mandates an 85% reduction by 2036. Since fiscal year 2024 began, about 25 illegal shipments have been stopped, but the scale of smuggling remains large.Smugglers use various methods, such as relabeling containers and falsifying import documents, to sneak HFCs into the country. The black market for these refrigerants mirrors the illicit trade of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the 1990s after their global ban. Enforcement efforts include developing human intelligence sources, new AI technologies, and enhanced collaboration between government agencies. However, enforcement challenges persist, as it's difficult to catch every shipment and distinguish legal from illegal HFCs once they enter the market.Biden Fights Smugglers Trafficking Climate-Warming RefrigerantsCigna Group's Express Scripts is suing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over a July report that it claims unfairly portrays pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). In its lawsuit, filed in Missouri, Express Scripts calls the report “unfair, biased, erroneous, and defamatory” and demands the agency retract it. This legal action intensifies the ongoing conflict between PBMs and the FTC, which has been investigating the industry for over two years.The FTC's report accuses PBMs of steering patients to their own pharmacies and charging higher rates. Express Scripts, along with other PBM giants like CVS Health and UnitedHealth Group, disputes these claims, arguing that PBMs help control drug prices and counteract pharmaceutical companies' power. Cigna's lawsuit also accuses the FTC of ignoring data it submitted, favoring instead what it calls “unsupported innuendo.” The FTC has rejected these accusations and stands by its report, stating that it aims to clarify the complexities of the PBM market. The case is now before the U.S. District Court in Missouri.Cigna Sues Federal Trade Commission Over ‘Defamatory' ReportThe U.S. antitrust trial over Kroger's $25 billion bid to acquire rival grocer Albertsons is wrapping up, but the legal battles are far from over. Following the Portland trial, where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and several states argued that the merger would harm shoppers and unionized grocery workers, two more trials are set to challenge the deal. Washington state's attorney general began a separate trial on Monday, arguing that the merger would raise prices, reduce competition, and allow Kroger to close unionized stores. Later this month, Colorado will bring its own case, focusing on the impact on local farmers and consumers.Kroger and Albertsons, which have already spent $864 million on merger-related costs this year, argue that the deal would lower prices and allow them to compete better with retail giants like Walmart and Amazon. Despite their assurances that no stores will close due to the merger, critics warn that closures could occur in the future. The ongoing legal challenges could prolong the merger process and add significant costs for the companies.Kroger-Albertson's US anti-trust trial to end but other legal blocks loom | ReutersIn my column for Bloomberg this week, I explore how land value taxes (LVTs) can address the inequities in the current property tax systems across the U.S.Property taxes, especially in economically disadvantaged areas, have been scrutinized for burdening low-income homeowners. A land value tax, which taxes only the land's value and not any structures or improvements, could provide a fairer alternative. LVTs can stabilize tax burdens, promote development, and reduce land speculation. This tax system would also allow for income-adjusted progressivity, helping municipalities create more consistent revenue streams while avoiding the boom-and-bust cycles tied to real estate.In contrast, traditional property taxes—which tax both land and buildings—can disincentivize property improvements, make it cheaper to hold vacant land, and unfairly burden residents in areas with declining commercial property values. This is especially evident in places like Chicago's south suburbs, where declining commercial revenue is pushing low- and middle-income homeowners to the brink. Similar stories are unfolding in towns like Harvey, Illinois, and Wake County, North Carolina, where property taxes have surged beyond many residents' ability to pay.Shifting to an LVT would alleviate these problems by taxing land rather than improvements, encouraging landowners to develop or sell underused land, and ensuring more financial stability for homeowners. The switch could be an important step in revitalizing economically depressed areas, promoting development, and creating a more equitable tax system.Land Value Taxes Can Resolve Property Tax Systems' Inequities This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Episode 54: In this episode of The Connected Advisor, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Ted Bovard, Principal at Fort Pitt Capital Group. Ted shares his unconventional path to wealth management and the pivotal moments that shaped his career. Emphasizing the importance of long-term planning over chasing returns, Ted discusses Fort Pitt's client-first approach, the firm's five-step onboarding process, and how they leverage teamwork and technology to enhance their services. Kyle and Ted also explore the importance of strong core values, and the impact of AI and technology on the future of financial services.

Markets Don't Wait & Long-Term Investing With Dan Eye, CFA, Partner, & CIO, At Fort Pitt Capital Group With $5.5B AUM   Website: https://www.fortpittcapital.com/   Dan Eye, CFA, Partner & CIO at Fort Pitt Capital Group ($5.5B in AUM) an independent, fee-only investment management firm that provides solutions-based portfolio management and consulting. Dan provides thought leadership on asset allocation, tactical investment positioning, security selection decisions, and formulates the overall economic view of the firm.   Bio: https://www.fortpittcapital.com/our-teams/eye-daniel-t-cfa/   FOCUS Dan is responsible for Fort Pitt's overall investment style and strategy. He provides thought leadership on asset allocation, tactical investment positioning, security selection decisions, and collaborates with other investment team members to formulate the overall economic view of the firm. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS Dan Eye has nearly 20 years of investment management experience, starting with J.P. Morgan, where he actively managed discretionary portfolios for high-net-worth individuals. From there, he went on to construct and manage customized portfolios for ultra-high net worth clients with a Philadelphia-based firm. More recently, Dan served as Chief Investment Officer for Harrisburg-based RIA Roof Advisory Group. He lead all strategic and tactical decision making, analysis, research, and the implementation and monitoring of the firm's investment decisions and processes. He joined Fort Pitt in 2019 as part of a merger and spent his first 3 years working closely with the firm's leadership to provide overall guidance of the firm's investment management processes, including ongoing evaluation of the firm's comprehensive investment strategies as he prepared for the role of Chief Investment Officer. Dan was named as a Partner in 2022. EDUCATION BS, Wilmington University COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Dan is currently actively involved with Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and Junior Achievement. PERSONAL Outside of the office, Dan enjoys fishing, following college football, and spending time with his wife and two daughters. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/smartmoneycircle/support

November 5, 1774, at Fort Gower on the Ohio River, Virginia militiamen vowed that their" Love of Liberty, and Attachment to the real Interests and just Rights of America outweigh every other Consideration," and resolved to use  "every Power within us for the Defence of American Liberty, and for the Support of her just Rights and Privileges; not in any precipitate, riotous, or tumultous Manner, but when regularly called forth by the unanimous Voice of our Countrymen."  We talk with Chris Matheny, Historic Site Manager at Ohio's Statehouse, about this important event and its impact on the future of Ohio and of the American people. 

The life of Major William Trent is shrouded in relative obscurity, but his mark on the Colonial period of early US history cannot be taken from him. The son of a Philadelphia shipping merchant, and the namesake for the capitol of New Jersey, Trent served as the factor for one of the most powerful land speculation companies, known for his impeccable record-keeping and penmanship. By the eve of the American Revolution, Trent was the face of westward expansion. He was also purported to be the giver of smallpox-infected blankets to Natives at Fort Pitt in the summer of 1763. Author and historian Jason Cherry works to dispel that notion and to tell how Trent served alongside contemporaries such as Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. A research consultant for the 1719 William Trent House Museum and the author of "Pittsburgh's Lost Outpost: Captain Trent's Fort," Cherry brings the biography of Trent forward in this new book. He lives with his family in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Nathan has been involved in muzzleloading since he was a young boy hunting the Pennsylvania woods with his father and grandfather, but it wasn't until he was older that a deep connection with the land and history was made. As a young man and father, Nathan sees his now 10-year-old blog and magazine articles as a way to give back and share the knowledge he has found in books and first-hand accounts with the rest of the community. This passion to see muzzleloading continue is seen at his home as well, where a custom flintlock rests for each of his children so that they too may return to the woods. I'd like to thank our sponsors for their support: ThorBullets - Visit ThorBullets.com to learn more. Muzzleloader Magazine - Visit MuzzleloaderMagazine.com to learn more Nathan's primary interest in muzzleloading started with hunting but has expanded over the years to focus on the market hunters and the equipment they used when operating out of Fort Pitt. When setting out in the woods to hunt, Nathan does his best to recreate the feelings of those men and women who set out into the unknown frontier some 200 years ago.  Follow Nathan's Blog at https://thebuffalotrace1765.blogspot.com/  Check out his older articles at https://buffalotrace1765.blogspot.com/  Get your own "I Love Muzzleloading" Hat here Click here to SUBSCRIBE Join the HCH to learn more about traditional horn work Join the CLA today to learn more about longrifle artisanship Join the TMLA to learn more about traditional muzzleloaders Join the NMLRA today to learn more about muzzleloading

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the Fort Pitt Blockhouse

Today we're talking with Bill Schneider, a lifelong muzzleloading enthusiast as he shares how he went from throwing tomahawks at 8 years old to helping run the educational programs at the School of the Long Hunter.  I'd like to thank our sponsors for their support: ThorBullets - Visit ThorBullets.com to learn more. Muzzleloader Magazine - Visit MuzzleloaderMagazine.com to learn more    Immerse yourself in an intense weekend of instruction, exploring the role of early frontiersmen on the American frontier. Speakers will focus on the frontier skills of the longhunter. The event is Thursday PM until Sunday Noon. Register on-line at www.prickettsfort.org/register or call (304)363-3030.  Learn more about the School of the Longhunter  Learn about other Prickett's Fort events and activities at www.prickettsfort.org or by calling 304-363-3030.  The Centennial TV mini series - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076993/  1st hand accounts referrenced in this episode  John Tanner - Wikipedia, Abes Books  Here is one of the most remarkable true stories by and about an Indian captive of the late 18th century. John Tanner was abducted when only nine years old and lived 30 years as a tribesman. His difficult and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to re-integrate into white society is also chronicled. James Kenny's Journal and the Frightful Winter of 1761-62 - PDF  Information from Fort Pitt - https://www.fortpitt.org 

I first “met” Pegg, when we started chatting over an amazing debut author.  Shortly afterward, I read her book in one of the Barbour collections (Lighthouses) and I loved her book (and it was almost if not the only one I loved in the collection). Since then, she's gone on to publish other historical books.  As a “Colonial to Post Civil War” author, her books span a good bit of history, but they all hold one thing in common–strong women, true history, everyone on all sides of coins coming out looking as bad and good as human nature can be and as history reflects. Note: links may be affiliate links, providing me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. If You Love Authentic Historical Fiction, Don't Miss This Author One of the things I love most about Pegg Thomas' writing is that she doesn't shy away from things that aren't exactly popular. If historical people did terrible things… she shows it.  If they did good things that don't fit the current narrative… she shows that, too. Because of this, you see a raw, gritty side to historical fiction that is often glossed over in books that prefer to dwell on a kinder, gentler past. In her first book of the Forts of Refuge series, Sarah's Choice, I got a chapter or two in and realized that Sarah was about to be raped. I can handle a lot in fiction, but that one thing is just too hard for me to get past, so I tend not to keep going when I see it coming. I then email the author and ask how much is involved. While I want to read the books, I also need to ensure I don't end up making my family deal with nightmares, you know? Pegg assured me that her book wasn't a “how-to” manual.  That cracked me up. And she's right. I went back and kept reading and guess what?  We know the horror of what Sara endures without seeing too much of it play out on the page.  Thank you, Pegg. While we chatted, Pegg Thomas told a bit about her writing process. This included a fun tidbit… Sarah's Choice was the first book that she can say “the Lord gave” it to her.  Usually, she struggles to get every word, but not with this one.  Alas, the other two in the series weren't that easy, either.  Oh, well.  Also, Pegg hinted that there will be two more books in the series eventually.  (Note: each book in this series stands alone but some characters may crossover). Pegg also pointed out that while this is Christian Fiction, it is also a bit of a “bridge” book between CF and mainstream.  The Christian themes are overt, and as one reader said (loosely paraphrased), “I didn't see Jesus' name written in the book, but Christ was definitely there.”  I love that. Sarah's Choice by Pegg Thomas Sarah Feight has her life planned with a loving husband, a promising new settlement, and big dreams to shape the future of trade on Pennsylvania's frontier. An Indian attack at dawn changes everything. When he pulls his freight wagons into Fort Pitt, Leith McCully never dreams he'll be conscripted into the militia and ordered to defend the fort. Worried about trader friends on his delivery route, he rides to their settlement and returns with Sarah, the only survivor. Fort Pitt is crowded to twice its capacity with the settlers who have taken refuge there and surrounded by the rising smoke of burned-out settlements. Tempers flare, disease breaks out, and the constant fear of the next attack has everyone on edge. Cully keeps an eye on Sarah because he feels responsible for her. And, though he doesn't admit as much, she tugs at his heart. Sarah sees Cully as the last link to her past. A friend of her husband's family. She's going to need someone she can trust, and she trusts Cully. Her rescuer. Are trust and admiration enough to help them survive the siege and its devastating consequences? Is there any hope for a future beyond? To learn more about Pegg Thomas (and to sign up for her newsletter and be entered into her drawings for a handknitted shawl!!!), visit her WEBSITE.  I love that she calls herself a “spinner of yarns.”  How well that fits TWO sides of her! Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at: Apple  Castbox  Google Play Libsyn  RSS Spotify Stitcher Amazon and more!

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the Ft. Pitt Foundry.  (Photo: SSharan Singh / Getty Images Plus)

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the Fort Pitt Blockhouse (Photo: Holcy/Getty Images) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Continentals attempt to establish a fort in the Ohio region over the winter of 1778-79.  Local tribes are unhappy with the deal and after a brief siege, force the Americans to withdraw back to Fort Pitt. Blog https://blog.AmRevPodcast.com includes a complete transcript, as well as pictures, and links related to this week's episode. Follow the podcast on Twitter @AmRevPodcast Book Recommendations of the Week: Fort Laurens, 1778-1779: The Revolutionary War in Ohio, by James B. Gidney & Thomas I. Pieper  Online Recommendation of the Week: History of the Girtys: being a concise account of the Girty brothers--Thomas, Simon, James and George, and of their half-brother John Turner: https://archive.org/details/historyofgirtysb00butt Join the Facebook group, American Revolution Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/groups/132651894048271 Join the podcast mail list: https://mailchi.mp/d3445a9cd244/american-revolution-podcast-by-michael-troy ARP T-shirts and other merch: http://tee.pub/lic/AmRevPodcast Support this podcast on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/user?u=15621839 or via PayPal http://paypal.me/AmRevPodcast

The Fort Pitt Foundry produced canons for 3 wars. Andy Masich chronicles the company's history.  (Photo: ABDESIGN/Getty Images) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the history of Fort Pitt.  (Photo: Sean Pavone / Getty Images Plus) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the Fort Pitt Blockhouse (Photo: Holcy/Getty Images) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Fort Pitt Foundry produced canons for 3 wars. Andy Masich chronicles the company's history.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello Interactors,This week we pick up where we left off with Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson had appointed Thomas Hutchins to be Geographer of the United States in 1781. In 1784 Jefferson was preparing for expansion west and was combing over Hutchins’ descriptions of what lie west of his beloved Virginia. Jefferson was dubious of Hutchins’ mapping facts and took it up with him in a personal correspondence. What follows is the unfolding of a cartography project of Roman scale. And the birth of an empire.As interactors, you’re special individuals self-selected to be a part of an evolutionary journey. You’re also members of an attentive community so I welcome your participation.Please leave your comments below or feel free to email me directly.Now let’s go…ON TURTLE ISLANDThomas Jefferson was born with a passion for measuring the world. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a surveyor, naturalist, cartographer, and colonial settler. He instilled in his son a love and interest in the culture and languages the Indigenous people. Later in life, Thomas Jefferson even partnered with another Indigenous admirer and fellow colonizer I mentioned back in February, Roger Williams. They collaborated on documenting the nuances of local native languages. Jefferson compiled twenty years of notes on Indigenous dialects and culture that travelled with him to New York City when he became president. Upon returning to Monticello the boatmen responsible for transporting his belongings ripped opened a box containing the precious papers in search of valuables to be stolen. When all they saw were piles of paper, they tossed them overboard. Decades of research and knowledge lost. As a young man, Jefferson spent time with Indigenous people – and so did his father. In a letter to John Adams, Jefferson writes, “Concerning Indians . . . in the early part of my life, I was very familiar, and acquired impressions of attachment and commiseration for them which have never been obliterated. Before the Revolution, they were in the habit of coming often and in great numbers to the seat of government where I was very much with them. I knew much the great Ontassete, the warrior and orator of the Cherokees; he was always the guest of my father, on his journey's to and from Williamsburg.”Even as Jefferson was scheming to carve up the land his forefathers had invaded into a cartesian grid, he held natives in high regard, writing in 1785,“I am safe in affirming that the proofs of genius given by the Indians place them on a level with the whites. . . . I have seen some thousands myself, and conversed much with them. . . . I believe the Indian to be in body and mind equal to the white man.”Thomas envisioned an interracial “Continental America”. Later, in 1802, he said to a group of native Americans, "Your blood will mix with ours, and will spread, with ours, over this great island." The word ‘island’ is most likely in reference to ‘Turtle Island’ which is rooted in the Native North American creation story, including the Haudenosaunee – a confederacy of six nations in the Northeast. This ancient tale tells how the ‘Great Sprit’ (a term Jefferson commonly used in place of the word ‘God’) created the land of America and its people – complex people capable of both good and evil. As Jefferson was toiling over Hutchins’ maps and words in 1784, looking west at the silhouetted Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, he was about to embark on an endeavor that history can now regard as both good and evil.JEFFERSON MISCALCULATESJefferson loved contemplating the universe and fell in love with astronomy in college in 1760. The study of the stars gave him an appreciation for the universe Isaac Newton had revealed a century before. On his transatlantic trips to and from England and France, he’d be on deck exacting the stars dotting the dark sky and calculating meridians as the boat curved along the earth’s surface. He collected maps, globes, and sextants and obsessed over the global coordinate system. He wasn’t alone. This was a time when a consistent calculation of longitude remained elusive and there was a £20,000 prize for a solution. Newton believed the solution would come from astronomy, but woodworker and clockmaker, John Harrison, invented a  mechanical marine chronometer and won the prize in 1773. So it should come as no surprise that Jefferson was able to scrutinize the maps his newly appointed chief geographer, Thomas Hutchins, had published of the territories west of Virginia. Hutchins had been in this role just three years when Jefferson wrote to him with this inquiry in 1784:SirI have been recurring to your pamphlet (which I borrowed for that purpose) for the times at which the inundations begin and end in the Missouri, Missisipi, Illinois, Ohio, Wabache, but I do not find it mentioned there. Will you be so kind as to give me as accurate an account of these times as you can? Does the Tanissee overflow periodically? I suppose not. Will you give me leave to correct an error in your pamphlet page 13. where you say that the country extending from Fort Pitt to the Missisipi and on both sides watered by the Ohio and it’s branches contains at least a million of square miles. I think the Ohio in all it’s parts and branches cannot water more than the fourth of that. Count the degrees in your map into which it pushes it’s branches. You will find them not quite 80, but suppose them made 80 by the branch of the Tanissee which heads in S. Carola. A degree in the middle of this space would contain about 3000, or 3100 square miles and of course 80 would contain about 250,000. I think the whole United states reduced to a square would not be more than one of 900 miles each way and of course that the whole U.S. do not contain a million of square miles. Excuse my freedom. I think this an error in your pamphlet and would wish to know from you whether I see it wrong. I am with much esteem Sir Your most obedt. servtTh: JeffersonThe pamphlet Jefferson is referring to is Hutchins 1778 publication, Topographical Description of Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina. Hardly a pamphlet as we think of them today, it’s over 100 pages of mostly textual descriptions of the land he had explored as far west as the Mississippi River. The majority of which highlighted the agriculture, climate, and land features suitable for settling. As a plantation owner who believed farming was the future of America, it makes sense Jefferson took such interest in the ratio of water to land in Hutchins’ work. It was all part of his grand vision of a mass agrarian expansion west. This is why he wanted Hutchins to lead efforts to survey, measure, and carve it up into a precise and quantifiable grid. Just as the latitude and longitude lines carve up the globe as he bobbed his way across the Atlantic.But Jefferson’s estimation of Turtle Island’s expanse was way off. The whole United States reduced to a square, as Jefferson posited, would end up being nearly four times larger than he imagined. Jefferson didn’t believe that imaginary rectangle could be larger than a million square miles, but it turns out to be nearly four million miles square. Since he’d never really travelled west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it’s easy to see where it would be hard to imagine. It’s hard to imagine four million square miles even when seen from a satellite image. What Jefferson was trying to rectify, was just how much land to quantify, upon which taxes his country could rely.HUMAN RIGHTS. STATE FIGHTS.Jefferson was acting out what had already been done in Europe in the late 1600s and early 1700s. Rulers pushed for more centralized power and control and cartography played a staring role. The Enlightenment led to what some describe as ‘Enlightened Absolutism’. Two elements emerge under this interpretation of the Enlightenment: An explosion of discovery and invention that led to cultural and societal advancement. A recognition of needed state resources, power, and control for the purpose of war. It fell on cartography to map the acquisition of land through the drawing of lines for the exercise of power. Modernization during the enlightenment included demonstrating governance through systematic documenting and registering of land. Jefferson, a worshipper of the Enlightenment, was acting out the ‘enlightened’ European practice of nation building, cadastral mapping, and growing an army. The revolutionary war had left the new formed United States of America strapped for cash. Like their European contemporaries, they went about collecting funds through subdividing the land to excise tax. When Jefferson wrote to Hutchins in January of 1784 with his questions, he likely was in the process of preparing the Land Ordinance of 1784. This document called for the creation of states west of the Appalachian mountains, north of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi River. The ordinance included these five articles:The new states shall remain forever a part of the United States of America.They shall bear the same relation to the confederation as the original states.They shall pay their apportionment of the federal debts.They shall in their governments uphold republican forms.After the year 1800 there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in any of them.This ordinance was put to committee in April of 1784, but with one glaring omission – Article 5. Abolishing slavery lost by a single vote. Virginia representative James Monroe was absent from voting, at home sick in bed. Monroe, like other slave owning Virginians including Jefferson and James Madison, were routinely conflicted over slavery. They struggled with two competing ideals, upholding the enlightened values of human rights they ensconced in the constitution, and holding together this loose collection of newly formed states for fear of civil war over the issue of slavery. Another example of tension riddled compromise came 16 years later when the absent voter, Monroe, was then President of the United States. He signed the Missouri Compromise in 1820 which admitted Missouri as a slave state while abolishing slavery in states to the north. To this day, our elected leaders continue to waffle on the rights of all humans as imagined by Jefferson. After the loss of Article 5, Jefferson wrote, "The voice of a single individual would have prevented this abominable crime; heaven will not always be silent; the friends to the rights of human nature will in the end prevail."There were also conflicts over just how these states should be carved up. Jefferson had a clear vision of uniform divisions for the purpose of expansion, taxation, and farming. But corporations and private land speculators had other ideas. They had already been grabbing up land and selling it to settlers for a profit. They also had an ally in the government – Alexander Hamilton. This pitted Jefferson against Hamilton in how to measure and divide the newly acquired land.Former surveyor and cadastral mapping historian, C. Albert White, writes, the Jefferson group included advocates:“of [the] sale [of land] to individual settlers in small parcels. The small farmers, frontiers men, and merchants argued that an essential part of a democracy was the right to own property. They could not afford to buy land in large tracts, and if it were sold in huge blocks to wealthy men, the small man would be squeezed out or forced to pay high prices and interest.” Meanwhile, the Hamilton group was: “generally made up of wealthy southern aristocrats and plantation owners, did not think the democracy advocates were capable of settling the land intelligently or capable of handling land ownership. The conservatives were in favor of large grants at low prices to companies or wealthy men who would then handle the business of settlement, such as surveying and patenting.”This was around the time Hamilton was establishing the Bank of New York and he thought Jefferson’s rational approach to subdividing the land would take too long. He favored the rough and tumble approach called ‘metes and bounds’ which is a method that had established the irregular boundaries of the existing colonies and states. It was also a system that had already clogged the courts in land disputes. But Hamilton argued, “It had not been the general governmental policy in the colonies to sell land as a source of revenue prior to the war. The people were familiar with the free settlement system and would occupy and hold the territory faster if allowed free location.”AN ORDINANCE ORDAINEDJefferson, ever the cartographer’s son, knew what he was doing and pushed ahead with his plan. The expansion west would be divided into a grid. And in echoes of the Roman land plots called ‘centuries’ mentioned in last week’s post, Jefferson would follow by naming them ‘hundreds’. As C. Albert White documents:“In 1784, a committee headed by Jefferson drafted an ordinance which called for prior survey of tracts ten geographical miles square, which were called hundreds; they would be subdivided into lots one mile square. The lines would run due north and south, east and west and settlement would be by hundreds or by lots.”After months of debate, the tract size was reduced from ten to seven mile-squares with 49 township lots. One square would be allocated for a school, another for a church, and four would be reserved for Congress to assign at a later date. One-third of any precious minerals found would also be granted to the government. The township squares were to be sold at auction for $1 per acre.This plan drew further objections and the size was reduced once again to six miles square. The intent was to minimize land barons from buying large tracts on speculation. There was also fear that townships spread too far apart would leave them overly vulnerable to attacks by angry Indigenous nations. On May 20, the Land Ordinance of 1785 was passed. "Be it ordained by the United States in Congress assembled, that the territory ceded by individual states to the United States, which had been purchased of the Indian inhabitants, shall be disposed of in the following manner: A surveyor from each state shall be appointed by Congress or a committee of the states, who shall take an oath for the faithful discharge of his duty, before the geographer of the United States, who is hereby empowered and directed to administer the same; and the like oath shall be administered to each chain carrier, by the surveyor under whom he acts.”The chief surveyor and geographer of the United States under whom they would act was Thomas Hutchins. He was granted a team consisting of one surveyor from each of the 13 States. But only eight showed up to work. Their first task was to map a section of land west of the Ohio River bordering West Virginia known as the Seven Ranges. This was the beginning of the United States Public Land Surveying System, known today as the Bureau of Land Management.Hutchins and his crew began work September of 1785 on the north bank of the Ohio River. But it only lasted a week. On October 8th word came of Indigenous unrest due west of their site near land occupied by the Tuscarawas. Hutchins and his crew had only surveyed four miles. A disappointing start to a monumental task. And their troubles had only just begun. Subscribe at interplace.io

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the Ft. Pitt Foundry.  (Photo: kasezo / Getty Images Plus) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the history of the Fort Pitt Blockhouse. (photo: Holcy/Getty Images Plus) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the Ft. Pitt Foundry.  (Photo: Sergiy1975 / Getty Images Plus) See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the history of Fort Pitt.  (Photo: Sean Pavone / Getty Images Plus) See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the history of Burton Morris. (photo: azgek/Getty Images Plus) See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.

It began suddenly in the northern suburbs of Chicago and the contagion floated south toward the city like an invisible cloud.  Soon restaurants, saloons, and theaters were closed and police were given the power to break up crowds of ten persons or more.  Spitting, coughing and sneezing on the street could put you in jail.  Public Funerals were forbidden and elective surgeries canceled.  Everyone wore face masks. Was this Spring, 2020? No, it was Chicago in the Autumn of 1918. Join the Windy City Historians for this special episode as we step away from the chronological telling of Chicago history of our ongoing “Laying the Foundation” series, and instead chart the course of epidemics and outbreaks in Chicago history. In particular, we dig into the, so called, Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918. This pandemic reveals many parallels between the events of 1918 and today's struggle with the novel coronavirus (SARS Cov-2, its new official name) in 2020.   In this episode we interview historian Joseph Gustaitis, author of Chicago’s Greatest Year, 1893 and Chicago Transformed: World War I and the Windy City to learn about Chicago's the first health crisis in 1835 and subsequent outbreaks and diseases plaguing the young city leading up to the Spanish Influenza outbreak of 1918. A cataclysmic event in 1918 and 1919 this epidemic infected one-third of the world's population, over 500 million people and killing approximately 1% of the human population on earth, an estimated 20-to-50-million people.  In the United States alone approximately 675,000 citizens died -- more Americans than were killed in WWI and WWII combined. The pandemic affected the way Americans and Chicagoan's live and work today and was particularly lethal to people in the prime of their life.  Learn more about this incredible story 100+ years ago and the parallels and differences with today's pandemic. Sick bay at Ft. Riley, Kansas in 1918Posting in Chicago in 1918St. Louis Red Cross Motor Corps on duty Oct. 1918 Influenza epidemicReported daily flu cases in Chicago from Dr. Robertson's Preliminary Report in Nov. 1918Reported daily deaths from flu in Chicago from Dr. Robertson's Preliminary Report in Nov. 1918 Links to Research and History Documents We mention in this episode one known documented account of whites giving smallpox infected blankets to Native Americans. This is attributed to the letters of Jeffery Amherst a British officer stationed at Fort Pitt in later day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who under siege in 1763 during the French and Indian War (1754 – 1763) writes to Colonel Henry Bouquet. Much has been written of this legend this so a variety of sources are cited on the topic below: Influenza Encyclopedia: the American Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919: A Digital Encyclopedia produced by the University of Michigan Center for the History of Medicine and Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library.Blog post from a professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth on how infectious diseases spread, "The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them," by Erin BromageThe Straight Dope - "Did whites ever give Native Americans blankets infected with smallpox?" by Cecil Adams from October 24, 1997.More on Jeffery Amherst from hosted by the University of Massachusetts by Peter d'Errico © 2001, 2020Details on the folklore of smallpox infected blankets "The Nessus Shirt in the New World: Smallpox Blankets in History and Legend" by Adrienne Mayor, The Journal of American Folklore Winter, 1995 -- please discount her references to Ward Churchhill accounts which were later proven completely false! Please note Ward Churchill mentioned above sadly perpetuated the myth of the U.S. Army spreading smallpox to First Nations in at least six publications between 1994 and 2003. Churchill entirely fabricated incidents which never occurred, about individuals who never existed. His sources were completely falsified,

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the Ft. Pitt Foundry.  (Photo: Sergiy1975 / Getty Images Plus)

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the history of Fort Pitt.  (Photo: Sean Pavone / Getty Images Plus)

Andy Masich, CEO & President of the Heinz History Center, takes a look back at the Fort Pitt Blockhouse (Photo: Holcy iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Our 147th episode was recorded at Broken Strings Brewery after a crazy holiday photo session at Wall Crawl Orlando. This week's topics include all the events to do post-Thanksgiving, I-4 dudes are mad at Brendan, and a new project heading to Fort Pitt on Old Cheney Highway. Tune in to Bungalower and the Bus every week on 104.1 Real Radio or our podcast to learn all about the top headlines, new restaurants, and best-bet events to attend this week.

What does the Fort Pitt tunnel have in common with Advent? Travis explains that and more in this third week of Advent.

Sandwiched between the first Sunday of Advent and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we introduce you to a little known devotion and way to consecreate yourself to Jesus through His Mother, the Queen of Heaven, the City of God, the Immaculate Heart, Mother of the Church, Queen of the Universe, Mary. What does this mean? How do you do it? Why would you do it? Salt and Light Video series launched on YouTube called “Faith and Finance”. Click here to watch and subscribe: http://bit.ly/SaltandLightYouTube Visit us online www.saltandlightonline.com, and don’t forget to check out our other show on Breadbox Media, “Chuck n’ Ann on Finance” (www.iiefinancial.com).

Sandwiched between the first Sunday of Advent and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we introduce you to a little known devotion and way to consecreate yourself to Jesus through His Mother, the Queen of Heaven, the City of God, the Immaculate Heart, Mother of the Church, Queen of the Universe, Mary. What does this … Continue reading "Episode074: Our Lady of the Fort Pitt Tunnels"

In early August 1763, British North America was under siege. Following their great victory during the Seven Years' War, the Crown was rocked when France's former Indian allies continued to wage war. After destroying many small forts and besieging larger one, the collective warriors of the Great Lakes and the Ohio Country sought to push their European enemies off of the continent once a for all. In an effort to liberate Fort Pitt, the largest fort in the Ohio Country, Colonel Henry Bouquet and the Black Watch, the 42nd Highlanders, dueled with the warriors of Guyasuta in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. Bouquet's Scots were the supreme tribe on that day, and Fort Pitt was saved. On this episode our guest is Jack Giblin of the US Army War College...spared no expense. 

Tammy Thompson was nine when she and her family left a West Virginia coal mining town for the promise of a good-paying job and a new life in Pittsburgh. They shot through the Fort Pitt tunnels, where on the other end the golden bridges and sparkling lights of the city and its rivers burst into dazzling view.   Then it all went wrong.   As a third-grader, Tammy saw her family’s high hopes and financial stability crumble in ways that still affect them today. But she now heads an arm of national anti-poverty group Circles and is the producer of the documentary film We Wear the Mask: the Hidden Faces of Women in Poverty. She is an undeniable success story, and she spreads knowledge, hope and love to everyone with whom she comes in contact.   The trauma of poverty — and the strength from rising out of it — informs all that Tammy does. Her story is very much an American story. It’s a story of loading into the family car and chasing after the promise of a better life only to find it is just the beginning of an even rougher road. And then, against unfathomable odds, overcoming the impossibly difficult circumstances.   Tammy is upbeat, smart and brings energy and empathy to all who come into her own circle. Don’t miss the story of her journey, her perhaps surprising thoughts on gentrification, and her belief that going “beyond survival into ‘thrival’ ” should — and must — be our goal.   “We Can Be” is hosted by The Heinz Endowments’ Grant Oliphant and produced by the Endowments and Treehouse Media. Theme music is composed by John Dziuban, with incidental music by Josh Slifkin.

The story of smallpox blankets offered as gifts to indigenous peoples as a weapon of war is ubiquitous -- but is it based in truth? And did our increased medical understanding of smallpox lead to its use as a biological weapon?  In this episode, we confront these questions and explore the history of biological warfare, smallpox, and medicine. Listen to all this, a new #AdamAnswers, and more in this episode of Bedside Rounds, a tiny podcast about fascinating stories in clinical medicine. Sources: Barras V and Groub G, “History of biological warfare and bioterrorism,” Clin Microbiol Infect 2014. Carus W, “The history of biological weapons use: what we know and what we don’t,” Health Security, Vol 13, No4, 2015. Fenner F et al, “Smallpox and its Eradication,” World Health Organization, 1988, Chapters 5 and 6. Mayor A, “The Nessus Shirt in the New World: Smallpox Blankets in History and Legend,” J Am Folklore, Vol. 108, No. 427 (Winter, 1995), 54-77. Mear C, “The origin of the smallpox outbreak in Sydney in 1789,” Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society, June, 2008. Skwarecki B, “What is the scariest disease?” PLoS Blogs, retrieved at https://gizmodo.com/what-is-the-scariest-disease-1653943826 Theves C, et al, “The rediscovery of smallpox,” Clin Microbiol Infect 2014; 20: 210-218. Ranlet P, “The British, the Indians, and Smallpox: What actually happened at Fort Pitt in 1763?”, Pennsylvania history: 427-442. Warren C, “Smallpox at Sydney Cove -- who, when, why?” J Aust Studies, 30 Oct 2013

After convincing most Indians to abandon the French in the Ohio Valley, the British take Fort Duquesne at the end of 1758.  Gen. Amherst takes command of British forces for the 1759 fighting season, capturing Forts Niagara and Carillion as well.  Fort Duquesne becomes Fort Pitt.  Fort Carillion becomes Fort Ticonderoga.   For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com.

After convincing most Indians to abandon the French in the Ohio Valley, the British take Fort Duquesne at the end of 1758.  Gen. Amherst takes command of British forces for the 1759 fighting season, capturing Forts Niagara and Carillion as well.  Fort Duquesne becomes Fort Pitt.  Fort Carillion becomes Fort Ticonderoga.   For more text, pictures, maps, and sources, please visit my site at AmRevPodcast.Blogspot.com.

It had been just over three years after General James Wolfe met the Marquis de Saint-Veran, General Louis-Joseph Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham. Though it would cost both commanders their lives, it would be the turning point in the war that would lead to the inevitable British victory in North America. Not even the French successes at the Battle of Quebec could turn that tide anymore. Now, with the Treaty of Paris signed by France, England and Spain, that vast Northern territory that once belonged to Louis XV now rested in the hands of his nation’s ancient enemy. Soon it would fall upon the shoulders of the newly appointed Governor-General, Jeffery Amherst, the chief architect of the British victory, to secure the peace as, as Francis Parkman, author of France and England in North America, would observe, “Half of the continent had changed hands at the scratch of a pen.” Perhaps had the Court of St. James chosen any other man some level of conciliation with the Native tribes could have been reached. Yet, for as much disdain as General Amherst felt towards the French he now was charged with the governance of, it was nothing compared to the contempt he had for the Native American people. The idea that he might have to somehow placate them and keep the peace with them through the giving of gifts did nothing to change that opinion. Even as the Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Northern District, General William Johnson, a man respected by the tribes he was charged with keeping the peace with, pleaded with him to maintain those ties with Native Nations, he would make his position abundantly clear, “When Men of What race soever, behave ill they must be punished but not bribed.” In that arrogant dismal it would soon become apparent that the days of friendlier relations with the French were over as Amherst demonstrated his lack of patience with them. Not only would he stop the gifts, trade would be restricted and guns and gun powder to the tribes would be limited, fueling the animosity between the two peoples. The fact that the British would refuse to pull from the Allegheny Valley at the forks of the Ohio would nothing to ease this tensions. It would be Amherst hardline policies that would lead Chief Pontiac to unite the Great Lake tribes, the Ottawa, Ojibwa, Huron, and Potawatomi, to rise up, and throw off the European advances, embracing the traditional way of life preached by “The Delaware Prophet” Neolin. Just two days prior Pontiac had passed the gates of Fort Detroit with 300 men, their guns hidden in their blankets. He had hoped to launch a surprise attack and chase the British from its walls, but word had already reached Major Henry Gladwin of the plans. Even as they entered Pontiac and his men came to the realization that they were outgunned as they saw the British troops stationed around them with bayonets loaded and ready. The attack would be halted. The next day Pontiac, accompanied by three other Chief’s of the Ottawa, made every indication they had wanted peace. They had appeared before the gates of Fort Detroit to parlay with Gladwin, presenting him with a Calumet, a ceremonial pipe, with the assurances that they would return the next day to smoke it with him in the name of peace. Then, on May 9th, 1763, at about 11 am, Pontiac would return with approximately 400 men that rowed 56 canoes across the river to the gates of the fort. Captain Donald Campbell, who would later be taken under a flag of truce, bludgeoned to death, scalped and dismembered by the Objibwa, before their Chief Wasson cut out and ate his heart, would come forward from the gate to greet them. Gladwin, acutely aware of the danger that Pontiac presented, and distrustful of all Natives even before this, would allow only a small number through the gate. Pontiac would explain that all his people would want to smell the smoke of the pipe. Gladwin would respond that then all would be allowed to enter, but only in small groups, one leaving before another would be allowed in. The embarrassment and humiliation felt by Pontiac would be almost too much to bear, but worse yet, he knew the element of surprise was lost. Even as they turned from the gates they knew what had to be done and they would not be satisfied until the British were either dead or chased from Detroit. As the war dance died down from the Native Camps, the war cry would go up as the Siege of Fort Detroit had begun, setting in motion a series of events that would send ripples and waves through the colonies for over a decade. A brutal engagement, of which Pontiac himself was only responsible for a small part of the planning of, Pontiac’s Rebellion would spread as far west as present day Indiana and into the east as they laid siege on Fort Pitt, bringing out the darker nature of both sides as no mercy was shown. Amherst himself would propose the use of smallpox laden blankets to subdue the Native population as his sights would turn to biological warfare. The native tribes, in many instances, made no distinction between settler and soldier, torturing and slaughter both, as they had done with surrendering soldiers. In Western Pennsylvania British Colonists would form their own vigilante groups, and, making no distinction between friend or foe, murdered Native’s indiscriminately, while, in at least one case, that of Captain Campbell, a British soldier was cannibalized by the enemy. In the end the there would be no certainty as to the number of the losses from either side as, as one historian would describe it, “Both sides seemed intoxicated with genocidal fanaticism.” Aware now of the dangers and the struggles now faced with the conclusion of the French and Indian Wars, George III would, by October of that year, sign the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which would forbid British settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains and void land grants offered by the Crown for service to it. Though having been planned before the Siege of Fort Detroit, Pontiac’s actions pushed it through hastily and pre-maturely. Even now one need not examine too hard the effects that it would ultimately have on the British subjects across the Atlantic. Having looked Westward for the abundance of land, and the potential that it brought, the Proclamation would enrage Colonists, who believed expansion into that territory was their right and destiny, bringing latent resentment towards the Court of Saint James and that far distant, far removed government in London to the forefront, resentments that would rear their head during the course of the next decade and beyond as America marched itself towards Revolution. Eventually peace would be struck but, by that time, the damage had already been done. In the end the measures taken by the Crown to prevent future rebellion would, in turn, offer kindling to a different sort.

The outcome of this past election caused economic jitters nationally and internationally. The first response was a precipitous drop of almost 700 points in Dow futures. Since the initial drop, the market has rebounded reaching an all-time high. Is this our future? Will we be on an economic rollercoaster for the next four years? The market is never very comfortable with unpredictability, and individuals approaching retirement are never very comfortable when the market is unpredictable. In this The Lange Money Hour episode, we are pleased to welcome Charlie Smith, Chief Investment Officer of Fort Pitt Capital Group, LLC. Charlie's perspectives on the economy and the markets are widely regarded. His opinions have been and continue to be solicited by representatives of the financial media, including CNBC and The Wall Street Journal. He has written and lectured on these subjects over the course of his 33-year career, which has included leadership roles with several Pittsburgh regional investment firms. To listen to this radio show and others, go to www.paytaxeslater.com/radioshow.php

The Lange Money Hour welcomes back to the program Charlie Smith, executive vice president and chief investment officer of Fort Pitt Capital Group. Over the course of his 32-year career, Charlie has held leadership positions at several Pittsburgh regional investment firms, and he’s been a frequent lecturer and commentator on the economy and the market. You might have seen him on CNBC, or perhaps read his work in the Wall Street Journal. On this show among other things, we’ll talk about the big news that everybody’s been talking about, the Brexit vote, the implications for U.S. investors and what we can expect for the remainder of 2016 as a result. Plus, Charlie will talk about estimates of fair value for the U.S. stock market, what he thinks the Fed will do for the rest of the year, and his outlook for corporate earnings. TOPICS COVERED: Guest Introduction: Charlie Smith, Brexit’s Trade Consequences, Brexit and the Market, Fair Value, Fiduciary Advisors and New Rules, Advice for Investors in the Accumulation Stage

For nearly half a century, Fort Pitt stood formidable at the forks of the great Ohio River. A keystone to British domination in the territory during the French and Indian War and Pontiac’s Rebellion, it was the most technologically advanced fortification in the Western Hemisphere. Early Patriots later seized the fort, and it became a rallying point for the fledgling Revolution. Guarding the young settlement of Pittsburgh, Fort Pitt was the last point of civilization at the edge of the new American West. With vivid detail, historian Brady Crytzer traces the full history of Fort Pitt, from empire outpost to a bastion on the frontlines of a new republic. Brady Crytzer holds an MA in history from Slippery Rock University. He has served on the faculties of Robert Morris University and Southern New Hampshire University. A recipient of the Donald S. Kelly Award for outstanding scholarship, he is the author of “Major Washington’s Pittsburgh and the Mission to Fort Le Boeuf.”

The following broadcast was recorded live by the Pennsylvania Cable Network and is distributed weekly on PCNtv.com. In the year 1758, in the midst of the first global war in world history, the empire of Great Britain vanquished their longtime French enemies on the frontiers of North America. To signify their victory and the consolidate their power, they began to construct the largest fortification on the continent that would give them sole possession of this new and uncharted land. “Fort Pitt: A Frontier History” is in stores now. Remember, an all new season of wartime begins on February 28th.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Bogdon who talks to us about his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This former steel capital has undergone a renaissance since its steel business went away and Chris tells us some of the reasons to visit this city at the headwaters of the Ohio River. Pittsburgh boasts both historic Fort Pitt and nearby Fort Necessity where George Washington made a name for himself. It is the home to many different ethnic neighborhoods which it celebrates with food and festivals and commemorates in an Immigration Museum in the Carnegie Library of the University of Pittsburgh. The town now hosts students in greater numbers than steelworkers. It is near Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwaters and a wine region. Chris also talks about side trips to Bethlehem, PA and Jim Thorpe, PA.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Bogdon who talks to us about his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This former steel capital has undergone a renaissance since its steel business went away and Chris tells us some of the reasons to visit this city at the headwaters of the Ohio River. Pittsburgh boasts both historic Fort Pitt and nearby Fort Necessity where George Washington made a name for himself. It is the home to many different ethnic neighborhoods which it celebrates with food and festivals and commemorates in an Immigration Museum in the Carnegie Library of the University of Pittsburgh. The town now hosts students in greater numbers than steelworkers. It is near Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwaters and a wine region. Chris also talks about side trips to Bethlehem, PA and Jim Thorpe, PA.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Bogdon who talks to us about his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This former steel capital has undergone a renaissance since its steel business went away and Chris tells us some of the reasons to visit this city at the headwaters of the Ohio River. Pittsburgh boasts both historic Fort Pitt and nearby Fort Necessity where George Washington made a name for himself. It is the home to many different ethnic neighborhoods which it celebrates with food and festivals and commemorates in an Immigration Museum in the Carnegie Library of the University of Pittsburgh. The town now hosts students in greater numbers than steelworkers. It is near Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwaters and a wine region. Chris also talks about side trips to Bethlehem, PA and Jim Thorpe, PA.

In this classic episode of The Lange Money Hour, CPA/Attorney James Lange and Portfolio Manager Charlie Smith of Fort Pitt Capital Group define Equity Premium, the art of Diversification, and many other topics!