Today in History: A Lincoln Pardon (And, You Know, That Whole Surrender at Appomattox Thing)

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Major & Knapp Print, Library of Congress.

On April 12, 1865, Generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee met, and Lee formally accepted the surrender terms drawn up on April 9th, and disbanded the Army of Northern Virginia. Several small battles took place after Lee's surrender, but the war was effectively over. For thousands of troops, the fighting was now done.

George Maynard's Letter to His Uncle. From the Compiled Military Service Records, US National Archives

For one Union soldier, however, this date held even more significance.  Private George A. Maynard of the 46th New York Infantry was arrested September 18, 1864, as a deserter, only 15 days after enlisting, and taken to Fort Monroe. He was charged with the even more serious crime of deserting to join the opposition. At trial, Maynard was found guilty on February 14, 1865, and sentenced "to be hung by the neck until dead."  

Telegraph from Lincoln to Grant, Dated February 23, 1865. From the Compiled Military Service Records, US National Archives

The soldier sent a message to his uncle, Harrison Maynard, of St. Albans, VT, entreating for help.  Uncle Harrison must have been well connected, because less than ten days later on February 23rd, President Abraham Lincoln telegraphed General Grant, ordering him to suspend Maynard's sentence until his case could be further reviewed.  Lincoln, in spite of the Herculean burden of running a country at war with itself, reviewed the cases of hundreds of individual soldiers, converting sentences and pardoning many. Entreaties on behalf of soldiers came from those in high positions of power--governors, congressmen--and regular, everyday people, if they could get their request to him. The President treated each request, once received, the same. Lincoln's mercy became a sore subject with his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton,  who wished the President would remember that the Army needed harsh consequences at times to keep the troops in line.

 On April 12, 1865, Lincoln officially pardoned George A. Maynard, and ordered he be returned to his regiment.  Two days later, Lincoln would be assassinated by John Wilkes Booth; so Maynard was lucky in more ways than one. The official order pardoning Maynard was published on April 24th, and sent out to General George G. Meade and the Army of the Potomac. Meade in turn sent the order back, explaining that the 46th New York Infantry was no longer serving with his outfit. Maynard finally returned to his regiment on June 5, 1865, and was mustered out with the rest of the 46th at the end of July. We'd call his army tenure a short, but storied career.

You Know You're Gonna Lose the War When...

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Things are going poorly when you have to take the other side's forms; scratch out their name and add yours.  Here, the Confederates took a US shipping agreement, and presto chango--it's a CSA contract! We love coming across these gems at the Archives.

Today in History: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

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International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union Archives, Kheel Center, Cornell University.

Today is the 105th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, the deadliest industrial disaster in the history of New York City and one of the most gruesome the United States has ever seen.  The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers, the majority women, who died from fire, smoke inhalation and jumping to their deaths.  Most of the victims were recent Jewish and Italian immigrant woman, aged 16-23 years old, with two victims being as young as 14.  The factory was located on the 8th and 9th floors of the Asch Building in NYC.  The owners had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits (a then common practice) to prevent both theft and deter workers from taking unauthorized breaks, causing many workers to become trapped in the burning building.  This horrible tragedy led to legislation requiring improved factory safety standards as well as helped to spur the growth of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU).

Check out the front page of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from the day following this horrific tragedy:

Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Vol 72. No. 84. March 26, 1911. p. 1.

This Day In History: "Dump the Tea Into the Sea!"

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W.D. Cooper. "Boston Tea Party.", The History of North America. London: E. Newberry, 1789. Engraving. Plate opposite p. 58. Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress.

The Boston Tea Party, initially referred to by John Adams with the less catchy title: “The Destruction of The Tea in Boston,” was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty (a “secret society” created to protect the rights of colonists and protest taxation by the British) in Boston, MA, on this day in 1773.  The colonists were unhappy about the passage of the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, as they believed it violated their rights as British citizens to “no taxation without representation.” 

On the evening of December 16th, 30 to 130 men boarded three ships in Boston Harbor, some disguised as Mohawk warriors. Over the course of three hours, they dumped all 342 chests of tea into the water—a shipment worth £9,000 at the time, or $1.7 million in American currency today.  This event is seen as a major catalyst leading up to the American Revolution.

This iconic 1846 lithograph by Nathaniel Currier was entitled "The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor"; the phrase "Boston Tea Party" had not yet become standard. Contrary to Currier's depiction, few of the men dumping the tea were actually disguised as Native Americans. Image. Library of Congress

This notice from the "Chairman of the Committee for Tarring and Feathering” in Boston denounced the tea consignees as "traitors to their country." Image, Library of Congress.

Parliament responded to the Tea Party with the Coercive Acts, known as the Intolerable Acts in the Colonies, in 1774, which ended local self government in Massachusetts and closed all of Boston’s commerce.  This did not sit well with citizens in all 13 colonies, who not only continued to protest, but then convened the first Continental Congress which petitioned the Monarchy to repeal the acts and provide representation for the colonists. 

It is thought that coffee jumped to Americans' preferred drink after the Tea Party, as John Adams and many other Americans believed drinking tea to be unpatriotic! This is a key example of the better choices Americans make (don't tell us about how tea has as much caffeine as coffee, ugh), and why we needed to separate from the English tyrants.

The Boston Tea Party Museum

Today, you can visit the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum which is located on Congress Street in Boston, MA.  Alex enjoyed a very memorable 3rd grade field trip there where you can see two replica ships, one of the tea chests from the original event, and even take a turn throwing a chest into the harbor while yelling “dump the tea into the sea!”

Bill "Bojangles" Robinson

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1933 Portrait by Carl Van Vechten. Library of Congress.

1933 Portrait by Carl Van Vechten. Library of Congress.

66 years ago today, the great entertainer Bill Robinson died at the age of 71, after breaking down innumerable barriers, and inspiring us all to dance. Born in Richmond, VA, May 25,  1878, Robinson began his dancing career at the age of five, dancing in beer gardens.  At nine, Robinson was hired in a touring troupe to act in minstrel shows, which led him to perform in vaudeville acts and nightclub shows. He also worked as a jockey at the racetrack, but found dancing to be more lucrative than horses. Robinson took a break from performing to serve as a drummer in the Spanish American War.  A legend about the dancer claims he also served in the trenches during World War I, but he would have been 40 at the time and this claim remains unsubstantiated. He did, however, put on free shows for thousands of troops before they shipped out to fight during the latter war; receiving a commendation in 1918 from the War Department. 

Robinson's talent got him noticed by many, and after working steadily for years, and finally at age 50, he made his Broadway debut.  In 1928, Robinson starred in the first African American Broadway show, "Blackbirds of 1928." He then went on to make his film debut in 1930, in a movie called "Dixiana." He then starred in "Harlem is Heaven"--the first movie with an all African American cast ever made. In 1935, the first of his four movies partnering him with Shirley Temple came out; "The Little Colonel." This movie marked the first time an interracial dance team appeared on screen, and Robinson formed a close friendship with his young partner. His last film was "Stormy Weather," a musical based loosely on Robinson's life, and also starring Lena Horne.  Robinson's protagonist was a dancer returning home from World War I to pursue a career performing; likely one of the sources of the myth that Robinson did in fact serve in said war.

1941 Portrait by Carl Van Vechten. Library of Congress.

1941 Portrait by Carl Van Vechten. Library of Congress.

During his lifetime, Bill Robinson faced a lot of criticism that he played into white stereotypes of African Americans. While  Robinson was forced to accept the roles provided for black actors in his time, he fought hard against these stereotypes off the stage and screen--convincing Dallas police department to hire its first African American policemen, lobbying FDR during World War II for more equitable treatment of African American soldiers, and co-founding the New York Black Yankees team in Harlem. Known for his generosity, Robinson performed for free in over 400 benefit shows, and gave away much of his fortune; dying penniless, Ed Sullivan paid for Robinson's funeral. His generosity often extended to his fellow performers, including teaching actors Sammy Davis Jr. and Ann Miller to dance. In 1989, the US Senate declared Robinson's birthday, May 25th, to be National Tap Dance Day.

Get Out the Vote!

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232 years ago today, the Continental Army peacefully disbanded after defeating the British. Celebrate by exercising your right to vote!

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Boxer, Cowboy, Soldier, President: Happy Birthday TR!

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Happy birthday to inarguably the most colorful US president of all time! Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858, and we talk about him a lot here because we love him so much, especially his work to promote conservation and save public lands, and that he proceeded with a 90 minute stump speech after being shot in the chest. Here are a few more reasons he is the original "Most Interesting Man in the World:"

- TR was the first president to appoint a Jewish cabinet member (Secretary of Commerce and Labor, Oscar Solomon Straus), and invite a black man (the esteemed Booker T. Washington) to have dinner at the White House.
- TR had a boxing ring in the White House, and would challenge staff members and visitors to matches. An unfortunately placed punch blinded him in his left eye during his presidency; which was kept a very close secret by only TR's closest confidantes. 
- Following his presidency, TR went on scientific expeditions to Africa and South America, bringing back specimens for the Smithsonian Institution and American Museum of Natural History. During the latter expedition, he contracted a tropical fever after jumping to the river to prevent a collision of the group's canoes with some jagged rocks, and cutting his leg. His condition was so bad that he begged his small party to go on without him, and let him perish, out of concern that he was endangering them all. It was only at his son Kermit's insistence that he continued on.
- TR walked Eleanor Roosevelt down the aisle at her wedding to FDR.
- After his presidency, TR also took up the cause of women's suffrage. He delivered a famous speech for the cause in 1915 at the Metropolitan Opera House stating:

"Conservative friends tell me that woman’s duty is the home. Certainly. So is man's. The duty of a woman to the home isn’t any more than the man’s. If any married man doesn’t know that the woman pulls a little more than her share in the home he needs education. If the average man has more leisure to think of public matters than the average woman has, then it’s a frightful reflection on him. If the average man tells you the average woman hasn’t the time to think of these questions, tell him to go home and do his duty. The average woman needs fifteen minutes to vote, and I want to point out to the alarmist that she will have left 364 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes."

Photograph is a different view of TR than we usually see; a young Teddy Roosevelt in 1880 in his mountaineering attire, 21 years before he would become president. Part of the New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection held b…

Photograph is a different view of TR than we usually see; a young Teddy Roosevelt in 1880 in his mountaineering attire, 21 years before he would become president. Part of the New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection held by the Library of Congress.

165 Years Ago Today- The First "National Woman's Rights Convention"

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A poem read at the National Woman's Rights Convention, and reprinted in William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator on November 15, 1850.

Circa 1870 Photograph of Lucretia Mott by F. Gutekunst of Philadelphia, PA.

On October 23, 1850, in Worcester, MA, women from across the country met for the first time to create a organized plan of action for gaining equal rights.  The Seneca Falls Convention had been held two years earlier, but that meeting had been somewhat impromptu, and was only regional.  The National Woman's Rights Convention was planned for months, and included participants from across the country.  Twenty years later, in 1870, Elizabeth Cady Stanton would state that the Women's Rights "movement in England, as in America, may be dated from the first National Convention, held at Worcester, Mass., October, 1850."

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was not present herself at the convention, because she was about to give birth, but she sent a letter that was read to the crowd, giving her support to the movement. Among those who were in attendance were Lucretia Mott, Lucy Stone, William Lloyd Garrison, and Frederick Douglass; the latter two famous abolitionists being some of  the original male Feminists.  The causes of abolition and women's rights had a complicated relationship; women like Stanton, Mott, and Stone started their activist careers as abolitionists, but were outraged to find that many male abolitionists would not allow them to speak publicly for the movement, or to play an active role in the cause. This inspired these women to start demanding equal rights from themselves.  Many male abolitionists supported the movement, like Garrison and Douglass, believing there should be equal rights for all.  Others saw these women as stepping outside their intended role; the Evangelical community made up a large percent of the anti-slavery movement, and believed these women's ideas went against the Bible's teachings.

Lucy Stone

Along with the many speeches given and debates had over two days, the Convention formed the first organized committees for a cohesive movement across the country.  These committees created local chapters, and addressed fundraising, publicity, education, employment, and lobbying, among other needs and goals. This fundamentally changed and strengthened the movement- putting forth a unified message to the world.  The Convention became a yearly event, and continued to gain momentum and attendees.  

An example of the backlash from the Convention, reprinted by The Anti-Slavery Bugle.

These efforts helped to give women better property rights and rights to the wages they earned, more legal standing within the family structure- including parental rights and the increased ability to initiate a divorce, and eventually suffrage.  Without these brave women, and men, we ladies would not be where we are today! So raise a glass to the National Woman's Convention, and celebrate that you live in the 21st century they helped to create!  Or ladies, just wear some pants, show little ankle, revel in your independent checking account, go to work, and earn a fair wage!

Wacky Whiskers Wednesday: Bearded Lady Annie Jones!

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For this Wacky Whiskers Wednesday, the Gals bring you another Gal after our own heart, bearded lady Annie Jones!

Annie Jones was born in Marion, Virginia on July 7, 1865, with a chin covered in hair.  She joined performer P. T. Barnum as a circus attraction at the age of only nine months; her parents receiving a $150 a week salary for her participation as “The Infant Esau.”  She was photographed by famous US photographer Matthew Brady as an infant in 1865.  By age five, Jones had sideburns and a mustache and was billed as the “Bearded Girl.”

When Jones was sixteen she married Richard Elliot, a professional sideshow bally talker.  They were married for fifteen years before divorcing, then Jones married her childhood sweetheart, William Donovan.  Donovan died suddenly not long after their marriage, and when Jones was widowed she returned to Barnum’s circus.

As an adult, Jones became America’s most well known “bearded lady,” as well as the spokesperson and advocate for Barnum’s other “freaks,” a word she tried to abolish from the business.  Jones died October 22, 1902 of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-seven.

“Noted Freak Dead.” Belvedere Daily Republican. Vol. 11. No. 201. October 23, 1902. p. 4.

“Street Sayings.” The Saint Paul Globe. Vol. 8. No. 169. June 18, 1886. p. 2.

Luxury and Adventure: The Orient Express

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132 years ago today, on October 4th, 1883, The Orient Express made its first official journey; its route taking passengers from Paris to Istanbul (then still known as Constantinople). 

Orient Express Poster.jpg

The luxury train was a dream realized for creator George Nagelmackers. An 1865 trip to America introduced Nagelmackers to the posh Pullman sleeping cars,  and he became determined to build a network of similar trains in Europe, including  a fantasy line spanning the continent.  He founded the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits in 1874, which focused on not only its international train lines, but also a chain of luxury hotels throughout the major cities of Europe and Western Asia. 

The Orient Express was the crown jewel of Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It came into being at at time when Orientalism-the romanticized , Westernized view of Asian culture-was all the rage in Europe. The trip took just over 80 hours, and passengers spent that time surrounded by the richest woods, leathers, silks available.  It was so popular that the company designed four additional variations of the Orient Express trip; with newer trains starting in London, and also running through places like Zurich and Venice, and one line ending in Athens rather than Budapest. The train became frequented by kings, czars, and spies; inspiring its use in many great works of fiction. 

Murder On the Orient Express by Agatha Christie is, of course, the most famous use of the "King of Trains" in a story; keeping it a household name to this day.  Along with Poirot, the Orient Express was also ridden by James Bond in From Russia With Love and by Dracula's pursuers in Bram Stoker's original 1897 masterpiece.  More recently, an episode of Doctor Who entitled "Mummy on the Orient Express" predicted the continuation of the train line far into the future and deep in the universe.

 The Orient Express played an important role in real events, too. The World Wars both interrupted train service for the public, but cars from the trains, and the tracks, were to put to use by many different armies. At the end of World War I, a Wagons-Lits train car from the Orient Express was being used as a mobile conference room by an Allied commander. German officers were brought to the car on November 11, 1918 to sign surrender documents. The car was then put on display in Paris, where it remained until the Nazi invasion in 1940. Hitler had the car brought back to the spot of the 1918 German surrender, to dictate the terms of surrender for the French. In 1945, when the Third Reich was falling, Hitler ordered the car to be blown up.

History, Witticisms, Girl Power: Welcome to Our Website

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Hi all, Alex and Caitlin here! This will be our first official post on our spanking new website. We have uploaded and post-dated material from the Facebook page, so we can look back together on some of our past history adventures with fondness too.

With this upgrade, we hope to continue bring you the best in fun factoids, hilarious history lessons, crafty research tips, and current events soon to be historical. Plus some extra nerding out over everything from pizza to Star Wars. Basically, we blog about the things that make us laugh, cry, and generally appreciate the past and the present. We hope you enjoy, and let us know what you'd like to hear more about!

For our inaugural  post, we are sharing our favorite find from some newspaper scouring we did this past week while in search of a few Civil War soldiers later in life. This political cartoon was published on June 9, 1919; five days after the proposed 19th Amendment was passed by the Senate.  As the cartoon depicts, women had a lot more small hurdles left to go before they officially had the vote.  But, the following day, on June 10th, the first three states-Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan-ratified the 19th Amendment.  On August 26, 1920, 3/4s of the states had ratified, and the 19th Amendment was officially enacted. Mississippi didn't bother to ratify until 1984 however... Oh Mississippi.

Yogi-isms

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Yogi Berra, one of baseball's both greatest catchers and characters, passed away yesterday. He was a member of 10 Yankees championship teams as well as a manager to both Yankees and Mets World Series teams. He was also the inspiration for the cartoon character Yogi Bear, and the author of countless witty epigrams now known as Yogi-isms; which the Archive Gals can’t get enough of. Here are some of our favorites:

-“It ain’t over till it’s over.”
-“It’s deja vu all over again.”
-“I usually take a two-hour nap from 1 to 4.”
-“Never answer an anonymous letter.”
-“We made too many wrong mistakes.”
-“You can observe a lot by watching.”
-“The future ain’t what it used to be.”
“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”
-“It gets late early out here.”
-“If the people don’t want to come out to the ballpark, nobody’s going to stop them.”
-“Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.”
-“Pair up in threes.”
-“Why buy good luggage, you only use it when you travel.”
-“Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
-“All pitchers are liars or crybabies.”
-“A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
-“He hits from both sides of the plate. He’s amphibious.”
-“I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.”
-“I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did.”
-“In baseball, you don’t know nothing.”
-“I never said most of the things I said.”
-“It ain’t the heat, it’s the humility.”
-“The towels were so thick there I could hardly close my suitcase.”
-“You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise, they won’t come to yours.”

RIP Yogi! You will be greatly missed.

 
“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.”
— Yogi Berra

God Save the Queen!

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Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for more than 63 years and today, September 9, 2015, marks a new milestone for the British monarchy. As of today, the Queen becomes the longest-reigning monarch in British History!

Born April 21, 1926, Elizabeth was never expected to rule. Elizabeth’s uncle became King Edward VII in 1936, but the course of history was changed when he abdicated later that year to marry foxy American divorcee Wallis Simpson; allowing his younger brother, Elizabeth’s father, to become George VI. Elizabeth ascended to the throne in February 1952, when her father died of lung cancer, and has been ruling ever since.

Amazingly, Elizabeth’s tenure on the throne has seen 12 British Prime Ministers, 12 US Presidents and seven Popes. She is Britain’s 40th monarch (and only the 6th Queen!) since William the Conqueror took the crown over a thousand years ago.

During her rule she has visited over 116 countries and still attends hundreds of engagements each year, and at the young age of 89 is still looking as fabulous as ever!

If the Queen lives to the same age as her mother (the ripe old age of 101), on February 6, 2022 she may become the first British Ruler to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, which sounds like the party of the century!

To celebrate, we have been looking at some older pictures of the Queen. We can't believe how much has changed in the world since she was born!

God save the Queen!

Never Laugh at Live Dragons

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Tolkien as a Young Officer

J. R. R. Tolkien (or John Ronald Reuel Tolkien) died 42 years ago today, after creating one of the most magical worlds of all time, captivating audiences for the ages. Orphaned at age twelve, Tolkien and his brother were then raised by the parish priest. Tolkien proved gifted with language at an early age, and started making his own up while in his teens. He went on to study English Language and Literature at Oxford, and graduated in 1915; but with World War I booming, his literary career was put on hold and Tolkien enlisted as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers. He fought on the Western Front in the trenches for four months, until he came down with trench fever and was sent back to England to recover. His experiences in France would help color the epic battles, and some of the bleaker lands (Mordor, anyone?) he created.

Tolkien in His Later Days

After the war, Tolkien worked as the Assistant Lexicographer at the Oxford English Dictionary, before starting his career in academia. Tolkien taught first at the University of Leeds, then at his alma mater, Oxford. The Hobbit grew from stories he invented for his children. After an unfinished manuscript fell into the hands of a publisher, The Hobbit was published in 1937, to immediate success. Eager to have more popular children’s novels, Tolkien’s publishers asked what other material he might have. They rejected The Simarillion for being too complex and poetic, but asked that the author take a crack at writing a sequel to The Hobbit. 

Tolkien took sixteen years to write The Lord of the Rings, and it was published in 1955. Much more than a sequel to a children’s book, the trilogy had mixed reviews, but huge sales. During the 60s and 70s, the trilogy was embraced by the youth counterculture-its great influence can been seen in the numerous Middle Earth references in Led Zeppelin songs, and the classic Ballad of Bilbo Baggins by Leonard Nimoy. It was, and remains, so popular, that even the discarded Simarillion became a best seller when it was published after Tolkien’s death. 

We’re giving a big salute, and a huge thank you to a man who expanded our minds, and taught us so many important life lessons. So remember “if more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” And, “never laugh at live dragons.”

Tolkien's Illustration of Bilbo's Barrel Escape from The Hobbit

Tolkien's Illustration of Hobbiton from The Hobbit

Tolkien's Illustration of Bilbo's Confrontation with Smaug from The Hobbit

President Obama is Keepin' It Real in Alaska: The Return of Denali

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President Obama announced today that Mount McKinley was being renamed Denali, using his executive power to restore an Alaska Native name (meaning the Great One) with deep cultural significance to the tallest mountain in North America! The peak, at 20,237 feet, plays a central role in the creation story of the Koyukon Athabascans, a group that has lived in Alaska for thousands of years.

The mountain came to be known as Mount McKinley after a gold prospector who was exploring the Alaska Range heard that McKinley had won the Republican presidential nomination, and declared that the tallest peak should be named in his honor. President McKinley was assassinated in 1901, six months into his second term, and never visited Alaska.

Denali’s name has long been seen as an example of cultural imperialism in which a Native American name with historical roots was replaced by an American one, having little to do with the place.

The White House also announced plans to create a "young engagement program" to help rural and Alaska Native youth in the Arctic. The administration said it would also provide $400,000 for commissions that govern local fishing, along with more than $1 million in funding from the federal government and Alaska groups to fund U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service advisers.

Women's Equality Day

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Happy Women's Equality Day, friends! Today in 1920, the 19th Amendment was certified as law, and finally granted women the right to vote in America. A big thanks to all our fore-mothers who fought hard to give us our say! To celebrate, we have been listening to our favorite song about women's suffrage on repeat; even though Mrs. Banks was singing about English women's suffrage (all women's suffrage is important, and sadly still a fight in many places in the world).

POW!!

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The Archive Gals are big fans of the TV show Drunk History; it combines some of our favorite pastimes (and if anyone has any connections, the Gals would make for some really excellent narrators- some possible topics they excel at include Lincoln, Custer, the Roosevelts, the Vanderbilts, Pocahontas- come audition them on 9th Street at happy hour on Thursdays). 

One of our favorite episodes told the story of how the Superman radio show was used to broadcast the secrets of the KKK and fight their resurgence following World War II. Read more here about Stetson Kennedy, the man who infiltrated this evil empire and passed their secrets on to the Man of Steel, plus listen to some of the original audio!