Introducing Head-Tilting History

Once upon a time, hot air balloons were used as spy vessels, female militias wielded pitchforks, and Southern soldiers battled one another in epic snowball fights. Turns out American history is full of surprises.

Unfortunately, too many of those surprises get left out of standard history education. Limited time and limited perspectives mean we often learn about the past without the rich context and diversity of experiences that truly make it interesting and relevant. Head-Tilting History is our humble endeavor to bring that much needed context and diversity to the subjects we know best.

We’ve mined our own resources and other trustworthy historical sources in search of American history’s forgotten gems. We’ll share stories of the most fascinating people you’ve never heard of, revisit famous events from a different perspective and reveal marvels and mysteries of our nation’s past. You’ll read about Native American heroes in America’s Founding Century, women who brandished pens more powerful than swords, the botanic wisdom of Confederate soldiers, the secret saboteurs of the Peninsula Campaign and the other Underground Railroad.

But what do these things have to do with saving battlefields?

Truth is, the battlefields are important because of the individuals and communities who fought on them. Because of the political contexts and random twists and turns of fate or circumstance that provoked the battles. Because of the trees that grew on the land and may still stand there. Because of the people affected, then and now, by the battles and their outcomes.

We save battlefields to honor and learn from our country’s past. The stories we’ll share through Head-Tilting History help paint a more complex, more complete picture of that past, enhancing our reverence and understanding. These stories may not have made it into the history books, but they are every bit as important to who we are and how we got here.

So whether you’re a history buff looking for new paths of discovery or one of those people who hated history in school, we hope you’ll join us in exploring the hidden recesses of America’s Founding Century. If you’re the sort who can appreciate how a change in perspective can change the world, Head-Tilting History is for you.

Sign up and we’ll start you off with nine head-tilting facts about hot air balloons in the Civil War. After that, you’ll get our quarterly email with some of the most fascinating stories and little-known facts our country’s rich history has to offer.