Bobby Lee
@bobbylee.bsky.social
Historian of the United States, mostly in the 19th c., colonialism, land, GIS. American abroad
Picture getting clearer on who Thorp was
November 25, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Picture getting clearer on who Thorp was
This getting weirder. Now it says they got to put him on the "Road to Retail Liquer [sic]"
November 25, 2025 at 4:40 PM
This getting weirder. Now it says they got to put him on the "Road to Retail Liquer [sic]"
Does this say what I think it says?
November 25, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Does this say what I think it says?
For some reason, there’s a 15 foot tall statue of Tony Soprano at a Lithuanian train station
November 18, 2025 at 6:57 AM
For some reason, there’s a 15 foot tall statue of Tony Soprano at a Lithuanian train station
There are a couple of nice examples of that perennial favorite—the vicious academic review—in the interchange. Here’s a bit of Philip Levy’s take on Donald Grinde, Jr. and Bruce Johansen’s handling of evidence
November 17, 2025 at 7:53 PM
There are a couple of nice examples of that perennial favorite—the vicious academic review—in the interchange. Here’s a bit of Philip Levy’s take on Donald Grinde, Jr. and Bruce Johansen’s handling of evidence
Saw a picture of Elizabeth Holmes on here in a field. Wondered if she got out. Thank you google AI
November 17, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Saw a picture of Elizabeth Holmes on here in a field. Wondered if she got out. Thank you google AI
Sometimes it converts dates to random famous dates that must appear in training data, but are nowhere in the uploaded file
It also did a settler colonialism on this entry from an index from the 1870s, turning "squatters" into "settlers" while grabbing other text verbatim
It also did a settler colonialism on this entry from an index from the 1870s, turning "squatters" into "settlers" while grabbing other text verbatim
November 8, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Sometimes it converts dates to random famous dates that must appear in training data, but are nowhere in the uploaded file
It also did a settler colonialism on this entry from an index from the 1870s, turning "squatters" into "settlers" while grabbing other text verbatim
It also did a settler colonialism on this entry from an index from the 1870s, turning "squatters" into "settlers" while grabbing other text verbatim
Just found another one, maybe: $15K for Newberry College in 1898 for damage during the Civil War. I don't actually know anything about Newberry's association with slavery, but it's South Carolina, so perhaps worth a look...
November 2, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Just found another one, maybe: $15K for Newberry College in 1898 for damage during the Civil War. I don't actually know anything about Newberry's association with slavery, but it's South Carolina, so perhaps worth a look...
I recently wrote an article about colleges getting reparations for war damage to buildings built by slaves. It examined one case, but there are others. No one knows how many. Anyway, I just came across Washington and Lee Uni collecting $17k for Civil War damage to property amassed by selling slaves
November 2, 2025 at 11:31 AM
I recently wrote an article about colleges getting reparations for war damage to buildings built by slaves. It examined one case, but there are others. No one knows how many. Anyway, I just came across Washington and Lee Uni collecting $17k for Civil War damage to property amassed by selling slaves
Robinson’s original idea would have vandalized the Black Hills even more. He wanted to carve the Pinnacles into statues of (in)famous pioneers, turning them into a Garden of Heroes, if you will
October 26, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Robinson’s original idea would have vandalized the Black Hills even more. He wanted to carve the Pinnacles into statues of (in)famous pioneers, turning them into a Garden of Heroes, if you will
Very helpful name for a law
October 26, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Very helpful name for a law
I don't know what this one is about exactly, but it concerns a yacht named "Dad's Pad" being classified as a trading vessel in the 1980s, lol
October 25, 2025 at 10:12 AM
I don't know what this one is about exactly, but it concerns a yacht named "Dad's Pad" being classified as a trading vessel in the 1980s, lol
This fox won’t quit. It pulled out the debris and moved the bricks I put in the tunnel it dug. Got me feeling like farmer Boggis out here
October 25, 2025 at 8:44 AM
This fox won’t quit. It pulled out the debris and moved the bricks I put in the tunnel it dug. Got me feeling like farmer Boggis out here
College looking like a postcard today
October 22, 2025 at 1:21 PM
College looking like a postcard today
Looked up the Valentine land scrip from the 1870s and this 50+ year-old article popped up. Thought I was glitching out for a second
October 2, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Looked up the Valentine land scrip from the 1870s and this 50+ year-old article popped up. Thought I was glitching out for a second
Personally offended to see this in a museum
September 28, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Personally offended to see this in a museum
Two professional baseball players pictured in Life magazine in 1962. Try to guess their ages before reading the captions
September 15, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Two professional baseball players pictured in Life magazine in 1962. Try to guess their ages before reading the captions
Hard to believe this is a porch in NYC
August 9, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Hard to believe this is a porch in NYC
Dying to get my hands on this 36 page letter to the editor the William and Mary Quarterly declined to publish for some reason
July 17, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Dying to get my hands on this 36 page letter to the editor the William and Mary Quarterly declined to publish for some reason
July 15, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Anyone know what the first word here might be?
Full context is: "For amount paid Lewis Crawford for rum & [ ] furnished"
It relates to an Indigenous delegation in St. Louis in 1806, if that helps. So some kind of drink/food/goods/supplies would fit #skystorians
Full context is: "For amount paid Lewis Crawford for rum & [ ] furnished"
It relates to an Indigenous delegation in St. Louis in 1806, if that helps. So some kind of drink/food/goods/supplies would fit #skystorians
July 8, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Anyone know what the first word here might be?
Full context is: "For amount paid Lewis Crawford for rum & [ ] furnished"
It relates to an Indigenous delegation in St. Louis in 1806, if that helps. So some kind of drink/food/goods/supplies would fit #skystorians
Full context is: "For amount paid Lewis Crawford for rum & [ ] furnished"
It relates to an Indigenous delegation in St. Louis in 1806, if that helps. So some kind of drink/food/goods/supplies would fit #skystorians
In 1807, federal authorities nearly got the Mandan chief Shehék killed on a botched expedition up the Missouri River. When the survivors got back to St. Louis, officials gave him a present: a comb worth 20 cents.
June 26, 2025 at 2:58 PM
In 1807, federal authorities nearly got the Mandan chief Shehék killed on a botched expedition up the Missouri River. When the survivors got back to St. Louis, officials gave him a present: a comb worth 20 cents.
Here’s a summary:
In 1770, Rhode Island College, now Brown, built the biggest building in Rhode Island. They used enslaved labor and capital from the slave trade (see Brown's Slavery and Justice report).
The building was then called the College Edifice, now it's named University Hall.
In 1770, Rhode Island College, now Brown, built the biggest building in Rhode Island. They used enslaved labor and capital from the slave trade (see Brown's Slavery and Justice report).
The building was then called the College Edifice, now it's named University Hall.
June 12, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Here’s a summary:
In 1770, Rhode Island College, now Brown, built the biggest building in Rhode Island. They used enslaved labor and capital from the slave trade (see Brown's Slavery and Justice report).
The building was then called the College Edifice, now it's named University Hall.
In 1770, Rhode Island College, now Brown, built the biggest building in Rhode Island. They used enslaved labor and capital from the slave trade (see Brown's Slavery and Justice report).
The building was then called the College Edifice, now it's named University Hall.
Has anyone ever not hated expense reports? Capt. Amos Stoddard took almost two years to file receipts for a fancy dinner he threw after formally claiming the Louisiana Territory for the US in March 1804 #skystorians
June 7, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Has anyone ever not hated expense reports? Capt. Amos Stoddard took almost two years to file receipts for a fancy dinner he threw after formally claiming the Louisiana Territory for the US in March 1804 #skystorians
Some of these 19th c. names had panache. Unfortunately Littleberry was a very corrupt land office receiver, guilty of "mal-practices in office, too tedious to mention"
March 24, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Some of these 19th c. names had panache. Unfortunately Littleberry was a very corrupt land office receiver, guilty of "mal-practices in office, too tedious to mention"