Jason Smith
@truthinevidence.bsky.social
History is the context for the world we live in today. I look for the answers to why to make sense of the what.
Slavery, Pro-Slavery Theology, and Abolition
The Bible was used to defend slavery, oppose it, and endure it. This essay examines how Christian scripture became a tool of power in the American slave system—and what that history reveals about moral certainty, interpretation, and authority.
The Bible was used to defend slavery, oppose it, and endure it. This essay examines how Christian scripture became a tool of power in the American slave system—and what that history reveals about moral certainty, interpretation, and authority.
Slavery, Pro-Slavery Theology, and Abolition
The Bible was used to defend slavery, oppose it, and endure it. This essay examines how Christian scripture became a tool of power in the American slave system—and what that history reveals about moral certainty, interpretation, and authority.
truthinevidence.com
February 3, 2026 at 3:09 AM
Slavery, Pro-Slavery Theology, and Abolition
The Bible was used to defend slavery, oppose it, and endure it. This essay examines how Christian scripture became a tool of power in the American slave system—and what that history reveals about moral certainty, interpretation, and authority.
The Bible was used to defend slavery, oppose it, and endure it. This essay examines how Christian scripture became a tool of power in the American slave system—and what that history reveals about moral certainty, interpretation, and authority.
Doctrine of Discovery, Manifest Destiny, and White Supremacy
Christianity’s alliance with empire did not stop at Rome. In the fifteenth century, papal decrees provided theological justification for conquest, enslavement, and dispossession—ideas that later crossed the Atlantic and hardened into…
Christianity’s alliance with empire did not stop at Rome. In the fifteenth century, papal decrees provided theological justification for conquest, enslavement, and dispossession—ideas that later crossed the Atlantic and hardened into…
Doctrine of Discovery, Manifest Destiny, and White Supremacy
Christianity’s alliance with empire did not stop at Rome. In the fifteenth century, papal decrees provided theological justification for conquest, enslavement, and dispossession—ideas that later crossed the Atlantic and hardened into American law and ideology. From the Doctrine of Discovery to Manifest Destiny and modern Christian nationalism, this essay traces how religious claims of chosenness and divine authority became tools of racial hierarchy and territorial expansion—and why their legacy has never truly disappeared.
truthinevidence.com
January 24, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Doctrine of Discovery, Manifest Destiny, and White Supremacy
Christianity’s alliance with empire did not stop at Rome. In the fifteenth century, papal decrees provided theological justification for conquest, enslavement, and dispossession—ideas that later crossed the Atlantic and hardened into…
Christianity’s alliance with empire did not stop at Rome. In the fifteenth century, papal decrees provided theological justification for conquest, enslavement, and dispossession—ideas that later crossed the Atlantic and hardened into…
Christianity presents itself as a faith of peace and humility. History tells a different story.
Again and again, when Christian truth claims were treated as authoritative and enforceable, violence followed—through law, punishment, terror, and cultural erasure.
Again and again, when Christian truth claims were treated as authoritative and enforceable, violence followed—through law, punishment, terror, and cultural erasure.
When Christian Truth Became Law, Violence Followed
Christianity did not invent morality—but it has repeatedly enforced belief through violence once given power. This essay follows the evidence from empire to America, exposing how biblical authority became a tool of coercion, and why ethics grounded in evidence—not scripture—offer a safer moral foundation.
truthinevidence.com
January 23, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Christianity presents itself as a faith of peace and humility. History tells a different story.
Again and again, when Christian truth claims were treated as authoritative and enforceable, violence followed—through law, punishment, terror, and cultural erasure.
Again and again, when Christian truth claims were treated as authoritative and enforceable, violence followed—through law, punishment, terror, and cultural erasure.
Selective Grief and the Moral Sorting of America
Grief is not examined here as a private feeling, but as something that can be shaped and mobilized—especially within American Christian nationalist culture. This essay looks at how public mourning can bypass scrutiny, sort moral allegiance, and…
Grief is not examined here as a private feeling, but as something that can be shaped and mobilized—especially within American Christian nationalist culture. This essay looks at how public mourning can bypass scrutiny, sort moral allegiance, and…
Selective Grief and the Moral Sorting of America
Grief is not examined here as a private feeling, but as something that can be shaped and mobilized—especially within American Christian nationalist culture. This essay looks at how public mourning can bypass scrutiny, sort moral allegiance, and transmit political commitments before ideas are ever examined.
truthinevidence.com
January 23, 2026 at 2:50 AM
Selective Grief and the Moral Sorting of America
Grief is not examined here as a private feeling, but as something that can be shaped and mobilized—especially within American Christian nationalist culture. This essay looks at how public mourning can bypass scrutiny, sort moral allegiance, and…
Grief is not examined here as a private feeling, but as something that can be shaped and mobilized—especially within American Christian nationalist culture. This essay looks at how public mourning can bypass scrutiny, sort moral allegiance, and…
The Reformation: Why Christians Stopped Agreeing
The Protestant Reformation wasn’t just a revolt against church corruption—it was the moment Christians began openly disagreeing about what the Bible actually meant. Once Scripture became the authority, interpretation became the problem. The result…
The Protestant Reformation wasn’t just a revolt against church corruption—it was the moment Christians began openly disagreeing about what the Bible actually meant. Once Scripture became the authority, interpretation became the problem. The result…
The Reformation: Why Christians Stopped Agreeing
The Protestant Reformation wasn’t just a revolt against church corruption—it was the moment Christians began openly disagreeing about what the Bible actually meant. Once Scripture became the authority, interpretation became the problem. The result wasn’t one reformed church, but thousands.
truthinevidence.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:40 PM
The Reformation: Why Christians Stopped Agreeing
The Protestant Reformation wasn’t just a revolt against church corruption—it was the moment Christians began openly disagreeing about what the Bible actually meant. Once Scripture became the authority, interpretation became the problem. The result…
The Protestant Reformation wasn’t just a revolt against church corruption—it was the moment Christians began openly disagreeing about what the Bible actually meant. Once Scripture became the authority, interpretation became the problem. The result…
Christianity began as a marginalized movement focused on compassion, not control. So what changed? This essay explores how empire reshaped the church—and why that history matters today.
From Persecuted Sect to Imperial Faith: The Early Church and the State
Christianity began as a persecuted minority movement centered on compassion and voluntary faith. This article examines how the early church’s alliance with imperial power transformed belief into enforced doctrine—and how that shift shaped church–state relations and modern Christian nationalism.
truthinevidence.com
January 11, 2026 at 8:44 PM
Christianity began as a marginalized movement focused on compassion, not control. So what changed? This essay explores how empire reshaped the church—and why that history matters today.
A #history video I made last weekend about James Wallace black and the oldest surviving aerial photograph.
This is only the 2nd short-format video I've created, but I like it so much more than the first one. youtube.com/shorts/V3frt... 🗃️ #skystorians #signalboost
This is only the 2nd short-format video I've created, but I like it so much more than the first one. youtube.com/shorts/V3frt... 🗃️ #skystorians #signalboost
The Oldest Aerial Photograph
YouTube video by Jason Smith
youtube.com
May 6, 2025 at 5:24 PM
A #history video I made last weekend about James Wallace black and the oldest surviving aerial photograph.
This is only the 2nd short-format video I've created, but I like it so much more than the first one. youtube.com/shorts/V3frt... 🗃️ #skystorians #signalboost
This is only the 2nd short-format video I've created, but I like it so much more than the first one. youtube.com/shorts/V3frt... 🗃️ #skystorians #signalboost
The story of aerial reconnaissance began with hot air balloons, revolutionizing how armies saw the battlefield. From the French Revolution to the American Civil War, balloons played a key role in military intelligence. 🗃️ #history #skystorians
May 5, 2025 at 9:03 PM
The story of aerial reconnaissance began with hot air balloons, revolutionizing how armies saw the battlefield. From the French Revolution to the American Civil War, balloons played a key role in military intelligence. 🗃️ #history #skystorians
It's easy to take for granted the wealth of knowledge that 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 has afforded us just in the last century and a half. But it is only through archaeological excavation that we've truly begun to grasp the intricate process of civilization's emergence. 🏺🗃️🧵
January 12, 2025 at 5:11 PM
It's easy to take for granted the wealth of knowledge that 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 has afforded us just in the last century and a half. But it is only through archaeological excavation that we've truly begun to grasp the intricate process of civilization's emergence. 🏺🗃️🧵
Following the lead of @herberthistory.bsky.social: Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers. #1 completely changed the way I look at history:
January 9, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Following the lead of @herberthistory.bsky.social: Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers. #1 completely changed the way I look at history:
I became curious about the past as a kid riding through the emptied, narrow store fronts on the Main Streets of old Texas towns. After my first son was born, I wanted to know my family history; that led to wanting to know the context for the lives of my ancestors who I was learning about.
Dear fellow historians: I recently asked my undergraduate students what sparked their interest in studying history. Two of them mentioned the film Titanic! Now I'm curious (and will let them know): What sparked your interest in studying #history?
November 30, 2024 at 10:37 PM
I became curious about the past as a kid riding through the emptied, narrow store fronts on the Main Streets of old Texas towns. After my first son was born, I wanted to know my family history; that led to wanting to know the context for the lives of my ancestors who I was learning about.
This Slovenian site is a beautiful example of an archaeological palimpsest. It's like a layer cake of history: 18th-century church ➡️ medieval castle ➡️ Roman fort ➡️ Iron Age settlement! One location showing how different cultures reused the same spot over time. #archaeology #skystorians
A veritable puff pastry of history.
From the Iron Age to the Ottoman incursions the church of St Urh on Nadliški hill is just the top of so many layers of the past.
kapjasa.si/en/layers-of...
#kiteaerialphotography #KAP #kite #aerial #history #archaeology #church #hillfort #castle #Slovenia
From the Iron Age to the Ottoman incursions the church of St Urh on Nadliški hill is just the top of so many layers of the past.
kapjasa.si/en/layers-of...
#kiteaerialphotography #KAP #kite #aerial #history #archaeology #church #hillfort #castle #Slovenia
Layers of History - KAP Jasa - kite team Slovenia
Here’s an 18th century church … … that replaced an older church inside a 16th century tabor, a fortified place used as a refugium during the Ottoman incursions … … that was made from the remains of a ...
kapjasa.si
October 31, 2024 at 1:20 AM
This Slovenian site is a beautiful example of an archaeological palimpsest. It's like a layer cake of history: 18th-century church ➡️ medieval castle ➡️ Roman fort ➡️ Iron Age settlement! One location showing how different cultures reused the same spot over time. #archaeology #skystorians
🧵Well-known ghost towns like Bodie, California, have retained many of their structures and become popular tourist attractions. But others have left to no little trace of what they once were. Thankfully, some of these lost towns have been preserved in historic aerial images. 🗃️ #skystorians
October 27, 2024 at 8:08 PM
🧵Well-known ghost towns like Bodie, California, have retained many of their structures and become popular tourist attractions. But others have left to no little trace of what they once were. Thankfully, some of these lost towns have been preserved in historic aerial images. 🗃️ #skystorians
🧵In May 1957, an F5 tornado tore through the Ruskin Heights neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri, leaving 44 dead, over 500 injured, and a path of destruction that reshaped the landscape. The path of the tornado is clearly visible in this image from HistoricAerials.com. 🗃️ #skystorians
October 27, 2024 at 8:02 PM
🧵In May 1957, an F5 tornado tore through the Ruskin Heights neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri, leaving 44 dead, over 500 injured, and a path of destruction that reshaped the landscape. The path of the tornado is clearly visible in this image from HistoricAerials.com. 🗃️ #skystorians
Here's an old photo from 1900 of the Fohn-Bless Store, in Hondo, Texas, which has managed to stick around so that we can still see it today. texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/m... #history 🗃️
February 13, 2024 at 4:10 PM
Here's an old photo from 1900 of the Fohn-Bless Store, in Hondo, Texas, which has managed to stick around so that we can still see it today. texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/m... #history 🗃️
Reposted by Jason Smith
If a civil word or two will render a man happy, he must be wretched, indeed, who will not give them to him. Such a disposition is like lighting another man's candle by one's own, which loses none of its brilliancy by what the other gains. #signalboost texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/m...
The Jasper Weekly News-Boy (Jasper, Tex.), Vol. 15, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 13, 1879
Weekly newspaper from Jasper, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with some advertising.
texashistory.unt.edu
February 12, 2024 at 2:15 PM
If a civil word or two will render a man happy, he must be wretched, indeed, who will not give them to him. Such a disposition is like lighting another man's candle by one's own, which loses none of its brilliancy by what the other gains. #signalboost texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/m...
Noah Smithwick came to #Texas in 1827, embarking on an adventure of more than 3 decades. From early Anglo settlement up to the Civil War's outbreak, he witnessed, and influenced, the state's #history. His Unionist sympathies led him to California in 1861, where he lived until his death in 1899. 🗃️
January 14, 2024 at 10:41 PM
Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Texas history knows about Stephen F. Austin, Mexico's first empresario given the opportunity to settle Anglo-American families with their slaves in Texas. When Austin first came to Texas, he crossed the Sabine from Louisiana on the El Camino Real.
January 13, 2024 at 6:13 PM
Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Texas history knows about Stephen F. Austin, Mexico's first empresario given the opportunity to settle Anglo-American families with their slaves in Texas. When Austin first came to Texas, he crossed the Sabine from Louisiana on the El Camino Real.
The Texas Medical Center has changed so much in a century. Herman Hospital, seen in this 1926 photo, is now dwarfed by larger additions, as seen on Google Earth. From its humble beginnings it has grown into a cornerstone of Houston's medical community, continuously expanding and innovating. #history
January 13, 2024 at 5:40 PM
The Texas Medical Center has changed so much in a century. Herman Hospital, seen in this 1926 photo, is now dwarfed by larger additions, as seen on Google Earth. From its humble beginnings it has grown into a cornerstone of Houston's medical community, continuously expanding and innovating. #history
Reposted by Jason Smith
I'm always looking for traces of history in satellite imagery. If I see something interesting, I try to find out what it is. On a property near what is now George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, I spotted an ovular shape that seems to have been a racetrack.
January 13, 2024 at 3:49 PM
I'm always looking for traces of history in satellite imagery. If I see something interesting, I try to find out what it is. On a property near what is now George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, I spotted an ovular shape that seems to have been a racetrack.