by Tom Parker‚ Reclaim The Net: New documents pull back the curtain on the federal government’s shocking push for mass financial surveillance that reportedly targeted millions of Americans. In January‚ the House Judiciary Committee sounded the alarm about the federal government asking banks to surveil transactions related to certain keywords‚ such as “MAGA” and “Trump‚” as part […]

from The Dan Bongino Show: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

by Kevin Hughes‚ Natural News: Political consultant and first brother James “Jim” Biden has officially confirmed that his nephew Hunter Biden met with Patrick Ho‚ who the presidential son dubbed the “spy chief of China‚” in 2017. He confirmed the September 2017 meeting during his testimony before Congress in February. According to Jim‚ he accompanied his nephew […]

from The Jimmy Dore Show: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

The Sphinx is a mythical creature with a human head and the body of a lion. In Greek mythology‚ the Sphinx also had the wings of an eagle.  The word ‘Sphinx’ comes to English from the Greek. Some scholars believe that this name comes from the Greek word for ‘squeeze’ – a reference to how lions kill their prey by taking the back of the animal’s neck in their jaws and squeezing until the animal is killed.  Other historians think that this word comes from an ancient Egyptian word that meant ‘living image.’ This is a reference to the Great Sphinx of Giza‚ which was carved in place from “living” stone rather than being transported and assembled in pieces.  The Great Sphinx of Giza‚ Egypt. The Great Sphinx of Giza The Sphinx is Egypt’s oldest monumental sculpture. Its face is thought to be a representation of the pharaoh Khafre‚ who ruled Egypt from approximately 2560 BC to 2535 BC.  This Old Kingdom pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty was responsible for the second largest of Giza’s pyramids. The Pyramid of Khafre is 448 feet tall and was built to house Khafre’s sarcophagus. Dozens of statues were made in his image‚ and more statues have been found of him than of any other Old Kingdom pharaoh.  Some Egyptologists say that the Sphinx was actually created by a lesser-known pharaoh named Djedefre‚ who was the half-brother of Khafre and the son of Khufu‚ who built the Great Pyramid of Giza. Others claim that the Sphinx was commissioned by Khufu himself. The Sphinx is thought to be over 4550 years old. This famous limestone statue was originally chiseled in place out of bedrock. In subsequent years‚ limestone blocks were used for restoration purposes. The original name for the Sphinx has been lost. A thousand years after it was built‚ Egyptians called it by the name of their sun god. A thousand years after that‚ Greeks began calling it the Sphinx. The Sphinx in the New Kingdom A few centuries after its construction‚ shifting sands buried the Sphinx up to its shoulders. Thutmose IV arranged for a team to excavate the statue’s front paws around the time that he became pharaoh.  During the New Kingdom (1550 BC to 1069 BC)‚ the Sphinx was deified and worshiped as the sun god Horus. Eventually‚ a cult grew up around it‚ and temples were built nearby. Amenhotep II (1427 BC to 1397 BC) ordered a temple to be built nearby in honor of the sun god. The Dream Stele commissioned by Thutmose IV when he became pharaoh in 1401 BC refers to the Great Sphinx of Giza as Hor-em-akhet‚ or ‘Horus of the Horizon’. This fifteen-ton granite block rests between the front legs of the Sphinx and originally served as the back wall of a small temple. The Sphinx was excavated a second time by Ramesses II the Great (1279–1213 BC).  Over time and with influence from other regions‚ the god Horus morphed into Hauron. Even after this reimagining of their falcon god‚ Egyptians continued to associate the Great Sphinx of Giza with this popular deity. For a long while‚ the Sphinx was referred to locally by the name of Hauron. The worship of Hauron died out around the time of the Persian conquest in 525 BC‚ but Egyptians continued to venerate the Sphinx. During the Middle Ages‚ it was believed to be a talisman that held the desert at bay and controlled the all-important flood cycle of the Nile. A statue of Ramesses and Hauron‚ Egyptian Museum in Cairo‚ Egypt. The Sphinx in Ancient Greece In Greek Mythology‚ the Sphinx was a terribly dangerous creature with the head of a woman‚ the body of a lion‚ the wings of an eagle‚ and sometimes the tail of a serpent.  It should be noted that the Greeks always wrote of the Sphinx as a foreign creature‚ often one that came from the regions around the Nile. She was sent by the gods to punish those who had displeased them. She would devour men who failed to solve her riddles. In some tales‚ she plagued the city of Thebes. In others‚ she guarded its gates. Anyone who wished to pass must answer her riddle‚ and those that failed would be devoured. A sphinx as depicted in Greek mythology The Sphinx asked‚ “Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?”  Oedipus‚ the mythical king of Thebes‚ answered‚ “Man‚ who crawls on all fours as a baby‚ then walks on two feet as an adult‚ and then uses a walking stick in old age.” Another ancient version of the story gives a different riddle: “There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she‚ in turn‚ gives birth to the first. Who are the two sisters?”  The answer to this riddle is Day and Night. Once Oedipus beat her at her own game by answering the riddle correctly‚ she threw herself off of a cliff. Or‚ in other versions of the story‚ he killed her. In some‚ she devoured herself in the way she had devoured so many travelers. The Sphinx in Greco-Roman Times Ancient Greeks regarded the Sphinx as a fascinating historical artifact.  The statue was excavated in the first century‚ when Tiberius Claudius Balbilus was Governor of Egypt‚ and eventually became a popular tourist destination. A massive staircase nearly forty feet wide was constructed to give visitors a superior view of the Sphinx. It seems that some of the statue’s original coloring may have survived those two thousand and five hundred years‚ because Pliny the Elder (23 AD – 79 AD) describes it as follows:  In front of these pyramids is the Sphinx‚ a still more wondrous object of art‚ but one upon which silence has been observed‚ as it is looked upon as a divinity by the people of the neighborhood. It is their belief that King Harmaïs was buried in it‚ and they believe that it was brought there from a distance. The truth is‚ however‚ that it was hewn from the solid rock; and‚ from a feeling of veneration‚ the face of the monster is coloured red. The circumference of the head‚ measured round the forehead‚ is one hundred and two feet‚ the length of the feet being one hundred and forty-three‚ and the height‚ from the belly to the summit of the asp on the head‚ sixty-two. Pliny the Elder (23 AD – 79 AD) Retaining walls around the Sphinx were restored in 166 AD and it was still visible in 200 AD. Following the fall of Rome‚ the statue was once again engulfed by sand. Ancient Egyptian gods and the statue itself were still worshiped through the Roman occupation and even into Medieval times. This caused problems for the Sphinx‚ as we’ll see in a moment.  What happened to the Sphinx’s nose? Popular myth says that the Sphinx lost its nose to cannonfire in 1798 when Napoleon invaded Egypt. In reality‚ the nose disappeared centuries earlier.  The Egyptian historian TaqÄ« al-DÄ«n AbÅ« al-‘Abbās Aḥmad ibn ‘AlÄ« ibn ‘Abd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad al-Maqrizi (born 1364) documented the Sphinx’s missing nose during his lifetime. Contemporary pieces of art also depict the statue without a nose.  Art sketched by the Dane Frederic Louis Norden in 1737 also shows the Sphinx without a nose. According to al-Marqrizi‚ the nose was deliberately destroyed by Muhammad Sa’im al-Dahr when al-Marqurizi himself was just fourteen. The Sufi Muslim al-Dahr was outraged that local peasants were making offerings to the Sphinx. Therefore‚ he defaced the statue by removing the nose and damaging the ears. He was later executed for vandalism.  Archaeological inspections of the Sphinx confirm that the nose appears to have been removed deliberately using chisels and rods. Great Sphinx of Giza‚ side view with the missing nose An Enduring Symbol of Antiquity The Sphinx became a popular tourist destination again in the 1800s after it was once again excavated in 1817 to reveal its chest and paws.  Popular lecturer John Lawson Stoddard described it as an otherwise unimpressive statue that was marveled at simply for how long it’s survived: It is the antiquity of the Sphinx which thrills us as we look upon it‚ for in itself it has no charms. The desert’s waves have risen to its breast‚ as if to wrap the monster in a winding-sheet of gold. The face and head have been mutilated by Moslem fanatics. The mouth‚ the beauty of whose lips was once admired‚ is now expressionless. Yet grand in its loneliness‚ – veiled in the mystery of unnamed ages‚ – the relic of Egyptian antiquity stands solemn and silent in the presence of the awful desert – symbol of eternity. Here it disputes with Time the empire of the past; forever gazing on and on into a future which will still be distant when we‚ like all who have preceded us and looked upon its face‚ have lived our little lives and disappeared. John Lawson Stoddard The Sphinx was repaired in 1930 to restore portions of the headdress that had been lost to erosion in the 1920s. Further restorations were done to the base and body of the statue in the 1980s and 1990s. It remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world‚ with roughly four million people visiting the Sphinx each year. The post The Great Sphinx of Giza Through the Centuries first appeared on History Defined.

Pontius Pilate‚ the governor of Judea who sentenced Jesus to crucifixion‚ believed that he was innocent. But if this was the case‚ why did he have a hand in the executive of Jesus of Nazareth?  It is ironic‚ considering he publicly declared that he was washing his hands off the decision to sentence to death the person who claimed to be the king of the Jews.  So‚ what happened? What pushed Pontius Pilate to send an innocent man and the son of God to his death?  Christ before Pilate by Duccio. 1308-1311 Pontius Pilate: A Brief Introduction Pontius Pilate was a governor of Judea‚ a Roman province‚ between years 26 and 37. Considering the heated politics of the time‚ this was quite a lengthy period—most officials didn’t stay in power very long. He served under Emperor Tiberius.  Pontius Pilate was a key character in the life of Jesus Christ‚ and he is even mentioned in one of the regularly recited prayers‚ The Apostles’ Creed. A line from the prayer states: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified‚ died‚ and was buried.” Interestingly‚ Pontius Pilate believed Jesus to be innocent. The Arrest of Jesus Christ What led to the arrest of Jesus Christ?  There are no official records of Jesus’s arrest‚ trial‚ and eventual crucifixion. It is difficult to determine the true charge against him. What was clear was that people‚ especially priests‚ took offense against the prophet who kept referring to himself as the son of God.  Jesus was arrested while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. His disciples tried to fight off the arresting officers‚ but Jesus told them to stand down.  According to various accounts‚ Jesus was charged with blasphemy before the Sanhedrin‚ the highest ruling council at that time. Jewish leaders found Jesus disrespectful for claiming to be the son of God‚ which they thought to be an insult to their God. Blasphemy was a serious crime at the time. Those charged were usually sentenced to death by stoning.  The Sanhedrin had around 70 members ruling for or against a suspect of a crime. Members were Pharisees‚ Sadducees‚ and priests‚ whom Jesus gravely angered. During the trial‚ the Sanhedrin was headed by the high priest Caiaphas‚ whom the gospels have said was the one who plotted the death of Jesus.  While the Sanhedrin can determine the guilt or innocence of a person‚ they cannot dole out the sentence. This is where Pontius Pilate came in—he sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion.  Pontius Pilate Hesitates to Sentence Jesus Pontius Pilate tried to get the crowd on Jesus’s side because he believed in his innocence. He may have been indecisive‚ but he wasn’t as ruthless as some historians made him out to be.  The four gospels‚ John‚ Luke‚ Mark‚ and Matthew‚ described the governor as a vacillating judge.  According to the Gospel of Mark‚ Pontius Pilate tried to question the crowd regarding the supposed crime that Jesus committed. The gospel reads: “‘What shall I do‚ then‚ with the one you call the king of the Jews?’ Pilate asked them. ‘Crucify him!’ they shouted.’ ‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder‚ ‘Crucify him!’ So Pilate‚ wishing to satisfy the crowd‚ released for them Barabbas‚ and having scourged Jesus‚ he delivered him to be crucified.” Some historians are critical of Mark’s account of the incident as they thought he was trying to shift the blame for Jesus’s death to the Jewish leaders.  In John’s version‚ Pontius Pilate wasn’t convinced of Jesus’ crimes and told the Jewish leaders to sentence him instead. However‚ the Jewish leaders reminded Pontius Pilate that they weren’t allowed to do so under Roman rule.  Still on the fence about punishing Jesus‚ Pontius Pilate instead offered to release the so-called king of Jews during Passover‚ as was the tradition. According to the gospel of John: “And after saying this‚ he came out again to the Jews and said to them‚ ‘I find no grounds at all for charges in His case. However‚ you have a custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover; therefore do you wish that I release for you the King of the Jews?’ So they shouted again‚ saying‚ ‘Not this Man‚ but Barabbas.’ Now Barabbas was a rebel.” In the Gospel of Matthew‚ Pontius Pilate realized that Jesus was handed to him merely out of envy. He gave the people the choice of who to release: Jesus‚ who called himself a king‚ or Barabbas‚ a notorious criminal. But the crowd wanted Jesus executed.  “When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all‚ but rather that a tumult was rising‚ he took water and washed his hands before the multitude‚ saying‚ ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it‚’” read the gospel.  Pontius Pilate washes his hands In Luke‚ Pontius Pilate was adamant that Jesus was innocent and should be released: “You have brought this Man to me‚ as one who misleads the people. And indeed‚ having examined Him in your presence‚ I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him.” In all four versions‚ Pontius Pilate was convinced of Jesus’s innocence. However‚ he didn’t have the will to put his foot down and go against the pressure of the crowd and the Jewish leaders.  In the end‚ Pontius Pilate caved to the pressure and sentenced Jesus to die by crucifixion. He made it quite clear that it wasn’t what he wanted to do.  What Happened to Pontius Pilate After the Crucifixion? Pontius Pilate’s brief interaction with Jesus ensured his place in history. But after that‚ traces of what happened to him have been less interesting to many historians. He reportedly died by suicide six years after his hand in Jesus’ crucifixion.  He likely had a positive impact as governor—a 10-year term was unheard of at that time. Unfortunately‚ all the other things he did were overshadowed by his cowardice in saving an innocent man from crucifixion. The post Why Did Governor of Judea‚ Pontius Pilate‚ Execute Jesus? first appeared on History Defined.

In the summer of 1969‚ the magical glamour of Hollywood was interrupted by a series of some of the most famous murders of the 20th century. The victims included actress Sharon Tate and four others‚ among them the heir to a coffee fortune Abigail Folger. The Tate-LaBianca murders‚ orchestrated by Charles Manson and his followers. They marked a dark chapter in American history and have become a prime example of the dangers of cult activity. A portrait of Abigail Folger Who Was Abigail Folger? Abigail Folger was the great-great-granddaughter of J.A. Folger‚ who founded Folgers Coffee. Her parents were the CEO of Folgers Coffee at the time. They were a prominent member of a California land grant family‚ so she grew up in a life of privilege and comfort. She grew up in the bubble of elite society in San Francisco‚ becoming a talented young artist and musician. After excelling in school and fully entering San Francisco high society‚ Folger attended Harvard and graduated with a degree in Art History. She used her knowledge to become the publicity director of the University of California Art Museum in Berkeley where she excelled for a few months.  She soon decided to experience the world outside of her bubble of wealth and moved to New York in the fall of 1967. It was during her time in New York that she was introduced to Wojciech Frykowski‚ an aspiring writer who had recently moved to the United States. A romance budded between the two. Just over a year later‚ the couple decided to move to Los Angeles for Frykowski to pursue a career in film writing‚ while Folger immersed herself in volunteer work in the region. Abigail Moves to Los Angeles It was in Los Angeles that they were reacclimated to celebrity circles. They became fast friends with rock singer Cass Elliot‚ director Roman Polanski and his wife Sharon Tate‚ and their friend Jay Sebring.  The group of five spent plenty of time together. They posted parties and spent time with each other in their extravagant homes‚ although their time was cut short on August 9‚ 1969. Not long before‚ Polanski had flown to Europe to work on a film which left his 8.5-month pregnant wife to spend time with Folger and other friends. On August 8‚ Tate‚ Sebring‚ Frykowski‚ and Folger went to dinner and then returned to the Tate house. It was early the next morning that tragedy would strike. The four friends would be killed‚ along with Steven Parent‚ a man who was visiting the Polanski’s housekeeper William Garretson who lived in a cottage on the property.  The Manson Family At the same time that Folger was establishing a new life in Los Angeles‚ a disturbing cult was being founded in the region. Charles Manson was a charismatic but deranged cult leader who had assembled a group of followers known as the Manson Family in California in the late 1960s. He attracted a following of over 100 people over several years‚ who all came to see Manson as a Christ figure who prophesied an impending race war. Many of his followers were middle-class white women who were attracted to hippie culture and communes and became enamored with Mason and his beliefs. Manson was able to manipulate these women and led them to do drugs regularly‚ including LSD and amphetamines. He also convinced them to commit atrocious acts.  In March of 1969‚ Manson had stumbled onto the now Polanski-owned property‚ claiming he was looking for a previous tenant‚ Terry Melcher. Melcher was a music producer who had snubbed Manson’s musical talent and refused to take him on as a client despite multiple auditions. While the property owner‚ who recognized Manson‚ was suspicious of him stopping by‚ he told Manson that Melcher no longer lived there. No further action was taken to ensure Manson could not return. Then‚ on the night of August 8‚ Manson ordered four of his followers – Charles “Tex” Watson‚ Susan Atkins‚ Patricia Krenwinkel‚ and Linda Kasabian – to carry out a series of gruesome murders. The Manson Family targeted the residents of 10050 Cielo Drive. Their goal was to strike fear into the hearts of Hollywood’s elite and enact revenge on Manson’s behalf.  The Home Invasion The motley crew broke into the Polanski estate. They cut the phone lines and hopped fences to avoid setting off any alarms. They killed young Steven Parent in his car in the driveway to avoid detection. Then‚ they entered the home and killed everyone inside according to Manson’s orders. Garretson‚ who lived on the property‚ survived the attack and claimed he heard nothing of the events in the house. It is unclear why the followers attacked Folger and her friends specifically. Some believe Manson just wanted to strike out at Hollywood elites in general‚ targeting some of the most popular faces at the time. Others assume it was a mistaken attempt to take revenge on Melcher specifically. Regardless‚ Manson was able to exact revenge on Hollywood elites and strike fear into high society.  Voytek Frykowski‚ Sharon Tate‚ Steven Parent‚ Jay Sebring‚ and Abigail Folger Investigation and Trial: Unraveling the Manson Family’s Web The trial that followed was a spectacle that riveted the nation. Charles Manson and several of his followers faced charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder‚ not just for the Tate murders but a string of other violent crimes over the past several years. The trial exposed the dark underbelly of the counterculture movement of the 1960s and the vulnerabilities that allowed Manson to manipulate his followers into committing unspeakable acts. Manson and several of his followers were sentenced to life in prison. However‚ Manson continued to remain a mysterious and popular figure in the public eye until he died in 2017.  Although the event is regularly remembered for the violence of the Manson family‚ Folger’s legacy is one of kindness‚ philanthropy‚ and political activism. Her life was cut short for seemingly no reason and she could have accomplished so much more good with her life and fortune‚ both of which she gave for those less fortunate.  References “Abigail Folger… (Victim).” CharlesManson.com‚ 2020. https://www.charlesmanson.com/victims/abigail-folger/.  Lansing‚ H. Allegra. “So much more than an heiress.” Medium‚ August 24‚ 2020. https://themansonfamily-mtts.medium.com/so-much-more-than-an-heiress-9eca9977372a. The post A Philanthropist Lost: Abigail Folger’s Tragic Death first appeared on History Defined.

It was six of the most excruciating six days one can ever have. While navigating himself deep through Utah’s Bluejohn Canyon‚ Aron Ralston heard a noise coming from above. Before he could even think‚ a dislodged boulder that weighed approximately half a ton came crashing down.  When the boulder had settled‚ it was nestled and stuck between the two sides of the canyon. It had pinned down Ralston’s right arm to the rock. It was too heavy to move or dislodge. Ralston could not go anywhere. He was absolutely stuck with no phone or any way to contact the outside world. It was now a fight for survival. How could Aaron Ralston find his way out of this? He was no Indiana Jones; this was real life‚ not a movie. He had told no one of his plans of where he was going. He had barely any food and just one liter of water. He was basically left for dead. But somehow‚ some way‚ 127 hours later‚ Ralston found himself alive and freed from the boulder. His story of courage‚ sacrifice‚ faith‚ and perseverance kept him alive and made for one of the greatest stories in the history of the world. Aron Ralston near Independence Pass (Aspen)‚ CO‚ 2009 127 Hours of Hell Ralston stood there stuck‚ not knowing what to do. Besides the one liter of water‚ he had two burritos‚ a chunk of chocolate‚ some headphones‚ and a video camera. That wouldn’t allow him to live very long. This wasn’t Castaway where he could live secluded from the outside world for four years. Since nobody knew where he was or where he was going‚ a search party couldn’t rescue him. He figured he had maybe a week or two of life in him.  Ralston’s first plan was to slowly chip away at the rock‚ hoping to get it to move and eventually separate from his arm. He tried this‚ and sparingly used his food and water‚ but was making hardly any progress. Ralston’s mind was going delirious‚ and there were times when he was blacking out. Eventually‚ he realized if he was to live‚ he was going to have to make a very bold move. In his pocket‚ he had a small knife from his inexpensive tool kit. He didn’t use it to chip away at the rock; instead‚ he thought of something more intense. “You’re gonna have to cut your arm off‚” Ralston said to himself. A photo that Aron took of himself and his arm stuck next to the boulder. Simon and Schuster The Plan Ralston wrote in his autobiography how he had a conversation with himself back and forth about how he had to do this‚ but couldn’t. Finally‚ he realized he had to take the chance to survive. So he took the knife and started cutting through his arm. If he could separate himself from his arm‚ he could at least keep moving and escape to safety and freedom. He cut through the skin‚ agonizing in pain. Finally‚ as he got through cutting‚ he hit something solid–the bone in his arm. Ralston thought there was no way he could cut through the bone. He started using it more like an axe than a knife‚ trying to chop through the bone‚ but he was making very little progress. By day five‚ he succumbed to the fact that he would die here. He began to feel at peace‚ knowing the end of his life was near. He just couldn’t get his arm free. As he hallucinated going into the sixth day‚ he dreamt of himself dead. “I see myself in this out-of-body experience playing with him with a handless right arm‚” Ralston said. “I see myself scoop him up and there’s this look in his eyes‚ ‘Daddy‚ can we play now?’ That look tells me this is my son‚ this is in the future‚ and I’m gonna have this experience someday. Now it’s like‚ I am going to get through this night.” On the sixth day‚ Ralston took the most drastic measure‚ trying to fling himself at the boulder to try and break his bones to the point where his arm would break off. He kept snapping his bones‚ trying to break them so the arm would detach. For most people‚ snapping the bones in your arm would be the worst feeling in the world‚ but to Ralston‚ the sound was “euphoric” for it was breaking up the area where he had to cut. Finally‚ after he had broken the bone enough‚ he was able to cut through the rest of it and detach himself. After six days trapped‚ he was finally free. The main fork in the Blue John Canyon The Aftermath Ralston still needed to avoid bleeding to death. He desperately strapped himself to a rope‚ scaled 65 feet northward‚ got out of the canyon. He was then was fortunately found by three Dutch tourists who helped get him the help he needed immediately to survive. A search-and-rescue helicopter with his family picked him up and took him to the hospital. “That’s where I start getting all weepy-eyed‚” says Ralston‚ “because when I see that helicopter what I’m seeing is my mom because she made the rescue happen.” Because of the video camera he had‚ many of these scenes‚ from the gruesome situation he faced to the miraculous recovery‚ was all filmed. Ralston had actually taped his last will and testament in the canyon thinking he was going to die. The video-taping also helped with the movie “127 Hours‚” where actor James Franco plays Aron Ralston and re-dramatizes the entire experience. Today‚ Ralston is a motivational speaker‚ helping inspire others who needed that extra bit of courage. He also preaches about how God was a key figure in helping save him‚ and he discusses his out-of-body experience. He said one big moment that has changed him is he always takes his friends with him if he ever does anything dangerous‚ such as rafting or climbing‚ and he always alerts his family where he is. He also will visit Bluejohn Canyon as a remembrance of what happened. “I touch it and go back to that place‚ remembering when I thought about what’s important in life‚ relationships‚ and this quest to want to get out of there and return to love and relationships‚” he says‚ “to return to freedom instead of entrapment.” References Barkham‚ Patrick. “The Extraordinary Story Behind Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours.” The Guardian. 15 Dec 2010. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/dec/15/story-danny-boyles-127-hours. Ralston‚ Aron. “Trapped.” Outside Online. 12 May 2022. https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/adventure-trapped/ The post Aron Ralston’s 127 Hours of Agony Trapped Under a Rock first appeared on History Defined.

For a brief period of time in American history‚ kidnapping for ransom was an epidemic that terrified families all across the country. It started with the tragic‚ high-profile kidnapping and death of the Lindbergh baby. This “snatch-racket” had wealthy families purchasing kidnapping insurance and sending their children away to school in order to protect them.  But who exactly were these kidnappers? One that almost everyone has heard of is Machine Gun Kelly.  Machine Gun Kelly was a notorious American kidnapper and gangster who operated during the Prohibition era. He took his name from the high-powered machine gun that he carried.  Although Kelly got his start as a bootlegger‚ the staggering amount of money he was able to make kidnapping for ransom quickly changed him from a small-time outlaw to a major criminal. Here we will explore his life‚ crimes‚ and the kidnapping that would send him away for life.  Mug shot of Machine Gun Kelly Early Life and Criminal Beginnings  Before he became infamous‚ Machine Gun Kelly was simply known as George Kelly Barnes. He was born in 1895 in Memphis‚ Tennessee‚ and would have a relatively normal childhood and early adult life.  After finishing high school‚ he enrolled in university intending to graduate with a degree in agriculture. Instead‚ Kelly soon revealed himself to be an abysmal student‚ regularly getting in trouble with the staff and scoring low. After his short stint at university‚ Kelly dropped out with the intent of marrying a woman named Geneva Ramsey. Their relationship was a whirlwind romance‚ and the couple would have two children together.  Kelly tried to make ends meet doing legitimate jobs‚ working as a cab driver in Memphis to try to support his rapidly growing family. But just like his time in university‚ the pressure proved to be too much and Kelly soon found himself estranged from his wife at just 19 years old.  The Start of a Criminal Career After leaving Geneva‚ Kelly had to figure out how to make a living. In 1920s America‚ Prohibition was going strong and there were plenty of opportunities for bootleggers to make money. Associating himself with local gangsters‚ Kelly threw himself into the bootlegging game full force. For the first time in his life‚ he started to make decent money.  But with crime came arrests. Kelly was never kept behind bars long‚ but he eventually grew tired of being caught in Memphis and decided to move elsewhere.  As we mentioned earlier‚ Machine Gun Kelly’s real name was Geroge Kelly Barnes. When he decided to leave Memphis‚ he changed his name to George R. Kelly to separate himself from his family and protect them from the repercussions of his criminal activity.   Kelly went west and continued his bootlegging activity there. In 1928 he was arrested for bringing liquor onto a Native American Reservation. He was sentenced to three years in prison to be served in Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. Unlike his bad showing in university‚ Kelly was a model prisoner and was released early. Once he was free‚ Kelly knew it was time to up the ante if he wanted to start making some real cash. Kathryn Thorne and Becoming Machine Gun Kelly  After Leavenworth‚ Kelly migrated out to Oklahoma‚ committing small crimes along the way. Eventually‚ he joined forces with another bootlegger named Steve Anderson. While Anderson wouldn’t play much of a role in Kelly’s life‚ his beautiful mistress‚ Kathryn Throne‚ most certainly would.   Kelly and Thorne fell for each other quickly. They left Anderson in the dust as they started their own criminal empire consisting of just the two of them. Kathryn Thorne was the darling daughter of a family of outlaws and a successful criminal all on her own. This made her the perfect match for Kelly. George Kelly &; his wife Kathryn receive life sentences for the Urschel kidnapping‚ October 12‚ 1933 How Did Machine Gun Kelly Get His Name? Kathryn’s biggest contribution to Kelly was her expert marketing of her husband. She gave him his first machine gun‚ urging him to practice in his spare time to become familiar with the weapon. After the two married‚ she would refer to her husband as “Machine Gun Kelly” to everyone who would listen. She even went as far as passing out spent machine gun cartridges as souvenirs to increase Kelly’s notoriety.  With Kathryn as the brain and Kelly as the brawn‚ the couple would commit a few smaller bank robberies–but more lucrative criminal work was on the horizon.  The Kidnapping of Howard Arthur Woolverton and Charles F. Urschel By 1933‚ the FBI was on the trail of ‘machine gun expert’ Machine Gun Kelly.  Meanwhile‚ Kelly and Kathryn were planning a kidnapping that would earn them more money than ever before. A year earlier‚ the couple had partnered with gangster Eddie Doll to kidnap wealthy manufacturer and banker Howard Arthur Woolverton‚ which would be resolved within 24 hours.  Woolverton paid his own ransom‚ which had begun at $50‚000 but negotiated down to $8‚000. He was released safely. No one was arrested for the kidnapping‚ giving the Kelly’s a false sense of security.  George “Machine Gun” Kelly on his way to the Urschel kidnapping trial. With this success under their belt‚ Machine Gun Kelly and his wife planned to kidnap American oil business tycoon Charles Urschel. On July 22‚ 1933‚ Urschel and his friend Walter Jarrett were forced into the back of Kelly’s Chevrolet. They were driven to the farm of Kathryn Kelly’s mother. Before they arrived‚ Jarrett‚ the less valuable of the two‚ was let go. Urschel was held for a week before his ransom was paid and he was released. At first‚ the Kelly’s were sure that they had pulled off another successful kidnapping. But what they didn’t count on was Urschel’s incredible memory‚ despite being blindfolded. He was able to recall an amazing amount of details about his captors and where he was held‚ and this helped the FBI track down Machine Gun Kelly and his wife.   Arrest and Imprisonment  Machine Gun Kelly and his wife were living in Memphis when‚ on September 26‚ 1933‚ Memphis police and the FBI raided their residence‚ arresting the couple.  Both were tried for the kidnapping of Charles Urschel and sentenced to life in prison. The Kelly’s had the unfortunate honor of being the first major kidnapping trial to occur after the passage of the Lindbergh law‚ which made kidnapping a federal crime with much harsher consequences.   Machine Gun Kelly would spend the rest of his 21 years of life behind bars before dying of a heart attack on July 18‚ 1954. References  “George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly” https://www.alcatrazhistory.com/mgk.htm “George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly” https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/machine-gun-kellyThe post Machine Gun Kelly and His Lucrative Kidnapping Business first appeared on History Defined.

Like many things involving the settling of the Americas and early European contact with Native Americans‚ the mythology of a Native guide named Squanto has been twisted and convoluted over time. Squanto and the part he played in the history of the Thanksgiving holiday is more complicated than you might imagine. For instance‚ did you know that Squanto wasn’t even his true name? Taken from his home‚ across the ocean‚ and back again‚ Squanto spent a portion of his life as a slave to European settlers. He lost both his freedom and his name in the process. In this article‚ we’ll look deeper into the true story of Squanto–or as he was known before he was enslaved‚ Tisquantum.  Squanto (Tisquantum) teaching the Plymouth colonists to plant corn with fish Squanto’s Native Roots and the Patuxet Tribe  Before his first contact with Europeans‚ Squanto lived a low-profile life with the tribe in which he was born‚ the Patuxet Tribe of the Wampanoags. Very little is known about Squanto’s early life. It’s believed that he was in his twenties or thirties when he was captured and forced into slavery for the Europeans.  The Patuxets were a portion of an overarching group of Native Americans in New England called the Ninnismissinuok‚ or simply “people”. The smaller tribes that made up this large grouping all spoke a version of the Algonquin language‚ though there were variations and idiosyncrasies specific to each tribe.  Squanto’s Native Name  One of the first‚ and greatest‚ injustices that Squanto faced was the changing of his name. Most names have a deeper meaning behind them‚ but “Squanto” as a name is meaningless. Instead‚ it was a shortened version of his real name‚ which was fierce and powerful. The name “Squanto” was neither of those things.  Squanto’s real name is Tisquantum. Its meaning is very odd when connected with the story of the helpful Native that most people are told. Tisquantum means rage‚ or the rage of the manitou. The word manitou means the heart of spiritual power in Algonquian‚ so to put it in the simplest terms‚ Tisquantum means wrath of god.  Squanto’s First Encounter With Europeans and Abduction to Spain Before Squanto was ever a part of the first Thanksgiving‚ he had already had a major life-changing encounter with English explorers. In 1614‚ an expedition led by none other than John Smith of Jamestown fame made landfall in Plymouth Harbor and tried to initiate trade with the Patuxet tribe.  By this time‚ John Smith had sailed back to England‚ and the ship that Squanto encountered was captained by the second-in-command of the expedition‚ Thomas Hunt. This expedition was only meant to harvest fish‚ but Hunt had other ideas.  Thomas Hunt offered to trade with the Native Americans‚ inviting them onto his ship where he trapped them. Among the 20 Native Americans that were captured was Tisquatum‚ who would soon come to be known as Squanto.  After abducting Natives from other tribes‚ Hunt sailed back to Málaga‚ Spain‚ with his human cargo in tow.  Once Hunt reached Spain‚ he faced immediate disapproval from John Smith and other superior officers. One major question from this time was‚ who freed Squanto from slavery? Interestingly enough‚ it was Christian monks‚ also called Friars‚ who stopped Hunt when he tried to sell the Native Americans off quickly. After some time‚ Squanto would be smuggled on a ship to England‚ and eventually back to New England.  While his time in Europe was undoubtedly difficult‚ he did acquire skills that would serve him well later in life‚ like shipbuilding and the ability to speak English fluently.  Accounts of how long Squanto was in Europe are vague‚ but we do know that‚ by 1619‚ he was back in Massachusetts. Tragically‚ upon his arrival‚ he found all inhabitants of his home village had perished–victims of illness brought over by European settlers. Squanto was truly alone.  Squanto and the Pilgrims  By this time‚ Squanto had fallen in with an explorer named Thomas Dermer. It would be with Dermer that he would discover his decimated village.  Afterward‚ the two would continue to travel‚ encountering hostile warriors from other tribes that Squanto would entreat with‚ saving Dermer’s life. But the adventurer’s luck didn’t hold forever‚ and he eventually died in Virginia.  Squanto was living with a nearby tribe‚ the Pokanokets when he was sought out by another American Indian named Samoset‚ who needed Squanto for his fluent English. Squanto would prove to be incredibly valuable to the colony‚ called Plymouth‚ and played a big part in their survival.  Squanto (Tisquantum) demonstrating corn he had fertilized by planting with fish The First Thanksgiving  Squanto’s teachings led the colony to have its first successful harvest. At the time‚ there were tensions between the settlers and the Pokanoket tribe led by Chief Massasoit. When the Pilgrims fired off their weapons in celebration of this harvest‚ the Pokanoket Wampanoag feared that it was a sign of aggression.  Outside of the border of Plymouth‚ the tribesmen gathered‚ but when they realized that there was no immediate threat‚ the Pokanoket warriors instead hunted deer and brought the venison to the settlement. There the Pilgrims and the Native Americans shared a meal‚ and this meal was the basis for the first Thanksgiving.  Oddly enough‚ Squanto was not mentioned by name in any of the recorded retellings of this event. But since he was living at Plymouth with the Pilgrims at the time‚ he did likely attend the feast‚ just not in nearly as large a capacity as stories might lead you to believe.  The First Thanksgiving‚ 1621. Painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris‚ circa 1912. Squanto’s Life After the First Thanksgiving  Following his participation in the first Thanksgiving‚ Squanto stuck with the Pilgrims and continued to help them both as an interpreter and a guide. He was a skilled diplomat when working with other Native Americans‚ and he helped facilitate a period of relative peace between the Wampanoag people and Plymouth.  This peace wouldn’t last forever‚ though‚ and tragically Squanto would lose his life just a year later in November of 1622. He came down with what the Governor of Plymouth Colony‚ William Bradford called the “Indian Fever”. This mysterious illness came upon Squanto swiftly‚ and he was reported to have been bleeding from the nose before he perished.  While it’s possible that Sqanto could have suffered from any number of different diseases brought to the Americas by Europeans‚ there were also rumors that he had been poisoned by Chief Massasoit.  Unfortunately‚ we have no clear answers to what might have caused the death of such an influential figure‚ and while the tales of Tisqunatum’s life might have become twisted through the years‚ he remains an enormous part of early American history.  References  “Native Intelligence”‚ Charles C. Mann  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/native-intelligence-109314481/?all “Who Was Squanto‚ and What Was His Role in the First Thanksgiving?” https://www.history.com/news/squanto-pilgrims-help-plymouth-thanksgivingThe post The Life of Native-Guide‚ Squanto of the Patuxet Tribe first appeared on History Defined.