About: Benjamin Hunt / Writer and Content Specialist
- Ben joined NewsBank in 2006 as an indexer for the Readex digital edition of the U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1984. He currently creates topic-focused pages for the America's Historical Newspapers timeline. Ben received a BA in History from Castleton State College, and an MSIS from SUNY Albany.
Posts by Benjamin Hunt / Writer and Content Specialist:
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Men of War: David Farragut, Franklin Buchanan, and the Battle of Mobile Bay,
12 Aug 2011
The city of Mobile, Alabama, was a major center of trade on the Gulf Coast during the Civil War. Although the Union blockading fleet patrolled Mobile, blockade runners managed to elude capture and keep the city supplied with goods. Union forces hoped to cut Mobile off from the ocean, but taking Mobile Bay was a [...]
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Robert Smalls: Contraband Captain and U.S. Congressman,
09 May 2011
Born into slavery in Beaufort, South Carolina on April 5, 1839, Robert Smalls was eventually taken to Charleston and hired out by his master to various shipping concerns. Smalls developed into one of Charleston’s most skilled seamen and was later impressed into the service of the Confederate Navy. Smalls became the wheelsman of the Confederate steamship [...]
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Helen Keller—Child of Adversity, Woman of the World,
21 Mar 2011
Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. When she was 19 months old, an illness left her both deaf and blind. A brilliant child, Keller was able to adjust to her condition and function reasonably well. As she grew older, however, she noticed that people around her could communicate through speech. [...]
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The Short-Lived Republic of West Florida: A Tale of Deception and Intrigue,
02 Nov 2010
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Republic of West Florida, which existed from September 23 to December 10, 1810. The history of West Florida is a tale of deception and intrigue. The territory changed hands frequently, passing from France to Great Britain and then to Spain. Spain hoped to encourage settlement in West [...]
