The Pursuit of History

The non-profit organization behind History Camp ( and The Pursuit of History for America’s 250th (

[History Camp @History_Camp]

If you’ve heard of Robert Morris, then you will definitely be interested in Thomas Willing. Join us Thursday at 8 pm Eastern for 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖 from @politybooks with Richard Vague on History Camp Author Discussions at https://t.co/8FUpbpNo5M.

[History Camp @History_Camp]

If you missed the streaming of @profallison's History Camp Boston 2025 session, 1775: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘉𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯, you can watch it again here: https://t.co/k4x3kONT6W

[History Camp @History_Camp]

If you missed the discussion with @RobertEdsel about his book, 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙐𝙨, you can watch it again at https://t.co/GD1xoKdQQD

[Voices of WW2 @VoicesofWW2]

On this day in 1943, a thousand starving Japanese soldiers ran screaming out of the fog on a frozen Alaskan island, bayonets lashed to broken sticks, to die.

The island was Attu, the westernmost tip of the Aleutian chain. It was the only piece of North American soil the Japanese had captured in the entire war. The Americans had been trying to take it back for nineteen days in the worst conditions either side had ever fought in: freezing rain, knee-deep mud, fog so thick a man could not see his own rifle, and tundra that swallowed boots and never gave them back.

The Japanese garrison was down to 800 men. They had no food left. No medicine. No way off the island. They had been told no rescue was coming.

Their commander was Colonel Yasuyo Yamasaki, a 51 year old career officer who had been on Attu for less than three weeks. On the night of May 28, he gathered every man who could still hold a weapon. This included his wounded. Those who could not walk were shot or given grenades. Those who could limp were given anything that could stab. Some had bayonets. Some had bayonets lashed to ski poles. Some had bayonets lashed to tent stakes.

Then he led them straight at the American line in the dark.

It was the largest banzai charge of the Pacific war up to that point.

They came through a gap in the fog at 3:30 AM, completely silent until they were inside the American positions. Then they screamed. They overran the front line in minutes. They overran the artillery batteries behind it. They reached the field hospital and butchered the wounded in their cots. They got within a hundred yards of the American command post before they were finally stopped by a scratch force of engineers, cooks, military police and walking wounded who fired at point blank range until their rifles were too hot to hold.

When the sun came up, the snow on the slope was carpeted with bodies.

The Americans counted 500 dead Japanese on the ground in front of them. Then they began finding the rest. Almost all of the remaining defenders had killed themselves with grenades held against their chests. American soldiers walking the field afterward described finding small groups of three or four men curled in a circle, their bodies folded around the same grenade.

Out of a Japanese garrison of nearly 2,900, the Americans took 28 prisoners.

It was the second highest American casualty rate of any battle in the Pacific war, after Iwo Jima.

Almost no one in the United States has heard of it.

[History Camp @History_Camp]

Tune in at https://t.co/8FUpbpNo5M. @RobertEdsel

[History Camp @History_Camp]

𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗘𝗱𝘀𝗲𝗹 joins us to discuss his latest book, 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘜𝘴: 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘋𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘐𝘐 from @HarperHorizon this Thursday at 8 pm Eastern.

[History Camp @History_Camp]

Starting in an Hour: Historian Tyler Anbinder joins us for a History Camp Author Discussion on his new book, 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬.

[History Camp @History_Camp]

New research creates a more complete and more realistic picture of the “Famine Irish” in Amerca. 𝗧𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 joins me this Thursday at 8 PM Eastern for a History Camp Author Discussion of his pioneering research and his new book, 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺.

[History Camp @History_Camp]

Tonight at 8 pm Eastern: 𝘛𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘞𝘢𝘳 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘞𝘐𝘐, Michael Paradis’s History Camp Boston 2025 session, will be streamed at https://t.co/8FUpbpNo5M. No registration needed.

[The Pursuit of History @PursuingHistory]

@history_dame Thanks for joining us!

[The Pursuit of History @PursuingHistory]

@IncognitoMeems Thank you for being part of it!

[The Pursuit of History @PursuingHistory]

@TammiMinoski Thank you, Tammi, for coming and for always being such a big supporter, including share so many photos of this and other history roadtrips.

[History Camp @History_Camp]

Missed the History Camp Author Discussion on 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘺 with Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll, Jr.? You can watch it again here: https://t.co/exRk508ucZ

[History Camp @History_Camp]

In 30 minutes, Mark Harmon, known for @ncisverse, and Leon Carroll, Jr., a former @RealNCIS agent, will talk about their latest book, 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘺, exploring the Mob, Naval Intelligence, and World War II at https://t.co/8FUpbpNo5M. No registration needed!

[History Camp @History_Camp]

Mark Harmon of @ncisverse fame and Leon Carroll, Jr., a former @RealNCIS agent, join us this Thursday at 8 PM Eastern to discuss their latest book, "Ghosts of Sicily" about the Mob, Naval Intelligence, and WWII at https://t.co/8FUpbpMQge.

[The Pursuit of History @PursuingHistory]

Good morning, Philadelphia. We are delighted to have yet another day here in Philadelphia in 1776 for “The Pursuit of History: The Road to Independence.” This morning, author Richard Vague talks to our group about financing the Revolutionary War. Later this morning: @APhilosSociety. This afternoon: @ConstitutionCtr.

In early November, we are headed to Trenton for “The British Empire Stikes Back.” Planning for Trenton began months ago.

[The Pursuit of History @PursuingHistory]

@WalkBostonHist Paul Revere did the engraving for the masthead, with Columbia holding a staff topped by a Phrygian cap—a Liberty cap.

[The Pursuit of History @PursuingHistory]

Our dinner tonight in Carpenters’ Hall, with guests from across the country, joined by some distinguished individuals from 1776.

[The Pursuit of History @PursuingHistory]

And the evening is just beginning!

[Victory or Death 🇺🇸 @IncognitoMeems]

OMG we have re-enactors at dinner tonight! Thank you @PursuingHistory for such a great evening.

[The Pursuit of History @PursuingHistory]

One of the hallmarks of our series, The Pursuit of History for America’s 250th, is the outstanding presenters and the interaction and discussion that occurs with our small group. Here, a follow up question to Dr. Jane Calvert, the Founding Director and Chief Editor of the John Dickinson Writings Project during The Pursuit of History: The Road to Independence going on now in Philadelphia (and sold out months ago).