President Have Always Renovated, Updated, & Changed The White House

Since 1901, the official name of the White House is the "White House." It's official name was the "Executive Mansion." It was sometimes referred to as the "President's House." And, believe it or not, some even referred to it as the "President's Palace".

President Theodore Roosevelt officially changed the name in 1901 by Executive Order. In fact, he followed that up with a letter directing that official papers now be addressed "White House" instead of "Executive Mansion". So yes, while that may not seem as big as the other things that have been done to the White House by almost every president that has lived there, it was a big enough deal at the time to make the newspapers. 

As reported in The Morning Tribune, Volume XIV, Number 25,  June 18, 1901:

Naming the White Home.

Why is the president’s mansion in Washington called the White House? It has been so called for years and years, and now no one thinks of using any other name, although “Executive Mansion” is the official term. The name "White House" is a reminder of the Second War with England. 

On August 24, 1814, the British army captured Washington and burned the public buildings, the president’s mansion being among those to suffer. It was damaged to some extent, and to hide the fire stains, it was painted white, and white it has been painted every year or two since. 

The home of Washington’s mothér was called the “white house,” and this may have suggested the name, but the fact that the mansion was so assiduously painted white after the War of 1812 doubtless brought the term into popular use. 

-- end of news report June 18, 1901.

Reported in The Times Gazette, Volume XXXXIII, Number 28, October 12, 1901:

It’s the White House.

President Roosevelt has made his first social reform. Society folk in Washington have always called the residence of the President, the "Executive Mansion." They thought that sounded better than the “White House."

President Roosevelt has announced that the words "Executive Mansion" must come off all the stationery around the place and the words "White House" be put on. He says that maybe it don’t sound quite so well, but there are some forty-five executive mansions scattered around among state capitals, and there is only one "White House." So "White House" it is going to be, and nothing else. 

-- end of news report October 12, 1901.

So, who were the people referred to as the "Society folk" in Washington, D.C., those critics who didn't like President Theodore Roosevelt officially changing the name of the "Executive Mansion" to the "White House"? 

Well, in 1901, the "Society folk" in Washington, D.C. referred to the prominent and influential social circles of the time, which included members of Congress, political elites, government officials, and wealthy families. They were the city's high society, including those involved in the diplomatic community, the national government, the press, and the arts. Yes, politicians, government officials, their families, and the diplomatic corps would have formed a core part of this social stratum. No, not much different than the way things are today.

Wealthy and established families who lived in D.C. and had generations of their family in office for longer than they should have been would have also been considered part of D.C.'s high society clique. Add to that the literary and arts crowd and their circles of wannabe intellectuals of the time, today that would be the celebrity crowd who didn't finish high school but will most likely receive honorary doctorates from liberal colleges they donate big dollars to, the same crowd that's still buying into the Climate Change/ Global Warming hoax. Yes indeed, they're the same ilk that's around today.

In 1902, President Roosevelt started renovations that modernized the White House. He made significant changes to the White House, including overseeing the removal of the Victorian-era conservatories to the west of the White House residence. The renovations involved removing those Victorian-era conservatories (greenhouses), which some preservationists valued for their "traditional charm." The glasshouses used for growing plants were removed and replaced with what we now call the "West Wing," which houses the president's office and key staff offices.

Yes, President Theodore Roosevelt caught a lot of flak from Democrats for removing greenhouses and moving the president's offices to the West Wing. Democrats also criticized him for separating the president’s private residence from the presidency's growing administrative functions. The demolition of the conservatories sparked outrage among history preservationists as well as horticultural enthusiasts. And yes, his political opponents seized on the criticism of Roosevelt and his supposed destruction of historical architecture, and ran with it for all it was worth.

The Washington Post said, "Roosevelt's attempt to ‘modernize’ the White House has destroyed its historic value and does not seem to have made it much more desirable as a residence." His critics also argued that Roosevelt’s modernization prioritized utility over history. Does that sound familiar? It should, Democrats in 2025 are using the same old playbook against President Trump for his renovation of the East Wing. 

Of course, the way Democrats lost their minds in 1901 was nothing compared to how they attacked and ridiculed Theodore Roosevelt's 1902 White House renovations. They were angry about cost overruns, private funding, a wood carvers strike, the removal of Victorian-era conservatories, and more. They claimed he was making "changes to the building's historical character" of the White House — the same line of garbage that President Trump's critics are using today to attack his renovation of the East Wing.

As for Democrats accusing President Roosevelt of extravagance and imperialism? The $65,000 cost, which is worth $2,448,655.00 today (2025), prompted his Democrat critics to accuse Teddy Roosevelt of lavish spending while questioning whether a new office wing was necessary, given that existing spaces had sufficed for so many years. Democrats scrutinized the $65,000 bill for the West Wing construction as a "significant expenditure."

His Democrat opponents were quick to label the cost of the West Wing as "wasteful." And yes, Democrats said that changes to the White House were on the lines of an aristocratic "palace" rather than a "house fit for a democratic leader"— a common criticism from the media of Presidents who undertook major renovations throughout history, especially Republican Presidents.

Just as Democrats attacked President Roosevelt over what they saw as the loss of historical elements, citing how the removal of the Victorian-era conservatories (greenhouses), which were a traditional feature of the White House grounds since the time of Thomas Jefferson about a hundred years earlier, today Democrats are attacking President Trump for renovations being made on the East Wing of the White House which was built in 1942.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt renovated the White House in many ways, including modernizing the electrical system, remodeling the kitchens, adding an indoor swimming pool in the West Terrace in 1933, and adding the East Wing in 1942. FDR built the East Wing to add more office space for the First Lady's growing staff and so she would be able to hold social functions. As for the social functions in the East Wing, attendance was limited to about 200.

The renovations President Trump is currently making to the East Wing will increase occupancy of the East Wing to just under 1,000 people. Yes, using the building for the exact same purpose as it was designated for in 1942, just bigger and better able to handle larger gatherings in the future.

As for the East Wing, here's something to think about. A small East Wing structure, which was initially called the "East Terrace" was built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt's administration to serve as a formal entrance for visitors and to provide a cloakroom for large social events.

The original 1902 East Terrace was built under President Theodore Roosevelt, as part of a larger renovation of the White House. The expansion and evolution of the Theodore Roosevelt's East Terrance came later when it was made bigger with the building of the East Wing in 1942 by Franklin Roosevelt.

As for the 2025 modernization of the East Wing by President Donald Trump has come under fire, it is merely the evolution of a building in constant transition over its lifetime -- a project to replace the existing structure with a new ballroom and further modernization of the East Wing.

While President Trump's critics attack him for his "modernization" of the White House, which they feel destroys the building's historic value and original character, it should be noted that even President Franklin Roosevelt had his share of critics -- many who were not very kind in their attacks of the president over his building the East Wing in 1942.

People were critical of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's White House renovations, particularly the addition of the East Wing in 1942, for a couple of reasons. First, it was perceived as wasteful spending given that the renovations occurred during World War II, congressional Republicans and other critics labeled the expenditure as extravagant and unnecessary during a time of national crisis and economic recovery efforts.

The controversy surrounding the East Wing construction was centered on the allocation of funds and resources during wartime and political debates over the expansion of presidential power and image, rather than practical considerations.

While other changes during his presidency, such as installing a swimming pool in the West Terrace and modernizing the electrical system, nothing attracted the same level of political scrutiny as the East Wing addition. Part of the reason for that had to do with the East Wing housing the Office of the First Lady primarily for First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's political and social events. Eleanor Roosevelt used the East Wing for her activism while also hosting events -- including her weekly press conferences which she reserved for female reporters.

Of course, while the East Wing was built for social functions and to house the offices used by the First Lady, its construction also hid a wartime bunker for the president. It's true, the East Wing was built in 1942 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt to conceal a new Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) during World War II. It was the underground bombshelter, an emergency bunker, for the president during World War II. And yes, it was built in the strictest of military secrecy. In Congress, the building of a bunker for the president and its secretive nature fueled suspicions about its necessity and the president's motives.

All in all, for the American public, the East Wing's construction was said to be very controversial due to wartime rationing and hardships on the American people. As for Congress, the secretive nature of the construction, tied to military purposes of building the president a bunker, further fueled resentment, especially with cost overruns and Congress allocating funds that many saw as being needed for the war effort.

Let's remember, it was a time when Americans were being asked to sacrifice for the war effort, buy bonds, make do with less, and go without. Americans were asked to make significant sacrifices during World War II, including strict rationing of goods like food, gasoline, and tires. Americans participated in scrap metal and rubber and cooking fat drives. Americans were asked to buy war bonds to help finance the war effort. And yes, Americans also contributed by planting "Victory Gardens" and volunteering, as everyday life was altered to support the national war mobilization.

As for rationing? The U.S. Governments issued ration books to limit the purchase of essential goods such as sugar, meat, butter, coffee, gasoline, and tires. As for the scrap drives? The public was urged to collect and donate a wide variety of scrap materials, including metal, paper, rubber, and cooking fat -- which was used to make glycerin for explosives. As for saving and making things stretch? Americans were asked to conserve energy and fuel, even to the point of reducing non-essential activities like taking long showers. And here's something else, Americans worked longer hours in factories to produce military supplies, with many goods like cars and refrigerators disappearing from the market until after the war.

As for war bonds? Americans bought war bonds and stamps to provide the government with the funds needed for the war. As for Victory Gardens? Millions of Americans planted their own gardens in their backyards and even vacant lots to help with food shortages on the home front.

So yes, indeed, while Americans were being asked to sacrifice, many Americans saw President Franklin D. Roosevelt as someone not sacrificing and instead spending needed funds on a building to expand the office space for the First Lady, for her expanding staff, and so she would have a place for her social functions. Many saw the building of the East Wing as extremely selfish. 

Because of the perception of what was taking place, the public was not happy and saw FDR and the First Lady as putting their own self-interests ahead of the nation's needs.

So yes, it is accurate to say that the construction of the East Wing in 1942 was highly controversial, and the public was not very happy about it. The construction of the two-story East Wing of the White House had a negative public reaction during the ongoing war. Many saw the construction of the East Wing as wasteful spending during a national crisis.

Was there a perception of vanity on the part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt? Believe it or not, while some today accuse President Donald Trump of vanity, back in 1942 there were those who accused President Franklin D. Roosevelt of using the East Wing project to enhance his image and add a "vanity" project during a time when the public was making sacrifices for the war effort.

Besides accusations of "self-aggrandizement," critics accused Franklin Roosevelt of using the project to bolster his imperial image as president. Does that sound familiar? It should, accusing a president of acting like a King has been a go-to piece of hate that newspapers have been using since the beginning of our nation.

Don't think so? Think about this. In 1792, the cornerstone was laid and construction of the White House began. In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson, who was, in fact, an accomplished architect himself, added the east and west colonnades to connect the main residence to service buildings. Jefferson's colonnades faced immediate criticism for their cost to the American taxpayer.

The National Intelligencer newspaper published editorials questioning their "extravagance" and the necessity for a government building. Some newspapers echoed his political opponents and critics by saying he is turning the presidency into a monarchy.

It's true. In Congress, Jefferson's opponents accused him of acting like a "King" and said that Jefferson's alterations reflected aristocratic tendencies. At the time, Jefferson's critics said the colonnades' classic architecture clashed with "the democratic simplicity that the White House was supposed to embody."

The South Portico was added by President James Monroe after the original White House was rebuilt following the War of 1812, after the British army burned down the White House on August 24, 1814. It wasn't until 1817 that construction of the new White House began.

President Andrew Jackson had the North Portico added in 1829. The grand entrance addressed the building's lack of a formal entryway on its north side of the building and was meant to match the South Portico added by President Monroe. The North Portico’s construction, which Congress appropriated $24,729 (approximately $850,000 today), was extremely controversial at the time.

The United States Telegraph attacked President Jackson for "prioritizing grandeur over the needs of ordinary citizens." His critics portrayed the portico as a symbol of his lavish presidency. Some critics also felt the portico's classical design was "too ostentatious for a democratic republic."

In Congress, Jackson's Whig opponents questioned the cost and the need for the addition, arguing that the funds could have been better spent on infrastructure or debt reduction.

Indoor plumbing was first installed in the White House in 1833 under President Jackson, with running water initially used for drinking and fire protection. In 1833, an engineer designed a system to pipe water from springs in Franklin Park to the White House. A "bathing room" was added later.

As for indoor plumbing and a "First bathroom"? A "bathing room" was added to the East Wing shortly after the running water system was installed. President Franklin Pierce is credited with installing the first modern bathroom with a tub, toilet, and running water in the 1850s.

During the Civil War, President Lincoln renovated and updated parts of the White House. When the Lincolns moved in, the State Floor and private quarters were in a "miserable condition". Mary Todd Lincoln oversaw the extensive refurnishing and redecorating. The renovation included new carpets, French wallpapers, draperies, and a new gilded Rococo Revival suite for the Blue Room. The project went over budget, leading to the purchase of new items, such as a French porcelain dinner service and the now-famous Lincoln Bed -- though it's likely never actually used by the President.

It's true. President Lincoln never slept there. The Lincoln Bedroom, as it is known today, was actually President Abraham Lincoln's office and cabinet room during his presidency. It was not his actual bedroom. Much later, it was converted into a guest room. In reality, the designation of the "Lincoln Bedroom" did not take place until after World War II to honor Lincoln’s legacy.

The Lincoln renovations initially cost the American taxpayers $20,000 at the time. The initial $20,000 appropriation was exceeded twice, requiring two supplemental appropriations to pay for what was seen as Mrs. Lincoln's "spending spree." Of course, the initial $20,000 in 1861 would be worth $736,309.00 today.

Why did the Lincolns renovate and update the White House? Historians agree that the White House had deteriorated during President James Buchanan's single term. While Mary Todd Lincoln saw the renovations as necessary to restore the mansion, the public viewed her actions differently.

The national press and Lincoln's political opponents used the costly renovations to attack the Lincolns' "imperial presidency." Opponents focused on the spending as a sign of wasteful extravagance, especially during a time of national crisis. However, some historians have noted that Mary Lincoln intended to restore dignity to the "Executive Mansion," which had fallen into disrepair and had lost public esteem. Of course, while Mary Todd was aware of public cynicism, she was determined to make the White House a national showpiece.

Why was there so much criticism? The nation was in the midst of a Civil War. Public perception was that the Lincolns were living in extravagance. President Lincoln's vocal critics in the North, the newspapers owned and ran by Copperhead Democrats who wanted to see the nation split in two and for Democrats in the South to keep their beloved slavery, ridiculed President Lincoln and compared him to a King because -- among other reasons, the expensive redecorations that they saw as extravagant and inappropriate given the wartime hardship.

President Chester Arthur, known for his refined tastes, undertook a lavish redecoration of the White House interior from 1881 to 1883. He hired designers to transform its public rooms with color, ornate furnishings, stained glass, and a Victorian aesthetic. His redecoration was met with mixed reactions.

The New York Times praised the aesthetic improvements but criticized the $110,000 cost (nearly $ 3.5 million today), calling it extravagant for a public building. In fact, it was the largest cost spent on the White House since its reconstruction after the War of 1812.

Critics in the press, including Harper’s Weekly, accused President Arthur of "turning the White House into a 'palace' unfit for a democratic leader." In Congress, Democrats decried the expenditure as wasteful.

Electricity was first installed in the White House in 1891 during President Benjamin Harrison's administration. Electrical wiring was also installed in the State, War, and Navy buildings next door. Was there a fear of electricity at the time? Yes, in fact, electricity was so new that President Harrison and his wife, Caroline, reportedly feared touching the light switches for fear of electric shock. The White House's use of electricity helped to build public acceptance and trust in the new technology.

We talked about how, in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt started renovations that modernized the White House. Theodore Roosevelt made significant changes to the White House. He oversaw the removal of the Victorian-era conservatories to the west of the White House residence. The glasshouses used for growing plants were removed and replaced with what we now call the "West Wing," which houses the president's office and key staff offices. Theodore Roosevelt is responsible for moving the president's offices to the West Wing. He also separated the president’s private residence from the presidency's growing administrative functions.

The demolition of the conservatories sparked outrage among preservationists and horticultural enthusiasts. The Washington Post said, "Roosevelt's attempt to ‘modernize’ the White House has destroyed its historic value and does not seem to have made it much more desirable as a residence."
His critics also argued that Roosevelt’s modernization prioritized utility over history.

The $65,000 cost, which is worth $2,448,655.00 today, prompted his Democrat critics to accuse Teddy Roosevelt of lavish spending while questioning whether a new office wing was necessary, given that existing spaces had sufficed for so many years.

President William Howard Taft renovated the White House by expanding the West Wing and constructing the first Oval Office in 1909. He also had a "Sleeping Porch" built on the roof in 1910.

President Calvin Coolidge renovated the White House, with the major project in 1927 being the rebuilding of the roof and the addition of a third floor to the main house. This was prompted by an engineering report that found the original roof trusses were weakened and that the attic was being overloaded, necessitating a structural repair and expansion.

As part of this project, a third-floor solarium, or "Sky Parlor," was also constructed. 1927 Renovation: An engineering report found the White House roof structure was unsafe due to years of alterations and an overloaded attic. The attic was converted into a full third floor, providing more living space. It was then that the original wood trusses were replaced with a steel frame. As for Coolidge's Solarium? A third-floor sunroom, which First Lady Grace Coolidge called her "Sky Parlor," was added over the South Portico. Imagine that.

We talked about how President Franklin D. Roosevelt renovated the White House in many ways, including modernizing the electrical system, remodeling the kitchens, adding an indoor swimming pool in the West Terrace in 1933, and how he added the East Wing in 1942 for more office space for the First Lady's staff as well as to hold more of her social functions. Some say the East Wing was built specifically to hide the construction of the underground bunker that FDR had built during World War II.

The most significant renovation in White House history took place under President Harry Truman. Because engineers believed the White House was in danger of collapse due to weakened wooden beams, outdated plumbing, and electrical systems, the structural deficiencies necessitated a complete gutting of the White House's interior. That took place from 1948 to 1952.

The $5.7 million project, which is approximately $60 million today, involved dismantling the interior, preserving only the outer walls, and rebuilding with modern materials, including steel and concrete.

The scale of the Truman renovation shocked the public and drew intense scrutiny. Preservationists mourned the loss of original interiors, while media outlets questioned the project’s cost during the post-war economic recession.

In addition to the gutting, Truman proposed adding a balcony to the second floor of the South Portico. Now known as the Truman Balcony, it provides the first family with a private outdoor space and enhances the building’s aesthetics. The Truman Balcony was one of the most contentious alterations to the White House. Truman’s opponents in Congress accused Truman of misappropriating the White House for personal indulgence, reminding him that "this building belongs to the American people" and not him.

Public opinion was divided. Some appreciated the balcony’s practicality while others viewed its $16,000 cost as frivolous during the economic recession after World War II. 

Of course, no conversation about Harry Truman's White House would be complete if we don't talk about Truman's bowling alley. The Truman bowling alley is a two-lane bowling alley in the basement of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, originally installed in the West Wing for President Truman in 1947 as a birthday gift. Truman's administration formed a White House Bowling League in 1950, with teams made up of Secret Service agents, secretaries, groundskeepers, and other staff.

It was originally located on the ground floor of the West Wing, which is now the Situation Room. President Eisenhower closed the alley in 1955, and it was moved to the basement of the adjacent Old Executive Office Building (now the Eisenhower Executive Office Building). The two-lane bowling alley was moved in 1955 and has been used by various presidents, including Richard Nixon who had a separate one-lane alley built under the North Portico which was later renovated and is still in use today. Access to the Truman bowling alley is currently restricted to White House staff and their invited guests.

The original bowling alley was used by President Johnson and his wife, Lady Bird, after it was relocated. President Nixon had a separate, one-lane alley built underground beneath the North Portico, which he used frequently. It was later renovated and remains in use today. 

President John Kennedy oversaw the interior restoration to turn the White House into a museum of American history, he also personally constructed the modern Rose Garden on the grounds in 1962. The site was previously a garden created by Ellen Wilson in 1913. It replaced Edith Roosevelt’s 1902 Colonial Garden.

In 1970, President Richard Nixon converted the White House's indoor swimming pool, the pool built in 1933 by Franklin Roosevelt, into the Press Briefing Room to accommodate the press corps. The decision to cover the pool was met with anger from Democrats in The New York Times, who called it an assault on FDR’s legacy.

President Jimmy Carter added solar panels to the White House roof.

While President Bill Clinton didn't do anything to the White House itself, he closed Pennsylvania Avenue to vehicular traffic in front of the White House, citing security concerns after the Oklahoma City bombing. The Secret Service recommended closure to protect against vehicle-based attacks.

Yes, President Obama added a basketball court to the White House. Obama had the White House tennis court converted into a full-size basketball court to allow for games with more players. Obama scheduled games with staff, aides, and visiting teams. These games were a well-known part of his time in office. It's true. Obama often played pickup basketball games with staff and other guests, which were a notable part of his White House years.

Actually, there's no telling how much time he actually spent doing his job as president between playing basketball, golf, and watching sports on television/ In fact, President Barack Obama stated in a 2014 ESPN Radio interview that he spent most of his mornings watching ESPN's SportsCenter, primarily to stay informed about sports without being "inundated with a bunch of chatter about politics".

So now, as for presidents renovating, updating, and changing the White House, well, according to most historians, the White House has been renovated and reshaped by the visions and priorities of almost every one of its occupants. From adding colonnades, to bathrooms, to indoor toilets, to adding whole buildings in the form of the West Wing in 1902 and the East Wing in 1942, to the monumental gutting of the entire inside of the White House during the 1950s, to adding a swimming pool, a bowling alley, a basketball court, and more, the place that Americans know as the "White House" has evolved and evaolved and evolved ever since it was rebuilt after being burned to the ground in the War of 1812.

The White House remains a living symbol of our enduring American republic. It is a constantly evolving national landmark. And like it or not, each change brings out critics who want to attack, ridicule, and demean the occupant of the White House at the time. 

In the case of President Trump renovating the East Wing and rebuilding it to expand its use, many of President Trump's critics are partisan Leftist propagandists in the Mainstream Media. Most have their own political agenda, and they act out with selective indignation over anything he does. Studies have shown that coverage of President Trump's time in office in most major outlets is overwhelmingly negative. In fact, one study found that 72% of media coverage of President Trump is negative by design. Yes, by design by the Left.

That's why Trump supporters like me ignore the selective indignation of the Leftist propagandists who cannot truly call themselves objective or impartial journalists. They're not. Their intense negative emotional and cognitive reactions to President Trump, his actions, and his public presence are irrational and disconnected from what he is actually doing to better the lives of Americans. 

Because of that, and their hyped notion that he is acting like a King, I believe they cannot be trusted. While being accused of acting like a King is something other presidents have faced, in the case of President Trump, it is a media criticism that stems from an emotional and psychological condition rather than a rational, fact-based assessment of his presidency and policies. 

As for the East Wing of the White House, I believe it will most likely be beautiful. Yes, even though Democrats hate it before it's finished -- all because President Trump, a Republican, is building it. And frankly, that's childish and sad.

Tom Correa 

The Secret Plan To Destroy America

By Terry McGahey

I hope the readers of The American Cowboy Chronicles can forgive me for writing two political articles in a row. This article is one of the most important articles I could write. Why, because it lays out exactly what the far left is doing, and has been doing, by following the governor of Colorado, Dick Lamm, from the 1970s and '80s. Richard Lamm (August 3, 1935 – July 29, 2021) served three terms as the 38th Governor of Colorado as a Democrat (1975–1987). 

Lamn gave a speech in 2004 entitled "I Have a Plan to Destroy America." This was his plan to destroy America, which came out many years ago. Victor Davis Hanson published these facts, and for those who haven't read his book, this is the plan he uncovered. 

If you find this too unbelievable, then look it up for yourself under Governor Lamm's own writings on how to destroy America. According to Governor Lamm:

1. We first must make America a bilingual country. History shows, in my opinion, that no nation can survive the tension, conflict, and antagonism of two competing languages and cultures.
2. I would then invent "multiculturism" and encourage immigrants to maintain their own culture. I would make it an article of belief that all cultures are equal: that there are no cultural differences that are important.
3. We can make the United States a "Hispanic Quebec" without much effort. The key is to celebrate diversity rather than unity. I would replace the melting-pot metaphor with a salad-bowl metaphor.
4. Having done all of this. I would make our fastest-growing demographic group the least educated. I would add a second underclass. Unassimilated, undereducated, and antagonistic to our population.
5. I would then get the big foundations and big businesses to give these efforts lots of money. I would invest in ethnic identity, and I would establish the cult of victimology.
6. I would establish dual citizenship and promote divided loyalties. I would celebrate diversity. "Diversity" is a wonderfully seductive word. It stresses differences rather than commonalities.
7. Then I would place all these subjects off-limits—make it taboo to talk about them. I would find a word similar to "Heretic" in the 16th century that stopped discussion and paralyzed thinking.
8. Lastly, I would censor Victor Davis Hanson's book "Mexifornia" - this is dangerous: It exposed my plan to destroy America.

Now, let us talk about number one. Immigrants are no longer made to speak English anymore as the old immigration system required. This has affected our country immensely, causing conflict between language and culture.

Now on to number two. By encouraging immigrants to maintain their own culture, this situation has caused those of other countries to wave the flag of their past country above our own. And by stating all cultures are equal, they have no reason to assimilate.

 
Number three. Making this country a Hispanic Quebec to celebrate diversity rather than unity has caused total disruption of our laws and morals.

Number four. Making the fastest growing demographic group the least educated is exactly what is going on within our education system, especially college.

Number five. Getting the big foundations and businesses to give big money to these efforts and by establishing the cult of victimology, this is exactly what's going on today.

 
Number six. Establishing dual citizenship and celebrating diversity. Does the WOKE movement bring anything to mind?

Number seven. By placing subjects such as Diversity, Equity, and inclusion subjects' taboo to talk about is nothing more than a way to control free speech.

Number eight. He promotes censorship of any book that goes against these beliefs calling Victor Davis Hansons' book dangerous because exposes his plan to destroy America.

In closing, if anyone is paying attention to what's going on today within our county, you can see that the socialists, communists, and muslims are following this plan to the T.

Terry McGahey is a writer and Old West historian.

This once-working cowboy is best known for his epic battle against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9, America's most famous gun-control law.

Terry was instrumental in finally repealing Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9. He is directly responsible for compelling the City of Tombstone to adhere to Arizona's laws.

If you'd like to read about his epic battle against the City of Tombstone, click here: The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Ashamed of My Generation

By Terry McGahey
Oct 23, 2025 

I am a baby boomer, and I am truly ashamed of many people within my generation. 

Watching many of the boomer generation protesting against President Trump, calling him a fascist, calling him Hitler, and stating that he is ruining democracy. First off, we are not a true democracy. We are a Constitutional Federal Republic that operates on democratic principles. 

A true democracy does not and will not work in our country because the East and West coast areas carry the most votes, which means that the middle of our country would, in essence, have no say. The situation in a true democracy would actually take away democracy for many folks who live in the center of the country, and what is referred to as flyover states.

Now don't get me wrong, there are many boomers who are American Patriots, but we are not the ones out hollering, screaming, dancing around carrying signs and making fools of ourselves. If you want to know who these people are, in my opinion, it's mostly the old dope smoking, cocaine sniffing, pill-popping hippies of the Sixties Era. These old hippies are the ones who marched against the Vietnam War. 

Now don't take me wrong, that war was a mess, and those people had the right to protest the government over that war, and I have no problem with people peacefully protesting. That is their right, and no matter how I feel about things, I will stand up for their right to do so.

 
These old burnt-out hippies are the same ones who took out their anger on the soldiers who were lucky enough to come home alive from Vietnam. Many of these soldiers were drafted, and as most of us realize, once you are in the military, you have no choice in your deployment. They had no choice. 

When many of our soldiers returned home, what did these old hippies and college students do? They spit at them and called them horrible names, such as "baby killers" and other terrible things. How is this any different than what's going on with these old hippie boomers today? Some of these old hippies are calling for violence against the average patriots who believe in saving our country against the Socialist/Communist movement. This is only my opinion, and if no one likes my opinion, that's too damn bad because I couldn't care less.

If you don't believe the far left is for Socialism and even Communism, Mamdani in New York proves that belief because he is a known Communist. All one has to do is look at who is at the top of the Democratic Party. AOC, who lied about her being from the Bronx, Crockett, who does nothing but race-bait, Schiff, who is a proven liar, Sanders, who is an admitted Socialist, Omar, who has even made the statement about how she is watching out for Somalia, and Tlaib, who is purely a radical, then old Schumer, who is no better. These are the people who now control the Democrat Party, or should I just call it what it is, "The Socialist Party of America."

 
These people like to call themselves Democratic Socialists. Yes, we have some socialist programs, but we are not a socialist run country. Once we allow any type of Socialism to become powerful within our government, including the so-called Democratic Socialists, we will have lost our country as we have known it. 

Socialism is like a malignant cancer. Once those views get power, it will only grow and grow until we become a third-world country, which is what they truly want, because they will then be able to keep control from then on, and this is what the movement is really about. 

Just look at California if you want to get a glimpse of Democratic Socialism. How do you control the people? You control people through regulation, heavy taxes, and phony green energy bills, or others who are making people like Al Gore and others very wealthy while they fly around the country in those expensive jets and drive vehicles like Hummers. But, don't you do it. Do as I say and not as I do. If they are not Socialists, then tell me, what the hell are they?

One more thing. The Democratic Socialist Party is all for the violence and disruption going on within our country, and I can prove this without doing miles of research, and it's really very simple to prove this. When have you ever heard one of the top Democrats speak out against the violence with ANTIFA or others? I've only heard one Democrat politician, and he is Sen. John Fetterman (PA), who condemns his fellow Democrats.

Democrats haven't condemned the violence because they support it. When you don't speak out against the violence and disruption, then you agree with it. That's simple proof without digging into it any further.

Terry McGahey is a writer and Old West historian.

This once-working cowboy is best known for his epic battle against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9, America's most famous gun-control law.

Terry was instrumental in finally repealing Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9. He is directly responsible for compelling the City of Tombstone to adhere to Arizona's laws.

If you'd like to read about his epic battle against the City of Tombstone, click here: The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

Conservative Talk Host Matt Walsh Asks a Million Dollar Question – What if the Parties Were Reversed Over the Last Two Weeks?

(Matt Walsh / YouTube screenshot)

Story by Mike LaChance 

The Gateway Pundit

Sep. 25, 2025 

Conservative talk host Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire has just performed a fascinating thought experiment. What would happen if the parties were reversed over the course of the last two weeks? Would things have played out differently?

You better believe they would have.

Walsh really puts it into perspective here. He broke it all down in a lengthy post on Twitter/X that has been viewed millions of times.

Here’s an excerpt:

Imagine that we have a Democrat administration. Now imagine that a right wing radical shot and killed one of the most influential liberals in the country on live TV. Now imagine that thousands of other conservatives shamelessly celebrated the assassination and called for more of them. Now imagine that in the same week another right winger shot up a country club while shouting “MAGA” and another one shot up a news station and left behind a manifesto complaining about liberal bias in the media.

Now imagine that a week after all of those attacks, a conservative sniper perched on a rooftop fired into a Planned Parenthood clinic, killing or injuring multiple people. And imagine that this Planned Parenthood attack was just the latest in a string of them stretching back several months.

Is there any doubt how the Democrats would respond? Is there any doubt that they would wage a full scale war on conservatives and have people like me frog marched in front of cameras in handcuffs and leg irons? Is there any doubt that they would declare martial law and label all right wing expression incitement? Is there any doubt that they would be rounding up conservatives by the bus load and shipping us to Gitmo?

Is there any doubt that they would have Fox News and every other conservative media company shut down and its executives arrested or sued into bankruptcy?

Walsh goes on to explain that he is not even advocating for the right to do what the left would do, but that he does want the Trump administration to act in order to save lives.

It’s also an important scenario to imagine, because Walsh is right, we all do know how Democrats and the media would react. They need to be reminded of that.

About the Author:

Mike LaChance has been covering higher education and politics for Legal Insurrection since 2012. Since 2008, he has contributed work to the Gateway Pundit, Daily Caller, Breitbart, the Center for Security Policy, the Washington Free Beacon, and Ricochet. He has also written for American Lookout, Townhall, and Twitchy.

You can email Mike LaChance here, and read more of Mike LaChance's articles here.

Let's Talk About My Mom On Hospice

 

Some of you have written me over the years to say how much you enjoy my stories. Some of you have also written to take me to task over this or that. Of course, many of you want to know what's going on when you don't see me posting anything new for a while.

First, let me say that I have been researching some intriguing, yet relatively unknown, tales of the Old West for my next book. As many of you are aware, one of my hobbies is researching 19th-century period newspapers. I've found a few stories that I think you will find pretty interesting. And since my second book is about three years overdue, I feel that now is as good a time as any to explain why that's the case.

Actually, for me to say I'm about three years overdue on Book Two is about right, because it was about three years ago that my Mom became ill and ended up in hospice. So, yes, that's the reason I didn't follow up Book One with a second, and it's why you haven't seen many stories on my blog for a while.

In 2022, a few days after my Mom attended a Marine Birthday Ball as a guest of my Marine Corps League detachment, Mom had to go to Kaiser Hospital emergency room for breathing problems. Mom has suffered from Congestive Heart Failure for many years. On the day that she had to go to the ER, her oxygen levels were extremely low. Two days later, she was admitted to another hospital and would be there for about a week. After that, she was taken to a skilled nursing facility for almost a month. She went home in mid-December of 2022 and has been in hospice care at her home ever since.

My Mom's name is Frances Jolenta Correa. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on November 6th, 1934. She grew up in Kalihi on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. She is the only child of Manuel and Cecelia Gouveia.

Her father, my grandfather, was Manuel R. Gouveia, who was born in Maui. During his life, he was a Merchant Seaman, a cattle rancher, and a businessman in Honolulu. It was while he was a Merchant Seaman that he met and soon after married Cecelia Lorena Coelho in 1932. My mom shared how her mother, my grandmother, graduated from McKinley High School in Honolulu. Mom said that was a big deal to her family since most of them back then didn't make it past grade school. Grandma began working for the federal government at Pearl Harbor in 1940, when my mom was six years old.

One of my Mom's most memorable stories to tell was about how she remembered watching the Japanese war planes fly over her home in Kalihi on December 7, 1941. She was 7 years old and was walking to church that morning with my grandmother when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. She said she remembered how my grandmother turned them around and tried to get home to safety as quickly as possible.

Mom said my grandfather was in Ewa Beach fishing that Sunday morning when the bombing took place. She said Grandma made her crawl under her bed to be safe. She said she remembered when Grandma waited for what seemed like forever until she told her to come out from hiding. Mom recalled crying so hard that all she wanted to do was go to sleep until the nightmare passed. She said she did just that. She went to bed, pulled the covers over her head, and waited for her dad to get home.

Like many of her generation, she had vivid memories of being raised during the Great Depression and living through World War II. My mom talked about how my grandfather took whatever work was available to try to make ends meet. She talked about how she and her parents lived with her grandparents in Kalihi as a way of surviving the hard times. They spoke little to no English, so they all spoke Portuguese at home. She also remembered having a dress made from flour sacks that her mom had made. And yes, she mentioned how they had a garden in the back of their Kalihi home and grew a lot of their own food.

My mom talked about how she remembered the food rationing during World War II. I remember how she said she hated how scary it was during the blackouts of the war years. She hated that they had to have black curtains and that no lights could be seen from any of the homes. She remembered standing in line with her grandfather for food during World War II. And yes, she mentioned how their vegetable garden, which they used to grow their own food, turned into a Victory Garden during the war years.

She went to St. Anthony School in Kalihi until she entered High School. It was then that her mom and dad, along with her grandparents, moved to the other side of Honolulu, to Kaimuki, so that she would attend and be in walking distance to Sacred Hearts Academy in Kaimuki. Sacred Hearts Academy is a historic Roman Catholic college preparatory school for girls. It was founded in 1909 to serve the needs of early Hawaii Catholics in the former Territory of Hawaii. Mom has always taken pride in the fact that she graduated from Sacred Hearts Academy. She was in the Class of 1952.

Soon after graduating, she met Herman Clifford Correa of Waihawa, Oahu, Hawaii. She married the man who would be my dad in November 1953. Together, my parents had six children. The first was my older brother Herman Ray, then I came along, and after me came my brother Vernon, my brother Howard, my sister Valerie, and then my sister Joanie.

I remember growing up with my great-grandfather, my grandfather and grandmother, my mom and dad, and five of us kids in a three-bedroom, one-bath house on Pahoa Avenue in Kaimuki, until 1964. That was the year that my great-grandfather passed away at the age of 88. I was 8 years old when he passed away. Since we didn't have enough beds in the house, I slept with my great-grandfather. Since my great-grandfather spoke little to no English, we spoke Portuguese at home. That changed after he passed away. His wish was that we only speak English because we are Americans. And yes, Mom made sure his wishes were carried out. We stopped speaking Portuguese at home after he died.

Of course, since Mom was expecting at the time, it was just a few months after my great-grandfather passed away that my sister Joanie was born. So yes, we were back up to ten of us in that house. We lived in that house for many years. And frankly, it was always the place that we loved the most. Our "Kaimuki House," as Mom called it, was always the place where we called "home" for as long as I can remember.

My dad was a welder and construction worker most of his life. And for those who understand how hard it is to raise a big Catholic family, Dad had to go where the work took him. And yes, with work being hard to find in Honolulu in the early 1970s, Mom and Dad moved us to California in 1972. That year, Mom and Dad bought a home in Hayward, California.

Mom started working for K Mart in those years. And yes, she worked at K Mart for quite a few years. Of course, that wasn't the first job that she ever had. In fact, there was a time when all of us kids were in school, and she worked at the Sheraton Hotel in Waikiki. She also worked at Sea Life Park in Waimanalo for a few years before moving to California.

Mom and Dad upgraded to buy a home in a much nicer neighborhood in Hayward in 1976. After retiring, Mom and Dad enjoyed driving across the country and taking cruises. But, more than anything else, throughout Mom’s life, she always looked forward to doing things with our family. From attending birthday celebrations to our family’s huge Christmas party, Mom loved her large family and being surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

They lived in their house for 25 years until they bought their last home in the Castle Oaks Golf Course community of Ione, California, in 2001.

Sadly, Dad passed away in 2005. And as for Mom, well, she's kept busy ever since then by being involved with friends and family. From joining up with other ladies who enjoyed playing cards and a dice game called "Bunco," to joining a "Red Hat" Club, and attending lunches and dinners with friends, she has certainly kept herself busy. Of course, one of the things you learn in life is that even though Mom beat my great-grandfather's record for longevity, even entering her 90s, we kids know we are never too old to visit Mom.

A few things I like to remember about doing things with Mom involve taking her to Yosemite National Park back in 2020. I recall discovering that year that she had never been there. I couldn't believe that she had been in California since 1972 and never made it to Yosemite National Park. To remedy that, my wife, Deanna, and I took her to Yosemite with us one day when she thought we were just going out for an early lunch. She loved it.

And yes, there was that time back in 2014, when my wife, Deanna, and I, along with my older brother, Herman Ray, took our Mom to Los Angeles to appear on the television show, The Price Is Right. When my older brother and my Mom came up with the idea, I had to confess that I had never watched the show. Of course, that didn't matter.

I remember how much fun it actually was driving the 6 hours South to Los Angeles. Arriving the day before we're supposed to be at the television studio, we stayed the night at a hotel on the same day that the Hollywood Christmas Parade took place. So with my Mom in a wheelchair, we went to watch that. Mom loved it. And the next day, we were second in line to get into the studio door. Yes, in a line that must have had over a hundred people in it. All in all, we all had a great time. It was quite a show. In fact, I discovered that the production of the show is significantly better than what we see on television.

As most who know me know well, I'm not one for big cities. As soon as it was over, we got out of Los Angeles as quickly as the traffic allowed. I drove home that night just to get out of there.

Mom had just turned 88 years old on November 6th, 2022. I kidded her about tying the record for longevity in our immediate family. No one on my Dad's side of the family, nor my Mom's, had lived as long as my great-grandfather. It was a record that I had hoped she would extend a lot farther.

As I mentioned earlier, on November 10th of that year, Mom joined my wife, Deanna, and me to attend the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, hosted by the Marine Corps League detachment to which I belong. In actuality, I'm the Commandant for the Marine Corps League Motherlode Detachment 1080 in Ione. Mom was my guest. I bring it up because it was the first time she had ever attended a Marine Corps Ball in all the years I've been associated with the Marine Corps. I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels to know she finally had the chance to attend.

By November 16th of that year, she was having breathing troubles, and her Congestive Heart Failure troubles had started up. That was 2022, and yes, she's been in hospice ever since. Over the last three years, she's had her ups and downs. In April of this year, unable to walk or use a walker, she found herself confined to bed. Other than getting her out of bed on July 26, when I got her into a wheelchair for a little more than an hour, she has been in bed.

My older brother passed away about nine years ago. And yes, my younger brother has commitments in another state. So it's been up to my sisters, my youngest brother Howard, and me to provide Mom with 24/7 coverage since April.

It hasn't been easy, but frankly, Bristol Hospice has provided superior service to Mom and our family. Bristol Hospice is an outstanding company, and the Certified Nursing Assistants who work for them have an incredibly hard job. Frankly, I really don't know how they do it, day in and day out. Bristol Hospice is an incredible company, and I cannot give enough praise. Besides being extremely professional and committed to providing excellent hospice care over this entire time, every one of their employees is as caring and personable as can be.

Bristol Social Worker Stefanie McCann has been a blessing. And yes, so have Bristol's RNs Alex and Dawn, LVNs Corrine and Lupe, HCA Kim, Chaplain Eric, and others over this long period when Mom was hanging on. All of Bristol's personnel have shown incredible caring and compassion. All have treated my Mom like family, and I will forever be indebted to them for all that they have done to make her remaining time with us as good as can be expected.

For my sisters, my brother, and me, during this time, our job hasn't changed. Other than the time involved and the emotional toll of watching Mom as she declines, our reward is being here for Mom to make sure she's comfortable. My sister, Val, who recently moved from Idaho to Indiana, has been a blessing. She has chipped in by flying out to help. In fact, though Val was out here in August for a few weeks, she returned a couple of weeks ago to take over for a while. Val's going to be here for the next few weeks. She is a Godsend.

So now, since many of you have written to ask what's been going on because you haven't seen me posting anything new for a while, I wanted to share what's been happening with me lately. I said before, it hasn't been easy. But, there have been those moments that I wouldn't trade for all the tea in China. Those small moments of her calling out for water, or to hear her say she's ready for lunch, or when she wakes to simply ask how we are doing, or to simply say she loves us, are all worth more than gold. I cannot tell you how good it is not to have missed out on any of that.

And here's something else. In retrospect, one thing I've been thinking about a lot lately is how, over the years, I've made it a point to spend at least one day a week visiting my parents. I started doing that after my grandfather passed away in 1988. I figured that as long as I wasn't on the road out of town for work, I would make sure that I gave my folks some of my time. And yes, after Dad passed away, I found it increasingly important to visit Mom more often than regularly.

Most of the time, when my wife and I would visit Mom, we would "talk story" about the old days. Most of the time, we would play cards or board games, joke, and laugh about some of the silliest things. And yes, every once in a while, usually after Mom mistakenly took an extra turn during a board game or while playing cards, she'd get embarrassed and say, laughing, "You'll miss me when I'm gone."

What I know about Mom is that she wanted a big family because she was an only child. I know for a fact that she loves her family and friends. And though, as of today, October 16th, 2025, she appears tired and nearing the end of her time with us, I thank God for giving me her as a Mom. I know in my heart that I'll be forever grateful that she shared her life with us. And no, I don't think she'll ever know how right she was -- I'll miss her when she's gone. Yes, I will.

I love my Mom very much, and it was tough watching her decline, especially over the last few days when it seemed like she would pass at any moment. Our waiting came to an end this morning, October 21, 2025, when my sister Val, my brother Howard, and I found that Mom passed away in her sleep last night. She's now in Heaven.

She's survived by her son Tom and his wife, Deanna; her son Vernon and his wife, Kimberly; her son Howard and his wife, Sharon; her daughter Valerie and her husband, Travis; and her daughter Joan. She has been a grandmother to 24 grandchildren and "G.G." (great-grandma) to 25 great-grandchildren.

As for us, her family, we promised to keep her at home until the end, to care for her, to keep her comfortable, and to love her. We kept our promise because we’ve been blessed to have such a wonderful Mom. And yes, I know we will see her again one day. Until then, we'll miss her. Yes, we will all truly miss her.

Tom Correa

The Loss of Life for Americans Trying to Fulfill Manifest Destiny Was High

So, let's talk about how the loss of life for Americans trying to fulfill Manifest Destiny was high. But first, let's recognize that the California Gold Rush dramatically accelerated the "American Westward Expansion" by drawing hundreds of thousands of people to the West. That influx of settlers fueled the idea of Manifest Destiny.

The phrase "Manifest Destiny" was first used by newspaper editor John O'Sullivan in 1845. He created the term to advocate for the United States to annex Texas. Coined by John O'Sullivan, his idea was that America was "divinely ordained" to expand and settle across the entire North American continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Let's remember that it was his opinion that God wanted the United States to settle all of the territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific.  

If you're wondering why I put "divinely ordained" in quotes, it's because it seems to me that many people throughout human history have felt that God, or their Gods, have ordained certain things. For example, various Native American tribes, long before Europeans ever set foot on American soil, felt that their Gods meant for them to have certain lands at the expense of war with other tribes. And yes, in many cases, genocidal war took place between tribes. The same situation was with Hawaiian King Kamehameha, who believed that conquering the other islands was ordained by his Gods. Of course, he probably wouldn't have been able to do that without European warfighting arms and technology, but that's an inconvenient point of fact that Hawaiian history revisionists prefer not to discuss. Remember, to Hawaiians, the Europeans were perceived as bad people for 'colonizing' Hawaii. And sadly, some of that hate for Whites still exists in Hawaii today. 

So, no, I don't see Americans in the 19th Century believing that America was guided by God to go West as being something that was that much different from what many people around the world have thought at different points in human history. Of course, while America's belief in "Manifest Destiny" is often portrayed as American arrogance at the time, I don't see it as being much different from other people who believed that their God or Gods ordained something or other. 

The core idea that Americans had a "manifest destiny" to expand from one ocean to the other influenced a great many people and provided a powerful rationale for Westward migration, despite the high cost in American lives. And yes, besides the thousands of lives lost during the Mexican-American War, the cost in American lives, those pioneers who died trying to go West, was extremely high.

 
That's the part of "Manifest Destiny" that no one talks about. People do talk about how Manifest Destiny played a significant role in the displacement of some Native American tribes, for the role Americans played in the annexation of Texas, and for the impact that concept had on the acquisition of territories from Mexico after the Mexican-American War. And yes, people talk about how the addition of new territories fueled debates over slavery and increased tensions between the North and South, which contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War.

But, for some strange reason, I never hear people talk about the cost of American lives, or how much blood, treasure, and hard work it took to fulfill the idea of Americans having to go West because
God intended for that to take place. There is never a mention of the thousands of American pioneers who died expanding and spreading the American culture or attempting to spread America's democratic ideals across the continent.

 
So how bad was it in the case of lives lost? 

Well, there are factors that complicate getting an accurate toll of how many Americans died attempting to fulfill the dream of "manifest destiny." A dream for many that turned into a nightmare. 

For example, because of the lack of accurate records, it is almost impossible to know the exact number of settler deaths along the trail. One reason is the unrecorded burials. It's true. Graves were often unmarked to protect them from vandals or were intentionally placed in the wagon trail to be trampled over, making them undetectable to animals that might dig them up. 

And frankly, between 1841 and 1869, anywhere from 350,000 to 400,000 Americans embarked on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails. Estimates suggest that anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 or more American settlers died on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails during the 20-year span between 1840 and 1860. 

That means that about one in ten, or one in eight, settlers who attempted the journey died along the way. And really, those figures don't capture the overall death toll for settlers during the entire era of Westward expansion, which also includes the countless lives lost in other conflicts, accidents, and diseases. To be realistic, about one in five people during that period died from all sorts of things, including disease, accidents, the weather, starvation, violence, and dumb decisions.

 
The leading cause of death for American settlers was disease. That was the greatest killer on the trails, in mining camps, towns, on homesteads, farms, ranches, and other settlements. Cholera was the most feared and deadly disease. It is caused by bacteria that thrive in unsanitary water and can kill a healthy person within hours. Typhoid, dysentery, smallpox, measles, and influenza were also common due to poor hygiene and the close quarters of most temporary camps. 

As for the weather and other natural disasters, they could be lethal. Extreme heat, thunderstorms, lightning, and deadly hailstones all posed risks to traveling settlers. Severe storms and early snowfalls trapped some parties, leading to starvation, as in the case of the Donner Party, where 35 people died. Of course, the Donner Party is a prime example of the consequences of a poor decision. And yes, their decision to proceed over the Sierra Mountains when they did was dumb.

As for bison stampedes? Yes, they could also cause injuries and wreak havoc on wagon trains. As for bear attacks, there are documented instances of attacks occurring when settlers set out from their wagon trains in search of game. 

Of course, just because people made it to where they were going, it didn't mean they would survive. The death toll statistics of those making the journey don't include the deaths of settlers who died in less-documented land acquisition, skirmishes, new homesteads, on farms, ranches, in towns, mining camps and mines, in mills, and in forests falling trees, on ships, during the building of the railroad. And yes, while in reality relatively uncommon compared to dying from disease, starvation, and accidents, deaths from Native American conflicts did take place. Of course, it is impossible to determine exactly how many lives of settlers were lost in various battles and skirmishes throughout the decades of Westward expansion. 

While many accounts with Native Americans were exaggerated and sensationalized, and some were overreported in contemporary accounts, the events did happen. And really, while people talk about Manifest Destiny, they focus on the expansion of the United States; the expansion itself led to violent conflicts and wars with Native Americans. Those conflicts, big and small, and while not always noted, resulted in numerous settler deaths. One example is during the 1862 Dakota War, when over 1,000 white settlers were killed or captured by rebelling Dakota Sioux. 

As for deaths by criminals, those outlaws who stole and murdered? Widespread lawlessness and the resulting vigilantism did take place for a reason. It's a fact that, along with the good, comes the bad, even during the Western expansion. What took place during the rapid, often chaotic, expansion into new territories was the creation of conditions that led to lawlessness. This resulted in a high incidence of crime, particularly in newly settled mining and cattle towns. 

The rise of vigilante justice? Yes, as you've heard me talk about before, from mining camps to new towns springing up, there was no organized law enforcement. So yes, the people had to create what they already knew as "Citizens Committees," also known as "Vigilance Committees." And with official law enforcement often sparse and ineffective, settler communities formed vigilante groups to enforce their own versions of justice, often with brutality. This led to lynchings and summary executions. Was it effective in deterring crime? In most cases, it was. Of course, as is in life, some outlaws were too stupid to understand that the outlaw life was not a really healthy way of life until they were dancing on the end of a rope under some lone tree. 

The romanticized image of the American outlaw arose from this era of lawlessness. Figures like Jesse James and Butch Cassidy, who committed acts of violence and theft, became iconic figures in the frontier mythology. As life in the West became more settled, the crime rate in the West did come down. This was mainly because most residents were armed, and outlaws were dealt with accordingly.  

As for accidents that took lives in the pursuit of Manifest Destiny? Well, accidents along the way West were a constant danger. During the journey West, wagon accidents occurred frequently, with children and adults falling under the wheels and being crushed. River crossings were particularly perilous, and drowning was a common cause of death. Actually, drownings were a significant risk, especially during perilous river crossings where swift currents could capsize wagons. Gunshot wounds, often self-inflicted by inexperienced gun owners, were also common.

If memory serves me right, long before the outlaw Johnny Ringo became famous and his family journeyed to San Jose, California, in a wagon train, he lost his father as a result of a gun accident. It's said that he was pulling a shotgun out of a wagon from the muzzle when it went off. It killed him instantly. And yes, he was buried in an unmarked grave along the trail. 

During the 1800s, accidents, especially those we would today term "occupational accidents," were often caused by hazardous industrial work, primitive and dangerous machinery, inadequate ventilation, and a lack of safety regulations, resulting in injuries such as lost limbs, burns, and fatalities from explosions and collapses. In the West, common industries such as mining, logging, and fishing were especially perilous, with workers facing risks on a daily basis. For example, in the case of fishing, it wasn't unusual for capsize-prone fishing vessels and severe storms to result in high mortality rates among fishermen. And yes, buildings, especially mines, could collapse due to structural flaws or explosions, trapping and killing workers. Miners faced risks from explosions, toxic gases, and mine collapses on a daily basis.

In mills, exposed gears, moving belts, and unguarded blades on machines led to amputations and other severe injuries. Lack of safety regulations, poor ventilation, and crowded environments increased the risk of accidents and illness. Of course, fires and explosions were frequent. For example, from flour dust in mills to methane gas in mines, faulty steam boilers in factories and on trains, fires, and explosions were frequent causes of death and injury. 

So yes, besides the large number of Americans who died heading West, Manifest Destiny created harsh conditions and devastating consequences for Native Americans and American settlers alike. 

The perilous journey, traveling westward on trails like the Oregon Trail, was a long, difficult, and dangerous ordeal that lasted for months. American pioneers faced brutal weather, starvation, and diseases like cholera, which in many cases wiped out entire wagon trains. Of course, after arriving, they found frontier life brutal. 

In most instances, settlers, especially those who moved to the Great Plains, found it difficult to cultivate the dry, tough soil with limited rainfall. Many homes were poorly constructed from mud, and the lack of supplies made for an extremely tough existence. And, in reality, many faced financial failure since the cost of starting a farm was high, and many who took advantage of acts like the Homestead Act were unable to make their farms profitable. Many failed and ended up working as migrant laborers for larger commercial farms. 

So, please, when discussing Manifest Destiny, let's not make the mistake of portraying it as though it was a cake walk for American settlers heading West. Let's remember that, driven by a belief that justified America's Westward expansion, American settlers faced many hardships. And yes, the loss of life for Americans trying to fulfill Manifest Destiny was high. Let's refrain from criticizing or belittling, especially in an unfair manner, or disparaging and downplaying what those American pioneers accomplished. 

Those American pioneers, those who followed the promise of Manifest Destiny, faced extreme difficulties, a high rate of failure, at a huge loss of life. And for that, they should be admired for their tenacity. 

Tom Correa

Charles Marion Russell, The True Cowboy Artist

Story By Terry McGahey

Charles Marion Russell, also known as C.M. Russell, was born on March 19, 1864, in Missouri. He left his home around eighteen years of age and headed out to experience the wild west firsthand. This landed him in Montana, working for a short period of time on a sheep ranch. Russell then went to work for a fellow by the name of Jake Hoover, who was a hunter, tracker, and trapper who became a rancher in central Montana within the Judith Basin.

 
Russell was working as a cowhand during the winter of 1886-7, which became known as "The Big Die Up". The winter that year was deathly cold, reaching forty-six to even seventy below zero with sixteen inches or more of snow, the snow is one thing but with those below average temperatures life outside becomes impossible to deal with for any more than about ten to fifteen minutes. 

Myself, I have dealt with thirty-five below, being out in it for short periods of time, but I can't even imagine seventy below zero. 

When spring finally came in 1887, that's when the horrible realization set in. The loss of cattle was so terrible it would change the ranching business forever, the carcasses were scattered all across the fields and many more even washed down several streams and the cattle that survived were nothing but skin and bone. The "Big Die Up" and overgrazing brought an end to open range ranching for the most part.

During that time, Russell was working for the O.H. Outfit when the owner of the ranch contacted the ranch foreman to ask how his cows made it through the winter. The foreman sent the owner a watercolor made by Russell, about the size of a postcard of a very gaunt steer being watched closely by a pack of wolves. The caption of this watercolor is called "Waiting For A Chinook". 

A chinook is a warm, dry wind that blows down the Eastern side of the Rocky Mountains at the end of winter. Later, Russell re-painted that scene larger, and it became one of his best-known works of art.

After this time period, Russell began receiving commissions for his work and became a full-time artist. Unlike Remington and other Western artists, not to take anything from them, Russell was a true cowboy, and Remington's work was done by observation rather than first-hand experience. 

Russell's art covered not only cowboys, but also landscapes and Native Americans, as well as bronze sculptures. Russell's works are displayed in several places today, including the C.M. Russell Museum Complex in Great Falls, Montana, the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming, the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, the Montana Historical Society in Helena, Montana, and the Sid Richardson Museum also in Fort Worth.

In 1896, Russell married his wife, Nancy, and in 1897, they moved to Great Falls, Montana, where he spent most of his time until his death on October 24, 1926. By the end of his life, Russell had been a local celebrity but had also become a celebrity through art critics around the world. 

By the time of his passing, he had created approximately four thousand works of art. Upon the day of his funeral, the school children were let out of school to watch the funeral procession in which his coffin was carried in a glass-sided coach pulled by four black horses.

Terry McGahey is a writer and Old West historian.

This once-working cowboy is best known for his epic battle against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9, America's most famous gun-control law.


Terry was instrumental in finally repealing Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9. He is directly responsible for compelling the City of Tombstone to adhere to Arizona's laws.

If you'd like to read about his epic battle against the City of Tombstone, click here: The Last Gun Fight -- The Death of Ordinance Number 9 (Chapter One)

They Have No Souls

By Terry McGahey

With the horrible assassination of Charlie Kirk, this terrible act has been promoted mostly by the far-left radicals who, in my opinion, lack any sense of honesty, decency, or, may I dare say, a lack of soul by many of these anti-American socialists and or communists. These people are truly insane!

I ask, where do we lay the blame for all of the lawlessness, violence, and anti-American rhetoric? Like it or not, it's all coming from the Left. 

As I have stated before, just look at our education system, especially within our colleges and even down to our public schools and school boards, where in many cases parents are shunned and even thrown out of meetings for voicing their concern about the education of their children.

Yes, I do blame our educational system for the indoctrination of our young minds; even more, I blame the so-called Democratic socialist movement, which has taken place within the Democratic Party for quite some time now. Personally, I believe these socialists within our government should be tried for treason because all they do is disrupt our government and laws. 

If you are a voting Democrat, you need to take a long, hard look at yourself in the mirror and finally come to realize that a vote for any Democrat right now is a vote for tyranny, lawlessness, and the ruination of our country's values -- and possibly our way of life. 

It makes no difference to me if you are a Democrat, a Republican, or an Independent; it's time to vote for our American values and our Constitution, not for the radical values that have divided our nation so vividly. This is no longer about Democrats and Republicans; it's about saving our freedoms, our nation, and our independence.

What many people do not seem to grasp is that when Socialism, any kind of Socialism, invades our government, we lose. Sure, we have social programs such as Social Security and others, but we are not a socialist run government! Socialism is like a malignant cancer; once it takes control, it only grows larger and larger until such point you are only one small step away from Communism. 

Wake the hell up people before it's too late because our government has been invaded by Socialists such as Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, Greg Casar of Texas, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Cori Bush of Missouri, Jamaal Bowman of New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, llhan Omar of Minnesota but born in Somalia, and Danny Davis of Illinois. 

 
Every person I have mentioned above belongs to the DSA, which is the organization of Democratic Socialists of America. They need to go! 

Not only that, but now we have another socialist running for mayor in New York by the name of Zohran Mamdani. This socialist, born in Uganda, wants free city buses, public childcare, city-owned grocery stores, rent-free on rent-stabilized units, and a thirty-dollar-per-hour minimum wage. My question is simple: Who is going to pay for these outrageous ideals? 

I'll tell you who! Every taxpayer within the state of New York. If you people in New York vote for this person, you are voting to have your taxes raised by a large percentage. Good luck with that.

Now with these radicalized leftists, and make no mistake, that's what they are, they are promoting the killing of people on the right, as well as white people, or MAGA supporters, even though many promoting this are also white people. They have become so radicalized that they have lost their humanity and, in my opinion, their souls as well. 

Advocating murder and other violence within our cities is shameful, and such people should be treated as wild dogs.

If you are being paid to protest and create violence against ICE, then you need to rethink who you are. You are being paid to disrupt this country, and in my opinion, that makes you a traitor.

Terry McGahey is a writer and Old West historian.

This once-working cowboy is best known for his epic battle against the City of Tombstone and its historic City Ordinance Number 9, America's most famous gun-control law. 

Terry was instrumental in finally repealing Tombstone City Ordinance Number 9. He is directly responsible for compelling the City of Tombstone to adhere to Arizona's laws.

As a Constitutional Conservative, his common-sense approach to politics is something that many of us appreciate. As many of you have written to tell me, Terry's brave and honest commentaries are refreshing in a world full of people too afraid to address today's issues head-on.