from The National Pulse: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is facing major criticism as the death toll from Hurricane Helene increases to over 200, and some claim the agency is preventing the distribution of aid. Allegations suggest relief workers remain inactive or are blocking the distribution of necessary aid, with claims initially surfacing from tech billionaire Elon Musk and Rep. […]

  Considering his lack of formal education and short public service, not many expected Abraham Lincoln to reach the highest public office in the United States. Yet, his upbringing and on-the-job training throughout his meteoric rise into the national spotlight likely prepared him for the difficult presidential campaign in 1860 and the more demanding times ahead.   Humble Beginnings Photo of Abraham Lincoln’s Log Cabin on a Chicago postcard. The original caption reads: Built by Abraham Lincoln and his father in 1831, in Coles County, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln Log Cabin Association, 1891. Source: Library of Congress   American Historian James Morgan wrote in his Our Presidents (1969, p. 133), “Other Presidents than Abraham Lincoln have risen from log-cabin to the White House; other Presidents also were of humble birth; but none other has moved so humbly in his places. No honor, no power, could exalt him above his native simplicity; a common man who could walk with kings – nor lose the common touch.”   Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, the second of two children, in a modest log cabin on the Sinking Spring Farm in Hardin County, Kentucky. His father, Thomas, a farmer and carpenter, was known for his honesty and hard work, while his mother, Nancy, was a deeply religious and compassionate woman.   In 1816, the family moved to Spencer County in southwestern Indiana, a wild and sparsely populated area that demanded hard work and resilience from settlers. By the time Abraham was 11, he had built a log cabin, farmed with his father, watched his mother die from “milk sickness” caused by drinking spoiled milk, and saw his father remarry.   Lincoln’s education was sporadic and brief, likely totaling less than one year. According to Morgan (p. 134), “Life was his school, and he was his own teacher. He swung the ax and scythe, wielded the flail, slaughtered hogs, or poled flat boats on the great rivers.”   Because the only book the Lincolns owned was the Bible, young Abe often traveled miles to borrow books from his neighbors to satisfy his curiosity. Towering over his peers in size and strength when he was 16, Lincoln had already worked as a farmhand, ferryboat rower, and grocery store clerk. When the family moved to Illinois, the 22-year-old Abraham decided to strike out on his own, settling in the small village of New Salem.   From Rail Splitter to Lawyer Abraham Lincoln as a young man. Source: Library of Congress   Picking up where he left off in Indiana, Lincoln worked various jobs as he began to endear himself to the townsfolk of New Salem. Through the different jobs as a rail splitter, surveyor, and store clerk, Abe befriended local leaders and intellectuals who encouraged his aspirations beyond the frontier.   Historian David C. Whitney wrote in The American Presidents (2009, 11th Edition, p. 138) that Lincoln won instant popularity with the backwoods people of the community, proving “he could outwrestle the biggest bullies, could tell funnier stories than anyone, and could be depended on to help out with whenever a strong worker was needed.”   Lincoln volunteered for and fought in the Black Hawk War (1832), returning to New Salem as captain. After a failed partnership in a general store, Abe decided to improve his position through studying law. With no formal legal training available, Lincoln borrowed law books from practicing attorneys and studied alone well into the morning hours. To support himself on his quest to become a lawyer, Abraham worked as a postmaster from 1833 until 1836, when he passed his bar examination and was licensed to practice law in Illinois.   Already well-respected in his community, Abraham Lincoln, at the behest of his local supporters, ran for the state’s legislature in 1834 as a member of the new Whig Party. The political party was a unified ideological group and a coalition against President Andrew Jackson’s Democratic Party. Lincoln was attracted to the Whigs’ promotion of a more balanced power structure between the states and the federal government and the advocacy of limiting the expansion of slavery. Following his re-election in 1836, Lincoln decided to further concentrate on his flourishing legal career. He moved to Springfield, the state capital, to open a practice with his law partner, John T. Stuart.   Illinois State Politics Lincoln, the lawyer by Frederick Trevor Hill, 1906. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Lincoln flourished in Springfield, meeting and marrying the 20-year-old Mary Todd, starting a family, excelling as a lawyer, and serving four consecutive terms in the Illinois House of Representatives until 1842. Lincoln spent his early years in the state capital, making a name for himself as he traveled the Eighth Judicial Circuit, encompassing multiple counties in central Illinois. His presence at the circuit, which involved traveling from town to town to hold court sessions, allowed him to interact with a diverse clientele and build a broad network of professional relationships. The latter ensured his continued re-election to state government.   During his time in the Illinois House of Representatives, Abraham emerged as a significant figure known for his moderate stance on crucial issues. Focusing primarily on internal improvements, Lincoln strongly supported infrastructure projects that he believed would facilitate commerce and improve the quality of life for the state’s residents. Abraham also played a crucial role in shaping his state’s banking policies by supporting the establishment of a state bank and more stringent borrowing practices to stabilize the financial system rocked by the Panic of 1837, which had seen overexpansion of credit and speculation lead to the closing of banks and businesses across the nation.   It was also during this time that Lincoln became recognized for his oratory skills. The young politician was known for clear, logical, and persuasive speech, his ability to articulate complex issues straightforwardly, and his willingness for consensus-building. Already an established and respected figure in his state’s politics, the thirty-eight-year-old Abraham Lincoln sought and won the nomination and election for US Congress in 1846, becoming the state’s only Whig representative in Washington DC.   Lincoln in the US House of Representatives Matthew B. Brady’s picture of Abraham Lincoln on the eve of his election. Source: Library of Congress   Lincoln’s tenure in the US House of Representatives coincided with the Mexican-American War, which significantly impacted his tenure on Capitol Hill. As a member of the Whig Party, representing Illinois’ 7th District from March 4, 1847, to March 3, 1849, Lincoln engaged in national issues and sharpened his political acumen. Yet, his most defining and controversial action as a congressman was his vocal opposition to the ongoing conflict with Mexico.   Lincoln was very outspoken in questioning the legitimacy of the war, often challenging President James K. Polk’s justification for engaging in the conflict. In December 1847, Abraham introduced his “Spot Resolutions,” a defining moment of his time in Congress. The document demanded that President Polk specify the exact location where Mexican forces had supposedly attacked American troops, the pivotal event that had led to the conflict. Lincoln’s insinuation that the war was an unjust act of aggression aimed at expanding slavery into new territories was a direct challenge to Polk’s assertion that the attack had occurred on American soil.   By this time, the future president was already a staunch opponent of the expansion of slavery, going as far as supporting the controversial (and failed) Wilmot Proviso, a proposed amendment that sought to prohibit slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico as a result of the war. However, his anti-war views did not align with his Illinois constituents, and his focus on a broader, strong federal government instead of local concerns led to dissatisfaction within his district. Seeing the writing on the wall, Lincoln chose not to run for re-election in 1848 and returned to Springfield to resume his legal practice and continue building his political network. The freshman congressman from Illinois had bigger plans for his future.   A National Figure Lincoln debating Stephen Douglass. Source: Wikipedia Commons   Having stepped back from politics after his single Congressional term, Lincoln jumped back into the fold following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Staying true to his convictions, Abraham was shocked at what he viewed as a moral, social, and political disaster threatening the American republic through the act’s repeal of the Missouri Compromise. The land where slavery was once Congressionally prohibited was now open to the expansion of the very institution Lincoln and the now-mostly defunct Whig Party opposed. For the Illinois attorney, this was not just about the immorality of slavery but also about the danger that the Kansas-Nebraska Act’s opening of western lands to the possibility of the “peculiar institution” posed to the free labor system and the democratic principles of the nation.   Lincoln now found himself part of a movement that quickly evolved into the formation of the Republican Party, founded on the principle of opposing the expansion of slavery into the western territories. Now firmly under the Republican banner, Lincoln toured Illinois, giving eloquent speeches and logical arguments for the new party’s platform. By the party’s first national convention in 1856, the Illinois lawyer was already a key Republican figure.   Lincoln was thrust into the national spotlight and the pinnacle of his newfound political party in 1858. With the political landscape intensely polarized across the nation, the Illinois Republican Party selected Abe to run for the US Senate against the immensely popular incumbent Democrat, Stephen A. Douglass, a national figure and the author of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Due to the nature of the seven debates that followed between the two men attracting large crowds and capturing the entire nation’s attention, the name of Abraham Lincoln was suddenly on supporters and detractors of the new anti-slavery Republican party in every corner of the country.   Presidential Campaign Photo of President Abraham Lincoln by Alexander Gardner. Source: Library of Congress   Lincoln did not win the Senate election, but the clarity of conviction of his views on slavery captured the nation’s attention. He argued that slavery was morally wrong and that its expansion threatened the ideals of the American republic, famously stating, “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” and that the nation could not remain half slave and half free.   Lincoln’s position was not to call for the immediate abolition of the institution where it already existed but to prevent its expansion into new territories. Because it was viewed by many as a moderate stance, Lincoln’s agenda appealed to a broader spectrum of voters, including those who were against slavery but not necessarily abolitionists.   Now a leading voice and the face of the Republican Party, Abraham won his party’s nomination for the President of the United States in the 1860 election at the Republican National Convention in Chicago in May 1860, securing 231.5 out of the 465 votes. The splintered Democratic Party, between those in the North advocating the allowing territories to decide the slavery issue for themselves and Southern Democrats protecting the idea of expanding slavery into new territories, nominated Stephen A. Douglass and John C. Breckinridge, respectively.   The divided opposition greatly aided Lincoln in his eventual victory in November. After concentrating entirely on winning the Northern states, with its majority of the nation’s electoral votes, Lincoln received 180 electoral votes and only 40% of the country’s popular vote, carrying all free states except New Jersey and not a single state below the Mason-Dixon Line. With the election seen by the Southern states as a direct threat to the institution of slavery and their way of life, states promptly began seceding from the Union. The real political and personal test for Abraham Lincoln’s legacy was only beginning.

  One of the biggest scandals in US political history, Watergate had far-reaching consequences beyond the presidency of Richard Nixon and his subsequent resignation. The depth of the US president’s involvement in illegal activities shocked the nation and drove the government to take stringent measures against the president. Public perception of the government was changed forever as a result of the scandal, and it affected subsequent presidential elections.   Watergate in a Nutshell President Nixon during the Watergate Scandal. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The Watergate Scandal was not just one event, but a series of incidents. It started with a burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office building in Washington DC on June 17, 1972.   Investigations discovered that Nixon and his administration had been involved in the break-in, and he had ordered a cover-up, subsequently impeding further investigations into the incident.    Voice recordings from the Oval Office emerged, proving Nixon’s guilt in the attempt to cover-up the crimes, and the House Judiciary Committee began impeachment proceedings. Faced with this, Nixon resigned his post as president on August 9, 1974.   What Changed Following the Watergate Scandal? Gerald Ford appearing at the House Judiciary Subcommittee. Source: Wikimedia Commons/Library of Congress   The Watergate Scandal caused widespread loss of faith in the US government, and reforms were introduced to restore this faith. Of major concern was the surfacing of information in connected investigations which proved the FBI had been spying on US citizens. This caused irreparable damage to the relationship between the government and US citizens, and there still exists a certain level of distrust to this day.    In the immediate aftermath, the Republican Party was hit hard. Following Nixon’s resignation, the Democrats gained five seats in the senate and 49 in the House. President Ford also pardoned Nixon, and this is thought to have contributed to his defeat in the 1976 Presidential Election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.    The Watergate Scandal prompted widespread investigations of the US government. Findings were not just localized to the scandal. Irregularities and red flags were found everywhere. It was discovered that the government administrations had declared the US to be in a state of emergency since the 1950s, allowing the government to do things that it usually wouldn’t be permitted to do. In response to this, Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act in 1976 to curb such declarations.    Changes in Power Dynamics Carl Bernstein (left) and Bob Woodward. Source: pastdaily.com   Of importance was the fact that the president had, for decades, been exercising executive power that skirted the scrutiny of the Supreme Court. Watergate prompted this to be rectified. The Supreme Court subsequently took much greater interest in the presidential administration—a dynamic that still exists.   The scandal also had a huge impact on the legal profession, as many of those implicated in the scandal were lawyers. After Watergate, the American Bar Association instituted a code of responsibility, and most legal schools now include compulsory courses on legal responsibility.    In addition, legislation was passed that amended campaign financing, and required more transparency between parties and the US public.    The two journalists who uncovered the scandal, Bob Woodward, and Carl Bernstein, became famous. This led to an era of celebrity journalism, and today there are many journalists far more famous than the stories they present to the US public.    While the specifics of Watergate might not be well-known to many, the term “Watergate” certainly is. The scandal also influenced the English language. The suffix “-gate” is now commonly applied to any political scandal, and is in use across the world.

  As the Qing Dynasty collapsed, China underwent a creative explosion. The early 20th century saw Chinese students and writers chart new directions in literature. They veered away from the ancient Classical Chinese writings and toward vernacular languages. They reflected on their country’s new, more vulnerable place in the world, too.   The author Lu Xun came of age during this period. He wrote in a blunt, vernacular style, covering both fiction and nonfiction. To readers in our own time, his works may come across as intensely self-reflective, gloomy, and even pessimistic. But his influence on Chinese literature and political thought has long outlasted him.   Lu Xun’s Early Years A view of modern Shaoxing, the birthplace of Lu Xun, photograph by Zhangzhugang. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Lu Xun was actually a pen name; the author grew up as Zhou Shuren. Zhou Shuren was born on September 25, 1881, into the influential Zhou family. His grandfather had actually passed the notoriously difficult, prestigious Confucian imperial exams and had gone to Beijing to work for the government. On paper, the Zhou family seemed secure — far removed from the majority of the population in Qing China.   Yet despite his family’s reputable past, Zhou Shuren’s formative years weren’t happy or easy. His renowned grandfather was arrested for bribing state officials, only being spared the death penalty by his family’s intervention. While the grandfather may have escaped execution, the Zhou family was disgraced, ostracized by the rest of their community. Barely a teenager at the time, young Zhou Shuren was disturbed by this backlash. The chaos had planted the first seeds of disgust and resentment in his mind.   Studying Medicine A younger Lu Xun. Source: The Japan Times   The family’s social fortunes may have fallen, but Lu Xun still had financial standing that other Chinese people could only have dreamed of. He was well educated, and in 1904, he left for college in Sendai, Japan. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was not uncommon for elite Chinese families to send their sons to study abroad. Lu Xun intended to study medicine, hoping to become a doctor. Since his father had died without access to modern medicine, this seemed fitting.   Lu Xun’s time as a student in Sendai was not smooth, either. Chinese students in Japan faced a vicious assault of ethnic hatred from their Japanese counterparts. It was common in Japan at the time for people to view the Chinese as a superstitious, backwards nation. Lu Xun could not escape the xenophobic gaze of his Japanese classmates.   Image depicting Victory Arch in Tokyo, shortly after the Russo-Japanese War of 1905. Source: OldTokyo.com   As a student, Lu Xun especially took notice of one of his anatomy professors, Fujino Genkuro. In a short essay, he recounted his interactions with the disheveled professor. Lu Xun frequently visited Fujino seeking corrections to his classwork. The professor held some of the common prejudices of the times, but he seemed to make a genuine effort to support his students.   20 years after his departure from Japan, Lu Xun reflected on his time in Professor Fujino’s class. “In my eyes and in my mind,” he wrote, “his character is a great one, even though his name isn’t known by many people” (Cheng and Denton, 2017). He kept Fujino’s corrected lecture notes but sadly lost them during a move to Beijing. The last memento Lu Xun retained of Fujino Genkuro was a photograph, kept above his writer’s desk.   Turning to Literature Great Naval Battle at Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War, by Chinsai Rosetsu, 1904. Source: Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri   Lu Xun’s turn to literature was the culmination of years of disillusionment with human conflict. The final straw, he would later allege, was a slideshow he viewed in class at Sendai. He was captivated by the new film technology, but that amazement quickly turned to horror. The subject of the slideshow? Footage from the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05.   One slide especially haunted Lu Xun. The image showed a Japanese soldier preparing to execute a Chinese prisoner of war with a sword. The slideshow sickened Lu Xun, but one aspect of it disturbed him the most. He saw a crowd of Chinese bystanders at the execution, looking on with indifference as their countryman was put to death. This was, supposedly, enough to push the young medical student over the edge. We have no way of knowing if Lu Xun’s recollections were entirely accurate.   Lu Xun left Sendai in 1906, after only two years of study. He redirected his intellectual goals toward writing. In the young man’s view, Chinese people needed not only physical healing, but psychological healing, too. Could writing and reflection turn the tide for his beleaguered country?   Literary Techniques and Changes Lu Xun with his domestic partner and child, 1920s. Source: South China Morning Post   Lu Xun set himself apart from previous Chinese writers through his use of language. For hundreds of years, Classical Chinese had been China’s literary standard. Yet it was a dead language; ordinary people could not read it and spoken Chinese languages had long since diverged from it. It was a vestige of the elitist worldview that Lu Xun so reviled.   What Lu Xun pioneered was a turn away from ancient styles toward vernacular speech (baihua in Chinese). The characters in his short stories spoke plainly, instead of bloviating in poetic fashion. That being said, he did infuse his stories with historical scope and significance.   Troops linked to Chinese warlord Feng Yuxiang inspecting new machine guns, c. 1930. Source: Association for Asian Studies   He may have been a diligent student of history, but Lu Xun was even more so a cultural critic. He openly criticized major elements of Chinese culture, such as Confucian orthodoxy and the Chinese writing system. China’s fractious politics infuriated him most of all. In his mind, the inability of Chinese leaders to forge a solid government without resorting to infighting harmed China’s standing on the world stage.   Lu Xun’s nonfiction work focused on political and social criticism. His fiction work, similarly, contained a heavy dose of social commentary.   Lu Xun’s Political Views Photograph of Lu Xun. Source: Historical Materialism   The 1910s and 1920s saw China establish a new, republican government. This government was never truly stable, but the change from imperial rule did allow varying currents of thought to flourish. One of the major political organizations to emerge was the Communist Party, founded in 1921.   As a cultural critic dissatisfied with China’s current direction, Lu Xun developed sympathies with socialism. After 1926, his commitment to the Marxist worldview strengthened. He lived in Shanghai during this period, writing and delivering lectures to sympathetic Chinese audiences. He was a major inspiration behind the creation of the League of Left-Wing Writers in 1930. However, he argued frequently with other left-wing intellectuals and left the League not long after its founding.   Lu Xun’s brand of Marxism was hard to categorize. In fact, the very idea of labeling his thoughts probably would have irritated Lu Xun. He deeply believed in the socialist cause, but he was somewhat nationalistic at the same time. His love-hate relationship with China itself was the defining feature of his thought and work.   Final Years and Thoughts on China Portrait of Lu Xun, 1930. Source: Wikimedia Commons   From 1926 onward, Lu Xun largely left fiction writing behind. He was afraid that fiction could not heal the Chinese spirit, and that his work up to that point in service of that goal had not been enough. He changed gears to creating essays defending his political worldview. Even as he immersed himself further in the socialist cause, however, he displayed aversion to hardcore ideologues. No records are believed to exist claiming Lu Xun’s membership of the Communist Party.   Lu Xun spent the final years of his life in sickness. His compulsive smoking probably made the situation worse. He died from tuberculosis on October 19, 1936 — only 55 years old. He could sense further tragedy for China, but he could not have imagined the staggering loss of life that lay ahead.   The Legacy of Lu Xun: An Enduring Literary Giant Cartoon of Lu Xun at his desk, by Luis Grañena. Source: The Wire China   Lu Xun died young, creative as ever but pessimistic about his country’s future. Given the later developments of World War II and the Chinese Civil War, his pessimism was not entirely unwarranted. Still, he became a major name in Chinese literature almost immediately after his death, especially during the start of Communist Party rule.   Communist China under Mao Zedong had quite a contradictory relationship with Lu Xun and his work. Mao himself exalted Lu Xun as a great socialist and one of the intellectual fathers of the new Chinese order. But at the same time, the dictator feared and abhorred the late author’s critical attitude toward politics and society. Mao’s government worked tirelessly to clamp down on skepticism and opposition, no matter where it came from. This would have disturbed Lu Xun.   But even communist repression could not destroy Lu Xun’s legacy. His works are still widely read in Chinese schools (albeit censored) as well as on college campuses overseas. The great author survived his own death and inspired others in his home country.   Further Reading   Cheng, Eileen J., and Kirk A. Denton, eds. Jottings Under Lamplight. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2017.

  Rebellions and revolts have long been a part of human history. From the dawn of civilization, humans have always found a way to protest against their governments — and the Tudor era was no different. Henry VIII’s reforms to the Catholic Church were not just shocking to the Pope, but to many of the people of England — and that is exactly what sparked the Pilgrimage of Grace.   Background to the Pilgrimage of Grace Banner of the Holy Wounds, used during the Pilgrimage of Grace. Source: Wikimedia Commons   The Pilgrimage of Grace occurred in England over a period of around four months, from October 1536 until February 1537. It occurred during the middle of Henry VIII’s reign — three years after his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had formally been annulled, two years since Henry had formed the Church of England after the Break with Rome, and the same year that his second wife, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded.   To say that these were tumultuous times is an understatement. On top of the religious factors, there were also a number of economic and political grievances that led to a rebellion starting in the north of England, which came to be known as the Pilgrimage of Grace.   Religious Causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace Ruins of Binham Priory. Source: Wikimedia Commons   As mentioned, the religious causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace were a key factor. Northern England was still a Catholic stronghold, despite Henry’s English Reformation. Following the Break from Rome, Henry had established himself as Supreme Head of the Church of England, and aimed to move toward Protestantism and away from Catholicism.   One reason that the north was still a Catholic stronghold was because it was far from London, and Henry’s influence could not be felt so strongly this far afield — although this was to change in early 1535 when Henry passed the First Suppression Act,  parliamentary legislation that started the dissolution of the monasteries.   The dissolution of the monasteries was a series of Church reforms, whereby Henry dissolved monasteries, convents, priories, and friaries throughout England, Ireland, and Wales. He took away (or rather redirected to the Crown) their income, and stripped them of their assets.   There were two main reasons behind this: firstly, it was to establish Henry VIII’s control over the Church. Secondly, it was to fund his foreign wars, mainly centered on France at the time.   As a result, many of the monasteries in northern England were dissolved in 1535 and early 1536. The ruins of these once-magnificent buildings can still be seen today scattered across the country.   Political Causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace Catherine of Aragon, by Lucas Horenbout, c. 1525. Wikimedia Commons   The political reasons for the Pilgrimage of Grace tie in with the religious reasons. Henry VIII’s decision to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was partially politically motivated.   One reason that Henry had cited for the divorce was that he needed a male heir — something that (in his view) Catherine had been unable to provide for him. A male heir (once again, in Henry’s view) would stabilize his reign, and ensure that there was a future for the Tudor dynasty. This problem came to be referred to as Henry’s “Great Matter” — his obsession with a male heir.   Many people who were Catholics like Catherine of Aragon were disgusted at Henry’s treatment of his wife during the divorce proceedings. In addition, because Catherine and Henry’s daughter Mary Tudor was a Catholic, many northern Catholics wanted to ensure that the Catholic Mary would succeed Henry, rather than her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth, who he had fathered with his second wife, Anne Boleyn, by this time.   Economic Causes of the Pilgrimage of Grace Richard II meeting with the rebels of the Peasants’ Revolt (1381), by Jean Froissart, 15th century. Source: The BNF   As with most rebellions, there were also economic grievances associated with the Pilgrimage of Grace. Henry VIII had foreign wars to fund — and one way of doing this was by raising taxes. Similar to the Peasants’ Revolt two centuries earlier, the poorest members of society were the ones most affected. During Henry’s VIII’s kingship, many of these people lived in the north of England.   Furthermore, “enclosure” was a process that had started under Henry VII but had been continued during Henry VIII’s reign. This was when members of the nobility who were also private landlords had the right to fence off land that had traditionally belonged to peasants.   With the financial burden of increased taxation and less land available to make a living from, it is not hard to see why the northern peasants rose up during the Pilgrimage of Grace.   The Lincolnshire Rising Thomas Cromwell, by Hans Holbein the Younger, c. 1532-33. Source: Art Hive   The very first uprisings started in early October 1536, in the town of Louth, Lincolnshire. This came to be known as the “Lincolnshire Rising,” and it would eventually develop into the Pilgrimage of Grace in the coming weeks.   The man who is often credited with starting the Lincolnshire Risings was called Nicholas Melton. He was a local cobbler from Louth, and due to his discontent at Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell’s Reformation policies, he grabbed a registrar, burned his papers, and attempted to force priests to swear an oath of loyalty.   Rather than simply being put down, due to the support for Melton, his story attracted thousands of local supporters, who rallied to his cause. A plan was drafted for these rebels to march on Lincoln to protest against the desecration of the monasteries.   However, the general feeling of anger soon turned violent, when a man called John Raynes, the chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln, was forcibly dragged from his bed and beaten bloody by the mob.   Part of the demands from the Lincolnshire rebels was that Henry VIII and Cromwell put an end to the dissolution of the monasteries, as well as an end to the collection of subsidies, both of which naturally threatened the Catholic Church.   Of course, Henry VIII was furious when he heard about the uprisings. He was even reported to have described Lincolnshire as “one of the most brute and beastly [counties] of the whole realm.”   Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, c. 1530. Source: Sotheby’s   Henry sent Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, north to Lincolnshire to suppress the rebellion. While many of the protestors were simply dispersed, one man who was not so fortunate was Nicholas Melton.   He was hanged at Tyburn for his involvement, in a move which Henry VIII anticipated would make an example of him to any future rebels. Clearly, this did not work, and Melton was viewed as an ambassador to those in the neighboring counties of Yorkshire.   Robert Aske’s Rebellion in Yorkshire Clifford’s Tower, York. Wikimedia Commons   From October 14, a rebellion began to stir in Yorkshire, after locals heard the news of the Lincolnshire Rising being suppressed. One of the key figures of the Pilgrimage of Grace was Robert Aske, a lawyer, who had returned to his native Yorkshire after practicing in London.   Aske himself was a devoted Catholic, so naturally the Henrician reforms went against almost everything he believed in. Because of his noble stock—he was from the de Clifford family, and loosely related to Jane Seymour—he was seen as the ideal leader. What must have been worrying for Henry, though, was that a member of the nobility was leading a rebellion of the common people.   The difference between the Lincolnshire Risings and those in Yorkshire which came to be termed as the Pilgrimage of Grace, was that the Yorkshire risings were not localized, and they garnered more support. On October 24, Aske marched into York along with 30,000 supporters.   One of Aske’s requirements was that he wanted the monks and nuns who had been forcibly removed from their monasteries and convents to be restored in place of the private tenants Henry VIII had installed. The rebels also compiled a long list of other demands in the meantime, many of which were requests to overturn Henry and Cromwell’s Protestant reforms.   The number of Aske’s supporters kept on growing and Henry eventually sent the retired Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, north to deal with the rebels. All Howard managed to do was delay them a bit — by early November they had taken over Pontefract Castle.   The Pontefract Articles Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1539. Source: The Royal Collection Trust   One of the most shrewd moves that the Duke of Norfolk made was to grant Aske an audience with Henry VIII, which he arranged for the Christmas period of 1536. The reason for this was because it separated Aske from his followers, many of whom then dispersed, which in the long run made the rebellion easier to suppress.   Aske discussed his demands with Norfolk and was given a safe passage in order to do so. There were 24 demands in total, nine of which were strictly religious. The rebels demanded an end to enclosure, as well as a return to papal authority. Perhaps the most significant demand was that they wanted a parliament to be held in the North.   Aske took Norfolk’s word for it that these vague promises would be met, and made his way back north. In turn, he asked for the rebels to make attempts to de-escalate any tensions.   Bigod’s Rebellion Henry VIII, by Hans Holbein the Younger, c. 1537. Source: Liverpool Museums   Sir Francis Bigod, a nobleman from Yorkshire, has sometimes been cited as the reason behind the downfall of the Pilgrimage of Grace, although this is quite a loose claim. When Aske returned and asked the rebels to de-escalate tensions, Bigod ignored him and attempted to stir up further rebellions in Cumberland and Westmorland in early 1537.   Aske had already negotiated with Norfolk at this point and still made attempts to stop people from supporting Bigod but to little avail. Bigod’s rebellion gave Norfolk and Henry the excuse they needed to send royal forces north and formally put an end to the Pilgrimage of Grace.   The Suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace Artist’s interpretation of the Pilgrimage of Grace, 1913. Source: Boston Story   Because many of Aske’s supporters had begun to disperse by Christmas 1536, they were only found in smaller groups by early 1537. This made it much easier for royal forces to deal with them — rather than the 30,000 strong force they had been in mid-October of the previous year.   It was an easy victory for Henry in the end, who managed to not only put the rebellion to its formal end, but also ensured that over 200 people were executed for their involvement in the rebellion, including Robert Aske.   Aske was captured, imprisoned in the Tower of London, before being convicted of high treason and taken back up north where he was hanged, reportedly in chains, outside of Clifford’s Tower in York.   The Legacy of the Pilgrimage of Grace Pontefract Castle, by Alexander Keirincx, 17th century. Source: Art UK   The Pilgrimage of Grace was the biggest anti-Reformation movement in Tudor history, and has been cemented in English history as one of the most popular rebellions of all time — it is certainly on par with the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381.   The immediate effect of the Pilgrimage of Grace shows how many people opposed the Henrician Reforms in Tudor England. From the impact of the dissolution of the monasteries, to subsidy collections and the forced removal of monks and nuns, there were a multitude of factors which contributed to the Pilgrimage of Grace.   The Pilgrimage of Grace had also been cited as a reason for further anti-Reformation rebellions, some of which occurred in the reigns of later Tudors, such as the Prayer Book Rebellion (1549) during Edward VI’s reign and the Northern Rebellion (1569) under Elizabeth I.   Without the impact of the Pilgrimage of Grace, it is highly unlikely that further rebellions would have taken place. While the rebels themselves were not successful, it was nevertheless a moment that showed where Henry VIII’s and Cromwell’s vulnerabilities lay.

Avoiding the Trap of Want "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." – Exodus 20:17 A fly was buzzing around one day when he saw a large crowd of flies dancing below him on a piece of brown paper. Intrigued, he flew in for a closer look. What fun they were having! He just had to be a part of it. But as he got ready to land, a bee suddenly stopped him. "Don't land there... that's flypaper and it will kill you!" said the bee. "Stop being silly," the fly retorted. "Look at how much fun they're all having!" And with that, the little fly landed and joined the ‘party'. Appearances can be deceiving, especially when it looks like things are working out so well for other people. They have nice cars, expensive clothes, and from the outside looking in, they seem to have it all together. But what you don't see with so many people who ‘have it together' are the mounds of debt they're drowning under, the self-image issues they're constantly battling, and the toxic, crumbling relationships they have with others. When it comes to coveting what others have, things are rarely what they seem. No good ever comes from coveting what someone else has. So instead of wishing you had more of this or a better that, thank God for what you have today. Live free from coveting and you'll experience much more joy! Prayer Challenge: Pray and ask God to release you from the trap of want so you'll find satisfaction in His blessings today. Questions for Thought: Think of something you want but you don't have today. Is it possible that want may have more control over life than God would desire? How might your life look differently if you were completely content with everything God has already given you? Visit the Senior Living Ministries website The post Avoiding the Trap of Want – Senior Living – October 8 appeared first on GodUpdates.

Review & photos by Ira Kantor I’ll be honest… after witnessing in-person the BEAT quartet of Adrian Belew, Danny Carey, Tony Levin, and Steve Vai tear into tracks from the three of a perfect pair album lineup of King Crimson’s classic 1980s period, I gave serious thought to having this review be the following lyrics from the song “Indiscipline:” “The more I look at BEAT, the more I like it. I do think it’s good! The fact is no matter how closely I study it, No matter how I take it apart, No matter how I break it down, It remains consistent… I wish you were here to see it!” But that would have been taking the easy way out. Another variation I toyed with ─ also inspired by lyrics from the same track ─ was the following: “I repeat myself when I’m impressed, I repeat myself when I’m impressed, I repeat myself when I’m impressed, I repeat myself when I’m impressed, I repeat…” But again, perhaps a bit too concise and cliché… Either way, the one definitive sentiment I couldn’t get out of my head after watching BEAT all but blow the ceiling off the 1,300-seat Keswick Theatre over the course of two hours and close to 20 tracks was Belew’s same concluding, primal thought at the end of the song: “I LIKE IT!!!” Now, if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to go back a bit in time… I was a sophomore at Binghamton University and a friend of mine named Bill Grant introduced me to Crimson’s seminal 1981 masterwork Discipline. I did not know at that time (but I would over the next 20 years) how influential that album would be in my life. Never before had I heard music so cerebral and so appealing at the same time. I couldn’t get enough of Belew’s slashing guitar soundscapes, Robert Fripp’s complex guitar arrangements, Tony Levin’s unique use of a Chapman Stick (a what??), and Bill Bruford’s intricate drum patterns ─ both on traditional and electronic kits. From there, I would discover the group’s next two albums, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair, each one individual in exciting ways. Two hours of collective music that I go back and revisit time and time again despite their disregard for commerciality. The vinyl album trio purposely sits above my desk so I can stare at them multiple times each day. To get my then toddler son interested in music, I would play “Waiting Man” on repeat and finger mimic the double drum parts. For me, and the other 1,299 individuals in attendance, we came for a one-of-a-kind experience. We left jubilant and enthralled. I mean, anytime you walk into a venue and the background music playing is Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, settle in and get comfy as you’re in for a real artistic treat! Stepping onto the stage for their 20th show in a 65-show tour one-by-one at promptly 7:30 pm, each member acknowledged the crowd, plugged in, and proceeded to give it all they had mind, body, and soul. Four Beat tracks opened the show: a pulsating “Neurotica,” followed by the wonderful “Neal and Jack and Me,” “Heartbeat,” and “Sartori in Tangier.” Belew, donned in a black porkpie hat and black suit, let loose his distinctive vocal wail (which remains fully intact more than 40 years later) as Vai, looking like an expertly tailored amalgam of Billy Gibbons, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Zorro, made sure to contort his face to every thrust and blast of his multicolored psychedelic-looking guitar. “Math rock!” said one photographer standing next to me with a smile. He wasn’t wrong. To play the tracks on these albums requires tremendous concentration and virtuosity. I mean math was a subject I was always good at but could easily lose focus while working on problems. For these guys though, the fun came in fitting the complex musical pieces together and letting loose with abundant smiles when the puzzle came together. Even when there was a one-off pedal glitch or slowdown in tempo, the band just grinned and shrugged it off making for an overall non-pressure-filled night. Synergy between members was top priority. From my seat, I would look at Belew and Levin’s movements and be instantly taken back to the classic Crimson concert footage I’d watch on repeat of shows in Frejus in ’82 and Japan in ’84. Vai is no stranger to difficult melodies and technique. This is a man after all who managed to impress the unimpressible Frank Zappa when he was a teenager. But by not being a carbon copy of Robert Fripp, that alone brought a different energy and dynamic to what BEAT showcased here. The simple fact that Vai stood for the show and fired up his guitar with everything from tapping to shredding proved to be something unforgettable. His multi-minute solo on “The Sheltering Sky” in the second half of the show recalled everyone from Al Di Meola to Steve Hackett; it was a lesson in brilliance and we all eagerly took notes with our eyes and applause. And speaking of being blown away, the collective sound of BEAT proved to be so loud within the cavernous walls of the Keswick that I couldn’t help but wonder if the residents of Cherry Hill, New Jersey – a 45-minute drive away from the venue – could hear the concert. Helping the music come alive, was a glorious light display encircling members in red, yellow, and blue colors throughout the concert. Excitement also built when Belew brought out his multi-colored axe from the Three of a Perfect Pair touring period. “I thought I left this one at home,” Belew exclaimed, before adding it was the first time the guitar came “off the wall” in 40 years. “Now it’s the happiest guitar in the world,” he added. From here, the band would plow though several tracks from that same album – “Dig Me,” “Model Man,” “Man With an Open Heart,” and “Industry,” included. As mechanical as those tracks tend to sound on record, the group was a finely tuned well-oiled musical machine here. After their brief intermission, Carey, the most casual looking member of the bunch in T-shirt and shorts, came on stage right as the house lights went down to start playing “Waiting Man.” Switching to a red suit reminiscent of his Lone Rhino days, but still keeping his black porkpie hat, Belew gleefully picked up another pair of sticks and proceeded to play right along with Carey who truly looked like a kid on Christmas morning. You could see his teeth radiating from the back of the venue. Levin also shone through tremendously throughout the night, standing out in a stark white suit jacket and black clothes (perhaps in tribute to Peter Gabriel). “Sleepless” was particularly fun to watch, especially as Levin switched from his slapping days of yore to his trademark funk fingers. “Are you having fun yet?” Belew smugly asked. He already knew the answer. Even though the band didn’t have to prove anything to us, members proceeded to keep dazzling us with one stellar track after another. “Frame by Frame” was flawless, followed by the beautiful slide work of Belew on “Matte Kudasai.” Myself, I had goosebumps when I saw Belew play his guitar at the top of the neck during “Elephant Talk;” to me, this embodied earliest footage I had seen of the ‘80s Crimson lineup now personified in real time. If Vai was worried about pulling off Fripp’s guitar mastery, he needn’t have feared – he peeled back the layers of his talents just as he shed his hat and jacket for the second half of the show. Before BEAT kicked into its encore, Belew made sure to acknowledge Fripp and Bruford for their respective contributions to this music. In tribute, the band kicked into a meaty cover of “Red” before closing out the night with the powerhouse “Thela Hun Ginjeet.” As I made my way out of the venue, I could still hear the concert reverberating down the street. Overall, the consensus proved both undeniable and palpable: Belew, Carey, Levin, and Vai are actually four of a perfect pair!

Keyboardist’s solo albums may not have reached the heady heights of his bandmates’ output – but he’s had a great time making “more progressive” music with artists of his own choosing, including Fish, Toyah and Nik Kershaw