Mossy Feet Books – Author Paul R. Wonning
Books About Indiana History, United States History and Garden Guides
Britain’s first attempt at founding a colony in North America had failed at Roanoke Island in 1590. It would be almost 20 years before they would mount a second attempt. Continue reading Podcast – The Founding of Jamestown, Virginia
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado had explored large areas of what would become America’s Southwest in 1540 – 1542. Spain had never followed up on this great expedition. King Phillip II of Spain decided to end this neglect by charging explorer Juan de Oñate with the mission of exploring this region on September 21, 1595. Continue reading Juan de Oñate Expedition to the Great Plains
Greetings, today I will conclude the tale of the Roanoke settlement in Virginia Continue reading John White Returns to Roanoke
By 1588 Spain was the preeminent power. Its overseas colonies spread over three continents in the New World, North America, South America and Central America. These colonies sent vast quantities of gold back to Spai Continue reading Podcast – The Spanish Armada
The last episode related how Richard Grenville returned to Roanoke Island to find the colony deserted, as Sir Walter Raleigh had rescued the beleaguered settlers some days before Grenville arrived with fresh supplies. This episode is the conclusion of the tale of Roanoke Island. Continue reading Sir Walter Raleigh’s Roanoke Colony Part 2
The story of the founding of St. Augustine, Florida begins with a disastrous French settlement on Pariss Island in 1562, North Carolina and ends with the destruction of the French Fort Caroline in Florida three years later. Continue reading Pedro Menéndez de Aviles and the Founding Of St. Augustine
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado’s fleet departed San Miguel de Culiacán on their quest to explore what the area of the Colorado River on April 22, 1540. Hernando de Alarcón would depart by ship in May. The plan was for Alarcón to find the mouth of the Colorado River, sail up it and rendezvous with Coronado’s overland expedition. Continue reading Podcast – Coronado’s Search For The 7 Cities Of Gold
Hernando de Soto lived from October 21, 1496 until May 21, 1542. His parents were members of a minor Spanish nobility class called Hildagos. As nobility, they would pay no taxes, however they had little property. He spent his childhood migrating with his family between 3 towns in southwest Spain. As he matured, he attended the University of Salamanca, courtesy of a family friend’s generosity. During his early life tales of the adventures of the Spanish conquistadors circulated widely among the people. Intrigued by the possibility of wealth and fame, he decided to become one of these adventurers. Continue reading Podcast – Hernando De Soto’s Expedition to the Mississippi River
His small fleet included four ships and departed on May 9, 1502. His stepbrother Bartolomeo, Diego Mendez, and his 13-year-old son Fernando accompanied him. During the final leg of the voyage, he encountered a hurricane that was brewing, so he did stop at Hispaniola to warn the governor. The governor ignored his warning and sent a 28-ship fleet laden with treasure on its way. The ships did encounter the hurricane, which sank 24 of the 28 ships. Columbus had placed some of his possessions on one of the ships and this ship was one of the survivors. Continue reading Christopher Columbus’ Fourth Voyage, Death and His Wanderings After Death
Today I will talk about the first Spanish settlement in the New World and the conclusion of Columbus’ second voyage. Continue reading The First New World Spanish Settlement
After leaving Cuba the captain of the Pinta, Martín Alonso Pinzón, took off on his own. Continue reading Podcast – Division of the fleet, First Spanish Settlement, Mermaids and Return to Spain
The three ships departed the Canary Islands on September 6, 1492. The ships would remain out of sight of land for 5 long weeks. Continue reading Podcast – Columbus – San Salvador Island, Fernandina and Cuba
Today the author discusses the completion of the Reconquista and the contract that would lead to great riches for Spain and a firm place in history for the previously obscure Christopher Columbus. Continue reading Reconquista Complete and Columbus Signs Contract
In 1469 Spain was still a disunited nation. The Kingdom of Castile was the largest kingdom and occupied the region between Portugal and the Kingdom of Aragon. The Atlantic Ocean lay to the north and the Muslim region of Grenada lay to the south. The Kingdom of Aragon bordered Castile to the west and France to the northeast. The Pyrenees Mountains formed the Aragon/France boundary. The Mediterranean Sea lay to the southeast. Continue reading Events Leading to Columbus’ First Voyage
For the first time in English history, a band of rebel barons forced a monarch to cede much of his power when they compelled King John I to sign the Magna Carta on June 15, 1215. The Magna Carta inspired much of the revolutionary fervor for liberties that resulted in the American Revolution and the Constitution that followed. Continue reading Sample Chapter – The Magna Carta
By the time the Founding Fathers drafted the Constitution, the colonies had a long history of self-government. Many of the members of the Constitutional Convention had drafted similar documents for their states in the tumultuous months during the early phases of the Revolution. This collection of American documents includes the colonial charters and constitutions of the original colonies. The book includes histories of these documents as well as the full text of each one. Many of these early documents directly influenced the history of United States government from the earliest days of settlement. Continue reading Democracy in America – The Early Documents
Located in west central Brown County State Park, is an ideal spot for picnics as there are several picnic tables here. Trail 7 circles the lake and allows access to Trails 9 and 8. Continue reading Trail 7 Around Ogle Lake
Greetings, today I will tell some more stories from my book, A Day in United States History – Book 1. This batch of stories are from July through December and are much shortened versions of the articles in the book. Continue reading Podcast – More Selected American History Stories
Greetings, in May of 2023 during a camping trip to Shakamak State Park my wife and I visited the Waapaahsiki Siipiiwi Mound Historical Park. The park is located about 2 miles west of Indiana State Road 63 in Sullivan County about 2 miles southwest of the village of Fairbanks, Indiana. It is on the south side of the road, left side if going west. Continue reading Podcast – Waapaahsiki Siipiiwi Mound Historical Park
Take a fun tour through the rich history of Indiana using Northeast Indiana Day Trips as your guidebook. This tourism guide will help visitors find all of the historical treasures in south central Indiana. Continue reading Northeast Indiana Day Trips
Mossy Feet Books - Author Paul R. Wonning 