Bryan F Wilson BFWclassroom

The Road Not Taken: What If Roosevelt Had Embraced Churchill’s Mediterranean Strategy? This article presents an alternate history of D-Day, exploring how different strategic decisions by Roosevelt and Churchill could have reshaped World War II and the post-war era.

This article presents an alternate history of D-Day, exploring how different strategic decisions by Roosevelt and Churchill could have reshaped World War II and the post-war era.

The Educator Who Rose from Civil War Ashes: How Mary McLeod Bethune Built an Educational Empire from Slavery’s Ruins When most Americans think of Civil War heroes, they envision generals like Grant and Sherman, or politicians like Lincoln and Douglas. But the war's most profound victory may have belonged to a girl born into slavery who would transform American education forever. The Forgotten Dimension of Civil War Victory The Civil War ended slavery, but what came next? How do four million newly freed people, denied education by law for centuries, suddenly become full participants in American democracy?

The Educator Who Rose from Civil War Ashes: How Mary McLeod Bethune Built an Educational Empire from Slavery’s Ruins

When most Americans think of Civil War heroes, they envision generals like Grant and Sherman, or politicians like Lincoln and Douglas. But the war's most profound victory may have…

Celebrate Positivity: August 2025 August 2025 offers opportunities to celebrate diversity, honor history, and inspire students' engagement.

August 2025 offers opportunities to celebrate diversity, honor history, and inspire students' engagement. #BackToSchool

Superman (2025): A Hero Returns with Heart and Hope Rating: ★★★★☆ After years of darker, more brooding superhero films, James Gunn's Superman arrives like a breath of fresh air—or perhaps more accurately, like a gentle breeze from Smallville. This isn't just a reboot; it's a love letter to everything that makes Superman enduring, wrapped in modern filmmaking techniques and delivered with Gunn's signature blend of humor and genuine emotion.

This isn't just a reboot; it's a love letter to everything that makes Superman enduring, wrapped in modern filmmaking techniques and delivered with Gunn's signature blend of humor and genuine emotion. #MovieReview #Superman

Book Review: The Pope at War by David I. Kertzer David I. Kertzer's "The Pope at War" critically analyzes Pope Pius XII's actions during World War II, revealing complicity with fascist regimes and moral failings amid the Holocaust.

David I. Kertzer's "The Pope at War" critically analyzes Pope Pius XII's actions during World War II, revealing complicity with fascist regimes and moral failings amid the Holocaust. #BookReview

Book Review: Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South by Elizabeth Varon Elizabeth Varon's "Longstreet" redefines the Confederate general's legacy, highlighting his tactical brilliance and post-war advocacy for racial reconciliation, challenging entrenched historical myths.

Elizabeth Varon's "Longstreet" redefines the Confederate general's legacy, highlighting his tactical brilliance and post-war advocacy for racial reconciliation, challenging entrenched historical myths. #BookReview

Book Review: Three Revolutions by Simon Hall Simon Hall's "Three Revolutions" explores the impact of journalism on revolutionary movements in the 20th century through dual biographies of revolutionaries and their journalists, highlighting media's influence on history.

Simon Hall's "Three Revolutions" explores the impact of journalism on revolutionary movements in the 20th century through dual biographies of revolutionaries and their journalists, highlighting media's influence on history. #BookReview

Summer Reading Review This summer's reading highlighted leadership lessons from historical figures and the importance of moral courage, adaptability, and vision, emphasizing that effective leadership emerges during crises.

This summer's reading highlighted leadership lessons from historical figures and the importance of moral courage, adaptability, and vision, emphasizing that effective leadership emerges during crises. #SummerReading #BookReview

A Human Tapestry of War: Reviewing Rachel Chrastil’s “Bismarck’s War” Perfect for the Advanced History Classroom For educators teaching AP European History, World History, or advanced undergraduate courses on nineteenth-century Europe, finding books that combine rigorous scholarship with accessible narrative can be challenging. Rachel Chrastil's "Bismarck's War: The Franco-Prussian War and the Making of Modern Europe" emerges as an ideal text that bridges this gap perfectly. This book addresses multiple learning objectives central to AP European History curricula, particularly those focusing on nationalism, imperialism, and the causes of modern warfare.

Rachel Chrastil's "Bismarck's War: The Franco-Prussian War and the Making of Modern Europe" brings these human stories to the forefront, creating what critics have called "the definitive history of a transformative conflict." #FrancoPrussianWar

The Hypothetical 1937 American Civil War: From Gaming Scenario to Educational Tool A map I found online shows an intriguing "what if" scenario in American alternate history: a hypothetical Second American Civil War in 1937 during the Great Depression. While this never happened, it has captured the interest of historians, game designers, and educators examining the social and political tensions of that time. I am fascinated by these historical "what if" scenarios and enjoy exploring them in various ways.

Finding a random map led to a #WhatIf discovery about a possible labor induced Civil War in 1937 USA.

Book Review A Comparison of Cowley’s “What If?” Trilogy vs. Ferguson’s “Virtual History” The reviewed collections, Cowley's "What If?" trilogy and Ferguson's "Virtual History," offer distinct approaches to counterfactual history, enhancing critical thinking skills for advanced students in history education.

The reviewed collections, Cowley's "What If?" trilogy and Ferguson's "Virtual History," offer distinct approaches to counterfactual history, enhancing critical thinking skills for advanced students in history education. #BookReview

America’s Pastime on Screen: The Best Baseball Movies That Transcend the Game The post explores how baseball films transcend mere entertainment, offering profound reflections on American dreams, identity, and the human experience through narratives that resonate emotionally and culturally.

The post explores how baseball films transcend mere entertainment, offering profound reflections on American dreams, identity, and the human experience through narratives that resonate emotionally and culturally. #MLBAllStarGame

The Unsung Hero: How Hubert Humphrey Transformed the Democratic Party on Civil Rights Hubert Humphrey's 1948 convention speech redefined the Democratic Party's approach to civil rights, shaping its future political identity and liberating it from Southern segregationist influences.

Hubert Humphrey's 1948 convention speech redefined the Democratic Party's approach to civil rights, shaping its future political identity and liberating it from Southern segregationist influences.

Spain Wins 2010 World Cup

Spain Wins 2010 World Cup

From Reluctant Vice President to World Leader: A Review of David L. Roll’s “Ascent to Power” David L. Roll's biography, Ascent to Power, explores Truman's transformative presidency from 1944-1948, emphasizing political evolution, international diplomacy, domestic policy, and complex historical narratives.

David L. Roll's biography, Ascent to Power, explores Truman's transformative presidency from 1944-1948, emphasizing political evolution, international diplomacy, domestic policy, and complex historical narratives.

What Superman Means To Me

I'm reposting a link to my story from April in response to all those who have problems with who Superman is and what he stands for: Truth, Justice, and the American Way ( i.e. helping those who cannot help themselves, being a light to those who are leaving darkness, being…

What If: The Failed Constitutional Convention and the Birth of Three American Republics The summer of 1787 marked a failed Constitutional Convention, leading to the fragmentation of the thirteen colonies into three distinct republics, each aligned with European powers.

#WhatIf the Constitutional Convention had failed to pull the country together and instead three regional confederations emerged instead.

America Walt Whitman 1819 –1892 Centre of equal daughters, equal sons,All, all alike endear'd, grown, ungrown, young or old,Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich,Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love,A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother,Chair'd in the adamant of Time.

America

Walt Whitman 1819 –1892 Centre of equal daughters, equal sons,All, all alike endear'd, grown, ungrown, young or old,Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich,Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love,A grand, sane, towering, seated Mother,Chair'd in the adamant of Time.

American History: July’s Revolutionary Moments July 2025 marks significant anniversaries that reflect America's ongoing struggle for freedom, equality, and achievement. Key events include the Declaration of Independence, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Seneca Falls Convention, and landmark space missions. These moments highlight the evolution of American ideals and the need for continuous commitment to expand opportunities for all citizens.

July 2025 marks significant anniversaries that reflect America's ongoing struggle for freedom, equality, and achievement. Key events include the Declaration of Independence, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Seneca Falls Convention, and landmark space missions.

Celebrating Positivity: July July provides opportunities to celebrate diversity, honor history, and inspire learning through Disability Pride Month, heritage months, significant events, and influential figures' birthdays in education.

July provides opportunities to celebrate diversity, honor history, and inspire learning through Disability Pride Month, heritage months, significant events, and influential figures' birthdays in education.

The Butterfly Effect: How Single Moments Can Reshape History An Introduction to Alternative Histories and the Power of Contingency History, we're often told, is written by the victors. But what if history could have been written entirely differently? What if a single artillery shell had found a different target, a papal encyclical had used stronger language, or a diplomatic cable had arrived an hour earlier? Welcome to a series exploring how the smallest changes in pivotal moments could have fundamentally altered the course of human civilization.

Over the next few months I'll be publishing #WhatIf alternative histories based on the biographies and historic non-fiction I've been reading over the past two years.

Unraveling the Myth: A Review of Alan Taylor’s “American Republics” Alan Taylor's "American Republics" reexamines early American history, highlighting contradictions, Native American resilience, and the complex realities behind American exceptionalism, making it essential for educators and students.

Alan Taylor's "American Republics" reexamines early American history, highlighting contradictions, Native American resilience, and the complex realities behind American exceptionalism, making it essential for educators and students. #BookReview #AlanTaylor

YouTube: Creating Google Maps Learn how to generate csv files in google gemini and them create Google Maps.

Learn how to use #GoogleGemini to create new CSV files for classroom Mapmaking activities. #IFLLex #ISTE2025

Life for Civilians in German-Occupied Soviet Territories During WWII The German occupation of Soviet territories during World War II inflicted extreme suffering through starvation, forced labor, and violence, resulting in millions of civilian deaths and lasting trauma.

German occupation of Soviet territories during #WorldWarII inflicted extreme suffering through starvation, forced labor, and violence, resulting in millions of civilian deaths and lasting trauma. #WW2at80

Lexington, Kentucky: Where Revolutionary Spirit Echoes Across Centuries The author reflects on the differing Revolutionary War experiences of South Carolina and Kentucky, emphasizing community building, democratic ideals, and the ongoing relevance of revolutionary principles in contemporary America.

The author reflects on the differing Revolutionary War experiences of South Carolina and Kentucky, emphasizing community building, democratic ideals, and the ongoing relevance of revolutionary principles in contemporary America. #250LEX

This video builds on my presentation at the Innovations For Learning Conference in Lexington on June 4. Be sure to check out all my presentation resources here. #IFLLEX

The Road Not Taken: What If Roosevelt Had Embraced Churchill’s Mediterranean Strategy? This article presents an alternate history of D-Day, exploring how different strategic decisions by Roosevelt and Churchill could have reshaped World War II and the post-war era.

This article presents an alternate history of D-Day, exploring how different strategic decisions by Roosevelt and Churchill could have reshaped World War II and the post-war era.

The Turning Tide: How D-Day Shaped War and Politics in 1944-1945 The conclusion of World War II in 1945 was shaped by complex military strategies and political dynamics in 1944, particularly spotlighting D-Day's implications for Allied leadership and post-war arrangements.

D-day was about more than just the invasion of France. Its planning and development was a political struggle between the Big3 and one of the main parts of FDRs 1944 campaign. #D-Day #WW2

D-Day 81 Years Later

Remembering D-Day: Its Impact on World War II and the Politics of the Allied Powers June 6, 1944, is a date etched in history as D-Day, the day when Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion ever seen. Over 156,000 troops from the United States, the United…

WW1 and WW2: Ukraine The historical struggle of Ukraine from World War I through Soviet oppression is marked by significant humanitarian crises, national aspirations, and violent repressions that shaped contemporary identity and conflict.

Looking at Ukraine's lost history from 1900-1950 could be helpful for teachers trying to explain the current peace process in the classroom.