Author Archives: Tim

About Tim

Author, public historian, and consultant. Author site: timgrove.net - My fifth book, Star Spangled: The Story of a Flag, a Battle, and the American Anthem, was published in May 2020. Consulting site: grovehistoryconsulting.com I specialize in exhibition development, interpretive planning, education strategy, and history relevance. I'm passionate about helping history organizations of all sizes and kinds make history more relevant for their communities and the people they engage with. I'm happy to consider many types of writing projects for informal learning organizations. Reach me at tim@grovehistoryconsulting.com or authortimgrove@gmail.com

A few of my favorites at Christmas

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Tim

Everything has a history, even the celebration of holidays. Some people who visit eighteenth century historic sites at Christmas ask where the Christmas trees are. Trees are a nineteenth century thing. George Washington never put up a Christmas tree at … Continue reading →

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One of America’s most remote national parks

Posted on October 8, 2022 by Tim

By guest blogger Jay Blossom Hurricane Ian cut a catastrophic path across Florida on September 28, 2022, causing at least 109 deaths and resulting in perhaps $47 billion in damage. But before its landfall near Fort Myers, the storm had … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th century, Civil War, fort, International, national park | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Meet James, the enslaved man who spied for Lafayette

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Tim

Interstate 64 connects the present capital of Virginia, Richmond, and the former capital, Williamsburg. About midway between sits New Kent County. Tourists drive through it on their way to history sites and amusements in Williamsburg, or to the beach, but … Continue reading →

Posted in 18th century, military, national park | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Not just a field

Posted on April 12, 2022 by Tim

“It’s just a field, dad,” many a bored teenager has whined on a family trip to a battlefield. Battlefields require imagination to understand their significance and over the years, I know many National Park Service staff have struggled with how … Continue reading →

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Talking with a teacher about history

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Tim

It’s coming soon! My next book, The World Turned Upside Down: The Yorktown Victory That Won America’s Independence, will be published on April 12 and I’m planning several upcoming posts to focus on the Yorktown story. If you’ve never visited … Continue reading →

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Announcing my next book…

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Tim

Hi everyone. I’ve been writing fewer blog posts recently because I’ve been busy with several book projects. And, because I wasn’t visiting historic sites during Covid — since so many were closed. (Was just at Mount Vernon last week, but … Continue reading →

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The Colonial Marines and Tangier Island

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Tim

In celebration of African American history this month, I’m sharing the link to an article I wrote for the current issue of Chesapeake Bay magazine. It’s adapted from my book, Star-Spangled, and tells the fascinating story of the Colonial Marines, … Continue reading →

Posted in 19th century, military | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Anniversary to the Pilgrims

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Tim

It’s not every day a history site in the United States gets to celebrate a 400th anniversary. (for perspective, 2026 marks the 250th birthday of the US)  This year was supposed to be the big 400th commemoration of Plymouth, Massachusetts … Continue reading →

Posted in 17th century, 21st century, Native American, pre-America | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Thoughts on changing history

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Tim

History is changing… as it always has. Some of you cry, “Revisionist history!” Others argue, “History cannot change, it’s what happened.” The facts don’t usually change, an event happened at a certain place, on a certain date (though even these … Continue reading →

Posted in history practice | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A magical moment at Mount Vernon

Posted on August 11, 2020 by Tim

Recently I experienced what I call a magical moment at a history site. I haven’t been to any historic sites since March, thanks to the pandemic. I was happy to hear that Mount Vernon, George Washington’s restored home near Alexandria, … Continue reading →

Posted in 18th century, house, President | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments