February Events

I was attempting to thin out my file cabinet when some research caught my eye. It was a three page dated List of Events For February. February is a short month, but full of activities. So full,  that the fourth Friday and time for my blog had passed by unnoticed. List in hand I decided this list could become the subject of a short blog for a short month.
Writers need to be aware of what is happening in the world during the time, setting and within the social milieu of their stories. With that premise I used this list when I was writing my first historical novel, Four Summers Waiting. Several items were starred  that I had put into dialog, description or action  in the story. Below I've excerpted  ones that were pertinent:

                       Monthly History of February Events

      1732  The first President of the US and the first president of anything in the world was born,

      George Washington

      1783 Great Britain declared a cessation of hostilities with its former colonies, The USA

      1801 the District of Columbia was placed under the jurisdiction of Congress.

      1807 Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland Maine

1809  Abraham Lincoln born in present day Larue County, Kentucky

      1839  Congress prohibited dueling

      1857 A French court acquitted author Flaubert of obscenity for his novel. Madam Bovary

      1861 President elect Abraham Lincoln, departed Springfield Illinois for Washington

      1861 Jefferson Davis was sworn in as President of the Confederate States of America

      1885 The Washington Monument was dedicated

 

The list was an excellent help from the internet several years ago and it leads up to an event  for the present month of February, 2013 on the internet. Book Two of my back list,  Maine Shore Chronicles, Moonglade became available on Kindle! If you haven't read Moonglade,it is a cozy mystery heralded by Publisher's Weekly Reviews and it is now at a  bargain price compared to the hard cover Five Star edition. You can read about it on my author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/maryschoenecker. If you liked Finding Fiona you will love Moonglade.