South East Express Team

This restored square-rigger in San Francisco was actually a 19th-century human trafficking vessel

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Wikimedia Commons/National Park Service The Star Fleet’s Deadly Multi-Ethnic Labor Voyages The Star Fleet ships of Alaska once linked two worlds. From 1902 to 1930, these massive square-riggers made brutal 2,400-mile trips between San Francisco and remote Alaskan canneries. On board, thousands of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Native Alaskan, Mexican, Black, and European workers lived in … Read more

Walk the Seven Hollows trail where one doctor’s eavesdropping saved Arkansas forests

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Shutterstock Dr. Hardison’s Sixteen-Year Fight for Petit Jean In 1907, a doctor named T. W. Hardison had a simple idea that changed Arkansas forever. While hiking Petit Jean Mountain with lumber bosses who said the land was too hard to log, Hardison thought: why not keep the trees standing and make a park instead? The … Read more

The forgotten Alaska connection to Seattle’s groundbreaking 3.7 million visitor World’s Fair

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Wikimedia Commons/University of Washington: Special Collections Seattle’s Profitable 1909 World’s Fair at University Campus Seattle made history in 1909 when it hosted the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition on the University of Washington campus. The fair cost $10 million and took four years to plan, but the wait paid off. More than 80,000 folks showed up on opening … Read more

The moment America officially fractured in two is remembered at this Alabama star

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Wikimedia Commons/Archibald Crossland McIntyre of Montgomery, Alabama Jefferson Davis’s Confederate Inauguration at Alabama’s Capitol On February 18, 1861, a new nation was born on the steps of Alabama’s State Capitol. Seven states had split from the Union after Lincoln won, and now 10,000 people packed the grounds to see Jefferson Davis take charge. The crowd … Read more

Meet the blind teacher who defied politicians and built West Virginia’s first disability school in Romney

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Wikimedia Commons/History of Education in West Virginia Howard Johnson’s Fight for West Virginia’s Deaf School In 1869, a young blind teacher named Howard Johnson took on West Virginia’s most powerful men. The new state paid to send deaf and blind kids to schools in other states, but Johnson had a bold plan: build their own … Read more

Here Are 12 Things People from Vermont Do That Seem Insane To Everyone Else

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Vermont might look calm and quaint from the outside, but beneath all that flannel and maple syrup lies a set of habits that outsiders find downright baffling. To Vermonters, it’s all perfectly normal — to everyone else, it’s equal parts rustic charm, stubborn independence, and cow-themed chaos. 1. Treat Maple Syrup Like Liquid Currency If … Read more

Here Are 12 Things People from Utah Do That Seem Insane To Everyone Else

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Utah is stunningly beautiful, deeply unique, and just a little bit mysterious to outsiders. Locals go about their lives thinking everything is perfectly normal — while visitors quietly wonder if they’ve entered another planet (or a particularly scenic cult). From fry sauce obsession to family sizes that need their own zip codes, here’s what makes … Read more

Here Are 12 Things People from Texas Do That Seem Insane To Everyone Else

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Texas isn’t just a state — it’s a full-blown personality. To Texans, their habits are perfectly reasonable; to outsiders, they look like a high-octane mix of pride, heatstroke, and barbecue obsession. From bragging rights to big trucks, here’s what makes life in the Lone Star State so “insanely” Texan. 1. Brag About Being From Texas … Read more

Here Are 12 Things People from Tennessee Do That Seem Insane To Everyone Else

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Tennessee is where Southern charm meets country grit, and the result is a collection of habits outsiders just can’t quite understand. To locals, it’s all perfectly normal. To everyone else, it looks like a mashup of music, moonshine, and a healthy disregard for speed limits on mountain roads. 1. Add “Y’all” to Every Sentence Without … Read more

Here Are 12 Things People from South Carolina Do That Seem Insane To Everyone Else

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South Carolina is where sweet tea flows stronger than water, humidity counts as a personality trait, and traditions run deep. To locals, these habits make perfect sense. To outsiders, they sometimes look like a charming mix of heatstroke, sugar addiction, and Southern stubbornness. 1. Treat Sweet Tea Like It’s Holy Water It’s not a drink—it’s … Read more