On Wednesday, July 16, Allen Mack, the founder of the Living History Foundation, was the Seminole Indian Scouts Cemetery Association’s July Zoom presenter. The title of his presentation was “Planting the Union Flag in Texas.” He discussed the interesting history of the Union Army invading Texas during the Civil War.
During his engaging and thought-provoking presentation, Allen Mack educated attendees about the history of the Union Army invading Texas and the reasons why it was so important for the Union Army to take control. He also discussed how the United States Colored Troops (USCT) played an important role in this and how their service in the military changed their lives and the military itself. Allen discussed how the military required the USCT to learn how to read and write. This requirement would lead to the founding of Lincoln University, an HBCU.
Allen Mack is a beloved historical reenactor. He has been a presenter at our Seminole Days celebration and Fort Clark Days, Brackettville/Kinney County’s biggest event, for many years. He is also the founder of the Living History Foundation, which is a community-oriented organization based in Austin, TX. According to its about section on its website, the foundation is on “a never-ending quest to learn all we can about this country’s richly diverse history and share that knowledge with all who will listen.” The foundation “mainly interpret[s] the stories of people of color, women, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups, but everyone is welcome to tell their stories.” The foundation does “this to show our ancestors shared many of the same dreams and aspirations we all do today.” Because living history is on the decline, the Living History Foundation’s goal is “to help recruit the next generation of interpreters and teach them how to research and interpret history.”
To watch his presentation see below
