August 4-5, 2012: Crowd-Sourcing American Siblings

[This American Studier’s sister turns 30 this week—which makes this American Studier feel really old, but that’s another story—and in honor of that occasion I’m featuring a series on interesting American siblings. Today’s is the latest crowd-sourced post, featuring responses and ideas from various fellow American Studiers. Add yours below!]

Matt Goguen nominates the Baldwin brothers, Alec, Daniel, William and Stephen Baldwin, who are perhaps especially interesting in their very different political perspectives.

Irene Martyniuk thinks about sports siblings, wondering what leads to their shared successes: “Does raw talent run in families or do they tend to practice more because they are siblings? Some have the same body types, so it makes sense, but others, like the Williams sisters, are quite different, but are still crazy successful.” And later in the week Irene responds to the James brothers post by mentioning another pair of close, different, but also entirely interconnected siblings: the Hardy boys.

Jeff Renye shares this great site on the Grimke sisters and the Philadelphia abolitionist event.

Next series starts on Monday,

Ben

PS. Interesting American siblings you’d highlight? Other responses to the week’s posts?

8/4 Memory Day nominees: A tie between two unique and very talented 20^th century American artists and voices, Louis Armstrong and Robert Hayden.

8/5 Memory Day nominees: Another tie, this one between two pioneers without whom American history (as a discipline and as a narrative) would be significantly different, Mary Ritter Beard and Neil Armstrong.