During the Civil War, when photography was a new medium, a minister and amateur historian raced to capture images of the last surviving veterans of the American Revolution.
Tag Archives: Historic Figures
John Muir’s legacy questioned
The work of environmentalist John Muir helped create the national parks system and preserve the natural beauty throughout the country. Now some question whether his view of nature is relevant to today’s challenges.
7 Epic Fails Brought to You by the Genuis Mind of Thomas Edison
Part of Thomas Edison’s ability to succeed came from his willingness to try things that failed. Check out the photo gallery for a slideshow of the failed inventions the article describes.
Pop Culture’s Undying Edgar Allan Poe Obsession
There’s no question that Edgar Allan Poe has made a lasting impression on American popular culture. This article uses the release of a movie about a dangerous obsession with Poe to take a look back at the author’s pop culture legacy.
The Influence of Machiavelli on Shakespeare
The Renaissance Italian writer Niccolò Machiavelli explored ideas about power in his still-controversial book The Prince. His work not only influenced political leaders, though; it also influenced the work of William Shakespeare a century later.
Emily Dickinson’s mystifying in-sight
Imagery of vision and eyes permeates Emily Dickinson’s poetry. In this article, humanities professor and physician Larry Zaroff (with Tony Chan) provides a medical rationale for one of Dickinson’s most powerful metaphors.
About the Brothers Grimm and Fairytales
Once upon a time, fairy tales weren’t for children. They weren’t even written down. Read this history to learn how much fairy tales—even the ones with which we’re most familiar—have changed over time. Be sure to follow the links to older versions of the tales, and find out for yourself!
Civil Disobedience
Both Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. drew inspiration from the writings of Henry David Thoreau. Read the 19th-century work that lit the fires of both Indian independence and American civil rights.
Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
Once upon a time, a seven-year-old girl named Linda Brown walked six blocks to a bus stop and then rode a bus to school, although another school was only seven blocks from her home. Check out this site to learn what happened when she tried to change schools—and succeeded.
Oskar Schindler: Unlikely Hero
A Nazi industrialist may not fit the usual idea of a hero, but Oskar Schindler used his wealth, charm, and connections to save the lives of over 1000 Jews during World War II.
Shakespeare and the Classics: Plutarch, Ovid, and Inspiration
Like many of his contemporaries, Shakespeare drew on a variety of resources for his astounding output of plays.
Phillis Wheatley Biography
This biography outlines the life of Phillis Wheatley, who became a published poet despite being enslaved.
This POW kept a secret diary that showed daily life in a concentration camp
Read this article to learn about the life of Anthony Acevedo, a former U.S. Army medic who kept a diary of his time in a Nazi concentration camp as a prisoner of war.
A Close, Intimate Look at Walt Whitman
What can the camera tell us about the lives and work of famous authors? In this article, poet Mark Strand examines an 1891 photograph of Walt Whitman.
Who is Martin Luther King Jr. to us, 50 years later?
On the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., authors, activists, and historians share their views of his legacy.
Patrick Henry Smells a Rat
As an anti-Federalist, Patrick Henry opposed the ratification of the Constitution. Read about his opposition to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Did the Civil War Achieve Equality? Stephen Kantrowitz’s ‘More Than Freedom’
Critic Herschthal reviews historian Stephen Kantrowitz’s 2012 book about the abolitionist leaders who fought for more than just the end of slavery before and after the Civil War.
Baltimore rededicates ex-Confederate site to Harriet Tubman
In another chapter of America’s reckoning with the history of slavery, Baltimore has removed Confederate statues from one of its parks and renamed it after abolionist Harriet Tubman.
Mary Wollstonecraft Biography
This biography describes the major life events of feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
John Smith Biography
This biography details the life of early American colonist John Smith.