Historian Gary Wills discusses the significance of the Gettysburg Address.
Tag Archives: Historic Figures
Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and the War That Changed Poetry, Forever
In this blog entry, David Ward looks at the influence of the Civil War on poetry, specifically the works of Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.
Compromise 1: Philadelphia Story
Joseph Ellis, a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian, explores the issues of regional power and slavery that overshadowed the Constitutional Convention in 1789. Through hard bargaining, delegates such as Benjamin Franklin and James Madison drafted a Constitution that has endured for centuries. However, their compromises planted the seeds of the Civil War.
The Curious, and Continuing, Appeal of Mark Twain in China
In most Chinese classrooms, students learned about Mark Twain, a famously American author. Twain’s satirical short story, “Running for Governor,” was used to reinforce anti-Western, anti-capitalist views. As you read this article, be sure to take a look at the short story referenced.
Address at the Conclusion of the Selma to Montgomery March
Read or listen to one of the most important speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I’ve Been Haunted by Anne Frank’s Memory for So Long
After Anne Frank’s death, her father married the mother of Eva Schloss, who had gone into hiding with her family and survived a concentration camp. In this interview, Schloss talks about her experiences growing up as Anne Frank’s stepsister.
James I on the Divine Right of Kings
King James I of England was a proponent of the divine right of kings: the idea that a king’s power came directly from God. This idea is key to several of Shakespeare’s plays, including Macbeth, and was delineated in a speech the king gave to Parliament in 1609. This site provides the original text, a transcript, and an audio recording.
The Real Story of Revere’s Ride
To learn more about Paul Revere’s famous ride, visit this site created by the Paul Revere Memorial Association. Read through the account of what really happened that night, check out the interactive map that tracks Revere’s journey, and read his own account of the events.
Auden’s Musée des Beaux Arts
Auden’s poem is only partly about the painting “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus.” In this article, Scott Horton discusses the other source for Auden’s images and provides historical context for both the poem and the art: Breughel’s “The Census at Bethlehem.”
The Red Tail Squadron: Honoring Tuskegee Airmen
The history of flight is full of bold actions taken by courageous people. Explore this site to learn about the Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first black military pilots and crew.
Aung San Suu Kyi Biography
For decades, activist Aung San Suu Kyi fought for democracy and human rights in her country of Burma, which is now called Myanmar. She spent 15 years under house arrest for her actions, but after an election in November 2015, she and her party now lead the government.
Holocaust Museum: Exhibit probes Berlin’s historic Olympics of 1936
Earlier this year, the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center featured an exhibit that explored the controversial 1936 Olympic Games held in Nazi Germany.
Louis Pasteur: The man who led the fight against germs
Follow this timeline to learn about Louis Pasteur, who developed the process of pasteurization and several early vaccines. His “germ theory” led other scientists to discoveries in sanitation and sterilization.
10 Things You May Not Know About Nathaniel Hawthorne
Did you know Nathaniel Hawthorne served as an American diplomat and had a daughter who has been proposed for sainthood? Learn these and more little-known facts about the famous author.
How Samuel Mudd Went From Lincoln Conspirator to Medical Savior
Dr. Samuel Mudd, who treated John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Lincoln and was convicted for conspiring with him, was sent to prison at Fort Jefferson on an island in the Gulf of Mexico. He is credited with saving dozens of lives from an outbreak of yellow fever on the island.
LBJ Civil Rights Gambit Set Stage for Modern Maneuver
A key legal advance for civil rights in the United States hinged on an obscure procedural ploy by one of the most persuasive presidents of all time.
Edith Wharton: Why the Age of Innocence author is vanishing from New York City
Read this article to learn about what New York City streets looked like in the time of author Edith Wharton.
Otto Frank talks about Anne’s diary
Watch this short video to hear Otto Frank’s thoughts on what he learned from reading his daughter’s diary after learning of her death.
How Sojourner Truth used photography to help end slavery
Most Americans know Sojourner Truth as a powerful speaker who advocated for the abolition of slavery and for women’s rights. But most don’t realize she was also an astute businesswoman who used the new technology of photography to advance the cause of liberty.
Hernán Cortés Biography
This biography and video provide information about explorer and conqueror Hernán Cortés, who overthrew the Aztec empire in the sixteenth century.