Tag Archives: Historic Figures

Amelia Earhart didn’t die in a plane crash, investigators say

One of the most daring Americans of the 1930s, pilot Amelia Earhart disappeared somewhere in the south Pacific during an attempted around-the-world flight. Here is one theory of what may have happened to her.

5 things you didn’t know about Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass is well known for his autobiography and speeches and for his work as an abolitionist. This article sheds light on some of the other accomplishments and complexities of this remarkable figure in American history.

The Words That Remade America

Historian Gary Wills discusses the significance of the Gettysburg Address.

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.