Writer Mike McPhate discusses the mindset of settlers willing to take risks during the California gold rush of the mid-19th century. He ties that idea to tech entrepreneurs’ willingness to fail in the same state today.
Tag Archives: History
Tenements
In the last half of the 1800s, thousands of urban poor people, many who were immigrants, lived in overcrowded and unsafe tenement buildings. This article describes how tenements came into being and were eventually phased out.
The art of 9/11
Tom Sutcliffe, who writes about the arts and media, examines artists’ struggle to make works relating to 9/11.
How technology and capitalism shaped America after the civil war
A critic from The Economist magazine reviews The Republic for Which It Stands, in which author Richard White outlines the politics and economics of the United States following the Civil War.
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.
The Chilling True Story Behind the Pied Piper of Hamelin
Where do fairy tales and legends come from? At least one well-known tale is rooted in a real historic event.
Six Female Explorers Who Took Adventure Into Their Own Hands
Learn about six women who refused to let discriminatory social climates keep them from adventure-filled lives.
Spring Awakening: How an Egyptian Revolution Began on Facebook
Read this review of Revolution 2.0 to learn about Wael Ghonim’s experience and influence during the 2011 Arab Spring.
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.
See Why Thoreau’s Walden Still Inspires
Writer Kennedy Warne reflects on his admiration of Henry David Thoreau after a day spent at Walden Pond. View the image gallery at the top of the article to see the inspirational location.
‘It makes me cry:’ Tim O’Brien’s Vietnam War wounds will never heal
Author Tim O’Brien talks to a reporter from The Washington Post about how he remains deeply haunted by his time as a solider in the Vietnam War.
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.
This Mysterious Event Led to the Spanish-American War
This video gives a brief overview of the event that initiated the Spanish-American War, as well as a history of the Battle of Manila Bay.
Poland’s president says he will sign controversial Holocaust bill
Poland may implement a law that will make it illegal to accuse the country of involvement with the Holocaust. Click to learn more about the law and the controversy surrounding it.
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.
50 Years After Sparking a Revolution, an Icon Runs Boston Again
Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon with a bib number, paved the way for women in running. Click here to read about the historic run and learn how she combines sports and advocacy.
A Timeline of 1968: The Year That Shattered America
The events of 1968 had long-lasting cultural and social effects. Scroll through the color-coded timeline, paying special attention to student movements (shown in red).
Mary Wollstonecraft Biography
This biography describes the major life events of feminist writer Mary Wollstonecraft, author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.
In the Gilded Age, Americans loved and feared the railroad companies — and it can teach Big Tech a valuable lesson
Tech company CEO Richard White compares current internet service providers and how to regulate them to railroad companies of the Gilded Age.
Blacks, Baseball, and the Civil War
In this account of baseball history, read about black ball clubs’ interactions with white ball clubs and how the players fought for more equality on and off the field.