In the 1720s and 1730s, author Jonathan Swift used satire to protest social injustices, balancing facts with absurdity.
Tag Archives: History
Reconsidering The Pilgrims, Piety And America’s Founding Principles
The 2015 PBS documentary The PIlgrims takes a look at some of our preconceived ideas about the United States’ earliest settlers. NPR takes a look.
Who betrayed Anne Frank? New probe launched by ex-FBI agent
Using “cold case” investigation methods and hi-tech data analysis, a team of experts is working to determine whether someone told the Gestapo about the secret annex, or if the discovery of the Frank family was merely a matter of chance.
Harriet Tubman: American Hero
In March of 2017, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center opened in Maryland. Read this article to learn more about the center, along with several other reasons Tubman has received fresh attention recently.
Effects of the Black Death
The bubonic plague ravaged the European population in the 14th century. In its aftermath, societal structures were upended, in many cases for the better.
In a First, Gravitational Waves Linked to Neutron Star Crash
Imagine the elation at witnessing a cosmic event that occurred millions of years ago! That’s what happened in October this year when scientists announced the ripple effect (literally) of two neutron stars crashing into each other around 130 million years ago.
Did John Deere’s Best Invention Spark a Revolution or an Environmental Disaster?
This article examines the complexities of farming technology and its environmental impact since the invention of John Deere’s steel plow in 1833.
American history unfolds in ‘Assassin’s Creed 3’
Game-makers researched the events and settings of the 1700s to immerse players in the history of the American Revolution, the setting of Assassin’s Creed 3.
Mind Ablaze
Critic Jayne Anne Phillips outlines Stephen Crane’s life as she reviews Stephen Crane: A Life of Fire, a 2014 biography of the American author written by Paul Sorrentino.
Stock Market Crash of 1929
Learn about what led to the crash of the stock market in 1929 and the resulting effects.
3 Reasons Why Chinese Workers Were the MVP’s on the Transcontinental Railroad
Chinese immigrants made significant contributions to the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Completed in 1869, their work went largely unrecognized at the time.
Gandhi: Surprising Facts on His Life and How His Legacy Lives on Today
Read this article and watch the video to learn about the life of Mohandas Gandhi, whose method of peaceful resistance continues to inspire activists today.
When Girls Studied Planets and the Skies Had No Limits
In the early 1800s, astronomy was seen as a feminine hobby. As it became professionalized, women started to become sidlined. Scientists like Maria Mitchell fought for women’s place in the field.
L.A. County formally replaces Columbus Day
Acknowledging the role European settlement in the Americas had on native people, the city of Los Angeles renamed the holiday to commemorate Christopher Columbus as “Indigenous Peoples Day.”
English professor digitizes historic slave manuscript in Library of Congress
Read to learn about a professor who recently found one of the only manuscripts known to be written by a slave during his bondage. The professor has preserved the document by creating a digital version of the manuscript in its original form.
Watergate Scandal
Scheming to increase power didn’t start with Macbeth and didn’t end with Nixon. Read about the latter’s career-ending crimes.
PRO AND CON: Should Confederate monuments be removed?
Read two differing arguments about whether Confederate statues should be removed from public places. Remember to analyze the authors’ reasoning and supporting evidence.
A New Museum of the American Revolution, Warts and All
Culture reporter Jennifer Schuessler reviews the Museum of the American Revolution, which opened in Philadelphia in April.
Wonder Women have been smashing the patriarchy since classical times
English literature lecturer Roberta Magnani draws comparisons between comic book heroine Wonder Woman and characters from mythology and classical literature.
‘What To The Slave Is The Fourth Of July?’ Frederick Douglass, Revisited
In 1852, Frederick Douglass gave a famous speech criticizing the celebration of Independence Day in a time of slavery. This article suggests that Douglass’ speech is as relevant today as it was before slavery was abolished in the United States.