Tag Archives: History

How the West Was Won . . . By Waitresses

In 1878, Fred Harvey began building restaurants along the Santa Fe railway. After a fight broke out among male staff, he fired them and hired young women to take their place. These waitress jobs were a small step toward women’s independence.

Olympic Athletes Who Took a Stand

Olympic track stars Tommie Smith and John Carlos were medalists in the 1968 Olympic Games. Read about their gesture of protest and its consequences.

Legacy Of Forced March Still Haunts Navajo Nation

In 1864, thousands of Navajo and Apache were forced to walk from their lands to a reservation about 400 miles away. In this recording, descendants of Native Americans on the Long Walk share their experiences and memories.

Illegal Immigration Solutions – Pros and Cons: Historical Timeline

This timeline is organized into six time periods, each of which has excerpts and images from primary and secondary sources. Scan the entire timeline or choose to focus on one or two time periods for a more in-depth look at the history of immigration in the U.S.

The Fight for Women’s Suffrage

The fight for women’s suffrage did not begin or end when the Civil War was over. Explore the complete history of the fight for women’s right to vote, and browse photo galleries and videos about the soldiers in the fight.

Philippe Petit

Meet Philippe Petit, a man who said, “To me, it’s so simple that life should be lived on the edge of life.” Read his biography to learn about the risks this man is renowned for taking.

Final Confederate statue coming down in New Orleans

In May 2017, New Orleans took down a statue of General Robert E. Lee that had stood for 133 years. Read to learn more about the city government’s reasons for removing the statue and the public disagreement about the decision.

Fair is foul and foul is fair: Macbeth in Tunisia

How did a 400-year-old English drama apply to the Arab Spring?

Bert the Turtle Ducks and Covers

In the mid-20th century a new type of potential disaster emerged in the form of atomic warfare. Learn about how school children were instructed to protect themselves.

War of 1812

Learn about the various causes of and outcomes of the War of 1812.

Thank Your Taxes

Law professor Adam Chodorow argues that a series of tax disputes is what eventually led to the formation of the United States.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Browse this site to learn about the Holocaust and view the online exhibits.

Slave Rebellions: A Timeline

How did enslaved people fight against their condition? This timeline gives information about the major escape operations and rebellions from slavery that occurred in the Western Hemisphere.

How Writing Changed the World

It’s no exaggeration to say that the advent of writing changed everything for humans. Here’s a look at some of the key shifts in history that resulted from those first scratches on clay tablets.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is a powerful reminder of the toll of war. Learn about the Wall, the service members whose names are listed there, and other tributes at this website maintained by Vietnam war veterans.

The Fight for Women’s Suffrage

It’s hard to believe that women have had the right to vote in the U.S. for less than a century. For many decades before the 19th Amendment was finally ratified in 1920, women worked tirelessly to win this essential part of citizenship.

Juneteenth: A New Birth of Freedom

Have you ever heard of Juneteenth? On June 19, 1865, almost two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, word finally reached Texas that the Civil War was over and that any slaves were free. Learn more about this celebration of freedom.