In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson arranged to buy the Port of New Orleans and over 800,000 million square miles of land from France, which doubled the size of the country.
Tag Archives: History
Finishing the Dream
Great civil rights advances have been achieved in the United States, but there is still much to be done for the full equality of all. Explore this NBC site to learn about how far we’ve come and how far we have to go.
Ferdinand Magellan
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan is credited with the first journey around the world. Learn about how he—and his crew after his death midway through the journey—achieved this incredible feat.
How the Vikings Worked
Many people have heard of the Viking god Thor and his mighty hammer. But the Vikings worshiped many gods and goddesses, just like the ancient Greeks. Read about their gods, evil giants, Valhalla, and more of their mythology as told in their sagas.
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks is well known for her decision not to give up her seat to a white person on a segregated bus during a time when a racist law forced African Americans to do this. Learn more about the life and efforts of this unassuming hero.
Richmond will fall again for 150th anniversary
Read about a four-day commemoration in Richmond, V.A. which will mark the 150th anniversary of the fall of the Confederacy’s capital on April 3, 1865.
Gordon Parks exhibit offers intimate glimpse into segregation-era life for African Americans
In 1950, just before the Civil Rights movement, Gordon Parks took a series of photographs of Fort Scott, Kansas, his hometown, for Life magazine. Now on display in an exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, art lecturer Toni Pepe Den reviews the images.
Congress Passes 13th Amendment, 150 Years Ago
Read about the journey of the passage of the 13th Amendment, which ensured that slavery would not exist in the United States.
This Car Changed America
Released in 1908, Ford’s Model T greatly influenced the country.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Funny Civil War
In the second year of the Civil War, Nathaniel Hawthorne published an article in Atlantic Monthly outlining his unconventional views on the war. American Studies professor Cynthia Wachtell offers her opinion about the piece.
A Cause Unites Unlikely Partners in South Wales
In the 1980s, Welsh coal miners went on strike to oppose the policies of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. They were surprised to receive support from a group vastly different from them, but united in feeling marginalized by the Thatcher government.
Chinese New Year Traditions
Chinese New Year celebrations were started in order to chase away a mythical beast. Exactly when is Chinese New Year? Why is the dragon one of the favorite animals of this celebration? Find out the answers to these questions and interesting facts and tales in this article and video.
Martin Luther King, Jr.: 8 peaceful protests that bolstered civil rights
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the famous civil rights leader, believed in nonviolent protests against racism. This article describes 8 of the peaceful protests King organized, including the march from Selma, Alabama, and the political rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where he delivered his powerful “I Have a Dream” speech.
Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee Chief and First Woman to Lead Major Tribe, Is Dead at 64
Although she died in 2010, the Cherokee Nation will long remember Wilma Mankiller for her dedication to education, health care, and housing reforms. Find out how her decision to support a protest on Alcatraz Island fostered her leadership and determination to help her community.
Denmark – Oral History: Niels Bamberger
The US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, has compiled interviews with survivors who escaped from the German invasion of Denmark. Listen to Niels Bamberger’s description of life in his town in Denmark after the Nazi invasion in 1940.
Words From the Past Illuminate a Station on the Way to Freedom
A new book from Eric Foner, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, based on the discovery of journals containing interviews with fugitive slaves, sheds light on how the Underground Railroad really worked. Read about it here.
Alexander Hamilton: The nation’s founding blogger
Before the signing of the Constitution, Federalists and anti-Federalists each wrote a series of essays debating its key points. As the primary author of the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton’s opinions are still regarded today.
Baseball and the Civil War
Before the Civil War, baseball was a regional sport played mostly around New York. Union soldiers then spread the game by playing it during long periods of encampment and in prisoner of war camps.
Protesters Out to Reclaim King’s Legacy, but in Era That Defies Comparison
With social unrest over race and inequality rising, protesters attempt to mold Martin Luther King’s tactics to today’s issues and technology.
NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom
The NAACP has worked from its founding over a hundred years ago to promote equal rights in the United States. Explore this multimedia exhibition from the Library of Congress to learn about the organization’s founders, history, and accomplishments.