Abraham Lincoln called his private secretaries John Hay and John Nicolay “the boys.” In a new book, Joshua Zeitz explores the role the two men had in shaping the image of Lincoln that endures today. Read the excerpt to find out more.
Tag Archives: History
Amid Tensions, a New Portrayal of Anne Frank
Although the story of Anne Frank has been told in a movie and two plays, a fresh version of her story was recently written and performed on stage in Amsterdam. The new play covers some of Anne’s life before the war and after the discovery of the Secret Annex.
John Brown’s Day of Reckoning
Read about controversial abolitionist John Brown and the violent raid he and his men launched on a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, 150 years ago; it set the stage for the Civil War.
Plymouth Colony
Read this article to learn about the settlement of Plymouth and the small but powerful group of English Separatist Church members, including William Bradford, who influenced its founding.
The Hudson River School
The Hudson River School was a group of distinctly American artists who painted landscapes in the mid-1800s. View the slideshow and consider how their depictions of nature reflected the ideas of the Transcendentalist writers of the same time period.
“These Things Are My Father”: Letters Are All That’s Left Of Gulag Prisoners
During the mid-20th century, the Soviet Union (now Russia) held many prisoners in the gulag, a collection of forced-labor camps. Ordinary citizens who questioned the government might be taken away from their families and subjected to the harsh conditions of the gulag for decades. Read about what they left behind.
Wisconsin family’s fallout shelter becomes historical exhibit
During the Cold War era, some families built underground fallout shelters in case of a nuclear bomb attack. Homeowners recently discovered one in their back yard, still stocked with food and other disaster survival supplies from the 1960s.
The Real Story of Revere’s Ride
Learn the facts about Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride, and scroll down to see an interactive map of his route.
Deep Survival: Anne Frank’s Extraordinary Act of Survival
In 2009, Anne Frank would have been 80 years old. Read about why her life in hiding can be called an inspiring true story of survival under extreme and terrifying circumstances.
Famous Ghosts in American History
Everyone knows that ghosts aren’t real. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of ghost stories to go around. This site lists a few of those stories, describing tales sometimes told about the nation’s most famous ghosts.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
You can read, watch, and listen to materials on the seven debates that took place between Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln during the 1858 Illinois state election campaign. The prize was a seat in the Senate, but the debates mainly focused on the important and contentious issue of slavery.
Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales 2012 – a multimedia pilgrimage
In 2012, a group of people retraced the route of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales pilgrims in a four-day trek. Listen to the audio and watch the videos embedded throughout the article to hear the participants recite pieces from the work.
Hiram R. Revels Biography
Hiram R. Revels was the first African American to serve in the United States Senate. An academic and a minister, he supported integrated schools and equal opportunities for black workers.
Kent State Incident
Learn about the deadly response to a college protest against the Vietnam War.
Integration of Central High School
In 1957, Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, was a flash point in the struggle for civil rights for all Americans. There, nine African American students attempted to attend classes in the face of angry protests and the opposition of the state’s governor. This HISTORY feature shows how ugly fear of “the Other” can be.
My Life in France, 1939 – 1945
Although Anne Frank lived in hiding during World War II, many people hid their identities but lived in the open. Discover how one family struggled to live in occupied France.
Hurricane Katrina
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, causing widespread flooding in New Orleans and killing many people. Revisit the experience of the storm and learn about how people responded in the aftermath.
Maryland lawmakers asked to revisit vote for slavery
Before the Civil War broke out, Maryland approved a so-called “shadow” 13th Amendment that made it impossible for the federal government to abolish slavery. Now, Maryland lawmakers want to re-vote on the amendment to clean up the historical record.
Dunmore’s Proclamation: A Time to Choose
We tend to talk about the American Revolution in terms of two sides: the colonists and the British. But for enslaved people living in the colonies, the issue was far more complicated, especially after the Dunmore Proclamation was issued in 1775. Read this summary of the proclamation, the issues it raised, and its consequences.
A Song for the Horse Nation
The arrival of the horse in North America changed life for many American Indian groups. Learn about the amazing relationship between Native peoples and horses, and examine artifacts from throughout their history.