This page offers a brief history of Dred Scott’s fight for his family’s freedom. Read the overview of Scott’s case and then explore the rest of the collection to learn more about how and why the Dred Scott decision came to be such a landmark case in American judicial history.
Medgar Evers was a civil rights activist who fought racial discrimination in many forms. His murder in 1963 sparked national outrage that helped increase support for legislation that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Listen to this short piece about the lasting impact Evers’ life and work has had on his home state of Mississippi.
Pablo Neruda wrote poems about nature, but he his also famous for his poems about love, as well as many other subjects. Read this biography about the renowned poet’s career.
In 1914, Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to cross Antarctica. When his ship became trapped in the ice, a new adventure began. Read the astonishing tale of survival that brought his entire crew home safely two years later.
There’s no question about the appeal of a good monster movie. But what is it about certain movie monsters that makes them such enduring stars? Listen to this story about Godzilla to learn more about one of cinema’s most legendary monsters.
Frederick Douglass’s contributions to the fight for freedom are beyond measure. This article and video provide a brief overview of some of the ways in which Douglass helped shape the course of our nation’s history.
In the 1960s, a group of students at UCLA painted a mural depicting famous African Americans and celebrating the civil rights movement. That mural was recently unveiled after being hidden for many years.
Underwater archaeologist, Barry Clifford, believes his team has found Christopher Columbus’ long lost ship, the Santa Maria. Read this article to find out why he now thinks the wreck he encountered over 10 years ago is Columbus’ ship.
In this article, technology and innovation researcher James Bessen discusses how the inventions of the Industrial Revolution may influence the innovations of today.
The quest undertaken by John Chatterton and Richie Kohler to identify a sunken ship they came to believe was a German U-boat from WWII was a huge risk in many ways. Listen to Robert Kurson, author of the book Shadow Divers, talk about why the two men pushed themselves beyond their limits to solve this mystery.
A shipwreck found off the coast of Haiti may be the Santa Maria, one of the three ships Christopher Columbus used to sail across the Atlantic in 1492. Learn about how the importance of the Santa Maria, and why one explorer thinks the wreck is Columbus’s long-lost ship.
Corporal Bill Wynne had a special bond with his dog, Smoky. That bond helped Wynne recover from a serious illness during WWII. Smoky and Wynne later spent years touring hospitals together, helping other ill or wounded soldiers heal.
President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is one of the most influential speeches in our nation’s history. It’s hard to believe, but when it was first delivered in 1863, one newspaper wrote that the speech was nothing more than “silly remarks.” Now, more than 150 years later, the paper has apologized for its dismissive words.
England’s peppered moths provide a classic example of how a species adapts to changing environmental conditions. In this journal article, scientist Jim Mallet discusses not only changes in the moths themselves, but also changes in how their story has been interpreted.
The legend of the lost island city of Atlantis is thousands of years old. But is it true? This article explains some of the theories behind Atlantis, and what the story of the city may really mean.
Alice Herz-Sommer was the oldest known Holocaust survivor until her death at the age of 110. She was also much more: a talented pianist, a friend of famous literary figures, a subject of biographies and documentary films, and an unrelenting optimist.
Langston Hughes made his voice heard by writing poetry about the African American experience. One of those poems has become the core of a multimedia jazz performance, helping young people hear Hughes’s voice in a new way. Read about the performance, watch a video clip, and see pictures from a rehearsal.
Americans known as abolitionists played a crucial part in the fight to end slavery in the United States. This site offers a wealth of information about abolitionists and their cause as well as art and personal narratives from former slaves.
In this opinion piece, Hugh Harris, former director of the NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center Public Affairs Office, shares his experiences and thoughts on the United States Space Program.
Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s stepsister, recounts her time at Auschwitz and the importance of learning from history.
