Civil Disobedience
Source: Walden.org
Both Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. drew inspiration from the writings of Henry David Thoreau. Read the 19th-century work that lit the fires of both Indian independence and American civil rights.
Historic Figures
Beyond Brown: Pursuing the Promise
Source: PBS
Once upon a time, a seven-year-old girl named Linda Brown walked six blocks to a bus stop and then rode a bus to school, although another school was only seven blocks from her home. Check out this site to learn what happened when she tried to change schools—and succeeded.
Oskar Schindler: Unlikely Hero
Source: Legacy.com
A Nazi industrialist may not fit the usual idea of a hero, but Oskar Schindler used his wealth, charm, and connections to save the lives of over 1000 Jews during World War II.
Shakespeare and the Classics: Plutarch, Ovid, and Inspiration
Source: Electrum Magazine
Like many of his contemporaries, Shakespeare drew on a variety of resources for his astounding output of plays.
Phillis Wheatley Biography
Source: Biography
This biography outlines the life of Phillis Wheatley, who became a published poet despite being enslaved.
This POW kept a secret diary that showed daily life in a concentration camp
Source: Public Radio International
Read this article to learn about the life of Anthony Acevedo, a former U.S. Army medic who kept a diary of his time in a Nazi concentration camp as a prisoner of war.
A Close, Intimate Look at Walt Whitman
Source: Smithsonian Magazine
What can the camera tell us about the lives and work of famous authors? In this article, poet Mark Strand examines an 1891 photograph of Walt Whitman.
Who is Martin Luther King Jr. to us, 50 years later?
Source: CNN
On the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., authors, activists, and historians share their views of his legacy.
Patrick Henry Smells a Rat
Source: American Heritage
As an anti-Federalist, Patrick Henry opposed the ratification of the Constitution. Read about his opposition to Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Did the Civil War Achieve Equality? Stephen Kantrowitz’s ‘More Than Freedom’
Source: Daily Beast
Critic Herschthal reviews historian Stephen Kantrowitz’s 2012 book about the abolitionist leaders who fought for more than just the end of slavery before and after the Civil War.