Historic Figures



American postage stamps

Old Friends Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Made History Together.

Source: Humanities Magazine

Though the contributions of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony were invaluable in the fight for women’s rights, letters between the two reveal that each was aware of the long road toward equality that would have to be traveled by future generations.


Close-up of senior woman's hands

Anne Frank at 85: What would she have become had she lived?

Source: The Washington Post

This year, Anne Frank would have been 85 years old. Though her short life still reverberates through the world, it’s hard not to wonder what it would have been like if she had lived longer. This article looks at some of the ways Anne Frank affected the world around her, and offers some ideas about the woman she may have become.


Close-up of microphone

Remembering Nina Simone as a Siren and Powerful Civil Rights Activist

Source: GOOD Magazine

Nina Simone was a popular pianist and jazz singer with an unmistakable voice. Some of her later songs are considered by many to be anthems of the civil rights movement. Read this brief introduction to Simone and listen to the two clips of her work.





Frankenstein walking through open gate

Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature

Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine

This site offers a wide variety of information related to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Starting with “The Birth of Frankenstein,” use the table of contents on the left side of the page to browse topics ranging from historical and scientific background information to the story’s modern influences on film, culture, and research.


Supreme Court view from front

The Revised Dred Scott Case Collection: History of Dred Scott

Source: Washington University Digital Gateway

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.


Map of Jackson, Mississippi

The Legacy of Medgar Evers

Source: NPR

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.