LIBERTY! The American Revolution
Source: PBS
The struggle for liberty is at the heart of the United States’ founding. Learn more about what led to the American Revolution and how it was won by exploring this interactive site.
History
A Free Man’s Letter to A Former Slaveowner in 1865
Source: Smithsonian Magazine
In 1865, former slave Jourdon Anderson was asked to return to the farm where he had been held captive for 32 years. Read this article to learn more about Anderson’s witty, sarcastic response and to read excerpts from his letter.
4 Bloody Family Feuds in American History
Source: Mental Floss
Think it’s crazy that the Capulets and Montagues got so carried away with the feud between their families? Here are some examples of long-running and deadly family feuds closer to home.
Anne Frank, and America’s dangerously shallow understanding of the Holocaust
Source: Vox
The horrors perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II may be familiar to most of us, but one writer argues that we don’t really understand them.
Not So Fast, Jamestown: St. Augustine Was Here First
Source: NPR
Historians and locals celebrate the settlement of St. Augustine, which was founded 450 years ago and is the oldest city in the United States.
Annual event pays tribute to proclamation
Source: Carteret County News-Times
In Beaufort, South Carolina, people come together every year to remember the day President Lincoln read the Emancipation Proclamation. Read this brief article to see how they celebrate.
Anne Frank was captured 70 years ago today. But what if she had escaped the Nazis?
Source: The Washington Post
Although she died in a concentration camp when she was 15, Anne Frank’s thoughts and feelings are alive and influence many writers today. Learn about the contemporary play and the novels that are part of Anne’s legacy.
How Hate Works
Source: How Stuff Works
Hatred is borne from many factors, both neurological and sociological; it can lead people to seek vengeance and leaders to implement large-scale atrocities such as the Holocaust.
Shakespeare’s Sources for Macbeth
Source: Shakespeare Online
Where did Shakespeare get his ideas? This essay by Amanda Mabillard analyzes the sources and motivations underlying Shakespeare’s writing of The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Women Spies of the Civil War
Source: Smithsonian
Most people think of armies of men fighting each other during the Civil War, but women also served in various ways. Read about six female spies who worked for the Union or Confederacy.