The vast majority of Americans can trace their roots to another country. This interactive map from The New York Times makes it easy to see where and when different groups settled in the United States. Use the pull-down menu in the upper left corner to select a national group, then move the arrow on the timeline to see how many people entered the United States during each decade.
Read this article to learn about how slavery came to the United States and about the fight to abolish it. From this page, you can also watch videos and browse links to other related topics, such as important historical figures of the time, the American Civil War, and the abolitionist movement.
Though paralyzing and devastating to the nation, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, also served to unite its citizens. Ten years later, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum opened to the public. At this site, you can learn about the design and construction of the memorial, access a webcam to view it, take a virtual tour, and explore the museum’s collections.
King James I of England was a proponent of the divine right of kings: the idea that a king’s power came directly from God. This idea is key to several of Shakespeare’s plays, including Macbeth, and was delineated in a speech the king gave to Parliament in 1609. This site provides the original text, a transcript, and an audio recording.
Located in southern California, the Museum of Tolerance is “dedicated to challenging visitors to understand the Holocaust in both historic and contemporary contexts.” Explore the interactive exhibits available at the official site of the museum.
Though the Emancipation Proclamation freed countless slaves, it failed to put into place any measures to assist them in their lives after slavery. Read about the untold obstacles to freedom these people faced.
To learn more about Paul Revere’s famous ride, visit this site created by the Paul Revere Memorial Association. Read through the account of what really happened that night, check out the interactive map that tracks Revere’s journey, and read his own account of the events.
Since the beginning of human history, art has reflected the responses of people to their lives and the changing world around them. Explore this comprehensive timeline, which places examples of art through the ages in historical and geographic context.
Auden’s poem is only partly about the painting “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus.” In this article, Scott Horton discusses the other source for Auden’s images and provides historical context for both the poem and the art: Breughel’s “The Census at Bethlehem.”
Using this interactive map, you can follow Odysseus on his travels and learn about each destination on his 20-year-long journey.
