This Car Changed America
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Released in 1908, Ford’s Model T greatly influenced the country.
History
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Funny Civil War
Source: The New York Times
In the second year of the Civil War, Nathaniel Hawthorne published an article in Atlantic Monthly outlining his unconventional views on the war. American Studies professor Cynthia Wachtell offers her opinion about the piece.
A Cause Unites Unlikely Partners in South Wales
Source: The New York Times
In the 1980s, Welsh coal miners went on strike to oppose the policies of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. They were surprised to receive support from a group vastly different from them, but united in feeling marginalized by the Thatcher government.
Chinese New Year Traditions
Source: History
Chinese New Year celebrations were started in order to chase away a mythical beast. Exactly when is Chinese New Year? Why is the dragon one of the favorite animals of this celebration? Find out the answers to these questions and interesting facts and tales in this article and video.
Martin Luther King, Jr.: 8 peaceful protests that bolstered civil rights
Source: The Christian Science Monitor
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the famous civil rights leader, believed in nonviolent protests against racism. This article describes 8 of the peaceful protests King organized, including the march from Selma, Alabama, and the political rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where he delivered his powerful “I Have a Dream” speech.
Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee Chief and First Woman to Lead Major Tribe, Is Dead at 64
Source: The New York Times
Although she died in 2010, the Cherokee Nation will long remember Wilma Mankiller for her dedication to education, health care, and housing reforms. Find out how her decision to support a protest on Alcatraz Island fostered her leadership and determination to help her community.
Denmark – Oral History: Niels Bamberger
Source: US Holocaust Memorial Museum
The US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, has compiled interviews with survivors who escaped from the German invasion of Denmark. Listen to Niels Bamberger’s description of life in his town in Denmark after the Nazi invasion in 1940.
Words From the Past Illuminate a Station on the Way to Freedom
Source: The New York Times
A new book from Eric Foner, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, based on the discovery of journals containing interviews with fugitive slaves, sheds light on how the Underground Railroad really worked. Read about it here.
Alexander Hamilton: The nation’s founding blogger
Source: National Constitution Center
Before the signing of the Constitution, Federalists and anti-Federalists each wrote a series of essays debating its key points. As the primary author of the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton’s opinions are still regarded today.
Baseball and the Civil War
Source: Pennsylvania Civil War Trails
Before the Civil War, baseball was a regional sport played mostly around New York. Union soldiers then spread the game by playing it during long periods of encampment and in prisoner of war camps.