History

Works of history explore a person, event, or other meaningful part of the past. These works examine the subject in detail, especially as the subject relates to subsequent events or how the subject had an impact on society.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, written in 1789, is the core document of the French Revolution, establishing the values and principles of the French democracy. It was influenced by the U.S. Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. In fact, key…

Primary Source: Votes for Women Ratified

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” This is the full text of the 19th Amendment to the…

The Extermination of the American Bison

Noted zoologist and wildlife conservationist William Temple Hornaday wrote a book on the state of the American bison, or buffalo, for the Smithsonian Institution. Hornaday’s concern was that the dramatic drop in population of the buffalo might likely lead to its extinction. An estimated 60 million buffalo lived in the…

Primary Source: President Lincoln’s Funeral Train

On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot by an assassin at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. He died the next day. Lincoln died just days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, essentially ending the American Civil War. Lincoln’s assassination stunned and…

Leaves from the Notebook of an Emigrant Between New York and San Francisco

Robert Louis Stevenson, a native of Scotland, took a train trip from New York to San Francisco in 1879. This is from the beginning of his trip. —————————————————– Tuesday.-When I awoke, it was already day; the train was standing idle; I was in the last carriage, and, seeing some others…

Louisa May Alcott: Novelist and Feminist

Writing was a means of escape for Louisa May Alcott. Through her words, she explored and chronicled the world around her. Her most famous novel, Little Women, was inspired by her own family life. A prolific writer and storyteller, she was the author of many novels as well as children’s…

Up From Slavery: Boyhood Days

Booker T. Washington was born into slavery in 1856. He dedicated himself to education and started many schools for black students. He founded and was named head of the Tuskegee Institute, a black university in Alabama. Washington was a leader of the African American community until his death in 1915.…

Trash or Treasure?

If you’re hiking and you spot a rusty old can, you may be tempted to pick it up for proper disposal. While that sentiment is worthy of admiration, it might not always be proper, or even legal. Laws protect archaeological resources on public lands and even in rivers, lakes, and…

The Landing

The Hunting of the Snark is a nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll. It was published in 1876. In the poem various characters go hunting an animal called a Snark. Below is the start of the poem. ————————————- “Just the place for a Snark!” the Bellman cried, As he landed his…

Eyewitness: Jack London and the San Francisco Earthquake

On April 18, 1906, a massive earthquake shook Northern California, including San Francisco, the fourth largest city in the U.S. at that time. Novelist and journalist Jack London was hired by Collier’s, the National Weekly magazine to report on the event. The beginning of his report is below. ——————————— THE…