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.

Helen Speaks

Helen Keller was born in 1880. She was a healthy and happy child until she became seriously ill before her second birthday. While she did get well, she lost both her hearing and her sight after the illness. Opportunities for those with a disability were few in the 19th century.…

First American Woman in Space: Sally Ride

Sally Ride was the first woman astronaut from the U.S. to go into space. She flew two missions on the space shuttle. One was in August 1983, and the other was in October 1984. Both times she flew as a member of the crew of the space shuttle Challenger. Sally…

Christmas in Germany

Frohe Weihnachten! In other words, Merry Christmas! During the Christmas season in Germany, the streets are filled with beautiful decorations, songs of cheer, and the smell of delicious gingerbread cookies. Families celebrate by participating in holiday activities, like visiting the markets, baking treats, or singing carols. Many other cultures have…

Dreaming Inside the Box: The Art of Joseph Cornell

When you think of the vast amount and variety of art created throughout history, you might also think that the people who created those works of art must have spent years as students in art school or as apprentices to other artists. You may even see them as members of…

Madam C.J. Walker: Self-Made Millionaire and Philanthropist

Madam C.J. Walker was born on December 23, 1867 near Delta, Louisiana. Her birth name was Sarah Breedlove. Her parents were slaves on the cotton plantation where she was born. Her parents were emancipated, which means freed, in 1863 after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation…

Nathanael Greene, the Youngest Brigadier General in the Continental Army

Nathanael took a deep breath and limped out of the room. “They denied my election as an officer. I didn’t make it because of my stiff knee. The committee feels that an officer with a limp will appear weak to his men and to the enemy.” “Tough going, friend,” said…

Through the Foothills with a Flock of Sheep

In 1869, naturalist John Muir was hired by a California sheep owner to accompany the flock and shepherds to a summer pasture in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Muir recorded his adventure in his diary which was published in 1911. This passage is from the beginning of the trip. —————————————————— June…

Project Mercury: The First Americans in Space

Project Mercury was America’s first human spaceflight program. The project was named after the Roman god of travelers – Mercury. The program began in 1958 and ended in 1963. Project Mercury was an important part of the “Space Race.” The Space Race was a space exploration competition between the United…

Primary Source: The Wright Brothers Fly

Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright are credited with building and flying the first powered airplane. The first flights took place December 17, 1903 in North Carolina. Below is an article about the historic moment from  The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 7, 1904. —————————                                                                   FLYING MACHINE                                                                  HAS COME AT LAST…

African American Inventors: George Washington Carver

George Washington Carver was born in Missouri between 1861 and 1864. He was born into slavery. It was not until the end of the Civil War in 1865 that George became free. As he grew up, George loved to learn and read. Black children were not allowed to go to…