I've begun creating lists of key points to know about each of the US Presidents. Woodrow Wilson is the third president I've chosen to focus on by choosing ten key items that anyone who studies Wilson should be familiar with.
Theodore Roosevelt is one of the most fascinating characters to ever have been elected as president of the United States. Even to this day, he is larger than life. Learn about this man who wore many hats and gained many nicknames:
On March 22, 1638, Anne Hutchinson was expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Governor John Winthrop sent her away because she claimed that God revealed true and false preaching to her. She left the colony with sixty followers. They helped found Portsmouth, Rhode Island, ensuring that religious freedom was protected.
Andrew Jackson is seen as the first president elected due to the "common man." After losing in 1824 to John Quincy Adams due to the election being thrown into the house and the "Corrupt Bargain" being struck, Jackson came back and ran in 1828 to win the presidency. I've collected ten key facts that are important to know when looking at Jackson's time as president. Enjoy!
Americans from all walks of life joined in the fight against tyranny during World War II. This list was created to help remember famous American actors, musicians, athletes, and journalists who died while participating in the war effort in some manner. From Glenn Miller to Ernie Pyle read about these courageous individuals.
On July 18, 1863, the first formal all African-American infantry unit in the Civil War, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, was part of the attack on Fort Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina. The unit spearheaded the all-out attack resulting in heavy casualties including that of the unit's colonel, Robert Gould Shaw. Learn more about the Battle of Fort Wagner that inspired the wonderful movie Glory.
Colonial America is often divided into three regions to help explain the different characteristics exhibited by each area. The New England colonies included Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire. This area shared many common characteristics owing both to the region's geographical aspects and the shared culture and religion of its people. Learn about these common characteristics of New England and how they affected its development and history.
On June 26, 1917, American troops began landing in France to help the allies achieve victory in World War I. America had attempted to stay out of the war, even though it was still trading with combatants. However, unrestricted submarine warfare being carried out by the Germans led to America's involvement. Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on April 2, 1917. A total of 1.4 million Americans would see combat before the end of the war with 53,000 casualties and over 200,000 combat related injuries.
Until 1815, America did not really have its own literary style and following. However, between 1815 and 1860 there was a wealth of authors publishing what today we consider the classics of American literature. This article takes a look at ten American literature authors who affected not only the literary but also the political scene of the day.
As the nomination for Mitt Romney seems to be more and more assured, America is heading into its 57th presidential election. Only time will tell how significant this election will be. The following article takes a look at the ten most significant presidential elections in US history.
It's ironic that the creation of a labor saving device such as the cotton gin would lead to such an explosion in the use of slave labor in the south. However, before Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1794, the separation of cotton by hand was labor intensive and unprofitable. The invention of this device led to cotton becoming the major cash crop in the south and perpetuating the plantation system. Learn more:
Over the years, four presidents have died from assassination while another six presidential assassinations have been attempted. The first assassination attempt occurred on January 30, 1835 when Richard Lawrence tried to shoot Andrew Jackson. Ironically, both of his guns misfired. He was found not guilty of the crime by reason of assassination. Read about this and the other presidential assassinations and assassination attempts.
The Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade is one of the most recognizable court cases. However, what are the actual facts of the case? Learn about this key case with this new profile:
Uncle Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852, 13 years before the start of the American Civil War. This book detailed the evils of slavery. Written after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, this book had a huge impact, bringing many new abolitionists into the fight against slavery.
On June 29, 1620, the Virginia Colony was granted a very special monopoly: that of growing tobacco. In fact, King James banned tobacco to be grown in Great Britain. Tobacco became a form of currency in some parts of the colonies and was of key economic importance and eventually led to conflicts with countries and the colonies when in 1651, England passed the Navigation Act allowing only English ships to import tobacco to England.
On March 24, 1965, the third and final Selma to Montgomery arrived in Montgomery, Alabama. The marchers were led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders. Two previous marches were met with violence. This third march began on March 16th and was protected by federal officers and the Alabama National Guard. Its purpose was to protest voting right violations in the state for African-Americans.
On July 22, 1937, the US Senate voted down the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, nicknamed FDR's Court Packing Plan. The point of the bill was to change the makeup of the Supreme Court. Previous to Franklin D. Roosevelt's election as president, conservative justices had been placed on the Supreme Court who had a strict constructionist view of federal regulations and the Constitution. Roosevelt was attempting to add members to the Supreme Court who would uphold measures of the New Deal.
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Soon after the adoption of the Constitution in 1789, the United States had to face its first real foreign policy tests. France became a republic and declared war on England. The Democratic -Republicans and the Federalists had different views on whether America should support its old ally, France. Washington struggled to maintain neutrality, knowing that being involved in a conflict like this so soon after independence would be a bad thing for the nation. Learn more with my newest article:
James Monroe was born on April 28, 1758 to relatively wealthy Virginia planters. However, both of his parents soon died, and he inherited his father's estate at a young age. Monroe had a distinguished career during the American Revolution. Afterwards, he had a huge political career that included all of the following positions at one time or another:
In 1816, he was elected as the fifth US President. His time in office is often referred to as the Era of Good Feelings due to the lack of partisan politics during the time. He is also remembered for issuing the Monroe Document.
Rutherford B. Hayes was the nineteenth president of the United States. He only served one term, March 4, 1877 to March 3, 1881. He had strong views on civil service reform that often made him unpopular, as shown by this quote, "I am not liked as a President by the politicians in office, in the press, or in Congress. But I am content to abide the judgment - the sober second thought - of the people."
In terms of foreign policy, he stated that any canal that would be built in Central America would be under American control, in order to keep foreign powers out of the region. On January 17, 1893, he died of a heart attack.
Captured by Comanche Indians at a young age, Cynthia Ann Parker became part of the tribe. She only returned to her family unwillingly once she was captured by Texas Rangers in 1860. Learn more about this pioneer of the west and her life with the Comanche Indians:
On June 27, 1864, Major General William T. Sherman's led his troops on an assault against Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston's army at Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia. Sherman assumed that Johnston had spread his line too thin. He was wrong as the defenders had dug themselves in. The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain resulted in a Confederate victory and of the 4,000 casualties, 3,000 were Union soldiers.
On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt when John Hinckley, Jr. shot him in the hopes of gaining notoriety and impressing Jodi Foster. He was later found guilty by reason of insanity and placed in a mental institution. Reagan's survival meant the breaking of Tecumseh's Curse.
Remember the Maine. Yellow Journalism. Rough Riders. The Spanish-American War provides the backdrop for a fascinating time in American History. Learn more about the causes, events, and aftermath of the war with this article: Essentials of the Spanish-American War.
Charles Schenck was arrested and convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 by advocating individuals to speak out and sign a petition against the Conscription Act during World War I. He appealed to the Supreme Court about this violation to his First Amendment right to free speech. The court ruled unanimously against him establishing the "Clear and Present Danger" rule for free speech during times of war. Learn about the facts of the case and what he actually said in his petition with this profile:
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was assassinated while travelling to inspect troops in Sarajevo, Bosnia. His assassin was Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Black Hand organization that was calling for Serbian independence. The Archduke's death set into motion an unstoppable mechanism based on entangling alliances whereby most of the Europe was pulled into World War I.
On June 26, 1963, John F. Kennedy gave his famous speech in Berlin where he uttered the phrase, "Ich Bin Ein Berliner." This phrase does not, despite lots of serious and pop references to the contrary, mean "I am a jelly donut." Instead, Kennedy was trying to express his solidarity with the individuals who lived in Berlin. The confusion comes in due to the fact that Berliner could refer to a jelly donut or a citizen of Berlin combined with the fact that the president used the word "Ein" in front of Berliner. However, his grammar was perfectly correct and stories of Germans laughing at this statement during the speech seem to be grossly exaggerated or not true to begin with. You can read more about this from About.com's Urban Legends site
On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg exploded at Lakehurst Naval Air Station resulting in the deaths of 36 people. This crash resulted in a drastic change in the way that lighter-than-air crafts would be used forever. Learn about these tragic events and the many theories about exactly what happened to cause the explosion on that fateful May day.
The term muckraker was coined by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Investigative reporting had truly started in 1902 and many of the books and articles written by the so-called muckrakers resulted in key reforms. However, when they began to look into political corruption, Roosevelt gave a speech which basically stated that they had gone too far. Who Were the Muckrakers takes a look at the major muckrakers of the Progressive era, their works, and the effects of their writings.
On April 26, 1865, John Wilkes Booth was found hiding with co-conspirator David Herold in a barn near Port Royal, Virginia. While Herold surrendered, Booth refused so the barn was set on fire. In the ensuing chaos, a soldier shot and killed Booth. However, there are some who claim that he did not die but instead escaped despite the fact that many people who knew Booth identified his body. There are many conspiracies surrounding Abraham Lincoln's death including ones that Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, ones that involved Andrew Johnson, and even one that included the Catholic Church.
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During the month of February, we focus on the importance of African-Americans in the history and culture of the United States. We'll begin by looking at three fascinating African-Americans: an abolitionist, a Civil Rights leader, and a President.
Temperance movements began in the United States in the 1830s and culminated in the 18th amendment ratified on January 29, 1919. However, the amendment did not stay in effect for long. The 21st amendment repealed the 18th on December 5, 1933. This timeline gives an overview of the Prohibition Era in American history.
Want to learn more about the Great Depression? These resources can help:
The development of railroads had a huge impact on the United States. It facilitated the movement of population, increased commerce, and played a large part in the US Civil War. This article takes a look at the major effects of railroads on the United States.
In 1963, the US Supreme Court ruled on Gideon v. Wainwright, a landmark decision requiring states to provide defense counsel in all criminal cases on the basis that it would be a violation of the sixth amendment rights. Due to this, the number of public defenders in the country exponentially rose. Learn more about this important case and its significance:
With President Barack Obama's remarks yesterday about the shameful way that the Vietnam veterans were received by the many protesters against the war, it is important to go back and remember the facts about the war itself. The following article looks at eight essential facts that you should know about the Vietnam War.
On April 27, 1822, Ulysses S Grant was born. He was destined to lead the Union forces during the US Civil War. After the war, he rode a wave of popularity to be elected as the eighteenth president of the United States. Unfortunately, his time in office was wracked by five presidential scandals. Sadly, after the presidency, he lost all his money and wrote his memoirs as a way to raise money for his wife before his death on July 23, 1885.
