Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Middle Colonies: The Ideas of Benjamin Franklin
A brief biography of Benjamin Franklin covering his career as a printer, philanthropist, inventor, and public servant.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Social and Cultural Effects of the Depression
Read about how the fabric of the nation was changed during the Great Depression. See how the institutions of life--marriage, birth rates, education, public health--all saw disruption because of the compromised economy.
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U.s. History: Radio Fever
Radio created a mass entertainment culture that could bridge the gap between those in California and those in New York. Read about the advent of radio stations, and the companies that owned them. See why the federal government had to...
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U.s. History: The Invention of the Teenager
It's hard to believe that there was not a phase known as adolescence until the 1920s. See how child labor laws and the automobile combined to spawn the teenager.
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U.s. History: The Decade That Roared
A very brief overview of the decade between the end of World War I and the Great Depression.
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U.s. History: Over There
Read about the difference it made when the United States finally entered World War I. Find out about the impact of the American Expeditionary Force, and the major battles in which they fought.
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U.s. History: Farewell to Isolation
President Wilson's claim, "he kept us out of war," did not last. Read about the increasing number of reasons for American to declare war against Germany. See why war was finally declared in April, 1917.
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U.s. History: The Roosevelt Corollary and Latin America
See how the Roosevelt Corollary expanded on the Monroe Doctrine and allowed for intervention in Latin American affairs.
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U.s. History: Hawaiian Annexation
Read about the annexation of Hawaii and how it was an on-and-off-and-on policy. See the influence of the American planters in the governmental workings of the Hawaiian monarchy.
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U.s. History: Early Stirrings
American desire for overseas expansion began as early as the purchase of Alaska from Russia. See what other actions were taken in the latter part of the 19th century, and find out why this imperialist view was taking hold.
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U.s. History: The Wounded Knee Massacre
Read about the phenomenon of the Ghost Dance that was causing a religious reawakening with Native Americans in the 1880s. See how this caused the travesty at Wounded Knee Creek where the U.S. Army attacked peaceful Sioux who were trying...
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U.s. History: Life on the Reservations
Read about the probems caused by restricting Native Americans to reservations after their collective defeat by the end of the 19th century. See how the Dawes Act tried to address these problems, but only made things worse.
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U.s. History: Custer's Last Stand
Read a brief description of General George Custer and his troops engagement with the Sioux at the Little Big Horn River. See what happened to the Sioux, and find out what the general perception of the Indian Wars was to the American public.
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U.s. History: New England Colonies: Dissent in Massachusetts Bay
The Puritan clergy in Massachusetts Bay colony did not allow religious dissent. Read about the fate of colonists Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams who believed in religious freedom.
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U.s. History: Victorian Values in a New Age
See the tension between Victorian morality and new ideas as America became urbanized. Read about the Comstock Law, and find out about the first woman to run for president,
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U.s. History: From the Countryside to the City
The growth of cities was rapid in the last half of the 19th century. Read about the good things and bad things that were a result of this urbanization.
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U.s. History: American Federation of Labor
Samuel Gompers, master organizer, had a vision of a national union that would have economic clout, but would steer clear of politics. Read about his organization of skilled workers in craft unions under the banner of the American...
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U.s. History: Labor vs. Management
As Big Business grew in the Gilded Age, so did conflict between the workers and management. Read about the techniques used by both groups to try to press their points and get the upper hand in negotiations.
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U.s. History: Organized Labor
Industrial workers, as industry emerged and grew in the last half of the 19th century, did not profit as the business tycoons did. Read about the very beginnings of attempts to organize as a force to demand higher wages, a shorter work...
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U.s. History: Of Generals and Soldiers
Many of the generals on both sides of the Civil War were friends and acquaintances because of their service in the Mexican War. Read about some of these generals and see on which side they fought and why.
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U.s. History: Politics and the New Nation
A brief overview of how the United States would change during the Age of Jackson and Jacksonian democracy.
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U.s. History: The Second War for American Independence
The War of 1812 has been called the Second War of Independence. Find out about one of the causes of the war, and read about the possible plans for secession by the New England states, which opposed the war.
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U.s. History: Native Resistance in the Trans Appalachian West
This site gives a brief look at the Indian alliance built by Tecumseh to confront the U.S. military which wanted to protect the settlers moving west into Indian territory.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War
Both the British and French challenged American sovereignty and neutrality on the high seas. Read about the solution favored by Thomas Jefferson, but despised by the American shippers. See why this a cause of the War of 1812, along with...