American History

Union and confederate flags
American History

North vs. South: Prelude to the American Civil War

October 9, 2019

The Anerican Civil War is so vast, complex, important, and engaging, that it has inspired literature that conservatively runs to more than 50,000 books and pamphlets. More than one book or pamphlet a day has been published about the conflict since April 1861, when the firing on Fort Sumter helped precipitate it. Review the background of the war, and learn what was happening in the North and South before the first shots were fired. […]

Compromise of 1850
American History

Politics before the American Civil War

October 9, 2019

Slavery may have been the key issue that ignited the American Civil War, but a series of political battle lines, compromises, negotiations, and institutional challenges all served as catalysts for war. Take a look at the political storms of the mid-19th century and examine the politics of the American Civil War. […]

Abraham Lincoln's Presidency Campaign Banner. H. C. Howard [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons
American History

Abraham Lincoln’s Path to Victory in 1860

October 9, 2019

The campaign of 1860 was an interesting spectacle. Four men with different platforms and constituencies offered their arguments for leading the United States. Learn how the campaign—and the 1860 election results—illustrated the degree to which the North and South were divided on the nation’s future. […]

Political Cartoon. Storming the Castle. Currier and Ives [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons
American History

Choosing 1860’s Presidential Candidates

October 9, 2019

What made 1860 such a volatile electoral year? One reason was the wide range of presidential candidates put forth by America’s major political parties. Follow the path to four potential candidates, including Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. […]

Painting of John Brown's Harper's Ferry insurrection on October 17 1859 Captain Albert's militia firing on Brown's insurgents from the railroad bridge.
American History

The Shock of John Brown’s Raid

October 8, 2019

The presidential election of 1860 was the most momentous presidential election in the history of the United States. More was at stake than at any other time in U.S. history. Investigate the opening scene of the crisis: John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry. […]

Slaves and soldiers
American History

Slavery, Compromise, and the Long Road to War

July 26, 2019

What caused the Civil War? No discussion introducing the American Civil War would be complete without an extensive analysis of slavery and the economic conditions of the antebellum world. Delve into the complexities of the years leading up to the Civil War. Find out what was happening at the state and federal levels of government that put Americans on the road to war. […]

Buzz Aldrin walks on the surface of the moon
American History

Geopolitics in the Space Age—50 Years after the Apollo 11 Mission

July 15, 2019

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 lunar landing by examining these questions: First, what significance did the Moon landing have in 1969? What does it have now? And the most difficult, speculative, and thought-expanding question of all, what will it mean in the future, say a century from now, in 2119? […]

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