Remembering Governor George Yeardley

Early Virginia

In the first two decades of the 17th century, the Jamestowne Colony in Virginia was struggling. Settled in 1607, the Colony had experienced Indian attacks, famine, disease, and a host …...

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November 11, 1620: The “Mayflower Compact” Is Signed at Cape Cod, and a New Form of Government Is Established in North America

Early New England

During this Thanksgiving season, we commemorate the coming together of English settlers and Native-Americans at Plymouth Colony, for what historians have dubbed “The First Thanksgiving.” This...

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Remembering Abigail Adams

Revolutionary War Era

On this day in 1818, one of the pre-eminent women of the Revolutionary War era passed away in Quincy, Massachusetts—Abigail Adams, wife of Founding Father and President of the United …...

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Remembering Peyton Randolph

Revolutionary War Era

As we commemorate the history of the American Revolution, which began 250 years ago in 1775, much of the focus has been on battles—Lexington & Concord (April 1775), Bunker Hill …...

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Remembering Eugene Debs

Uncategorized

Eugene V. Debs (1855–1926) was a pioneering American labor leader, socialist, and political activist who played a central role in shaping the labor movement and socialist politics in the United...

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Lucy Stone

Uncategorized

Lucy Stone (1818–1893) was a pioneering American orator, abolitionist, and suffragist who played a vital role in advancing women’s rights in the 19th century. Born in West Brookfield,...

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Remembering Julia Ward Howe

Civil War Era

The women’s suffrage movement in America culminated in 1920 with passage of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. The movement began long before …...

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Remembering Franklin Pierce

Civil War Era

Franklin Pierce, the 14th President of the United States, served from 1853 to 1857 during a period of growing sectional tension between the North and South. A native of New …...

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Remembering Robert E. Lee

Civil War Era

The American Civil War was a watershed moment in American history, a four-year battle that was the culmination of decades of hostilities over the issue of slavery.  In its final …...

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The Start of the American Revolution?

Revolutionary War Era

The “Royal Proclamation of 1763” 252 years ago on October 7, 1763, King George III of Great Britain issued a Royal Proclamation which laid out the new boundaries of the …...

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