A decade before the start of the Civil War, America was in the midst of a major political crisis, triggered by the passage in 1850 of the “Fugitive Slave Act.” Intended to be part of “compromise” legislation addressing the issue of the expansion of slavery in the Western territories, the
The story of the Mayflower has been a part of American lore for centuries, and each November, we honor the “First Thanksgiving” the Mayflower Pilgrims celebrated at Plymouth Colony in 1621 (although most historians would say that none of the Pilgrims actually called the feast they shared with the Wampanoag
Americans tend to think of our nation’s official break from its English oppressors as having taken place when the Declaration of Independence was passed by the Continental Congress in June 1776. Indeed, today, plans are underway throughout the United Stated to celebrate the 250th anniversary of that singular event in
This month we commemorate one of the most heartfelt moments in American history, when Americans everywhere turned out to welcome the return to the United States of the Marquis de Lafayette, who had been invited by President James Monroe to come to the United States as “The Nation’s Guest” to
The history of the American West is, in many respects, a history of conquest, as American settlers in the 1800’s migrated west into the lands of various Native-American tribes. Following the Louisiana Purchase, North American tribes were systematically displaced by a combination of treaties, land grabs, and, ultimately, open warfare
Last month we posted a story about Meriwether Lewis, the famed explorer who co-led the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-06. The other leader of that expedition was William Clark, who died on this day in 1838 at the age of 68. He outlived Meriwether Lewis by almost twenty years.
The story of the American West is a story of emigration—hundreds of thousands of pioneers heading West, originally to areas west of the Mississippi River, and later to areas west of the Rockies, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. When news that gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in
This month we commemorate the anniversary of the convening of the first General Assembly at the Jamestowne Colony in August 1619, an event that historians point to as the very first representative government in North America. For an entire week, the Jamestowne representatives met in a wooden church built within
Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Lewis In the history of the American West (by which I mean west of the Mississippi), two events arguably were the starting point for the western expansion of America, and the migration of millions of settlers from east to west over the
The history of the Colony of New Netherland in North America (today’s New York) is inseparable from the history of one man: Peter Stuyvesant, who served as the Director-General from 1647 to 1665, when the Colony was taken over by the English. We honor his memory today, the 353rd anniversary
On this day in 1860, folk heroine Annie Oakley was born in a log cabin in Illinois. By age 8 she was demonstrating her extraordinary sharp-shooting skills, and at age 15 she began a long career as a star of Wild West shows, most famously Buffalo Bill’s traveling show, touring America and
On August 13, 1910, one of the pioneering women in the field of medicine and medical practices passed away. Florence Nightingale is considered to be the founder of modern nursing, and her work heavily influenced American healthcare and medical practices. At the height of her career in the mid-1800’s she
As we enter the Fall season, thoughts of many Americans turn to the upcoming holidays, especially Thanksgiving, when we traditionally honor the memory of our Pilgrim ancestors who came on the Mayflower in 1620 and founded the Plymouth Colony. The Plymouth Colony was short-lived, as it ultimately merged into the
We’ve posted a number of stories about memorable figures in American history who led armies, settled the West, governed our earliest colonies, or distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavor— but not business leaders, some of whom played critical roles in the development of our country. One such person was
James Armistead Lafayette was a Continental Army double agent tasked with spying on the British during the Revolutionary War. He was born into slavery and enslaved by William Armistead, a Virginia man supportive of the Patriot cause. James joined the Continental Army under the Marquis de Lafayette, a French military
Long forgotten today, one of the most important political figures in 17th century colonial America was William Berkeley, who died this day on July 9, 1677. Berkeley was the Governor of the Virginia Colony from 1642 to 1652, then again from 1660 to 1677. During the better part of four