Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Hoover's Last Stand
The Great Depression was not the fault of Herbert Hoover, but see how he was unable or unwilling to take the steps to address it. Find out how the election of 1932 was the result of his misunderstanding of the economics of the time.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Bonus March
Read how anger about the increasing hardships affecting people in the Great Depression resulted in a march on Washington, D.C., by veterans of World War I. See what the demands were of the so-called Bonus Army, and how the demands were met.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Domestic and International Politics
Read about the politics, both domestic and international, of the three presidents in the 1920s. Domestic scandals and attempts to patch international problems stood out in this decade.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Books and Movies
A look at the literature and movies written and produced in the Jazz Age. See how the writers of the age reflected the consumer society and the emptiness of middle class. Movies appealed to mass culture and millions went to the movies...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Intolerance
The 1920s was a time of intolerance and a return to nativism, a claim to return to American values, defined as those held by white, western European descendents. Read about the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, restriction on immigration,...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Red Scare
A dark side to the Jazz Age was the increase in the fear of Communism. Read about the federal government's actions to stem anything that was thought to threaten American security.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Old Values vs. New Values
An overview of the clash between the old way of life of the Victorian Age and the new, the Jazz Age.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A Consumer Economy
The booming economy of the 1920s introduced new products and ways of paying for those products. Read about the increase in the kinds of household appliances, places to buy the appliances, and the financing of all those new consumer goods.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Flappers
The liberation of women as expressed by the flappers of the 1920s was in stark contrast to the actions of women in the Victorian Age. Read about how flappers expressed their freedom in fashion, employment, and leisure activities.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Fight Against "Demon Rum"
The Eighteenth Amendment showed how difficult it is to legislate morality. Read about the advantages of Prohibition, especially in terms of public health. The disadvantages far outweighed the advantages. See how lawlessness increased...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Age of the Automobile
Henry Ford's use of the assembly line to manufacture his automobiles led to many ramifications. Read about the spin-off industries created by the growth of the automobile industry, and see what impact the auto had on culture.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Over Here
World War I was not fought by Americans just in Europe. Read about the many ways people at home helped the war effort. See how badly German-Americans were treated as anti-German passions were fueled.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: Reaching to Connecticut
Read about how the colony of Connecticut grew from an expansion of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. See how Thomas Hooker's idea of government resulted in a model of colonial charters, and find out how two very different settlements in...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The War Against the Bank
Read about Andrew Jackson's animosity toward the Second Bank of the United States and some reasons for his feelings. Was his veto of the Recharter Bill good for the country? Take the little survey to express your views.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Radical Reconstruction
Read about the frustration the Radical Republicans in Congress had with the Reconstruction plans of Andrew Johnson. Find out what legislation they were able to pass over Johnson's veto, and how they attempted to protect emancipated...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: French Alliance Brings Joy to Washington at Valley Forge
General order written by Washington to express pleasure of the Treaty of Alliance with France, ratified in May, 1778.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Middle Colonies: Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
A good look at the philosophy of the Quakers who colonized William Penn's religious refuge in the colony of Pennsylvania. Read about Penn's liberal views about government, religious freedom, and relations with Native Americans.
CommonLit
Common Lit: Ancient Egyptian Dynasties: Ruling Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms
Egypt is famous for its enormous pyramids, many of which can still be visited today. The pyramids were built by the rulers of Egypt, called pharaohs. In the following informational text by USHistory.org, discusses the rise and fall of...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Experiments With Utopia
Read about the communities, often religious, that strove to be a Utopia, a perfect place where man's natural goodness would provide a good life. Several Utopian communities were spread across the East and Midwest.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A New Civil Rights Movement
A very brief overview of the inception of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s, its successes and failures into the 1960s, and a prediction of despair in the 1970s.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Suburban Growth
Find out how many veterans returning from World War II were able to realize the American Dream of home ownership, and see how this resulted in the growth of suburban areas across the nation.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The 1950s: Happy Days
A brief look at American life and politics in the 1950s with an increase in consumerism and fear of the Soviet Union.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Domestic Challenges
The American soldiers returning from World War I had a huge impact on the economy. Read about President Truman's domestic policies and find out about the surprise of the election of 1948.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Korean War
A quick overview of the Korean War, its causes, outcome, and its role in the Cold War.