A brief biography of Benjamin Franklin covering his career as a printer, philanthropist, inventor, and public servant.

Philadelphia was the colony of Pennsylvania forsome time. Read about what William Penn's vision was for the city and why the city became so important.

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.

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...

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.

A very brief overview of the decade between the end of World War I and the Great Depression.

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.

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.

See how the Roosevelt Corollary expanded on the Monroe Doctrine and allowed for intervention in Latin American affairs.

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.

Find out about the terms of the Treaty of Paris, 1763, which brought an end to the French and Indian War. See how Spain fit into the treaty and read about the colonists' views of the British soldiers at the end of the war.

As the American population became more literate, there was more available to read. See how newspapers adapted to the thirst for news and other topics, and read about the new magazines that reached a reading public.

Read about the vision of Robert E. Lee as he led his troops north in the Gettysburg Campaign. A brief overview of the Battle of Gettysburg discusses the major parts of the battle and explains why the outcome of the battle was so...

Read about the ways some slaves gained their freedom and where they often lived once free.

Problems with the new government of the United States led to rethinking the rules of governing. Read a brief overview of what the results were.

Read about the technological advances that brought on the information age at the beginning of the 21st century. The internet, e-mail, and the spread of fiber-optic cables revolutionized the amount of information available to the ordinary...

Plantation life was a dichotomy between rich and poor, land owners and laborers. Read about the life of the rich plantation owners and their families. See how the role of women was different on the plantations.

Africans first arrived in Jamestown as indentured servants, but soon the appeal of having laborers that were not free after seven years caught on. See how the use of slaves grew in the Southern colonies, the economies of which were based...