History detectives put their keen observation skills to the test as they closely examine artifacts. Drawing on visual and tactile clues, they formulate a theory about who done it, or in this case who made it, why, and for what...

World War I brought turmoil to Chicago because of its large immigrant population, especially Germans. Read about how the war affected the politics and industry of Chicago both during and after the war.

An interesting look at how some businesses in Chicago practiced welfare capitalism, a way to give noncash compensation to workers primarily to stave off unionization, but also to promote a loyalty to the company. Many examples are given.

As urban populations increased along with poverty in urban areas, charities began to offer help. Read about the Charity Organization Society that attempted to coordinate charitiable giving. Read about the evolution of the coordination of...

Read about the Chicago branch of the Women's Trade Union League and its alliance between women workers and upper-class women who supported their cause.

Read a part of an article written by Carl Sandburg for the Chicago Daily News reporting on the Chicago Race Riots of 1919.

This article from the Encyclopedia of Chicago explains how a strike by railroad workers in West Virginia eventually made its way to Chicago and was taken up by workers from many industries. See how city officials resolved this general...

Read about the luxurious rail car George Pullman introduced that made transcontinental rail travel so desirable.