On July 13, 1863, the deadly and destructive Draft Riots, the largest civil disturbance in the nation’s history, shook New York City. Despite its name, the newly passed , which instituted a draft lottery with exemptions in place for the wealthy, was not the root cause of the four-day rampage. Rather, the law acted as… MORE
Anna Khomina
Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 during the Civil War, the Homestead Act was the most comprehensive land distribution bill passed in the nineteenth century.
American poet Phillis Wheatley spent the majority of her life embroiled in a clash of cultures. Her poetry revealed much about colonial society in eighteenth century New England and its hierarchal relationships. As a Christian, a slave, a woman, a poet and an African, Wheatley experienced discrimination on several fronts. Her poetry gave insight into… MORE
As a child, did you ever play Oregon Trail? From the safety of your computer chair, you were able to get a taste of the trials early pioneers had to endure: illness, food shortages, sluggish pacing, and unreliable tools like that pesky wagon axle that always broke. Despite the dangers of making the 2,000-mile trek… MORE