History

When Government Fails, Communities Take Care of Themselves 0
- History
- July 19, 2019
People often assume that government welfare programs provide the resources and safety net that local communities cannot. But in the early- and mid-20th century, systemic racism often meant that African American communities were excluded from government welfare programs. In the face of this injustice, we see numerous examples of communities stepping up to take care
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Did We Mishear Neil Armstrong’s Famous First Words on the Moon?0
- History
- July 18, 2019
On July 20, 1969, an estimated 650 million people watched in suspense as Neil Armstrong descended a ladder towards the surface of the Moon. As he took his first steps, he uttered words that would be written into history books for generations to come: “That’s one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.”
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Traveling Backwards: Reparations and the Complications of History 2
- History
- July 5, 2019
Before the Civil War, several of my ancestors in Western Pennsylvania were staunch abolitionists. They participated in the Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves from the South make the journey to freedom. During the War itself, several of these same ancestors, fought in that conflict. At least two of them died, along with several hundred thousand
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The Native Americans Who Owned Slaves 2
- History
- July 5, 2019
Did you know that the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery did not apply to ALL slaves? Most see slavery as a simple black-vs.-white issue. But those who do may not realize that the “Five Civilized Tribes” of the southeast — Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole — also participated in the institution of slavery. Because these tribes were
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Twelve Quotes from Leo Tolstoy on Truth, Violence, and Government 0
- History
- June 13, 2019
Lev Nikolayevitch Tolstoy (1828- 1910), more commonly known as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer and philosopher. Tolstoy was born on a small family estate in Tula, Russia, an industrial city about 100 miles south of Moscow. The fourth of five children, Tolstoy studied law and languages at Kazan University, but he was a poor
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D-Day Succeeded Thanks to an Ingenious Design Called the Mullberry Harbours 0
- History
- June 6, 2019
When Allied troops stormed the beaches at Normandy, France on June 6, 1944 – a bold invasion of Nazi-held territory that helped tip the balance of World War II – they were using a remarkable and entirely untested technology: artificial ports. To stage what was then the largest seaborne assault in history, the American, British
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