The Peacemaker Story

Most historians say that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy came together during the 15th century.

The Great War - An Overview

World War I—or the “Great War,” as it was called—was truly a world war. An estimated 65 million soldiers representing more than 30 countries from six continents took part.

The End of the War to End All Wars

All was quiet on the Western Front at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918.

The Final Push

When Germany launched a spring offensive in March 1918, it hoped to defeat Great Britain and France on the Western Front before U.S. forces could arrive.

The War's Pull

Americans read all about the horrible fighting in the Great War in 1914.

A Variety Of Whales

Whales are members of a scientific order known as Cetacea. Cetaceans are found in every ocean and consist of two main suborders: baleen whales (or Mysticeti) and toothed whales (Odontoceti), which also include dolphins and porpoises.

Slang From The Sea

Have you ever felt startled or “taken aback” about the turn of certain events? Or have you ever gone from feeling great to feeling disappointment when someone or something “took the wind out of your sails”? Those phrases are examples of sailing-related sayings.

On Behalf Of Whales

Meet WDC’s Regina Asmutis-silvia

Working On The Railroad

The transcontinental railroad was the greatest engineering feat of its time. Nothing like it had been attempted before. The project required massive amounts of material and money, and it required the labor of thousands of men working six days a week. Finding enough workers was initially difficult for both companies.

MIdwest Hub

Almost as soon as Chicago was established in 1833, it went through a remarkable transformation.

Gangsters!

A dark side of Chicago’s history has been glamorized in movies and television.

What The Camera Captured - Indoors

The photographs on the following pages are part of the collection of the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) and are attributed to Lewis W. Hine.

It's The Law

By 1910, about 2 million children under the age of 15 worked in industry, according to National Archives and Records Administration data.

Dr. D's Mystery Hero - Child Star

Child labor often brings to mind terrible conditions for poor wages, but this month’s mystery hero’s story was different.

Mr. Lincoln's Reelection

Mr. Lincoln's Reelection

A Visit To Ivy Green

In northwestern Alabama, the simple white clapboard house known as Ivy Green has been preserved as a museum dedicated to Helen Keller’s life and work.

A Deep Divide

Long before fighting with guns started in the Civil War (1861–1865), Americans fought with words and ideas. As this issue shows, nearly all the disagreements involved slavery, and efforts to compromise never permanently eliminated the threat that slavery presented to the nation’s united future.

The Call to Fight SLAVE REBELLIONS

To Nat Turner, the unusual bluish-green sun that dawned one morning was a sign.

Unlikely Election

When seven southern states seceded from the Union over the winter of 1860– 61, they did so mainly as a result of the election of Abraham Lincoln as president. Lincoln was an unlikely winner from an unlikely party in an unlikely year.

A Failed Experiment

This 1846 print warns of the evils of alcohol by showing the stages of a man going from social drinker to death, while his family cries under the archway.

Women on the Rise

The activism of women was impossible to miss during the Progressive Era. From labor strikes and grassroots campaigns to the crusade for the vote, women mobilized in large numbers.

Teacher

The story of Anne Sullivan’s life once it became linked to Helen Keller’s life is known. Less familiar is Sullivan’s life before she arrived in Alabama in 1887. Johanna Mansfield “Anne” Sullivan was born on April 15, 1866.

Famous Friends

Most people have heard of Helen Keller’s remarkable friendship with Anne Sullivan, her “Teacher,” who first taught her how to communicate.

A School With Vision

By the time Helen Keller arrived at the Perkins Institution in the 1880s, the school had changed its name and location a few times. Today, it is known as the Perkins School for the Blind, but its mission of working with children with vision disabilities remains just strong as when it opened nearly 190 years ago.

Riches Of The Ocean

For hundreds of years, whales were one of the riches of the ocean. Commercial whaling was viewed as an important and admirable occupation because the main industry it supported—supplying oil for light—was invaluable in a time before electricity or natural gas were introduced. 

Meet The Crew

New England whaling crews were made up of a diverse community of men.

Harpooned!

A 19th-century whaler sailed the ocean alone, set apart from the rest of the world.

Parts

People used different parts of the whale in their daily lives in the 1800s.

Picture The Age Of Whaling

A typical whaling voyage lasted several years, and several months might pass out on the ocean between whale sightings.

The Story Of The Essex

“HERE HE IS—HE IS MAKING FOR US AGAIN!”