History

Veterans Day is a holiday observed every year on November 11. It honors military soldiers who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Since 1775, the United States Armed Forces have played an important part in the history of the United States. The Armed Forces have done more than just fight.

Over 400 years ago, I was just a rock lying on the shore of America. It was so boring. I wished something exciting would happen to me, anything! I’m just a rock head. I’m made of granite. Only, just don’t take me for granted, please!

Who are the Mayans (MY-anns)? Why are they a mystery? Where did they come from? What did they eat? Why did they build pyramids? What did they predict would happen in the future? Why did the Mayan civilization die out? What can we learn from the ancient Mayans?

What was it like to live during the Ice Age? Follow the true-to-life struggles of a group of people trying to survive the cold climate.

Since prehistoric times, ships have undergone many changes. With 75 percent or three-fourths of our Earth covered in water, transportation by water is important. What do you think was one of the oldest known types of boats invented by humans?

Let’s go back thousands of years to the Ice Age and prehistoric times before written history. We hear music coming from inside the prehistoric hut. What do you think is the oldest musical instrument in human history? Did prehistoric people have other musical instruments? Find the answers to these questions and more....

The United States' westward expansion started in the 1500s after the Europeans landed in North America. Later, it would be called Manifest Destiny.

It is 1849. Our family lives in a cabin on a farm near the city of Independence, Missouri. Our parents show us a map and say, ”We’re selling the farm and heading for California. Gold has been discovered at Sutter’s Mill.”

To create more trade and to expand the Empire of Britain, Queen Elizabeth established colonies in North America. By 1732, the 13 colonies that belonged to England were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. In 1754, Benjamin Franklin made a drawing called “Join, or Die”. It showed a snake divided into parts which meant that the 13 colonies should unite against any enemies.

Who were the ancestors of the Native Americans? How did they reach North America and survive?

Sitting Bull was born in 1831 near the Yellowstone River in Montana. He was originally named "Jumping Badger" and nicknamed "Slow" due to his careful nature. Sitting Bull was 14 years old when he went on a raiding party with his father, uncle Four Horns, and Lakota warriors. They took horses from a camp of Crow warriors.

I am born in Iceland around 970 AD. Leif Erikson is my name. I wonder what I’ll do when I grow up? My father is a Viking who has red hair and a red beard. Maybe that’s why he is called Erik the Red. My last name is Erikson because I am the “son” of Erik the Red. I go to Greenland in 985 AD.

Mount Rushmore is called the “Shrine of Democracy”. It has the faces of our most beloved Presidents skillfully carved in granite and represents 150 years of American History.

I was born on December 17, 1760, in Plympton, Massachusetts. My name is Deborah Sampson. I have six brothers and sisters. I wonder in the future if I will change my name? How do you like my dress and hair ribbon?

It is 1620. We Pilgrims do not agree with the Church of England and decide to sail to America which is known as the New World. Ahead of us is a wooden cargo ship with no sails. We see a wooden mayflower carved and painted on the stern or back of the ship. I wonder what the ship is called?

Chocolate is one of the most popular flavors in the world. Over 5,000 years ago in the rainforests of Ecuador, the people planted the seeds from the wild cocoa trees. They ground the beans to make a chocolate drink with water.

I am born on November 22, 1744, in Weymouth, Massachusetts. My name is Abigail Smith. Maybe my last name will change when I’m older. My family owns four slaves. Phoebe is a slave who takes care of me while I am a child. When I grow up, I want to teach our slaves to read and write, give them freedom, and pay them to work for me. I do not believe in slavery for men or ladies.

Even though it is called the Silk Road, it was not one road. Many historians prefer the title of Silk Routes. The Silk Routes were more than trade routes. They were a knowledge highway.