51 Great Online Resources for History Teachers has had several recent additions. The biggest change is that we have added several encyclopedias and history portals for over 25 states. These additions focus on state history and archives. Many of these… Read More ›
History
Was Historian Eric Hobsbawm a dangerous Communist?
The historian Eric Hobsbawm, who was born in 1917, the year of the Russian Revolution, and died in 2012 at the age of 95, was widely regarded as an unrepentant Stalinist, a man who, unlike other Marxist historians such as EP Thompson and Christopher… Read More ›
Why did the Weimar Republic Collapse?
The Weimar Republic was Germany’s first experiment in democracy. It was founded after the aftermath of the German defeat in World War I. The Republic faced many challenges during its short life. It was undermined by right and left wing… Read More ›
Choosing the House Speaker: A Forgotten Fight
From We’re History by Peter H. Wood: In the sharp-elbowed world of U.S. politics, the selection of Speaker of the House of Representatives usually comes with a predictable rubber stamp. Now and then, however, the choice provokes an extended rumpus…. Read More ›
What Are the Origins of Egyptology?
Today, Egyptology – the study of ancient Egyptian history, culture, and language – is a worldwide discipline studied and taught at major universities on nearly every continent. It has evolved from a more esoteric study known only to elites in… Read More ›
How Did a Bad Idea Like Prohibition Ever Win Majority Support?
From History News Network by William Rorabaugh: Eighty-five years ago Congress, desperate for new revenues during the Great Depression, legalized beer. At the same time the Twenty-First Amendment to the United States Constitution repealing the dry Eighteenth Amendment was making… Read More ›
How did the Versailles Treaty lead to World War Two?
The guns fell silent on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. Over four years of incredible destruction came to a silent end. For the belligerent Central and Allied Powers the armistice brought… Read More ›
How Did Firefighting Develop?
Firefighting began to be a focus only with the rise of very large cities such as Rome. Earlier cities, such as those in Mesopotamia or the Indus, likely developed ad hoc firefighting departments and respondent to events. As with other… Read More ›
How did baseball develop?
Baseball is called America’s pastime and looking at it one can see that the modern sport of baseball not only developed in the United States but it continues to be associated with the United States, similar to iconic places such… Read More ›
What was the impact of the Paris Commune of 1871 on Revolutionaries?
In 1871, in Paris, there was one of the first modern left-wing revolutions in the world. It came amidst a background of war and siege. The Paris Commune as the revolution was known, sought to implement some of the most… Read More ›
American Civil War Biographies Top Ten Booklist
On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee surrender his Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, effectively ending the American Civil War. The four years of bloody carnage forever altered the course of… Read More ›
What Was the Role of Hood’s Texas Brigade at the Battle of Gaines’s Mill?
It is estimated that 56,000 Texans served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War, yet the approximately 4,000 men, organized into thirty-two companies that formed the Texas Brigade, were the only Texans who fought in both theaters of operation.[1]… Read More ›
The creation of Universities
Universities today are a key component for modern states and economies, where the professional classes and academic research are fostered. We often rate societies by their abilities to produce scientific achievement and develop economic success where universities play a critical… Read More ›