The right to stand up for what we believe in is as American as apple pie and is protected under US law by the Bill of Rights: a list of ten amendments to the US Constitution that almost never existed.
America Explained
Exploring America’s history and how it impacts today’s society – from the Founding Mothers to what marijuana tells us about States’ rights
Common Sense: Democracy in Print
We’ve all seen our fair share of American political ads in recent years. But the very first? That could be Common Sense – written by Thomas Paine – an 18th century pamphlet designed to incite rebellion!
Robert E. Lee: The Man Behind the Myth
He’s revered as the greatest Confederate general of them all, the personification of Southern loyalty, tradition and military strength. But there’s a lot more to the so-called ‘Marble Man’ than meets the eye. So, who was the real Robert E Lee?
Dueling Economies That Fueled the Civil War
Which economy was best for the country’s future? The industrial economy of the North? Or the plantation system of the South? The stage was set for a financial fracas that would lead to the deadliest war in US history.
Civil War: Industry and Supply
Supplying almost three million soldiers with the food, clothes and resources they needed to fight the Civil War was no easy task. So which side proved most successful?
Gettysburg Address: The Two Minute Speech That Saved America
It’s got fewer words than the average rap song, and takes less time to read than it does to boil an egg. So how did the Gettysburg Address inspire a global movement for democratic change that’s still shaping our lives today?
Choosing Sides: Native Americans and the Civil War
What about the Native Americans who found themselves stuck in the middle of the Civil War – why did they fight for both sides?#
Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Did a Book Spark the Civil War?
It was published nine years before a shot was fired. And was written by a woman. How did Uncle Tom’s Cabin fan the flames of the American Civil War?
Black Soldiers and the Fight for Citizenship
For those enslaved, it was the perpetrator of countless horrors. So why did almost 200,000 African-Americans put their lives on the line to preserve the United States?
The New South: After Reconstruction
After the American Civil War, the American South attempted a rebrand. But would it accept the progressive social and political changes of the Reconstruction Era?