America Explained
Pleading the 25th Amendment
What happens when the President is no longer able to perform their duties? That’s when the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution comes into play.
Revolutionary Language: Slang of the 18th Century
Did you know that hipsters were a thing back in the 18th century and were known as Macaroni? Our ancestors liked to get creative with language: especially in the world of politics.
The American Colonies Were More Diverse Than You Think
The original American colonies were a lot more diverse than you might think
Museum of Artifacts That Made America
The Tobacco Press: Revolutionising Farmers’ Gold
Today we know the risks of smoking tobacco, but over 100 years ago the dangers were less so, and tobacco became a booming business in Kentucky. Its success can in part be credited to the Burley tobacco press.
Civil War Prosthetics: A Step Forward in Battlefield Medicine
James Edward Hanger was hit by shrapnel from a cannonball at the beginning of the American Civil War- he designed the world’s first articulated prosthetic that could bend like a real leg.
The Swivel Chair: How Thomas Jefferson Invented the Office Chair
As one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson’s words helped found a nation. But did you know that he also invented the modern day swivel chair?
Hidden Figures
Mercy Otis Warren: Founding Fathers’ Fiercest Critic
At a time when the British ruled over the 13 colonies of North America with an iron fist, poet, playwright and ‘whistleblower’ Mercy Otis Warren – used her words to throw serious shade their way.
Mary Carson Breckinridge: Mother of American Midwifery
Mary Carson, born into the wealthy Breckinridge family in 1881, changed the face of US midwifery. This is her story.
Newton Knight: Anti-Confederate Leader in the Confederacy
This is the story of Newton Knight, a Confederate soldier in the American Civil War
Women and the American Story
Catalina Trico: New Netherland’s Founding Mother
Catalina Trico was a young trailblazer and the first European mother in what would become New York State.
Dr. Antonia Pantoja: The Puerto-Rican who gave Students Back their Bilingual Voice
The story of Latina activist Antonia Pantoja, who fought for bilingual education programs.
What is Coverture?
Did you know that even today, American Women’s lives are shaped by a legal principle that dates back to the Middle Ages – coverture?
Art That Changed America
The Golden Age of Sci-Fi
The Golden Age of Sci-Fi Literature saw American authors combine factual science with fantastical fiction to take readers into the farthest reaches of the imagination.
The Ball Culture of New York City
As far back as the 1860s, LGBTQ+ people created safe spaces where they could celebrate their identities freely. Odd Fellow Balls became the birthplace of drag ball culture.
The Chicano Art Movement
In 1960’s Chicanos, turned to the arts to express their frustration and reassert their cultural identity.
Things You Didn’t Know
American POWs in Asia: The Hidden Heroes of WW2
They experienced incredibly hardships in the fight against fascism. This is the story of the US servicemen and women held as prisoners of war.
The Equal Rights Amendment
Think the US Constitution protects equal rights for women? Think again! This is the untold story of the Equal Rights Amendment.
The Salem Witch Trials: What Really Happened?
Think you know all about the Salem Witch trials? Think again! This is the untold story of one of the most infamous episodes in US history.
Academy of American Democracy
The Stonewall Uprising
How the The Stonewall Inn became the focus of the LGBTQ+ community’s fight for rights in the 1960s
Public Spaces and Democracy
Why are public spaces – places that are open to everyone, where people can gather – necessary for democracy?
The Atlantic World
How did the Atlantic World connect the Old World and New World and impact the development of early America?
Speeches That Changed America
George W Bush: Speech After September 11
President George W. Bush delivers a much anticipated speech to a Joint Session of Congress, outlining America’s reaction to the unprecedented atrocity.
Patrick Henry – Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
Patrick Henry delivers a speech on the rights of the colonies before the Second Virginia Assembly. His words ‘give me liberty or give me death’ would become the war cry of the revolution.
Shirley Chisholm – Equal Rights for Women Speech
Shirley Chisholm, the first African American Woman elected to Congress, addresses the US House of Representatives to argue in support of a controversial women’s rights bill; the Equal Rights Amendment.
Ronald Regan – Tear Down This Wall
On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan delivers a speech to the people of West Berlin, calling upon the Soviet Union to tear down the wall that divides the city.
Lyndon B Johnson – The Great Society Speech
36th President, Lyndon B. Johnson delivers his famous speech “The Great Society”. See if you can hear any parallels to modern-day America?
William Jennings Bryan – Flag of an Empire Speech
Former U.S. Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan deliver an impassioned speech regarding Imperialism