History

Refine Search

Who invented the transcontinental railroad?

The two companies began construction on opposite ends of the United States with one starting from Sacramento, California, and the other in Omaha, Nebraska. Construction of the transcontinental railroad lasted approximately seven years. Both ends of the railroad eventually met on May 10, 1869, in Promontory, Utah. The construction of the transcontinental railroad significantly reduced the cost of traveling across the United States.

Continue Reading

Who is Attallah Shabazz?

In addition to serving as Cultural Affairs Director for the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-violent Social Change in Atlanta, the New York City-born Attallah developed a successful career as a playright and director. Her credits include "White Man's Burden" and "Brave New World." She was recognized for her work at the 19th Annual NAACP Image Awards in 1987.

Continue Reading

How did the steamboat impact society?

Via steamboat, people could ship and receive goods easily and efficiently. By 1815, steamboats were the main vessels traveling the water. Accidents, such as explosions, were common and often fatal, states a University of Virginia website.\nCredit for the first attempts at a steamboat goes to Americans James Rumsey and John Fitch. The duo came up with several designs for the world's first steamboat, during the late 1700s, though none were successful. In 1805, Oliver Evans drove a steam-powered boat mounted on wheels through Philadelphia to show that the steamboat theory did, in fact, hold ..

Continue Reading

How were the Jesuits different from other Europeans in Latin America?

Although the Jesuits expected the indigenous people they gathered in reductions to convert to and follow the traditions of Christianity, they did not exploit them for labor. Instead, beginning around 1610, they organized them into self-sufficient communities and taught them skills, such as carpentry, architecture, printing, leather tanning, cotton weaving, tailoring, boat building, art, music, reading and writing. They also armed the Indians to defend themselves against slave raiders.\nThe reductions were built with a church, school buildings, storehouses and dwellings for the inhabitants buil..

Continue Reading

What types of foods did the Hupa eat?

The Hupa relied heavily on salmon that they caught in the Trinity River in the spring and fall as the fish swam upriver. The Hupa caught an abundance of fish, which they then preserved by smoke-drying them in order to make them last all year. The fishermen used spears, nets and wooden fish traps, and they also fished for trout, eel and sturgeon. They also broiled the fish fresh.\nEach autumn, the Hupa gathered acorns, another staple food. After they collected the acorns, they ground them into flour and cooked them into a thin mush. They also cooked the ground acorns in a basket while stirring ..

Continue Reading

Why was Chief Powhatan important?

Powhatan asserted control over five Native American tribes in addition to his own. These tribes kept their own chiefs, but those chiefs remained subordinate to Powhatan.Chief Powhatan also held power over American explorers, which contrasted the subservient position of many Native Americans during his time. He was the first to encounter Captain John Smith and other settlers in the Jamestown colony around the year 1607. Powhatan provided the settlers with food and initiated an agreement of peace with the population before taking Captain Smith hostage. Powhatan's power weakened, however, wi..

Continue Reading

What is the legacy of Michelangelo?

Michelangelo's first famous piece was the "Pieta." Made out of marble, “Pieta" depicts Mary holding Christ after the crucifixion. It parallels Renaissance ideals of beauty and grace. His piece titled "Moses" is adored as a masterpiece. It represents the biblical account of Moses's anger at the Israelites' worship of false idols. Staying true to his expertise of sculpting biblical heroes, "David" is another revered piece of Michelangelo’s legacy.\n\nPope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the main chapel of the Vatican Palace, the Sistine Chapel. The ..

Continue Reading

What was the home state of Alexander Hamilton?

Hamilton began working at a tender age of 11 as a clerk at an accounting firm. His hard work and efforts impressed his employer, a businessman Nicholas Cruger, who decided to send him to school in the United States. He immigrated to the United States in 1772 to study. He joined King's College, which is now known as Columbia University. He was much interested in politics and wrote his first article in 1774 to support the patriots.He left college before graduating to join the army and fought several wars after which he became General George Washington's assistant and adviser. He left h..

Continue Reading

What are some important events in the history of Venice, Italy?

Because Venetians were so isolated, they were largely independent from the rest of Italy and the tribulations of the Roman Church. They traded mostly with powers in the East, and in 726, the first Doge, Orso, was elected to rule over the islands that made up the city. In 828, the city came into possession of what are thought to be relics of St. Mark, its patron saint.\nThe Crusades also helped Venice increase its wealth, as the city-state charged substantial fees to outfit the Crusaders, and by the middle of the 15th century, Venice was an empire. It ruled over the island of Crete as well as o..

Continue Reading

Where can you find a list of all the presidents with the terms they served?

George Washington was the first president, serving from 1789 to 1797, before opting not to run for a third term. As of 2015, fourteen presidents have completed two full terms in office – Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.\nCleveland is the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms, serving from 1885 to 1889 before his second stint from 1893 to 1897. Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the longes..

Continue Reading
Showing 2321 to 2330 of 8554 (856 Pages)