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Where did the Mayans come from?

The Maya or Mayan civilization, which is dated between 500 B.C. and 800 A.D, was comprised of separate city states who shared a common language and culture. A theory formed in the field after a long archaeological dig and study by the University of Arizona purports that the Maya did not originate from one culture but from several different Meso-American cultures in the region.

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What is the significance of the Trail of Tears?

The expulsion of the Cherokee was the result of a proposed Indian removal policy that had its roots in the administrations of Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. It was Andrew Jackson, a man who demonstrated considerable antipathy toward Native Americans throughout his military and political careers, who finally implemented the policy. White desire for Cherokee land was spawned by several factors. First was the opportunity of new room for settlement and land speculation. The second, according to the Cherokee Nation website, was the discovery of gold in the northern part of Georgia.\nDespite a s..

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Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

Since the 1770s, the U.S. flag has gone through multiple changes. One of the first versions featured the thirteen stars with a British Union Jack in the upper corner. In 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution that the flag should have thirteen stripes and thirteen white stars in a blue background. In 1795, the number of stripes and stars increased from 13 to 15. In 1818, President James Munroe signed a Congressional act that reduced the 15 stripes back to 13 to commemorate the original colonies. This act also raised the number of stars to 20 and stipulated that a star would ..

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What were the causes of Bacon's rebellion?

Some historians argue that Nathaniel Bacon led the rebellion against the colonial authorities to augment his own power. Though his rebellion was initially successful, Bacon died of dysentery before he could consolidate his gains. Governor Berkeley returned to his capital and executed some of the ringleaders, though he himself lost his position as a result of the chaos. Many historians argue that Bacon's Rebellion led to the decline in the use of white indentured servants and an increase in the use of slave labor.

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How did Leland Stanford donate his money?

The school that Leland and his wife built in memory of their son, who died at 15, was unlike other schools of its time. Stanford allowed women from day one and did not align itself with a religious sect, which was also unique for the time period.

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Who was Francisco Franco?

Francisco Franco was an enthusiastic young officer in the pre-revolution Spanish army and served with distinction in Morocco. While fighting in the colonies, Franco developed a reputation for loyalty and bravery that was somewhat tarnished by his equally accurate reputation for brutality toward defeated enemies. His service to the government earned him multiple promotions to, ultimately, the rank of major general and command of the Canary Islands garrison. It was there, in 1936, that Franco announced the coup that eventually toppled the leftist government in Madrid.\nFranco relocated from the ..

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What kinds of sports did people play in ancient Mesopotamia?

Lion hunting was done as a spectator sport. When lions were released from their wooden cages, dogs and beaters attacked the lion. The beaters beat the lions with sticks while pushing them in the king's direction. The king would then kill the weakened lion with a spear or bow. Once the lion died, a religious ceremony took place.\nWrestling is the most commonly depicted sport in artwork from Mesopotamia according to archaeological evidence. Typically, wrestlers were completely naked, except for a belt. The function of this belt is not clearly known, but is thought to have been used to grip ..

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Why did the U.S. get involved in World War II?

Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans were reluctant to get involved in the war. Many political leaders believed the best approach would be to limit America's involvement in foreign affairs.\n\nIn 1935, Congress passed the Neutrality Act to prohibit arms manufacturers from exporting firearms and ammunition to countries at war. When the Act was renewed in 1936, Congress also prohibited American citizens from making loans to foreign nations involved in conflict.\n\nThe Lend-Lease Act was passed in 1941. This act allowed the president to transfer defense materials to certain countries..

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Did Prince Henry the Navigator have a wife?

Prince Henry of Portugal earned the nickname, "The Navigator," through his achievements in world exploration. Though Henry did not sail on expeditions himself, he studied maps and organized campaigns based upon his findings. Prince Henry made it his life's work to explore the west coast of Africa and extinguish the Muslim faith. Henry was directly responsible for 14 expeditions to the region of west Africa, the last of which returned in 1460, the year of his death.

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What was the date of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech?

The "I Have a Dream" speech is considered by many historians to be one of the most important speeches in American history. Some commentators have compared it to President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The King speech called on America to end its mistreatment of citizens of color and galvanized more than 200,000 supporters and spectators gathered near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

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