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What are some highlights of Pennsylvania's history?

William Penn in 1682 founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1682 and its capital became Philadelphia. The colony served as a safe home for the Quaker society. King Charles II named it "Pennsylvania" in honor of William Penn's father, which means "Penn's Woods."\nAlthough it was the site of two assemblies of the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1775, the state fought against declaring independence under the leadership of John Dickinson. Dickinson abstained from the final vote, allowing Pennsylvania to join the colonies in unanimous support of independence. Following the Revolutionary W..

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Who ran in the 1968 presidential election?

The renewal of the war in Vietnam with the Tet Offensive damaged Democrats, whose supporters were pushing for an end to the conflict. Kennedy's assassination and the withdrawal of sitting President Lyndon B. Johnson from the race left the Democratic nomination open for Vice-President Hubert Humphrey. However, his association with the war in Vietnam likely damaged his chances as well, and Nixon defeated both Humphrey and Wallace in a tight race.

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Who are Darwin and Wallace?

Darwin was born in 1809 and attended Edinburgh University and Cambridge with the intention of pursuing a medical career. In 1831, he joined an expedition, during which he explored scientific research about fossils and geology. This trip took him to the Galapagos Islands, where he did his famous research on finches and tortoises. His observations about finches became the starting point from which he developed his theory about natural selection. The theory states that individuals more suited to their environment are more likely to live and pass on their genes, including any mutations.\nWallace w..

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Why did Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear?

Van Gogh and Gauguin painted together for nine weeks in Arles but their time together was not happy. When Gauguin told Van Gogh he was leaving for good, the two had a heated argument. Later that night Van Gogh is said to have cut his lower left earlobe off with a razor. He then wrapped it in newspaper and gave it to a prostitute. She alerted authorities and they found Van Gogh the next morning. He almost bled to death. Another theory, with some evidence, says that Van Gogh did not actually cut off his own ear, but that it was done by Gauguin during the course of their final fight.

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What are some of the important events in the history of the Bahamas?

Before Christopher Columbus and the European settlers arrived in the 15th through 17th centuries, the Bahamas were first settled by people from other islands such as the island that later became known as Cuba in the 4th and 5th centuries. The Lucayans arrived and settled the Bahamas starting in the 10th century. By 1492, when Christopher Columbus discovered the group of islands and named them baja mar, they boasted over 40,000 residents. However, European-based diseases and slavery eradicated the population.\nThe Puritan Eleutheran Adventurers were the first European settlers in the Bahamas in..

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What was the Donner Party famous for?

The party embarked on the 2,500-mile westward trip from Illinois to California on April 16, 1846. Led by brothers George and Jacob Donner, the nine-wagon group was seeking the fortunes of newly-found riches of California.\n\nA perceived "short-cut" to the Golden State backfired, with a series of setbacks further prolonging the journey, resulting in a late entry through the mountains. The group encountered heavy snowfall and frozen conditions in late October and many group members perished. As few as half of the original 90-member group survived and reached the destination the following year.

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Can you read the Willie Lynch Letter online?

William Lynch, also known as Willie Lynch, outlined the steps that slave owners must take in order to keep their slaves subjugated. He proposed to use fear, distrust and envy as ways to exert control over slaves. He outlined how he intended to use differences between slaves for his own benefits. According to him, after such indoctrination, slave owners will never fear any uprising for the next 300 years.

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Why did the Puritans leave England?

The Puritans separated from the churches in their local parishes where preaching was viewed as inadequate, hiring their own lecturers who were well-versed in reform theology. These lecturers were prosecuted by the monarch and Church of England officials. The last straw may have been when King Charles I dissolved Parliament in 1629. This dissolution prevented Puritan leaders from working within the system to effect change and left them vulnerable to persecution. Moderate Puritans chartered the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the same year. The New World represented both a refuge from persecution an..

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What are some popular Vietnam war stories?

The Battle of Ia Drang occurred in November 1965. Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and 450 of his men dropped out of helicopters to the Ia Drang Valley, where 2,000 soldiers in the North Vietnamese Army surrounded them. The brutal battle took place over four days, and during that time both sides found successful tactics. The U.S. Army was effective when it used its air support and artillery, whereas the North Vietnamese Army had success fighting at close range because the United States couldn't use those advantages. Both sides considered the battle a success.\nRoy Benavidez' story occurr..

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What were the effects of the Taiping Rebellion?

The Taiping Rebellion was one of the bloodiest conflicts in history. The 20 million dead were all Chinese. After 15 years of strife, over 600 cities in the south were completely destroyed, which would never receive the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts they needed. The poor to lower-middle class Chinese still living went back to waiting for equality and were quick to buy into the revolutions of the following century.\nDuring the rebellion, the foreign powers — Russia, France and Britain — who had been eyeing Chinese land, started carving the country up. After years of conflict, the..

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