History

Refine Search

How do you find a map of locations from the Vietnam War?

Each map in the West Point Vietnam War collection specifically corresponds to the labeled battle or offensive during the war. The arrows, indicating military movements on both sides of the battle, are clearly labeled for the reader.\nAnother public online resource, PBS.org offers a large body of information on the Vietnam War, including detailed maps from various periods. Paired with short descriptions of the each period, these maps demonstrate both the evolution of tactical warfare in Vietnam and major turning points in the war.\nIn addition to these online sources, many detailed maps are ava..

Continue Reading

Why did so many people move to Colonial America?

Economic reasons motivated many colonists. In Europe, it could be difficult to become a landowner if one was not born into wealth. Absentee landlordism was a system that trapped many of the poor into a cycle of poverty, and the New World offered a break from that. In many cases, governments awarded land to anyone who was willing to farm and develop it. The crown gained colonists to produce goods to ship back home, and those willing to take the chance on emigration or indentured servitude could become extremely wealthy.\nReligious freedom was another major motivator. Longstanding religious conf..

Continue Reading

Did they find Flight 370?

The reason the search is being conducted in this specific area is that this was where data show the plane was located as of its last communication with the satellite at 8:11 a.m., nearly two hours after it was due to land in Beijing. It is not known why the pilots diverted the plane to fly thousands of miles off course, and this is one of the problems that investigators hope to be able to better answer if they ever locate the wreckage.\nAfter taking off from Kuala Lumpur, the plane headed on its normal route northeast towards China, but it failed to check in when it reached Vietnamese airspace..

Continue Reading

Why was Prohibition important in the 1920s?

Prohibition began in 1920, a year after the 18th Amendment banning alcohol was ratified on January 29, 1919. While at first it resulted in a 30 percent drop in alcohol consumption and a decline in alcohol-related arrests, over time both crime and alcoholism increased as people found ways to get around the laws. In December, 1933, the 21st Amendment was ratified and repealed the 18th, ending Prohibition.

Continue Reading

What are some resources that offer a concise World War II timeline starting with the attack on Pearl Harbor?

The attack on Pearl Harbor took place on Dec. 7, 1941. The United States declared war on Japan the following day. The war with Japan lasted until the Japanese unconditional surrender on Aug. 14, 1945. Prior to the surrender, the United States detonated two nuclear bombs on Japan on Aug. 6, 1945 and Aug. 9, 1945.

Continue Reading

Why did most African American Exodusters migrate west?

The Exoduster Movement started in 1877, after federal troops left southern states following the Civil War. Without this government oversight, racial tensions were renewed. Blacks faced intimidation, discrimination and violence, as well as limited economic prospects. In many places, blacks were barred from owning land and forced to pay higher prices for goods. Black leaders of the day encouraged the now-free populace to pack up and head west, specifically into Kansas, which prided itself on its fair treatment of people and the equal opportunity it afforded them. The exodus was aided by false ru..

Continue Reading

What materials were used to build a trebuchet?

The size of trebuchets during the Middle Ages varied. Some were able to launch projectiles weighing from 800 to 1,500 kilograms. The average range of such projectiles was probably around 300 meters. Various types of ammunition were used for trebuchets including stone missiles, beehives, clay balls filled with small stones, barrels of flaming tar and oil, dead diseased animals, and prisoners or spies. The siege weapon worked by transferring the momentum of a falling counterweight to a projectile via a long swing arm. The swing arm was attached to the frame of the siege engine at a pivot point a..

Continue Reading

What was the social structure of Florence during the Renaissance?

The nobility of Italy owned most of the land and wielded power over the city. They had conflicts with merchants, who were the second-highest ranking class. The city-states of Italy were bustling centers of trade and commerce, which allowed people to gain wealth through trades such as manufacturing, banking and clothes-making. These trades were government-protected jobs called guilds. This created an opportunity for social-climbing, which made the nobility uncomfortable.\nThe middle classes of Florence were mainly shopkeepers and skilled laborers, such as masons. The lowest class consisted of u..

Continue Reading

What was the original name for the Pilgrims?

Those who set out from Plymouth, England, and broke away from the Church of England were known as Separatists. They settled first in the Netherlands, and then made plans to journey to the New World. Originally called the "Old Comers," the settlers who left Holland were called "saints" and "pilgrimes" by William Bradford. In 1820, Daniel Webster referred to the settlers as the "Pilgrim Fathers" and so they were known as Pilgrims from then on.

Continue Reading

When did Christianity start?

Although it is difficult to verify every element of the origin of Christianity independently of biblical accounts, tradition holds that the ministry of Jesus began in approximately 27 to 29 A.D. During this time, the Hebrew Jesus is said to have articulated the tenants of what became the Christian faith to his followers, performed many miracles and redeemed mankind through an act of death and rebirth. At what point Christianity developed from a sect of Judaism to a distinct religion is subjective.

Continue Reading
Showing 7361 to 7370 of 8554 (856 Pages)