History

Refine Search

Why did the United States get involved in Vietnam?

After World War II, the French attempted to reassert their authority over the former colony of Vietnam, then known as Indochina. However, following a major defeat in 1954, the French decided to pull out. The Geneva Accords temporarily divided Vietnam at the 17th parallel pending elections, with the north ruled by the communist Viet Minh and the south by an ostensibly democratic regime. Involvement of the United States gradually grew from helping France with supplies and munitions to sending advisers to aid the South Vietnamese military. Under President Eisenhower, there were 900 U.S. advisers ..

Continue Reading

How does the concept of individualism help explain the Renaissance?

Prior to the Renaissance, Italy and much of Europe were entrenched in the Middle Ages viewpoint that man is tarnished, unvirtuous and unworthy, according to Boston University. This viewpoint led to preoccupation with political and religious hierarchies, which contrast greatly with the individualistic mentality of the Renaissance. Rather than focusing on the collective good through individual sacrifice, individualism arose with the belief that the individual talents and minds should be elevated, according to HistoryDoctor.net.\nIndividualism was intrinsically linked to humanism and the desire t..

Continue Reading

What did Aristotle contribute to taxonomy?

From the time of Aristotle until the Enlightenment, biologists followed Aristotle's taxonomic system of classifying plants and animals. As they were working prior to the invention of the microscope, they were unaware of microorganisms, which made their task of classifying all known life forms easier.\nWhile many different early scientists worked on the classification system, Carl Linnaeus receives credit for developing the system of taxonomy that continues in use in 2014. His system ties directly to that developed by Aristotle, but it recognizes three major divisions of life that Linnaeu..

Continue Reading

Who invented the Segway?

When he was a teenager, Kamen developed various electrical inventions and was earning approximately $60,000 annually. His first notable invention was the AutoSyringe portable medication system in 1976. The product and company that Kamen set up to sell it was acquired by Baxter International in 1982. Kamen was born in New York state in 1951.

Continue Reading

What are some facts about the Makah tribe for children?

Makah babies were carried in cradle boards on their mothers' backs. These were attached like backpacks, which freed up the mother's hands for work. In early Makah life, children had more chores than in modern times, but they had toys, games and dolls to play with. The dolls could be made of corn husks, bundled pine needles, wood or leather and often wore out quickly.\nSeveral Makah families usually shared a plank house, which could be up to 60 feet long. The abundance of tall trees along the Pacific Coast gave the Makah plenty of cedar wood to build with. Women took care of the cooki..

Continue Reading

What were some solutions to the Great Depression?

President Roosevelt took an active approach to solving the nation's problems by calling in all the experts and theorists he could to help brainstorm solutions to the Great Depression, PBS reports. His predecessor, Herbert Hoover, had let the Depression run its course, believing it was not the government's job to get involved.\nThe Emergency Banking Bill of 1933 stabilized the banking system. The Glass-Steagall Act created the FDIC, which gave bank deposits the protection of federal insurance. The Civil Conservation Corps put young men ages 17 to 23 to work in forests and national par..

Continue Reading

Who invented money?

Various forms of economy have existed since prehistoric times, when goods were bartered in exchange for other goods and services. Eventually, barter economies began to use cattle and other livestock as currency. Sometime around 1200 B.C.E., cowrie shells began to be used as money. Approximately 100 years earlier, at around 1100 B.C.E., small metal tokens resembling knives, spades and other weapons began to circulate in China. These eventually evolved to small circular shapes with a hole in the middle, which allowed them to be carried on a string. Thus, the first currency recognizable as coins ..

Continue Reading

How did the Renaissance affect the role of women in society?

During the Renaissance, young women who were born into the upper classes possessed the free time and the means to pursue an education, but were still pressured to either enter a convent or marry and devote themselves to domestic duties. Those women who worked in businesses with their husbands stood a chance of being removed from the family enterprise upon becoming a widow.

Continue Reading

Who won the Battle of Petersburg?

The Battle of Petersburg was a series of engagements fought from June 1964 to April 1965. In June, Union forces outnumbered the Confederate Army by five to one, but Lee's fortifications nearly halved Grant's army by April. On March 25, 1865, Grant severed Confederate supply lines to Petersburg, and a true siege of the city began. Denied food and ammunition, Lee's army left the city and retreated to Richmond.

Continue Reading

Who invented harps?

Early harps featured long, thin strands made from organic materials such as plant fibers. Harps varied in style and even playing position depending on the region of origin. In many parts of Greece and Rome, harps existed as vertical instruments, and players plucked their strings using both hands. In the Mesopotamian region, however, harps existed as horizontal instruments. Players placed the harps in their laps and used plectrums for plucking the strings.Harps rank among the oldest instruments in the world. They enjoyed widespread use in ancient Egypt and Asia. Harps migrated elsewhere, enjoyi..

Continue Reading
Showing 7781 to 7790 of 8554 (856 Pages)