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Which countries did the United States fight during the Revolutionary War?

Fighting first broke out between the colonists and the British at the Battle of Lexington and Concord in April 1775. In July 1776, the colonies formally declared their freedom from British rule with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The colonies then became the 13 states that would form the United States of America. A peace treaty signed in 1783 signaled the official end of the war.

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How long was the Great Depression?

Franklin Roosevelt became president in 1933, and he launched new programs and reforms to bolster the economy. Roosevelt's New Deal eased the hardships of the Great Depression by creating jobs and helping farmers. However, it was not until war broke out in Europe in 1939 and the United States increased its defense manufacturing that the country began to see an end to the Depression. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the United States entered the war. The government hired millions of defense workers, imposed rationing, drafted 6 million soldiers and spent heavily o..

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What are some historical facts about the Mayans?

The earliest known Maya settlements date to approximately 1800 B.C. These early Maya peoples were agricultural, and grew various crops, such as corn, beans, squash and cassava.\nDuring the classical Maya period, from A.D. 250 to 900, the Maya built impressive cities from stone, including huge stepped stone pyramids topped with temple sanctuaries. Each city held between 5,000 and 50,000 people, and the civilization may have reached up to 2 million people at its peak. Maya cities were supported by a large population of farmers. Unsustainable slash-and-burn farming methods may have played a part ..

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What were Ruby Bridges' major accomplishments?

Ruby Nell Bridges was born on September 8, 1954, the same year as the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision to desegregate schools. In kindergarten, Bridges was one of many African-American students selected to take a test to determine whether or not they would be allowed to attend an all-white public school. The test was intentionally difficult in order to postpone the integration of schools, but Bridges was one of six students to pass.\nOn November 14, 1960, federal marshals drove Bridges and her mother five blocks to Frantz School. Upon her arrival, she encountered a jee..

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Why is Anne Frank important to history?

The Frank family fled Germany after Anne's birth when Hitler became chancellor. They moved to Amsterdam, where they enjoyed freedom for several years until the Germans defeated the Dutch Army in May, 1940. In July, 1942, the Germans ordered Anne's older sister Margot to a Nazi work camp and the family went into hiding in the annex, a small space above her father's business. The family and a few friends remained in the safety of the annex for two years. During the time, Anne passed her time by writing in her diary.\nAfter their arrest, the Germans shipped the Franks to Camp Weste..

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What states did Lewis and Clark travel through?

In May 1804, the 33-member Corps of Discovery left St. Louis. This small group of army volunteers was commissioned specifically by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the northern expanse of America's new Louisiana Purchase, and then to move beyond it in search of an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean.\nThe expedition followed the Missouri River to its headwaters in Western Montana, then found they had to leave the river and portage their canoes to cross the Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass. Here they found a well-traveled Native American path as they crossed into Idaho, the first whi..

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What acting company did Shakespeare work for?

Shakespeare's first plays are thought to have been written around 1592 and include the tragedy "Titus Andronicus," the comedies "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" and "The Taming of the Shrew" as well as several history plays including the "Henry VI" trilogy. It is thought that Shakespeare was working with multiple London theater companies, but no definitive records show that he was involved with any other companies.Shakespeare wrote more than 37 plays in his time as a playwright and is known for his iambic pentameter usage and his contemplative soliloquies such as the famous "To be, or not to..

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Where did Thomas Edison go to school?

Edison spent much of his childhood in Port Huron, Mich. A curious youngster, he spent a lot of his free time reading books on his own and trying experiments in his basement. Edison believed that instead of teaching students to memorize, they should be instructed to observe nature and learn the "hands-on" way. Edison's perspective certainly worked for him, as he had 1,093 U.S. patents, more than anyone else in history.

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What did Heinrich Goebel invent?

Goebel claimed that he invented practical incandescent electric light bulbs in the 1850s for personal use and did not apply for patent. The lack of a patent combined with his work for American Electric Light Company eventually led to lengthy patent infringement lawsuits brought by Edison Electric Light Company. There is still debate, in modern times, as to whether Goebel or Thomas Alva Edison invented the first light bulb.

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What sports were played in Victorian times?

The Victorians rejected certain older, bloody sports, such as bear-baiting. They also tamed other sports, such as when rules established by the Marquess of Queensbury became the norm in boxing. Rules, regulation, fair play and discipline in general became as important as sheer strength and fitness. Team spectator sports were popular by the turn of the century, and the idolization of the amateur sportsman led to the 1896 Olympic Games. Because of the now-recognized health benefits of active sports, women's sports grew in popularity.

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