History

Refine Search

What were Thomson's cathode ray tube experiments?

Thomson began his experiments by building a cathode ray tube to measure electricity and magnetism. He proved that negative charges, electrons, and positive charges are related. His second experiment involved a modified cathode ray tube with a fluorescent coating, vacuum, and two electric plates, and it further proved electrons' existence. Thomson’s last experiment presented the groundbreaking idea that cathode rays are made from particles inside the atom.

Continue Reading

What does "all men are created equal" mean?

The Constitutional Rights Foundation notes that "all men are created equal" can be found in the Declaration of Independence of 1776. Thomas Jefferson authored the document and stated that the contents of the document reflected popular notions of the day. The idea of natural freedom stems from the writings of Enlightenment pioneers such as John Locke, a philosopher who wrote that people hold natural rights along with the right to "life, liberty and property."\nLocke also wrote that people should be free to make their own choices as long as they do not affect anyone else. Jefferson also read the..

Continue Reading

Who invented the couch?

The first type of sofa was a low-backed style that was called a canape. Sopha comes from the Arabic term for cushion and many French people were calling them sofas or sophas. In the late 1690s and early 1700s, craftsmen were becoming more skilled at sofa making. They began using new tools and techniques to carve or sculpt the wood. The sofas began to be more comfortable and also to have a more sophisticated aesthetic.With the new sofas came a new attitude around the French court. Ladies can be seen in the old photographs lounging around on the sofas by draping their arms over the back, tucking..

Continue Reading

Where did the Mandan Indians live?

The Mandans lived directly north of the Great Plains and traveled there to hunt buffalo, which played an important part in the Mandan economy and culture. Though the Mandans traveled to the Great Plains twice yearly on buffalo hunting expeditions, they were primarily an agricultural tribe and made their permanent home in the fertile Missouri River valley area.\nWhen Lewis and Clark traveled through the upper Missouri River valley in the winter of 1804, Mandan guides received and assisted them. The Mandans were such gracious hosts that the expedition party stayed on until spring. In honor of th..

Continue Reading

What was the daily life of a samurai?

Bushido means “warrior samurai ways” and was heavily influenced by Zen Buddhism. Samurai warriors trained in military arts, but they also cultivated philosophy, art, calligraphy and writing in their pursuits. Active for about 700 years, samurai were typically rural landowners or stewards of land. They were unquestioningly loyal to their overlords, and at the end of their military campaign expected to be compensated with land grants.\nDuring the invasion of Japan by Kublai Khan in 1274, samurai planned for war by preparing themselves carefully in the event they were killed during the campai..

Continue Reading

How did Andrew Jackson respond to the nullification crisis?

The main reason for the nullification crisis was a tariff, or tax, that was placed on imports in 1828. Several southern states, including South Carolina, opposed the tax because they felt it harmed their economies. The tax hurt British manufacturers who purchased large amounts of cotton from southern states.\nTo deal with the issue, South Carolina's political leaders came up with the concept of nullification. They claimed that a state had the right to ignore, or nullify, any federal law within its borders. President Jackson made it clear that he intended to send in the military to enforce..

Continue Reading

What was the cause and effect of the Compromise of 1850?

The Compromise consisted of five laws that involved the issue of slavery. The senator of Kentucky, Henry Clay, introduced several resolutions to prevent the occurrence of a crisis between the South and the North. The Compromise of 1850 resulted in the amendment of the Fugitive Slave Act. Settling a boundary dispute between New Mexico and Texas resulted in the establishment of a territorial government in New Mexico.

Continue Reading

What did Benjamin Franklin invent?

At age 11, Franklin invented swim fins that attached to a swimmer's hands and allowed for faster swimming. He later invented bifocals, a type of eyewear with the upper half for seeing into the distance and the lower half for reading. He also invented the lightning rod to divert lightning to the ground rather than striking houses.\nHis invention of the Franklin stove, a cast iron furnace, heated colonial homes more effectively. His armonica was an instrument played on a series of different sized glass goblets to create different musical tones. Franklin also created the "long arm," which wa..

Continue Reading

What were the religious beliefs of the Algonquin?

Chief among the sins within the Algonquin religious tradition were selfishness, gluttony and cannibalism. Algonquin Indians believed that these behaviors were punished by the Widjigos, man-eating spirits that were known to the Ojibwe as Windigos.The Algonquin tradition associated natural phenomena with mythological figures. The North Wind and the coming of winter were represented by Bi-bon, for example, while thunder was thought to be the result of Onimiki or Pinesi, the Thunderbird, flapping its wings.

Continue Reading

What is the National Security Act of 1947?

The National Security Act was enacted as a defensive strategy due to threats the United States faced during the Cold War. President Harry Truman was responsible for signing it into action. The act led to the creation of several groups that served to organize and more efficiently manage foreign and military issues.\nThe National Security Council was created to manage security issues the nation was facing, and included important officials such as the President, Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of State. The National Security Act resulted in the merging of the military's Naval Departm..

Continue Reading
Showing 5111 to 5120 of 8554 (856 Pages)