Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Domestic and International Politics
Read about the politics, both domestic and international, of the three presidents in the 1920s. Domestic scandals and attempts to patch international problems stood out in this decade.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Books and Movies
A look at the literature and movies written and produced in the Jazz Age. See how the writers of the age reflected the consumer society and the emptiness of middle class. Movies appealed to mass culture and millions went to the movies...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Intolerance
The 1920s was a time of intolerance and a return to nativism, a claim to return to American values, defined as those held by white, western European descendents. Read about the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan, restriction on immigration,...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Red Scare
A dark side to the Jazz Age was the increase in the fear of Communism. Read about the federal government's actions to stem anything that was thought to threaten American security.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Old Values vs. New Values
An overview of the clash between the old way of life of the Victorian Age and the new, the Jazz Age.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A Consumer Economy
The booming economy of the 1920s introduced new products and ways of paying for those products. Read about the increase in the kinds of household appliances, places to buy the appliances, and the financing of all those new consumer goods.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Flappers
The liberation of women as expressed by the flappers of the 1920s was in stark contrast to the actions of women in the Victorian Age. Read about how flappers expressed their freedom in fashion, employment, and leisure activities.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Fight Against "Demon Rum"
The Eighteenth Amendment showed how difficult it is to legislate morality. Read about the advantages of Prohibition, especially in terms of public health. The disadvantages far outweighed the advantages. See how lawlessness increased...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Age of the Automobile
Henry Ford's use of the assembly line to manufacture his automobiles led to many ramifications. Read about the spin-off industries created by the growth of the automobile industry, and see what impact the auto had on culture.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Over Here
World War I was not fought by Americans just in Europe. Read about the many ways people at home helped the war effort. See how badly German-Americans were treated as anti-German passions were fueled.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Election of 1912
William Howard Taft was a disappointment to the progressive-minded Theodore Roosevelt. Read about how he tried to be the Republican Party candidate in 1912, and when that failed, he started a third party, the platform of which was filled...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Passing the Torch
See how William Howard Taft, Theodore Roosevelt's handpicked successor, qualifies as one of the progressive presidents, but infuriated progressives because of some of his policies.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Preserving the Wilderness
See how Theodore Roosevelt became a champion of conservation and protection of the American wilderness as president. In addition, take the short quiz about Roosevelt.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Trust Buster
Theodore Roosevelt, as a Progressive president, wanted government to work for all the people, not just the rich. See how he used legislation already in place, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, to sue what he considered "bad" trusts in order to...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Teddy Roosevelt: The Rough Rider in the White House
A brief, but very interesting biography of the country's youngest president at that time, Theodore Roosevelt. The article gives a good look at his life before he was president, and a hint of what was in store for the country after he...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Progressives in the White House
Read a brief overview of the three presidents, two Republican and one Democrat, who believed in an activist government to help all the people, and pushed for legislation to reflect their views.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: w.e.b. Du Bois
Read a brief biography of W.E.B. DuBois, who was an early civil rights activist and supporter of equal opportunity and treatment for African-Americans. See how he acted on his beliefs. Included is a brief quiz about the Progressive Era.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Roots of the Movement
Progressivism got a push from the Populist movement, a reaction to the forgettable presidents and laissez-faire government in the Gilded Age. Find a listing of authors who wrote about progressive ideas, and see what influence populism...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Ways of the Cowboy
The cowboys were the background of the cattle boom in the 19th century. Read about their life, and their demise.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Mining Boom
The allure of getting rich quick by finding gold or silver was just a dream for most prospectors. Read about the gold and silver rushes that usually ended up enriching the mining industry, not the miner. Find out about the make-up of the...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The End of Resistance
Find a brief recounting of resistance by several Indian tribes in an attempt to maintain their territory. See how the settlers participating in the Oklahoma land rush stole land set aside for several Indian tribes.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Massacre at Sand Creek
A sad recounting of one of the most brutal attacks on Indians during the Indian Wars. Read about the Sand Creek Massacre and the retaliation it prompted.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: Witchcraft in Salem
The hysteria in Salem which resulted in trials of innocent people accused of witchcraft has invited many theories on why the accusing girls made such claims. Read about the evidence admitted in the trials and the results of the trials....
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: Massachusetts Bay the City on the Hill
Learn a little about Puritan beliefs and see the importance of religion and the clergy in Massachusetts Bay Colony.