Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Southern Colonies: Debtors in Georgia
Georgia, the last colony founded by England, was established for competing reasons. Read about James Oglethorpe's vision for a utopian colony, and find out about why that vision failed, but the colony survived.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Muckrakers
Sometimes a pen can be wielded more lethally than a sword. Read about the brave muckrakers who exposed corruption and injustice in government and business. These journalists attacked different areas, but the result was an introduction to...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Southern Colonies: Maryland the Catholic Experiment
What began as a place of refuge for Catholics who were discriminated against in England, the colony of Maryland soon suffered religious strife even after the passage of the Toleration Act of 1649. Find out what caused the strife and why...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Life in the 1980s
Read about the advent of cable television in the 1980s and the many stations that spawned. It was also the time of drug wars, the idea that greed was good, and the beginning of the scourge of AIDS.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Equal Rights Amendment
Read about the early success of the Equal Rights Amendment and its ultimate failure to receive the requisite support of the state legislatures.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan
J. Pierpont Morgan was not business tycoon who made his money from manufacturing. Read about how he accumulated wealth, how he helped the government through some economic panics, and why the government took him to court.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking: Trial of John Peter Zenger
Freedom of the press? That was not always an accepted right. Read about the trial of John Peter Zenger, who was accused of libel for printing truths about the royal governor of New York. Find out the outcome of the trial and what it...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Great Upheaval
What started as a localized railway strike by workers upset by a pay cut spread across the country in the summer of 1877. Read about the striking workers and the force used against them, how the strike affected rail service, and what the...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: George Washington: The First Administration
Read about George Washington's presidency. See why his role was so important in setting precedents to be followed by future chief executives. Find out about some of the warts in his personality too, all of which made him more human.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Historic Valley Forge: Major General Alexander Hamilton
A short biography of Alexander Hamilton containing information on his military service during the American Revolution as well as his later life in politics.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Japanese American Internment
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, fear of Japanese-Americans irrationally increased, resulting in Roosevelt's executive order that created internment camps for American citizens. Read about the camps, the life in the camps, and...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Townshend Acts
It seems like the British Parliament was just throwing laws at the American colonists just to see what might stick. Read about the Townshend Acts that were passed after the Declaratory Act which was passed after the repeal of the Stamp...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Lexington and Concord
Find a good overview of the "shot heard around the world," the battle at Lexington, and the continuance at Concord. Read Paul Revere's account of his famous ride, and follow his route on the map. Then find a brief account of the capture...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Middle Colonies: Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
A good look at the philosophy of the Quakers who colonized William Penn's religious refuge in the colony of Pennsylvania. Read about Penn's liberal views about government, religious freedom, and relations with Native Americans.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening
The first half of the 19th century saw the emergence of many social and religious movements. Read about the Second Great Awakening and how it related to and changed the practice of and participation in religious life. See also how it...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Boston Patriots
Read about five famous Boston patriots who played a large role in the events prior to the American Revolution and the Revolution itself.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking
The American Revolution was close to 200 years in the making. Read about the philosophies and attitudes toward government, as well as the diverse populations who came to the British colonies, that eventually fomented rebellion.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Religious Revival
The Second Great Awakening was transformative in ways beyond religion. Read about the new ideas about religion and see how they emphasized individual dignity and worth. This then reflected on the early ideas of women's suffrage, and the...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Booker T. Washington
Booker T. Washington was an African-American visionary. Read about his embrace of education as a way to lift up blacks in the racist South, but see how some of his views found opposition in the black community.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Beginnings of Revolutionary Thinking: Impact of Enlightenment
The ideas of the Enlightenment began in Europe, but they were acted upon in the American colonies. See how the philosophies of John Locke and Rousseau influenced the thoughts and actions of Puritan clergy and political figures like...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Hamilton's Financial Plan
George Washington tasked Alexander Hamilton as the man to clean up the economic mess of the new republic. Read about his ideas, what they were unpopular at the time, but were really very forward thinking.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Revolution on the Home Front
War is not confined to the battlefield. The economic consequences were great for the Americans during the Revolutionary War. Find out about what British occupation meant, and how women stepped up to keep the economy going while the men...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: William Bradford; The First Thanksgiving
Plymouth Colony did not suffer the same problems as the English colony farther south, Jamestown. Read about the leadership of William Bradford, and the relationship between the settlers and the Native Americans who helped those who lived...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Sons and Daughters of Liberty
A brief look at the Sons and Daughters of Liberty, clandestine groups who protested against the British with acts of intimidation and the boycotting of British goods.