“The E Pluribus Unum Project”
examines Americans’ attempt to make “one from many” in three
pivotal decades: the 1770s, 1850s, & 1920s. Each decade is
framed by an introductory essay with links to key topics &
primary documents, including the Declaration of Independence,
newspapers, & the rhetoric of the Revolution; reform, cultures
of the North & South, religion, & popular movements; and
prohibition, Broadway, evangelical Protestantism, & the
Roaring Twenties. (NEH)
“The Elizabeth Murray Project”
“The Elizabeth Murray Project”
looks at the eventful life of Elizabeth Murray as a window
into the world of revolutionary America. Murray was a
shopkeeper in 18th-century Boston (selling imported British
fashions) and married three times. Her friends included
officers in both the Colonial & British armies, & her home was
used as quarters by both armies. (NEH)
“Henry Luce”
is the companion website for a film about the missionary’s son
who founded “Time” & “Life” magazines & became, in the late
1930s, America’s most powerful mass communicator. The website
includes an essay, career timeline, video clips not in the
film, & an interview with the filmmaker. (NEH)
“The Most Dangerous Woman in America”
“The Most Dangerous Woman in America”
is a companion website for a film that examines the case of
Typhoid Mary, a cook who was quarantined for life against her
will in the early 1900s. The site includes a history of
quarantine, a letter Mary Mallon wrote when petitioning the
courts for her release, an examination of whether public
health officials were to blame for Mallon’s behavior, & a
mysterious “disease outbreak” for students to solve. (NEH)
“Brown v. Board: Five Communities That Changed America”
“Brown v. Board: Five Communities That Changed America”
describes five cases the Supreme Court agreed to hear in 1952
under one title: “Brown v. Board of Education.” The cases
originated in Delaware, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, &
Washington, D.C. Each contested the “separate but equal”
doctrine of the Court’s 1896 “Plessy v. Ferguson” decision,
which by the 1950s had resulted in 17 states requiring racial
segregation in public schools & 4 states allowing it.
(NPS,TwHP,NRHP)
“Floyd Bennett Field: Naval Aviation’s Home in Brooklyn”
“Floyd Bennett Field: Naval Aviation’s Home in Brooklyn”
recounts the role of this airport in aviation history & World
War II. In 1931, it was among the most advanced airports in
the world. From it, early aviators launched pioneering &
round-the-world flights during the 1930s. After the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor, its duties as Naval Air Station New
York grew rapidly. During the 1942 U-Boat offensive, it
provided air cover for ship convoys embarking from New York.
(NPS,TwHP,NRHP)
“Glorieta & Raton Passes: Gateways to the Southwest”
“Glorieta & Raton Passes: Gateways to the Southwest”
examines the role of these two passes in ensuring that the
Southwest would become & remain part of the U.S. Learn about
traders & armies that depended on the passes, which were part
of the Santa Fe Trail, as the best way to get through the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The Santa Fe Trail was a key
trade route until the railroad reached Santa Fe in 1880. Like
the trail, the railroad & later highways ran through the two
passes. (NPS,TwHP,NRHP)
“Mechanics Hall: Symbol of Pride & Industry”
“Mechanics Hall: Symbol of Pride & Industry”
traces the history of Mechanics Hall & Worcester back to the
industrial revolution. Built by the mechanics association for
classes, public debates, lectures, & entertainment, the hall
opened in 1857 as showcase of innovative building techniques &
mechanical systems. It remained the center of Worcester’s
cultural life into the mid-20th century. (NPS,TwHP,NRHP)
“The Trail of Tears: The Forced Relocation of the Cherokee Nation”
“The Trail of Tears: The Forced Relocation of the Cherokee Nation”
tells about the removal of the Cherokee Nation from their
ancestral homeland (NC, TN, GA, AL) to “Indian Territory” (now
Oklahoma). After passage of the Indian Removal Act & the
discovery of gold on Cherokee lands (1830), about 100,000
American Indians living between the original 13 states & the
Mississippi River were relocated to Oklahoma. The trails they
followed came to be known as the Trail of Tears.
(NPS,TwHP,NRHP)
“Cuneiform Tablets: From the Reign of Gudea of Lagash to
Shalmanassar III”
“Cuneiform Tablets: From the Reign of Gudea of Lagash to
Shalmanassar III”
presents clay tablets, cones, & brick fragments inscribed
using the ancient writing system known as cuneiform. The
Sumerians invented this writing system, which uses a wedge-
shaped reed stylus to make impressions in clay. These 38
cuneiform tablets include school tablets, accounting records,
& commemorative inscriptions. They are dated from the reign
of Gudea of Lagash (2144-2124 B.C.) to Shalmanassar III (858-
824 B.C.). (LOC)
Acronyms
LOC — Library of Congress
NCC — National Constitution Center
NEH — National Endowment for the Humanities
NPG — National Portrait Gallery
NSF — National Science Foundation
SI — Smithsonian Institution