About American History

Elias Howe and the Sewing Machine

2009-07-09T00:46:59Z

July 9 marked the birthday of Elias Howe, the inventor the sewing machine. Born in Spencer, Massachusetts in 1819, Howe lost a factory job in the Panic of 1837 and moved Boston, where he worked in a machinist's shop where he started with the idea of inventing a mechanical sewing machine. You can also read an overview of the Industrial Revolution here.

Mount Rushmore

2009-07-07T00:47:30Z

Mount Rushmore, the President's Mountain, is located in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This monument was the brainchild of Doane Robinson who wanted to draw visitors to South Dakota. It took fourteen years to complete and was created by Gutzon Borglum, the same artist who created Stone Mountain, GA. Amazingly, no one died while the monument was being created. Learn more facts about Mount Rushmore.

Declaration of Independence is Accepted

2009-07-04T00:17:44Z

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress accepted the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. The declaration was a result of the War of Independence which had started over a year before it was written. Later, the document was sent to King George III to show the formal severing of colonial links with Britain. Happy Independence Day!

President Garfield Shot

2009-07-02T00:03:55Z

On July 2, 1881, President James Garfield was shot two times while waiting for a train at a train station. His assassin, Charles Guiteau, a lawyer whose application to be the U. S. ambassador to France was denied, was captured immediately after the shooting.

Versailles Treaty Ends World War I

2009-06-28T00:50:20Z

After three months of negotiating, the five Great Powers (Britain, France, Italy, Japan, and the United States) who participated in World War I agreed on June 28th to a post-war settlement. The "Versailles Treaty" provided war reparations to France, a limit to the size of Germany's army, and the creation of the League of Nations. The League of Nations was a huge sticking point in the United States and would be the reason why the treaty would not ratified by Congress.

US Forces Land In France to fight in World War I

2009-06-26T00:07:21Z

On June 26, 1917, the first U.S. troops arrived in France to fight alongside Britain, France, Italy, and Russia against Germany, and Austria-Hungary in World War I.

Top Five Causes of World War I

Wordless Wednesday - Lincoln's Box at Ford's Theatre

2009-06-24T05:00:15Z

Wordless Wednesday and About.com's Wordless Wednesday

William Penn Signs Treaty

2009-06-23T00:59:10Z

On June 23, 1683, William Penn signed a treaty with the chiefs of the Lenni Lenape tribe to guarantee the peace between the two groups. The area of land they where sharing was given to Penn by King Charles II. Penn later named this land Pennsylvania, after his father.

West Virginia Becomes a State

2009-06-20T10:31:03Z

In 1863, West Virginia became 35th state admitted to the Union when it broke away from Confederate Virginia during the Civil War. When Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, the western portion was against the action. On October 24, 1861, what would later become West Viginia was formed. The US government accepted West Virginia as a state two years later. Interestingly, West Virginia was initially going to be called Kanawha after the Kanawha River.

1972 - Five men were caught breaking into the Watergate Hotel

2009-06-17T00:25:45Z

On June 17th, 1972, five men were caught breaking into the Democratic National Headquarters located at the office complex of the Watergate Hotel located in Washington, D.C. This eventually led to journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovering a massive cover-up that connected the break-in with President Richard Nixon and his reelection committee. Learn more about the Watergate scandal with these Frequently Asked Questions.