On February 26, 1919, Grand Canyon National Park was established in Arizona. The canyon is truly awe-inspiring – spanning up to 18 miles at its widest point and plunging to over a mile deep, it is actually larger than the U.S. states of Delaware and Rhode Island (!) The Grand Canyon attracts not only American […]
On this day in 1807, American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born in Portland, Maine. He is one of the best-known poets of the nineteenth century, authoring such prominent and lasting works as “Paul Revere’s Ride”, “The Courtship of Miles Standish”, The Song of Hiawatha, and Evangeline. His works appealed to the masses. Did you […]
On this day in 1872, Yellowstone National Park was established as President Ulysses S. Grant signed an act protecting over 2 million acres of wilderness as “a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” It was the first national park in America. 🏕🌲🦌🌳 Did you know? Yellowstone contains roughly 75% […]
On this day in 1931, the United States officially adopted “The Star-Spangled Banner” as its national anthem. The song was penned in 1814, but gained greater meaning throughout the 19th century, becoming particularly impactful during and after the Civil War. Why? During the upheaval of the war, the American flag had become an even more […]
On this day in 1770, the Boston Massacre occurred on King Street in Boston, Massachusetts as colonists rioted and British troops panicked, opening fire and killing 5 men. The incident fueled increasing anti-British sentiment as the colonies approached the Revolution. Did you know? Though labeled a “massacre”, the British troops had been provoked by the […]
On this day in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his invention of the telephone. ☎️ ☎️ ☎️ A native of Scotland, Bell developed his telephone while teaching at a school for the deaf in Boston, Massachusetts. His prototype featured vibrations that electronically transferred sound from one instrument to another. A few days […]
On this day in 1864, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant as Lieutenant General of the Union Army. The position gave Grant command of all U.S. armies and made him answerable only to the President himself. The appointment followed a string of unsuccessful general-in-chiefs, including George McClellan, who shared mutual feelings of dislike with […]
On this day in 1913, American abolitionist and leading conductor in the Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman died in Auburn, New York. An escaped slave herself, Tubman took great personal risks to lead at least 70 slaves out of the South to freedom – she never lost a passenger. Did you know? Aside from her work […]
On this day in 1912, the Girl Scouts of America was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia. Inspired by the Girl Guides of Great Britain, Low decided to begin an organization for American girls that emphasized outdoor activities, exercise, independence, and service to others. 🌲⛺️ 🏸⛹️♀️ Soon troops spread across the country. Some […]
On this day in 1751, 4th president and founding father James Madison was born in Port Conway, Virginia. Madison was instrumental in the creation of the Constitution, earning the title “father of the Constitution.” He publicly defended the new form of government, writing some of the most-studied Federalist Papers, and was responsible for compiling the […]
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀🍺🍀🍺🍀🍺 Irish-Americans (and not so Irish Americans) across the country celebrate Irish heritage today with parades, corned beef and cabbage, and festive green attire. The holiday, traditionally a celebration of Ireland’s patron saint, has been marked in North America for hundreds of years. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place […]
On this day in 1837, 22nd (and 24th) president Grover Cleveland was born in Caldwell, New Jersey. Cleveland is the only president to have served for two separate terms. His time in office was characterized by political reform, hot debates over tariffs and the gold standard, and the greatest economic depression yet seen in the […]
It’s National Quilting Day! ✂️🏵🧵🪡 Quilting dates back to at least medieval times, taking hold in America as colonial settlers arrived. Quilting bees were a popular form of socialization for women in early America. Quilts were particularly prized as wedding gifts for young women about to marry. 👰♀️👰♀️👰♀️ Aside from being beautiful, quilts are a […]
Happy Spring! 🌸🌷🌱 Today marks the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and is one of two days within the year during which the sun is directly above the equator and day and night are of equal length. Did you know? Spring was a season of new beginnings in more than one way for colonial […]
On March 20, 1612, Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet was born in Northampton, England. A leading figure in early American poetry, Bradstreet was the first published poet from the American colonies. Her poetry was lauded in both America and England, and King George III himself was said to keep a volume in his library. 👑 📖 […]
On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech in Richmond, Virginia while arguing for the deployment of Virginia troops in the American Revolution. Henry’s passionate speech made a strong impression on the Second Virginia Convention, who sat in stunned silence for several minutes afterwards. It had […]
On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty or give me death!” speech in Richmond, Virginia while arguing for the deployment of Virginia troops in the American Revolution. Henry’s passionate speech made a strong impression on the Second Virginia Convention, who sat in stunned silence for several minutes afterwards. It had […]
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire took place in New York City, killing 146 workers, mostly teenage girls. The tragedy is infamous in part for its preventability – safety features had been neglected to save money and locked doors prevented escape. Trapped with nowhere to go, several jumped from the 8th floor. […]
On March 26, 1874, American poet Robert Frost was born in San Francisco, California. His popular poetry is best known for its focus on nature and rural New England life. 🌲🏡🌳 Still read by schoolchildren today, “The Road Not Taken”, “Mending Wall”, and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” are some of his best […]
On March 29, 1806, construction was authorized for the Great National Pike (Cumberland Road), making it the first federal highway. Stretching from Cumberland, Maryland to St. Louis, Missouri, the road supported westward expansion through commerce and improved travel. Did you know? The Cumberland Road is still in use today – in 1926, part of the […]
On March 29, 1874, First Lady Lou Hoover was born in Waterloo, Iowa. The wife of 31st president, Herbert Hoover, Lou served as first lady during the first years of the Great Depression. Did you know? A geology major while at university, Lou had a love of nature and the outdoors and was a strong […]
Today marks the birthday of the 10th president John Tyler. Did you know that Tyler was the first vice-president to take office after the death of a sitting president? He became president after the death of William Henry Harrison, who held the shortest term in U.S. history. He is also known as the only […]
It’s National Crayon Day! 🖍🖍🖍 Though crayons were not invented in America, the ubiquitous Crayola crayon is a purely American invention. These crayons were invented in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1902 by Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith, cousins and founders of the Binney & Smith Co. Their coloring sticks – made of a nontoxic paraffin wax – were […]
On March 31, 1918, Daylight Saving Time went into effect for the first time in the United States. The practice had roots in World War I, when clocks were changed by an hour to conserve on fuel. After the war however, the practice proved so unpopular with Americans that it was repealed in 1919. Daylight […]
On this day in 1776, Abigail Adams wrote her husband John her now-famous letter urging him to "remember the ladies." "I long to hear that you have declared an independency. And, by the way, in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would […]