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An Aquatic Invention & Mission
On September 6, 1776, the first American submarine called Turtle attempted a military maneuver in an effort to help George Washington turn the tide of battle. Invented by David Bushnell, the submersible Turtle had a maximum speed of 3 knots (a little less than 3.5 miles per hour). It consisted of a wooden barrel-like body, a brass & [...]
Stamp Act Repeal Celebrations
On July 24, 1766 the repeal of the Stamp Act was celebrated in Massachusetts. Parliament imposed this tax upon the American colonists in 1765 which required that published materials be printed only on paper embossed with a royal stamp. Since America had no elected representatives in the British Parliament, they viewed this as a violation of their fundamental rights as [...]
Presidents Day: A Brief History
In the 1800s, February 22 was annually celebrated as George Washington's Birthday in many localities throughout the new American nation. An official federal holiday recognizing this day, however, was not declared until 1879. Black hero Lemuel Haynes has an interesting tie to Washington's Birthday celebrations. Haynes was a Minuteman in the War for Independence and participated [...]
Columbus and the American Story
Christopher Columbus. The name invokes images of either a brave and triumphant explorer discovering the New World, or a tyrannical and genocidal leader who was directly responsible for the death of millions. But which image is the truth? For nearly 500 years Christopher Columbus was almost universally regarded as a heroic man who, though flawed, [...]
Secretary of the Continental Congress Charles Thomson
1729-1824 August 16th marks the anniversary of the death of Charles Thomson. Charles Thomson, Secretary of the Continental Congress and a strong Christian, was one of only two people who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4th (John Hancock was the other; the rest signed weeks later). [1] Thomson is also [...]
Apollo Moonwalkers
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, followed shortly thereafter by his fellow Apollo 11 crew member Buzz Aldrin. This astounding event was viewed by an estimated 650 million people--which at that time was the largest television audience in history! (Only 12 persons [...]
Lemuel Haynes
July 18th marks the anniversary of the birth of Lemuel Haynes in 1753. Most Americans probably don't know who this man was, but his is a story definitely worth noting! Lemuel Haynes was a black American, abandoned at five months old by his parents and hired as an indentured servant. During [...]
Women Who Shaped History
This month is Women's History month -- an excellent time to remember and celebrate some historically important women. Abigail Adams Though her poor health kept her from receiving a formal education, Abigail rose above this, teaching herself to master several areas of study, including even learning a foreign language. She was the [...]
Mothers In History
We always appreciate our moms, but Mother's Day is a special time set aside to honor them. Throughout history, leaders have acknowledged and honored the importance of mothers. It is agreeable to observe how differently modern writers and the inspired author of the Proverbs describe a fine woman....The one is admired [...]
The “Red Tails”
In 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt, anticipating possible war in Europe, started a pilot training program for civilians which was also opened to black Americans, and the 1940 Selective Training and Service Act allowed blacks to be drafted. The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of black pilots trained as part of the [...]
