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America: Our Defining Hours

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Valley Forge

Battle of Valley Forge  On September 18, 1777, General Wilhelm von Knyphausen led British soldiers on a raid of Valley Forge, where American troops had built a handful of storage facilities. Defending the site were Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Hamilton and Captain Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee. The British succeeded in stealing supplies and burning a […]

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Colonel George E Waring, American engineer and sanitarian who revolutionised street cleaning in New York. Late nineteenth century portrait. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images)

George Waring

Need for Better Sewage Systems By the mid-19th century, the population in America’s urban centers had begun to explode; this process would continue through the end of the century. One particularly striking example was New York City, which doubled in population size every decade from 1800 to 1880. With this kind of population density, earlier […]

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Jane Addams, 1906. Artist George de Forest Brush. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)

Jane Addams

Jane Addams: Early Life & Education Jane Addams was born in Cedarville, Illinois on September 6, 1860 to Sarah Adams (Weber) and John Huy Adams. She was the eighth of nine children and was born with a spinal defect that hampered her early physical growth before it was rectified by surgery. Her father was a […]

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HISTORY: Writing the Declaration of Independence

Writing of Declaration of Independence

Jefferson’s Early Career Born into one of the most prominent families in Virginia (on his mother’s side), Jefferson studied at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg and began practicing law in 1767. In 1768, Jefferson stood as a candidate for the Virginia House of Burgesses; he entered the legislature just as opposition was […]

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How Crude Smallpox Inoculations Helped George Washington Win the War

As commander of the Continental Army, Washington faced dual enemies: the British and smallpox. So he made a risky move.

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How Lincoln and Grant’s Partnership Won the Civil War

Abraham Lincoln was disappointed by most of his generals—but not Ulysses S. Grant.

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How FDR's 'Fireside Chats' Helped Calm a Nation in Crisis

How FDR’s ‘Fireside Chats’ Helped Calm a Nation in Crisis

As Americans confronted a banking crisis, the Great Depression and then World War II, FDR talked to Americans through radio broadcasts.

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How Detroit Factories Retooled During WWII to Defeat Hitler

America’s largest industry shifted from making cars to bombers, tanks and more—at unparalleled speed.

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