History

St. John of the Cross is the patron of Spanish poets. His most illuminative poetry emerged from the darkness of imprisonment.

Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois both fought in different ways for African American equal rights. But Du Bois accused Washington of counseling blacks to accept second class status.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, children in Britain were encouraged to read the lurid tales of felons in the hope that the stories of their gruesome ends would act as an example.

Angered by years of exploitation and unsafe working conditions, thousands of West Virginia coal miners took up arms against their employers.

The Roman Baths complex in the city of Bath, England, is a major tourist attraction. It offers a fascinating look at the lives of Ancient Romans in Britain.

An English nurse worked to help both British and French soldiers escape from occupied Belgium during World War I; her story was shamelessly propagandized by the British.

St. Philip Neri revived Rome during the Renaissance, earning him the title of “Apostle of Rome,” but his most endearing quality is his joy.

One of the most senior members of British royalty got tangled up in a conspiracy to overthrow the government in 1968.

Henry "Box" Brown escaped from slavery in Richmond, Virginia by hiding himself inside an express package and sending the box as freight to Philadelphia

How an obscure New Jersey pol made Theodore Roosevelt president of the United States.

The Normans struggle to maintain rule in England.

The state of Texas has the unique distinction of being the only state to enter the Union as an independent nation, the Republic of Texas. The issue of slavery and potential war with Mexico would delay until 1845 Texas becoming the 28th state.

The sixpence and the shilling are pre-decimal coins from the United Kingdom. They have a long history and are associated with some interesting traditions.

The Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895 featured three men who sought to unite a post-bellum U.S. Unity would not come soon but the respective roles of Grover Cleveland, Booker T. Washington and John Philip Sousa point to cultural forces as the real agents of .national solidarity.

To abolition activist Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln's commitment to ending slavery seemed weak and vacillating. But after the two men met, Douglass grew to appreciate Lincoln's true merit.

Unlike his wimpy appearance in art, the real St. Aloysius Gonzaga had formidable will power and manly virtue.