History Lessons

The articles below provide access to valuable resources, including articles, videos, and courses that deepen knowledge and civic engagement.

Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” Speech

Every year on March 23, our On This Day feature at Civics for Life highlights a defining moment ...
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NYC’s First St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Civic Roots in 1762

Every March 17, St. Patrick’s Day brings parades, green attire, and celebrations of Irish heritage across the United ...
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Alexander Graham Bell’s First Telephone Call

Alexander Graham Bell around the time of his early telephone experiments. On March 10, 1876, in a modest ...
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Boston Massacre: A Snowy Night That Ignited Colonial Resistance

A City on Edge In early March 1770, Boston was a city simmering with tension. British soldiers had ...
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Iwo Jima Flag Raising: Memory, Meaning, and History

The photograph by Joe Rosenthal became one of the most recognized images of World War II. On February ...
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John Glenn Orbits Earth, Transforming U.S. Space History

John Glenn prepares for the historic Mercury-Atlas 6 launch in 1962. When astronaut John Glenn lifted off from ...
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William Henry Harrison and the Shortest Presidency

William Henry Harrison, ninth president of the United States. William Henry Harrison is best remembered for his brief ...
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The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and America’s New Border

On February 2, 1848, representatives of the United States and Mexico gathered in a small town outside Mexico ...
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The California Gold Rush Begins

Early miners searching for gold along California’s American River, where the Gold Rush began. On January 24, 1848, ...
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The Supreme Court’s First Day: A Quiet Beginning

On a cold January day in 1790, six men gathered quietly in New York City to begin an ...
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The Grand Canyon: How It Became a National Treasure

On the brink of a tremendous precipice, two visitors ride mules along Grand View Trail in the Grand ...
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Thomas Edison’s Public Exhibition of the Light Bulb: Igniting Modern Life

On December 31, 1879, American inventor Thomas Alva Edison staged one of the most iconic public exhibitions in ...
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