William Jennings Bryan’s Cross of Gold Speech July 1896
William Jennings Bryan was only thirty-six when he delivered his Cross of Gold speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, July 9, 1896....
Lincoln and the Slaves in the District of Columbia
Abraham Lincoln served in the National Legislature, the U.S. Congress, from March 4, 1847 until March 3, 1849 as a Whig from Illinois. His...
James Madison and the Road to the War of 1812
For almost 29 years the United States of America had been peaceful from large scale international war. However, when war exploded in Europe, America...
History of the Sinclair Oil Dinosaur
On May 1, 1916 oilman and former pharmacist Harry Sinclair combined the assets of 11 minor petroleum companies to form the Sinclair Oil &...
Cripple Creek Gold Rush
The "Paris of the West"
Tucked into the western slope of Pikes Peak, barely eighteen miles from Colorado Springs, as the crow flies, is the...
“General Tom Thumb” and “The Little Queen of Beauty”
Of all the fascinating entertainers P.T. Barnum made popular, “General Tom Thumb” became the most famous. He made Barnum—and himself—rich and world-renowned.
In 1863, Tom...
Hispanic Gunfighters of the Old West
The truth is that tough hombres sprung from all ethnic groups. In this work we will concentrate on those with Spanish last names.
Over 35...
Sapien-Fish: The “Feejee Mermaid”
Some were seriously interested in enigmas of science. Some were whimsically interested in the stuff of ancient legends. Others simply ponied up the admission...
Stagecoach Mary
Mary Fields, better known as Stagecoach Mary, was born a slave in 1832 in Tennessee. her mother was the house slave servant and her...
Andrew Jackson and the Elimination of the National Debt
After having peaked at $127 million after the War of 1812, the national debt stood at $58.4 million when Andrew Jackson became president in...