Patrick Henry: Voice of Freedom
Patrick Henry was one of the leading lights of the American Revolution, a voice that would not be silenced until Americans were free and could govern themselves.

Samuel Adams: Ringleader of the American Revolution
Described as a firebrand, a revolutionary, and a patriot, the young Adams was perhaps the most vocal of his generation to demand independence from Great Britain. He believed in the higher cause of independence, and he didn't often let laws that he thought unjust stand in his way.

Benjamin Franklin: America's Renaissance Man
Benjamin Franklin was one of the most famous people of his generation, his country, and his country’s history. He was as close as Colonial America came to having a Renaissance man.

John Hancock: The Money Behind the Revolution
John Hancock is perhaps best known for his very large signature on the Declaration of Independence. However, he was much more important to the American Revolution and the Revolutionary War as a businessman who had large sums of money at his disposal and used that money to support the American cause.

The Boston Tea Party
What caused Americans to get so upset about tea? Find out in this easy-to-read article.

The Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a significant victory for the United Kingdom in its early 19-Century war with France. The battle took place off the coast of Spain on Oct. 21, 1805, during the War of the Third Coalition. The plan was for the fleets, one French and the other Franco-Spanish, to break through the blockade and cross the Atlantic, to threaten U.K. interests there (much like Bonaparte's plan to divert Britain's attention in 1798 by invading Egypt). Captaining the Franco-Spanish fleet, which was to leave from Toulon, was Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve, who had been second in command in the Battle of the Nile; Honoré Joseph Antoine Ganteaume commanded the French fleet, which was to leave was Brest. Villeneuve's fleet made it to its destination, but the other did not; as a result, the U.K. ships shadowing the Franco-Spanish fleet had less to worry about. Another part of the plan that fell through was a planned invasion of Ireland on the way back: When the rendezvous didn't happen, the Franco-Spanish fleet sailed straight back, breaking through the blockade again in order to put in at port. The naval sorties accomplished a whole lot of nothing for France, and Bonaparte, who had overseen an unsuccessful test of the invasion barges some weeks before, abandoned the plan to invade the U.K. and instead directed the large number of troops that had been dedicated to that purpose to pack up and head east. ...

The First Parliament of Great Britain

The first Parliament of the newly formed Great Britain met initially on October 23, 1707. The first session began in earnest two days later. The Act of Union 1707 had merged the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, and the Kingdom of Great Britain had sprung into existence on May 1. England's House of Commons ceased to exist but sent its members wholesale to sit in the House of Commons of Great Britain. Scotland's Parliament appointed 61 representatives to join the new Parliament of Great Britain. John Smith, who had represented Andover since 1695, was elected the first Speaker of the House of Commons of Great Britain. Smith had been the Speaker of England's House of Commons since 1705.

The Auld Alliance between France and Scotland
The Auld Alliance was a long-running mutual defense agreement between France and Scotland, ostensibly to counter aggression and expansion by England. The alliance was in effect, off and on, from 1295 to 1560. Scotland had successfully resisted occupation by Rome, which England and Wales had not. However, the advent of the Norman Conquest brought with it a large amount of advancement within England. Two hundred years later, Scotland was undergoing a succession crisis and England was ascendant. Scottish succession had been stable for much of the 12th and 13th Centuries. Such was not the case in 1286, when King Alexander III died. He left no clear heir who was acceptable to Scottish nobles, and the power vacuum that resulted came to be known as the Great Cause. England's King Edward I dominated the committee of 105 who had been appointed to choose the next Scottish leader, and the chosen one was John Balliol, in 1292. Trouble, however, was to come, in waves ...

Basic Economics Want vs. Need Supply and Demand Scarcity and Choices Goods and Services Interdependence Who Needs Money? Inflation The Stock Market

(For a description of these fun, illustrated, easy-to-read articles, click here.)

Making a Budget
One thing that every good money manager does is make a budget. Find out why and how.

Why All the Graphics in Economics?
Economics needs so many graphs because it tracks trends and other numerical information that other subjects in the social studies don't, at least not nearly as often. Take the mystery and difficulty out of charts, tables, and graphs!

The Importance of Trade
Trade is vital to the success of a civilization. Why? The civilization that can produce just enough of everything it and its people need to survive is rare indeed. Can you think of an example, today or in the long history of people? Keep thinking ...

Basic Geography: The Equator and the Prime Meridian
The earth is a globe, of course, and can be divided into lots of lines called latitude and longitude. Latitude lines run north and south; longitude lines run east and west. The lines measure distances in degrees. But where do you start? Where is 0 degrees? This illustrated article answers those questions and more in a fun, easy-to-read way.

Latitude and Longitude
Latitude and Longitude help us identify the location of places on a globe. These links give you a better understanding of these important concepts.

Unforgiving Places
Deserts, mountains, wastelands—these are some of the planet's Unforgiving Places. Learn more about these lonely yet intriguing destinations.

ANCIENT ROME

The Roman civilization was full of famous people, places, and things. One of the giants of the ancient civilizations was Rome: the city, the republic, the empire, and much more.

Among the more well-known ancient Romans were Julius Caesar, Augustus (right), Pompey, Nero, Caligula.

An elaborate slave class powered the might of Rome, and perhaps no slave was more famous than Spartacus, who led a large-scale revolt in the year 73.

Rome had many enemies. Among the most well-known were Hannibal, Atilla the Hun, Alaric the Visigoth, the Etruscans, the Samnites, and the Parthians. It was the Roman legion that won the wars and kept the peace for a great many years. Rome also suffered through years of internal strife.

The Romans were great builders, of roads, aqueducts, baths, and temples. They built a system of laws that formed the basis for many a legal system to follow.

ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL MESOAMERICA AND SOUTH AMERICA