How does a bookseller become a decorated general in the United States Army? General John Ellis Wool did exactly that, distinguishing himself in three consecutive wars: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and the American Civil War. By the time he began service in the Civil War, General Wool was already 77 years old.
Beloved American poet, naturalist, and transcendentalist, Henry David Thoreau was born July 12, 1817. His philosophy on living naturally paved the way for modern environmentalist ideals. While Thoreau is known for writing Walden and embracing life in the woods, many are less familiar with his beliefs on civil disobedience and abolition.
Peter Hardman Burnett was a man of contradiction. A bank president and an adventurer, an abolitionist and a racist, Burnett was also the first governor of California and the first man to resign that office. Despite his mixed legacy, Burnett’s life was nothing if not interesting.
Astronaut and physicist Sally Ride was born May 26, 1951. She a true pioneer for women in the fields of math and science, in both her personal accomplishments and her dedication to inspire others to study the sciences and achieve greatness.
When you think of famous women, lots of people might come to mind, from author’s to movie stars to politicians, however, not very many people have been able to successfully do more than one of those things. The list below encompasses some of the most important women leaders and contributors to of our time who have also produced some acclaimed, noteworthy, and highly collectible books.
This year marks the official centenary of Mother's Day: on May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation establishing Mother's Day as a national holiday and making its official celebration on the second Sunday in May. But the holiday had been celebrated in various forms for many years. Thus the holiday's origin is a bit complicated. Numerous people--mostly women--could claim credit for Mother's Day.
William Randolph Hearst was born on April 29, 1863 in San Francisco, the son of the millionaire mining engineer, gold mine owner and US Senator, George Hearst. Because he came from money, Hearst's early life was certainly not one of hardships. He went to prep school at St. Paul’s School in Concord New Hampshire, and matriculated to Harvard in 1885. He, however, never actually finished his degree as he was eventually expelled for antics such as hosting massive beer parties in Harvard Square.
For most of human history, the sky, the stars, and the moon were all an otherworldly mystery to those observing it from the face of the Earth. Some people believed that the celestial bodies were deities watching over them. Some thought that the stars could tell a story or form a prophecy when read correctly. Others found surprisingly accurate ways to learn about space without ever leaving the solid ground beneath their feet.
The category of "Americana" is both broad and somewhat difficult to define. It may include, after all, works written outside America, by Americans who have traveled abroad, or the opposite, works by non-Americans who have experienced the country somehow. One delightful piece of Americana falls into the latter category. Some Account of the Life and Gospel Labours of William Reckitt falls squarely into the collecting category of Americana, even though its author is an English Quaker who gets captured by the French (not once but twice, no less)!
The magic nestled in a good poem is the ability to use only a handful of words to capture a seemingly indescribable emotion, situation, or culture. James Mercer Langston Hughes, who wrote under just "Langston Hughes," understood this magic well and used it to rise to the top of the American poets of his day. He was one of the prominent writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Although he was fiercely proud of his heritage and identity as a black man, his words crossed stubborn racial boundaries during a hostile and segregated time period, earning him a well-deserved spot in the history of literature.
