Copper and lead have been important too humanity for centuries. Copper made tools and lead made bullets. These materials had to be extracted from the ground. People have mined lead and copper for centuries. Join me as I discover how lead and copper have been mined in the United States.

60 Centuries of Copper: The Flotation Process. (n.d.). Retrieved from www.copper.org website: https://www.copper.org/education/history/60centuries/modern/theflotation.html

Copper in the USA: US History. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2026, from www.copper.org website: https://www.copper.org/education/history/us-history/g_fact_us.html

Extracting Lead Materials from Ore -. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2026, from Nuclead website: https://nuclead.com/leadmaterials/

How does the copper flotation process work? - Prominer (Shanghai) Mining Technology Co.,Ltd. (2025, September 6). Retrieved April 17, 2026, from Prominer website: https://www.prominetech.com/news/how-does-the-copper-flotation-process-work/

Kurtti, J. (2018, January 24). Finns in Michigan - Finland abroad. Retrieved April 17, 2026, from finlandabroad website: https://finlandabroad.fi/web/usa/finns-in-michigan

Lead Mining | Iowa PBS. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2026, from www.iowapbs.org website: https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/2659/lead-mining

Michigan Copper. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2026, from Michiganology website: https://michiganology.org/stories/michigan-copper/

Timeline of Michigan Copper Mining Prehistory to 1850 - Keweenaw National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service). (2016). Retrieved April 17, 2026, from Nps.gov website: https://www.nps.gov/kewe/learn/historyculture/copper-mining-timeline.htm

W. R. Ingalls (1907) Chronology of Lead-Mining in the United States

Coal has made quite a mark on the history of this country. Coal powered the railroads for many years. Coal produces electricity for houses. Coal mines have employed millions through the years. Miners faced many hardships and help build this country. Join me as I discuss the history of coal mining

References

Coal Culture Timeline. (2024). Retrieved April 10, 2026, from Indiana University of Pennsylvania website: https://www.iup.edu/library/departments/archives/coal/coal-culture-timeline.html

Company Towns | Slavery By Another Name Bento | PBS. (2017). Retrieved from Company Towns | Slavery By Another Name Bento | PBS website: https://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/company-towns/

Evans, M. A., & Ramani, R. V. (2019). Coal mining - Choosing a mining method | Britannica. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/technology/coal-mining/Choosing-a-mining-method

Knies, J. L. (n.d.). Library Guides: Anthracite Coal Mining Region of Northeastern Pennsylvania: Home. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from guides.libraries.psu.edu website: https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/anthracite

Munoz, C. (2023, October 24). Blueprints of America: The First Coal Mine in the U.S. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from GeoGrit website: https://www.geogrit.com/blogs/trail-stories/the-first-coal-mine-in-the-u-s?srsltid=AfmBOop-ZAB6ya41czmVV1L_u0eNgvtiMF0NrItlEgZlwKGOxDjOaEmi

PBS. (n.d.). The Coal Town System | American Experience | PBS. Retrieved from www.pbs.org website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/minewars-coalcamps/

Research Guides: Organized Labor Since the 19th Century: A Research Guide: Mining & Steel Unions. (2024). Retrieved April 10, 2026, from Loc.gov website: https://guides.loc.gov/organized-labor/mining-steel

Saelee, M. (n.d.). Research Guides: Battle of Blair Mountain: Topics in Chronicling America: Introduction. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from guides.loc.gov website: https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-blair-mountain

Scrip-A Coal Miner’s Credit Card - Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service). (2016). Retrieved from Nps.gov website: https://www.nps.gov/biso/learn/historyculture/scrip.htm

Timeline of coal in the United States. (2005). https://blog.midwestind.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/coal_timeline.pdf

Tabler, D. (2025). National Coal Heritage Area. Retrieved from Wv.gov website: https://coalheritage.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx

West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training. (n.d.). Mining in West Virginia: A capsule history. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from WV Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training website: https://minesafety.wv.gov/historical-statistical-data/mining-in-west-virginia-a-capsule-history/

Wynn, J. (2024, June 15). The Rich History of Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Region. Retrieved from Jake Wynn - Public Historian website: https://wynninghistory.com/coal-region-history/

With Easter this week, I thought it would be a good time to discuss the origins of some Easter traditions. I'm sure many of us have enjoyed visits from the Easter bunny and easter egg hunting when we were younger. Peeps adorn many easter baskets. How did these traditions begin? That is what we find out.

During March and April, thousands upon thousands of college students flock to beaches for spring break. Some go to Texas. Some people go to Florida. This debauchery goes back years. How did it begin? That is what I will try to find out. Join me as I discuss the history of Spring Break

A History of Spring Break - The Classical Period. (2017). Retrieved March 27, 2026, from Springbreak.com website: https://www.springbreak.com/History/Spring_Break_History.html

A Quick and Dirty History of Spring Break. (2018, March 16). Retrieved March 27, 2026, from HowStuffWorks website: https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-other/quick-and-dirty-history-spring-break.htm

Danisewicz, C. (2013, March 7). The History of Spring Break Travel: A Retrospective. Retrieved March 27, 2026, from On Call International Blog website: https://blog.oncallinternational.com/the-history-of-spring-break-travel-a-retrospective/

Florida Frontiers - A History of Spring Break in Florida | Florida Historical Society. (2014, April). Retrieved March 27, 2026, from Myfloridahistory.org website: https://myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/article/10

Pfefferkorn, A. (n.d.). The Brief History of Spring Break | Fordham History. Retrieved March 27, 2026, from https://history.blog.fordham.edu/?p=1061

Writers, S. (2020, April 7). The Story Behind Spring Break. Retrieved March 27, 2026, from OnlineSchools.org website: https://www.onlineschools.org/visual-academy/spring-break/

The Irish have made quite an impact on American society. They faced hardships but, they overcame them. One celebration they brought with them was St. Patrick's Day. The celebration has undergone many changes since it came over here.

When people began moving to the cities, a need for transportation was apparent. As streetcars became obsolete, buses took their place. Many cities began using this system in place of trolleys. Many cities still have bus lines today. Buses have quite a history.

References

(Easton & Cromer, 2019; Glavatskikh, 2020; “History of Buses in Public Transportation - Atlantic Coast Charters,” 2022; nationalbus1, 2023; Parks, 2017; Walsh, n.d.)

Glavatskikh, P. (2020, August 5). A Brief History of Buses. Retrieved from Bus.com website: https://www.bus.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-buses/

History of Buses in Public Transportation - Atlantic Coast Charters. (2022, July 6). Retrieved from atlanticcoastcharters.com website: https://atlanticcoastcharters.com/history-of-buses-in-public-transportation/

nationalbus1. (2023, May 2). The Wheel Story: A Brief History of Buses. Retrieved from National Bus Sales website: https://nationalbus.com/blog/the-wheel-story-a-brief-history-of-buses/

Parks, M. (2017, August 14). The History of Public Bus Transportation - Blog. Retrieved from Blog website: https://gogocharters.com/blog/history-of-public-bus-transportation/

Parks, M. (2017, August 14). The History of Public Bus Transportation - Blog. Retrieved from Blog website: https://gogocharters.com/blog/history-of-public-bus-transportation/

Walsh, M. (n.d.). The Bus Industry in the United States. Retrieved from eh.net website: https://eh.net/encyclopedia/the-bus-industry-in-the-united-states/

When people began moving to populated areas, transportation became an issue. Not all people could afford horses so, options had to be created. Streetcars were one such option. They were cheap to ride and connected town areas. Some ran between cities. Join me as I discuss the history of American streetcars

Bellis, M. (2025, May 12). The history of cable cars and electric streetcars. www.thoughtco.com. https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-streetcars-cable-cars-4075558

Burns, A. (2025, March 2). Streetcar history: Lines, photos, decline. American Rails. https://www.american-rails.com/streetcars.html

We all have to wear shoes. I know I don't want glass in my feet or rocks. Shoes keep feet protected. I'm sure we've never given much thought to the companies that make them. I'm here to change that.

References

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1465&context=jofa

http://president.shoes/footwearfacts.htm

https://www.johnstonmurphy.com/na-ourstory.html

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/departments/sldc/project-connect/nga/history/upload/The-Shoe-Industry-of-St-Louis.pdf

https://www.contemposuits.com/blog/history-of-stacy-adams-shoes/