Showing results by author "Hourly History" in All Categories

The Civil Rights Movement in America is a broad term for the movement in the mid-20th century among and for the African American community in pursuit of equal protection and rights under the law. In reality, it began much earlier than the 1950s and continues until this day. What is more, it was about so much more than the extension of universal rights; the Civil Rights Movement is about the story of the long struggle to overcome the legacies of slavery and racism. It is a story of triumph over adversity and perseverance in the face of great hardship.

The history of the Western Han dynasty reveals a time of magnificence for China: A time when the country expanded its territory, perfected the weaving of silk to such an extent that a trade route extending from China all the way to Rome would take its name from that prized export, and capitalized upon the technological advances within its country to witness an agricultural revolution that predated Europe’s farming innovations by hundreds of years.

That France and Germany were enemies in 1940 was not news to anyone. That Germany was bitter at the terms of its surrender at the end of World War I was hardly a surprise. That another war would follow all too soon was apparent to many. Yet no one could have expected that Germany’s rise to military power under the leadership of Adolf Hitler would have given birth to such an evil regime. The churning resentment that Hitler and many other Germans felt against its enemies, particularly France, was destined to sow the seeds for vengeance.

Dutch painter and printmaker Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. As a painter, he never considered glamorizing what he saw, and he was a master of creating extraordinary scenes with light and shadows. His paintings were unique for their ability to depict action and moods. Sadly, having a mistress and spending recklessly went far to ruin his reputation during his lifetime. Rembrandt died penniless and was buried in a pauper’s grave.

The Great Northern War was a war waged by Russia, Denmark-Norway, and Saxony-Poland-Lithuania against the Swedish Empire from 1700 to 1721. It also engaged several of the other great powers of Europe at the time, engulfing much of the continent and its colonies in more than two decades of war. It was part of a long and almost constant series of wars fought home and around the world by European nations over control of more land, resources, and wealth. By its end, Russia had firmly established its ascendency, while Sweden would no longer pose a threat as a major empire.

On a December night in 1773, in an iconic act of civil disobedience, American colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded a merchant ship laden with tea. They tossed the tea into the Boston Harbor in protest of taxation without representation. Their motivation at the time was not one of a battle for independence; rather, they sought what they viewed as their constitutional right to representation in the British Parliament.

The Battles of Saratoga are often regarded as the turning point in the American War of Independence when the North American colonies began their march to triumph against Great Britain. Fought in September and October 1777, these two battles were significant victories for a variety of reasons. The actual history of these monumental battles - their causes, the battles themselves, and their aftermath - is both complex and thrilling. Discover the history and legacy of the Battles of Saratoga in this book.

This audiobook provides a short timeline of Audrey Hepburn. Sound interesting? The author thinks so, too. Listen to Audrey Hepburn Timeline and learn know more about the significant milestones in the actress' life.

Pontiac’s War erupted in the Great Lakes region of North America just as the French and Indian War came to a close in 1763. The French, who had initially established a European presence there, were usurped by the British, whose relations with indigenous peoples were notoriously less diplomatic and more destructive. As a result, a Native American man named Pontiac helped lead a coalition against the British. The outcome of Pontiac’s War was not what either side intended, but it nevertheless helped shape the history of the region for decades to come.

Although he finds himself on the wrong side of history, Stonewall Jackson has become known as one of the American Civil War’s most brilliant strategists. His ride to acclaim was not easy; Jackson grew up poor, was orphaned by seven, jumped between different relatives’ homes, and had no real education, yet at 18 he was accepted into the prestigious military academy at West Point.

This audiobook is a short timeline of Ingrid Bergman. Sound interesting? The author thinks so too! Listen to Ingrid Bergman Timeline and enjoy this biographical account.

The first female Doctor of the Church, Teresa of Ávila, was a visionary who took matters of reform into her own hands. Even when the church authorities came against her, she stood her ground and held fast to her convictions. In so doing, she managed to persuade the Catholic powers to come around to her point of view. Teresa was not someone who took “no” for an answer; she charted her own course in life.

Many of us dream of finding instant wealth. Just imagine if you were able to go to a place where you could simply gather from the ground gold worth many thousands of dollars. Now imagine that at a time when the average wage for an unskilled worker was barely ten dollars per month.

When James Buchanan was inaugurated president in March of 1857, he had inherited a powder keg that was just waiting to explode into the turmoil that was the American Civil War. Buchanan has since been vilified as being the great appeaser who placated the South enough to embolden them to secede from the Union. He is frequently listed as one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States. Buchanan himself, however, always held out the hope that history would vindicate him and the role he played.

The War of the Spanish Succession, which occurred between 1701 and 1714, was fought over who would succeed the childless King Charles II to the throne of Spain. During the early modern era, European countries were almost constantly at war, vying for land, resources, power, and wealth. The succession of the Spanish throne - and everything that came with it - had much of all of those things up for grabs; therefore all of Europe had much to gain, or lose, from the new Spanish ruler. By the end of the war, conflict in Europe was hardly over, but a new, dominant power had emerged.

The last ruler of the House of Solomon, Haile Selassie, was not only the final Emperor of Ethiopia but also the link to a bygone past. In the days of Haile Selassie, absolute rule was given as an unquestioned divine right. Even though Selassie in many ways was a moderate progressive, he was still an autocratic ruler.

The Cristero War took place in Mexico between 1926 and 1929. It was a war of rebellion by Mexican Catholics against the government, which had enforced restrictions on their faith. It was mainly a guerilla war, in which the Cristeros launched sudden, quick attacks against strategic locations. It began in central Mexico but quickly engulfed the entire country. In the end, the United States and the Catholic hierarchy intervened to help the combatants reach a peace agreement.

When historians discuss the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries, Sweden is sometimes not included in their conversations. Despite this omission, Sweden amassed a wealthy, prosperous empire during these years. Their territory spanned several regions of Europe and even included colonies in North America, Africa, and the Caribbean. They defeated some of the greatest militaries of their time and were widely recognized around the world by their allies and adversaries alike as an immense power and threat.

Mary Wollstonecraft is an undisputed icon for women’s rights, and this is not a status she earned lightly. Daring to demand equality at a time when it was incredibly risky to do so, Wollstonecraft developed a long resume of standing up to those that wished to subvert her rights and the rights of those she loved. She stood up to her own father as a teenager when he abused her mother, and she didn’t hesitate to help her sister escape from a similarly tyrannical husband.

It is a verifiable fact that the Apostle Paul was one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament, making him one of the founders of the Christian religion that we know today. Although he came on the scene after Jesus Christ, it could be argued that Saint Paul played the second biggest role in the history of Christianity. This is rather fascinating, considering the fact that he began his career as one of the biggest persecutors of the faith.