Even today, hundreds of Icelanders worship the ancient Norse gods. But who exactly were these deities? The Norse pantheon is made up of many characters and is dominated by a complex story strung together by murky, often incomplete chapters. Indeed, at times we know the names of some gods but are left only to guess …
Read moreNorse Gods and Goddesses: The Mythology of the Nordic Viking Deities
The sans-culottes, the name for the commoners that fought against the monarchy during the rebellion, were arguably the heart and soul of the French Revolution. With their name derived from their choice in apparel — loose fitting pantaloons, wooden shoes, and red liberty caps — they were workers, artisans, and shopkeepers; patriotic, uncompromising, egalitarian, and, …
Read moreThe Sans-Culottes in the French Revolution: Those Without Breeches
Near the banks of the river, mosquitoes swarm, flying about your head, threatening to plunge into your skin. Standing where the slow slope of your eight-acre farm meets the Allegheny River, your eyes pass over the buildings your neighbors call home, searching. Your view of town — which, in the next few years, will be …
Benjamin Alsop breathed in the thick, wet, South Carolinian air. It was so heavy he could almost reach out and grab it. His body was covered in sweat, and it made the scratchy wool of his uniform rub angrily against his skin. Everything was sticky. Each step forward on the march was more difficult than …
It’s September 3rd, 1939. The late summer sun is making one of its final descents, but the air remains heavy and warm. You’re sitting at the kitchen table, reading the Sunday Times. Your wife, Caroline, is in the kitchen, preparing the Sunday meal. Your three sons are on the street below, playing. There was a …
A cool spring breeze whispers through the tall trees. The waves of the Mississippi River lap lazily against the bow of the boat — the one you helped to design. There are no maps to guide you and your party, for what lies ahead. It is land unknown and should you continue deeper in, that …
Read moreCorps of Discovery: The Lewis and Clark Expedition Details and Trail Route