One of the earliest and best-known patriotic songs of the United States is “Yankee Doodle.” Learned by every school child and sung every Independence Day, the song is a rich reminder of […]
The United States of America celebrates its birthday on July 4. That day marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the formal separation of the colonies from Great Britain. But […]
At the heart of American democracy is the concept of democracy. Every government and civics textbook declares the noble principle that self-governing people preserve the rights of the minority, but it is […]
When it comes to queens, there are all sorts. There are bees, playing cards, rock-and-roll bands, and men who wear women’s clothing. And, of course, there is “The Queen,” the one person […]
Barings Bank was a survivor. Founded in 1762 during the reign of George III, it endured through seven more kings and queens, two world wars, the Great Depression, and countless geopolitical upheavals. […]
Americans remember 1776 as the year of revolution, but it didn’t start that way. As 1775 turned into 1776, the people of the thirteen American colonies of the United Kingdom considered themselves […]
The name of the seventh planet in our solar system frequently evokes giggles and crude jokes during junior high science classes, but Uranus is actually an improvement over its original name. Just […]
While serving as U.S. minister to France, Benjamin Franklin attended a dinner in Paris shortly after the British surrendered at Yorktown in 1781. The French foreign minister, Vergennes, began the toasts, saluting his […]
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