This paper examines the contributions of Charles Pinckney III to the U.S. Constitution. When the minutes of the Constitutional Convention were released 30 years after the convention, the Pinckney Plan had been lost. The Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, who had opened the minutes, asked Pinckney to submit his draft for publication. Pinckney…

Contending that Senator Patrick McCarran of Nevada was the real force behind the communist witch hunts of the lage 1940s and early 1950s, this essay explores McCarran's legislative legacy. The first section examines McCarran's background and the legislative bodies over which he held sway. The second section delineates his legislative "Grand…

After 38 of the 41 delegates signed it on September 17, 1787, the U.S. Constitution was sent to the Continental Congress in New York where a vote was taken to pass the document to the 13 states for ratification. The process began with a struggle in Congress between those who favored the document, or the Federalists, and those who opposed it, or…

Rufus Choate, a Massachusetts lawyer and orator, has been described as a "unique and romantic phenomenon" in America's history. Born in 1799 in Essex, Massachusetts, Choate graduated from Dartmouth College and attended Harvard Law School. Choate's goal was to be the top in his profession. Daniel Webster was Choate's hero. Choate became…

For 10 months in 1929-30, subscribers to "The McCook (Nebraska) Daily Gazette" (a daily newspaper serving 33 towns in southwestern Nebraska and northwestern Kansas) received their newspapers via air delivery with "The Newsboy," a Curtis Robin cabin monoplane. In an age when over-the-road travel was difficult and air travel was…

The essays and annotations in this publication provide an opportunity for citizens and students to consider not only the history of the Northwest Ordinance but also basic and enduring issues in U.S. political life. The book is divided into three main parts. The first part provides a background to the Ordinance and its passage by the Confederation…

"On the Staff" is the fourth of the series of historical fiction novels in the series, "The Blue and the Gray--on Land." Like its predecessors, it is set during the time of the United States Civil War. In this volume, the hero, Deck Lyon, has grown somewhat older, and his character and ability have been considerably developed;…

An appraisal of Clark Howell's career as a journalist and of his political involvement in his state (Georgia) and nation indicates a significance that history books have largely ignored. Born and raised in the Civil War South, Howell's essential regionalism led him to serve his state as a lawyer, a senator, and as the editor and publisher of the…

In 1921, during the course of a news conference, President Warren G. Harding misinterpreted the provisions of one of the treaties then under consideration by delegates to the Washington Disarmament Conference. His error was corrected in a few hours, but this incident was blown out of proportion by those who were convinced that Harding was an inept…

Describes the Northwest Ordinance as the nation's first bill of rights and discusses the similarities between the Ordinance and state constitutions. States that neither the Ordinance nor the state constitutions mentioned freedom of speech. Contends that the Ordinance was one of the "foundation stones" in the structure of U.S. liberty.…

Recounts the life and writings of noted U. S. historian, Carl Becker. Provides an analysis of his influence on the academic study of European history in the United States. (JDH)

Carl Becker's contribution to the philosophy of historical relativism is presented. Three ideas central to historical relativism are: 1) the subjectivity of historical facts, 2) history as a product of the historian's imagination, and 3) the influence of the contemporary "climate of opinion" in shaping the historian's view of the past.…

Helm was a successful physican and politician in Rush County, Indiana, during the mid-nineteenth century. He exemplified the ideals of the Greek Revival movement of the period, and he chose the architecture of that movement for his own house, a fine example of the Western Reserve style. (IS)

The White River, an important area in the early settlement of Indiana, is the site of a large state park scheduled for completion in 1992. The park is designed to be a major addition to Indianapolis and includes museums, plazas, an international center, landmark tower, zoo, and military park. (IS)

This textbook is fifth in a series of readers. Selections include essays, short stories, and poems related to American history and culture. [This textbook was written with the assistance of May Harris.]