Founded on the principles of religious freedom, America in the 1800s was fertile ground for the expansion of religious movements and all kinds of experiments in spiritual matters. Americans in the 1800s took their religion very seriously. Away from the authority of established churches, the American frontier from upstate New York to the wilds of the Utah territory was a hotbed of new, radical religion based on a personal experience of salvation, direct revelation, and enthusiastic, highly emotional gatherings at camp meetings. At the forefront of the movement to abolish slavery and women's rights, idealistic men and women in the more established Protestant churches heard a new social gospel from an educated and progressive clergy. Meanwhile, large numbers of Catholic immigrants and Jews from Central and Eastern Europe established their own religious institutions in a new land. The religious history of America in the 1800s is rich and diverse and highly influential in the social and political evolution of our country.
America's love of sports goes back a long way. Baseball, basketball, and football all came of age in America of the 1800s. While men like Abner Doubleday may not have invented these sports, they did much to popularize them as rules were officially standardized and national-level organizations were founded. Amateur (and, later, professional) teams sprang up in towns, factories, and schools across America and rooting for the home team built strong community bonds and stimulated (usually) friendly rivalries. From horse racing to boxing to competitive target shooting, Americans would watch, cheer for, and bet on just about any contest of strength and skill. The growing class of Americans with leisure and money to spare discovered tennis and golf and polo, and women for the first time participated in competitive sports. Long before the World Series and the Super Bowl, Americans were idolizing their favorite athletes, while they played and watched sports with enthusiasm.
With a six day workweek, long hours on the job, and the hard labor required to keep house, leisure time was precious in the 1800s. Without recorded music, radio, movies, TV, video games, or the Internet, Americans had to make their own fun, and most of it was simple and very low tech - singing around the family piano, visiting with neighbors, or picnicking in the woods. In the bigger towns and cities, theaters offered live, professional entertainment ranging from classic plays to raucous minstrel shows. In the smaller towns and rural areas, people waited anxiously for those few times a year when a traveling show or circus might come through the area. As the 1800s progressed, leisure time and economic resources increased for many Americans and a more sophisticated public demanded new and more exciting amusements. Read all about America at play in the 1800s!
America in the 1800s was a very hardworking society. Early in the century, farmers, craftsmen, and housewives worked very much the way they had for centuries - by their own physical labor and the sweat of their brow. The growing industrial economy brought millions of workers, people leaving their farms and new immigrants, into the factories and workshops of America, where the work was hard, the hours were long, and the pay was low. Women and children made up a large percentage of the industrial workforce, and conditions were often miserable and dangerous. Meanwhile, a small class of industrialists built vast fortunes. As the century progressed, improved technology, workers rights legislation, and the rise of trade unions helped to alleviate some of the misery of American workers, but for much of the 1800s, the lives of an average working class person was one of hard toil, limited opportunities, and the constant threat of poverty.
With the principles of democracy firmly established after the War for Independence, Americans in the 1800s took their politics very seriously. As more and more male citizens gained the right to vote, elections became very public, hotly contested, and sometimes even violent. In the cities and towns of America, politicians courted political power and influence among new immigrant communities; buying votes and stuffing ballot boxes was shockingly common. While the major national political issues of foreign policy, taxation, the abolition of slavery, and states rights took center stage in Congress, Americans split along regional and party lines that still exist in the twenty-first century. Scandals over greed and corruption caused whole city governments to fall, but America also produced some of the greatest statesman and political leaders in its history. Former slaves, poor immigrants, and women demanded their right to vote.
Life on the American frontier of the 1800s is the stuff of American myth and legend. It was here in the wide open spaces of the West that the rugged individualism of the American character was refined: in the strong but silent cowboy, the saloon girl with a heart of gold, and the sod busting pioneer. Faced with the incredible challenges of taming a wilderness, wresting the territory from the Native peoples, and dealing with the hardships of pioneer life, Americans were offered one of the richest opportunities in the history of human kind - the agricultural and mineral resources of a new land. The settling of this land is the story of America, a story of violence, wasted resources, and genocide, as well as heroism, freedom, and incredible opportunity. The Wild West of the 1800s remains for Americans a land of hopes and dreams.
From an isolated and inward-looking new nation clinging to the East Coast, America in the 1800s grew in size, strength, and military might. From the War of 1812 to the century-long campaigns of conquest against Native American peoples, territorial expansion through war with Mexico to the great national tragedy that was the Civil War, American soldiers and sailors forged a tradition of pride and heroism that is part of our national heritage. Sometimes misguided, sometimes truly inspired, nineteenth century America produced some of the greatest military leaders and witnessed some of the bloodiest battles in our history. Behind the scenes, and often neglected in our official histories, the life of America's citizen soldiers was a tough and brutal one. Patriotism, heroism, and human folly all combine in the story of the roots of Americas rise to the status of world military power.
In today's world, where we routinely zip down the highway at 70 miles per hour and we can fly coast-to-coast in a matter of hours, it is hard to imagine the revolution in transportation that took place in the 1800s. From a world where most people rarely traveled faster than their legs could carry them or much beyond their home towns, the 1800s witnessed an amazing and rapid development of technology, improvements in infrastructure, and a national will to conquer the vast distances of a growing country. Through the work of inventors, individual entrepreneurs, and municipalities, Americans found new opportunities for traveling conveniently from place to place within their communities, and a frontier nation was unified by rail, by road, and by a sense of national identity. This is the story of nineteenth century America on the move!
Medicine developed into a science in the 1800s, but it was a long evolution from folk remedies and superstition to a modern understanding of how the human body works and how disease is spread. Throughout much of the century, the life expectancy of the average American was decades shorter than it is now. A lack of understanding of simple hygiene contributed to the early death of many women after childbirth, and children routinely died of common childhood diseases like measles. An incorrectly treated broken arm could kill a healthy young man, and pain, disfigurement, and epidemic disease was the fate of many Americans. Traditional herbal remedies were sometimes the best treatments available, while patent medicines often contained toxic substances, and medical procedures were often painful, disgusting, and ultimately useless. The dedicated scientists and medical researchers of the 1800s made a tremendous contribution to the health and happiness of Americans.
We live our lives according to the numbers on a clock. Whether its getting to school on time, allowing enough time in a day for the things we need to do, or timing an activity, those numbers are an important part of almost everything we do. Time Math will help you understand schedules and timetables. You'll be able to better manage the math that runs our clocks!
People who make clothes need to get their numbers right. From the length of fabric to the size of a pair of jeans, math plays an important role in the fashion industry. In Fashion Math, you'll learn some of the ways the math you learn in the classroom is important on the catwalk. You may even want to use that math to try your hand at making your own clothes!
When you see a sign in your favorite store saying that everything is 30% off, can you do the math to figure out what that means? Are you good at keeping track of how much things cost while remembering how much money you actually have in your wallet? What about sales tax? Do you remember to add that on to your total costs when you're deciding if you have enough money to buy a pair of jeans? Shopping Math can help you do all this and more!
The speed of a pitch, the number of points scored, the time left on the clock . . . math is everywhere in the world of sports. Learn about the numbers and statistics behind sports like baseball, basketball, and football, and you'll find you understand the sports you love even better. In Sports Math, you'll discover that the math you learn in the classroom is just as important on the soccer field and basketball court.
Almost any game you play needs math. From poker to computer games, from video games to board games, math has a role to play. Game Math will help you understand your favorite games better. You may even find you're a better player when you understand the math behind the rules!
Native Americans loved to play games. From the United States to Mexico to Canada, tribes everywhere played games as part of their rituals, to cure diseases, to make crops grow, or sometimes, just for the pure fun of the sport. This book discusses the types of games played by various tribes in specific regions. It also explains how these games were played, and the significance-religious and social-of each contest.
The clothing worn by the members of different Native American tribes reflected their environments. Clothing, jewelry, and other decorative items were made from material found in the area around them-from sealskins and shells to buckskin and porcupine quills. This book discusses common clothing items of various Native American tribes as well as the cultural or religions significance of these items
While Native American religious beliefs vary from tribe to tribe, the one thing they have in common is a belief in a higher power. This power has many names: Manitou, Wakanda, Sila, or even just the Great Spirit. This book discusses the various beliefs held by tribes in each region of the Americas. It also describes some of the important rituals practiced in each religion.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of chemistry. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in chemistry, from Alice Hamilton to Darleane Hoffman, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be a chemist. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Chemistry to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in chemistry is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of medicine. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in medicine, from Rita Levi-Montalcini to Margaret Chan, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be a doctor. Find out about the opportunities for women in medicine. Read Women in Medicine to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in medicine is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in building the foundation of our current scientific knowledge. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women who have changed our scientific understanding, from Marie Curie to Ellen Swallow Richards, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be a leader in science. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women Who Built Our Scientific Foundations to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in science is something you want to do.
The tools and weapons used by Native American tribes were not just functional. Often, these tools and weapons were created during a special ceremony or ritual, so there was a spiritual significance to them as well. Shamans or medicine men would bless such items in the hope that they would serve their owners well. This book discusses the primary tools and weapons made by tribes in specific regions as well as how these tools and weapons were created and used.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of information technology. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in information technology, from Augusta Ada King to Radia Perlman, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to work in information technology. Find out about the opportunities women in the field have today. Read Women in Information Technology to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in IT is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of engineering. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in engineering, from Grace Hopper to GM executive Grace Lieblein, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be an engineer and find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Engineering to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in engineering is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of physics. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in physics, from Shirley Ann Jackson to Lisa Randall, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to be a physicist. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Physics to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in physics is something you want to do.
Women have made major contributions to science throughout history, including in the field of space exploration. Learn about the lives of some of the most amazing women in space exploration, from Sally Ride to Mae Jemison, as well as their exciting and important work. Discover what it takes to work in space exploration. Find out about the opportunities for women in the field. Read Women in Space to see if following in the footsteps of the many brilliant women who have made their mark in space exploration is something you want to do.
