In colonial America, kids died young. No matter how unwelcome, Death was a frequent visitor at family firesides from Boston to Savannah, where parents could expect to lose, on average, up to half of their brood before they reached adulthood. According to 17th-century Puritan minister Cotton Mather, "a dead child [was] a sight no more surprising than a broken … [Read more...]
Emancipating slaves then and now
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. It's a needed chance for Americans to talk about slavery that has helped us reexamine our history. For example, recent documentaries and museum exhibits on America's Founding Fathers regularly show that slavery played a big role in the lives of several heroes of the American Revolution. So, now we know … [Read more...]