RSS Feed
News & Opinions
Confederate Flag: What’s All the Flap?
0 Commentsby Michael J. O'Neal · 10/20/11
Sometimes Americans argue about issues that are largely symbolic. One such issue is that of flying the Confederate flag—you know, the “Stars and Bars” from back during the Civil War. Is the Confederate flag a racist symbol or something more benign? That depends on whom you ask.
-
The National Budget: Want to Play Along?
by Michael J. O'Neal · October 12, 2011
A hot-button issue these days is the U.S. economy, specifically the nation’s budget and our growing deficit. In the U.S. Congress a fundamental reexamination is under way concerning the role of government in the economy versus the workings of the free market. The debate underscores two very different visions of our nation and its future. How can the country find balance? We’re going to put you in charge of the federal budget through a few simulations. Play along and see whether you can find a fix.
-
How to Write a Better Research Paper: Part 4
by Michael J. O'Neal · October 05, 2011
The editors at Milestone Documents love reading and writing about history. Our goal is to channel our limitless historical zeal to students who may not share such enthusiasm. In this series on how to approach a research paper assignment, we encourage you to embrace history, explore the past with an eye toward the future, and listen to the sources. (They have a lot to say.)
-
Prohibition: The Amendment That Had to Be Amended
by Michael J. O'Neal · September 29, 2011
In a three-part, five-hour documentary premiering on PBS on October 2, acclaimed film producer Ken Burns, in partnership with Lynn Novick, takes on the Prohibition era, which ran from the 1919 passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution and the accompanying Volstead Act to the amendment’s repeal in 1933.
-
How to Write a Better Research Paper: Part 3
by Barbara Bigelow · September 22, 2011
The editors at Milestone Documents love reading and writing about history. Our goal is to channel our limitless historical zeal to students who may not share such enthusiasm. In this series on how to approach a research paper assignment, we encourage you to embrace history, explore the past with an eye toward the future, and listen to the sources. (They have a lot to say.)
-
A New Semester Is Here—Make It a Good One: Part II
by Barbara Bigelow · September 14, 2011
The Fall 2011 term has arrived, and it’s time to get organized. With the new school year comes a massive juggling act: Time management, prioritizing, organizing, test preparation, paper writing, deadlines, meetings, study groups, part-time jobs, and extracurricular activities, among other things, are enough to make your head spin. In this series we offer tips to make the transition from summer to “back to school” a little easier, whether you’re in high school or college.
-
How to Write a Better Research Paper: Part 2
by Barbara Bigelow · September 08, 2011
The editors at Milestone Documents love reading and writing about history. Our goal is to channel our limitless historical zeal to students who may not share such enthusiasm. In this series on how to approach a research paper assignment, we encourage you to embrace history, explore the past with an eye toward the future, and listen to the sources. (They have a lot to say.)
-
Milestone Documents for Understanding 9/11
by Neil Schlager · August 31, 2011
What 9/11 will mean in the annals of history is still undetermined, but its impact has reverberated throughout the world. The following documents tell the story of the attacks and their aftermath with an immediacy that only such records can. To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the tragedy, the Milestone Documents editors invite you to read and share these texts and accompanying scholarly commentary for free during the month of September.
-
A New Semester Approaches: Make It a Good One with Our Top Ten Tips
by Barbara Bigelow · August 26, 2011
A brand new school year is about to begin, and with it comes a massive juggling act: time management, prioritizing, organizing, test preparation, paper writing, deadlines, meetings, study groups, part-time jobs, and extracurricular activities, among other things, are enough to make your head spin. Here are some tips to make the transition from summer to “back to school” a little easier, whether you're in high school or college.
-
Celebrate the New MLK Memorial by Reading His Key Documents
by Marcia Merryman-Means · August 23, 2011
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” Speech on the National Mall during the March on Washington. King is now commemorated with his own memorial there, joining those of Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. Inspiration for the design, showing the image of King emerging from stone, came from a line in King’s speech: “With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.” The memorial will be dedicated this Sunday, on the forty-eighth anniversary of the speech. This week we are highlighting King’s most famous speeches. The document texts as well as our expert commentary will be freely available to members and nonmembers alike for the entire week.
-
New Western Civilization Content at Milestone Documents
by Neil Schlager · August 10, 2011
We are pleased to announce a new collection of primary documents related to Western Civilization. Encompassing nearly 150 documents and including our one-of-a-kind expert analysis and commentary, the new coverage aligns with the reading lists of Western Civ courses at the high school and collegiate levels. The documents span the full range of Western Civ studies from ancient times to the twenty-first century and include key books of the Old Testament; writings from Classical Greece and Rome; key works from early Christianity through medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment Europe; and documents from the great wars and upheavals of the twentieth century.
-
How to Write a Better Research Paper: Part 1
by Barbara Bigelow · July 22, 2011
The editors at Milestone Documents love reading and writing about history. Our goal is to channel our limitless historical zeal to students who may not share such enthusiasm. In this first of several postings on how to approach a research paper assignment, we encourage you to embrace history, explore the past with an eye toward the future, and listen to the sources. (They have a lot to say.)
-
A History Lover’s Summer Reading List
by Barbara Bigelow · July 05, 2011
Ah, the joys of compiling a summer reading list. . . . The Milestone editors suggest five vastly different 2011 releases for readers seeking a warm-weather book fix of historic proportions. Read more.
-
How Much Do We Know about American History?
by Barbara Bigelow · July 05, 2011
The Fourth of July, known formally as Independence Day, did not become an official U.S. holiday until 1941. To celebrate this Independence Day, the Milestone editors invite you to test your knowledge of U.S. history. Newsweek’s 2011 poll showed that nearly 40 percent of the 1,000 Americans in a randomly chosen sample group could not pass an abbreviated version of the U.S. citizenship test—that’s the same test given to immigrants seeking American citizenship. Read more.
-
Lincolniana: All Things Lincoln Part II
by Barbara Bigelow · June 21, 2011
No, it’s not a newly discovered species of flora. Lincolniana is a term used to described any material—photographs, newspaper clippings, prints, cartoons, maps, letters, documents, books, or other collectibles—pertaining to Abraham Lincoln. The thirst for new information about Lincoln’s life and death seems unquenchable. As of 2011, this singular historical figure was already the subject of some 16,000 books written over a span of 150 years. Milestone Documents editors have combed through heaps of Lincoln-related data and come up with some interesting links for our readers. In Part I of this series, we offered links to Lincoln materials ranging from the Emancipation Proclamation to a new Steven Spielberg movie about the famed president. In Part II of the series, we highlight several additional items related to Lincoln. Read more.
-
Lincolniana: All Things Lincoln Part I
by Barbara Bigelow · June 20, 2011
No, it's not a newly discovered species of flora. Lincolniana is a term used to described any material—photographs, newspaper clippings, prints, cartoons, maps, letters, documents, books, or other collectibles—pertaining to Abraham Lincoln. Milestone Documents editors have combed through heaps of Lincoln-related data and come up with some interesting links for our readers. Read more.
