Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and U.S. History for July 4th

Posted on June 22, 2016

By Debra Kirby

How will you celebrate U.S. Independence Day on July 4? Many mark the occasion with picnics, parades, and fireworks. For some though, July 4 provides another reason to celebrate: It’s the day they officially became U.S. citizens. Every year immigrants who have spent years waiting (and sometimes thousands of dollars on legal fees) choose this special date to raise their hands and pledge allegiance to the United States of America. One of the requirements for citizenship is that they successfully pass a civics quiz.

We’ve provided six of the 100 potential questions used by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services here. How many can you answer correctly? (See answers at the end of this article.)

  • Who was President during World War I?
  • The House of Representatives has how many voting members?
  • Who is Chief Justice of the United States now?
  • How many amendments does the Constitution have?
  • When was the Constitution written?
  • The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one of the writers.

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It’s a Grand Old Flag….

Posted on June 1, 2016

By Candy Jones-Guerin

On June 14th we celebrate Flag Day. This special day commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.

On June 14th, 1885, a 19 year old teacher at Stony Hill School placed a 10 inch, 38 star flag in a bottle on his desk then assigned essays on the flag and its significance.  With this act, Bernard J. Cigrand, started a movement.

Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations. Flag Day was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

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Happy Birthday Abe!

Posted on February 8, 2016

Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is February 12th! He was the 16th President of the United States, holding office during the Civil War, and proved to be one of the great figures in American history.

Did you know…

  • Lincoln lost five separate elections before being elected president.
  • Lincoln proclaimed all persons held as slaves in states of the rebellion “forever free.”
  • Abraham Lincoln is the only president in American history to hold a patent.

Let’s take a trip back in time to the years of his presidency. We’ve highlighted a few titles that can be found on Gale’s eBook platform, GVRL, to help you get started.

Abraham Lincoln, 1st Edition
April 2014
It may be little exaggeration to say that the figure of Abraham Lincoln embodies the American ideal more so than any other U.S. president. Although he came from humble beginnings and held several odd jobs before launching his career in politics, Lincoln’s determination and natural abilities brought him to the White House, where he led the struggle to preserve the union and emancipate the country’s slaves. Lincoln’s remarkable life—from his childhood to his role as Commander in Chief during the Civil War to his tragic death—is chronicled in this captivating volume.

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Meet the Growing Need for Transnational History with America in the World

Posted on February 3, 2016

Help undergraduates examine the role of the U.S. from early days to the present with a new title from Charles Scribner’s Sons, American in the World. One of the first references with a transnational perspective, this Dictionary of American History supplement focuses on the global role of the U.S. and Americans, while also analyzing global influences on the U.S. Supporting undergraduates, community college students, and high schoolers alike, this text offers signed and peer-reviewed articles as well as some 100 photographs, maps, and graphics.

Learn more about American in the World with Editor-in-chief Dr. Edward J. Blum as he weighs in on the value of America in the World.

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