While nearly 85 percent of the U.S. population is currently made up of immigrants and their descendants, some groups were specifically targeted for exclusion and deliberately expelled. The Chinese were the first to experience this. In the 1850s, many Chinese who came to this land to search for gold or to help build the transcontinental railroad,…

The cowboy is viewed as an American icon: rider of the open range, rugged individual, and champion of good. Cowboys are still very much a part of American culture today. Why is it important to study cowboys? The introduction of cattle and horses by the Spanish "conquistadors" transformed the local culture, influenced the economics of the…

This article is adapted from "Chew Heong v. United States: Chinese Exclusion and the Federal Courts", written by Lucy Salyer, associate professor of history at the University of New Hampshire, for inclusion in the Federal Judicial Center's project, "Federal Trials and Great Debates in United States History." In 1882, Congress…

The Statue of Freedom stands at the very top of the dome of the Capitol, where Congress meets in Washington, D.C. The dome, with its statue, is a symbol recognized all over the world. Thomas Crawford, an American sculptor, created the Statue of Freedom in clay in a studio in Rome, Italy. A plaster model was cast in five major sections and shipped…

An astounding construction feat of Chinese Americans was the work done on the western section of the transcontinental railroad. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new line took place in Sacramento in 1863, but up until 1865, less than 50 miles of running track had been laid, and this was over relatively level land. The construction superintendent…

Describes the origins and work of the Women's Land Army, a World War I British volunteer agricultural production unit. Details similar program in the United States. Identifies the impact of the Women's Land Army including enhanced political, economic, and physical freedom for the participants and future generations of women. (CFR)