The rhythmic noises of the turning water wheel and the roar of the furnace blast never stopped at Hopewell Furnace (Pennsylvania) during its years of operation (1771-1883). As long as the furnace was in blast, the ironworkers' jobs were safe. In case of trouble, they could escape to the woods, fields, and creeks of rural Pennsylvania. Now a…

Paterson, New Jersey, was established in the 1790s to utilize the power of the water that cascades through the Passaic River Gorge. Massive brick mill buildings lined the canals that transformed the power of the falls into energy to drive machines. These mills manufactured many things during the history of this industrial city. In the late 19th…

Northern New Mexico boasts river valleys surrounded by snow covered mountains. But it is also harsh and unforgiving. One settler called it a "glorious hell." The "Hispanos," as the early Spanish settlers and their descendants were called, and the "Anglos," the immigrants from the east, were often in conflict. The…

This lesson discusses two California communities, Locke and Walnut Grove, that illustrate the experiences of early Asian immigrants and their struggles to find a place in U.S. society. The lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration files, "Walnut Grove Japanese-American Historic District,""Walnut Grove…