"Difficult" or "challenging" topics to teach include racism, violence, genocide, bullying, gangs, abuse (physical, emotional, and substance), slavery, suffering, hatred, terrorism, war, disease, loss, addiction, and more. But by confronting them with students, in the safety of a classroom through thoughtfully constructed lessons (ones that take…

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office on March 4, 1933, 15 million Americans, or one quarter of the nation's workers, were jobless. Hope faded as despair spread. Three years later, on July 10, 1936, Roosevelt took a special overnight train from Washington, D.C., to New York City for the dedication of the Triborough Bridge. The next day,…

In the late summer of 1888, officials at the U.S. Department of State appointed John Henry Haynes of Rowe, Massachusetts, to become the first U.S. consul in Baghdad. At that time, Baghdad--along with all of present day Iraq--was part of the Ottoman Empire, as it had been for more than three centuries. In his fourth dispatch, a single-page,…

The development of the institution of clientage is traced from ancient Rome to modern times. The patron-client relationships in the hierarchical nature of society and institutions in Spain and Latin America are specifically examined. (RM)

This textbook presents the history of civilization, focusing on Europe. The book is in six parts: (1) Introducing the Story of Civilizations; (2) Before History Began; (3) The Cradle of Civilization; (4) Civilization Spreads Northwestward into Europe; (5) How Europe Built the New Industrial Civilization; and (6) The Gains of Civilization.

With reference to the "Columbus principle" of innovative boldness endorsed in the article immediately preceeding this one, this columnist observes that, historically, Columbus may have been a good navigator but was a failure in management and died broke. (TE)

Outlines the history of Antarctic exploration from the Greek philosophers of 500 BC to the adoption of the minerals regime in 1988. (CW)

Discusses a cuneiform Babylonian tablet from about 500 B.C., the earliest extant world map. Explores bases for contemporary interpretation of the map. Observes that the map contains representations found in later maps. Suggests that modern views of the world are no less culturally laden than much earlier perspectives were. (SG)

The assumption that European dominion was uninterrupted is an error of perspective. Europe did have its eras of world leadership and world dominion. But in-between were longer periods when other peoples in other parts of the earth exercised skills and organized collective effort far more successfully than the Europeans. (RM)

An illustrated story for young children features Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas in 1492. The story begins with Columbus's youth in Genoa, Italy, follows him to Portugal and then to Spain, where he finally received backing for a voyage west to reach the East Indies. The preparations for the voyage and the trip itself are…

Stating that contributions of women to the history of economics have been far from negligible, Shackleton briefly describes the achievements of some noteworthy female economists of the past and suggests reasons why their work is not more widely known. Discusses women such as Jane Marcet, Harriet Taylor, and Anna Schwartz. (GEA)

December 10, 1988, marks the 40th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration represents the first comprehensive, global statement on basic human rights, embracing many of the values long held by U.S. citizens; and it urges all peoples and all nations to promote respect for the…

These essays were written to assist teachers in the task of making Russian history intelligible to young U.S. students. In "An Approach to Russian History," Edward Keenan proposes that students need to gain a better understanding of how Russians perceive themselves and their history. In "Pre-Petrine Russia," Andrzej S. Kaminski…

Maintains that there were three forces operating in colonial American culture which led to the drafting of the Constitution. These were: English law and tradition, the lifestyle of the colonies, and the Enlightenment. Provides examples of how these forces were expressed in the events surrounding the birth of the United States Constitution. (JDH)

Reviews critical events in the history of relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, citing seldom-taught facts. Proposes increased emphasis on the study of the Soviet Union and U.S.-Soviet relations and suggests sources educators can use for learning more and making more information available. (PGD)