American Revolution, written in 2002 by Gordon Wood on this seminal event, won the Bancroft Prize that is awarded annually by Columbia University for its distinguished portrayal of American history. In a short 166 pages, Wood conquers over 20 years in a very concise and interesting way -- despite the fact that this topic has been covered time and time again, often in a very dry fashion. The American Revolution is

Alexander Hamilton carried on an affair with the wife of "a notorious political schemer," Maria Reynolds. Andrew Jackson married Rachel Jackson before her divorce from Lewis Robards was finalized and therefore was accused of marrying a married woman. Jackson's opponent in 1828, John Quincy Adams, was in turn accused of "corrupt bargaining" during his term. Jackson also championed Margaret O'Neill Timberlake, who married his secretary of war, John Eaton.

Boycotting British goods meant that American women were going to have to make sacrifices, and stop consuming goods that were imported from Britain. The cartoon of the women of Edenton, NC signing a non-consumption agreement represent American women involving themselves in the political and economic boycott of Britain by the American colonies. ("A Society of Patriotic Ladies") However, it is actually a criticism of women's involvement in political affairs

French Revolution Revisited No moment in history stands alone, but each builds surely from the moments before it. The French Revolution and its aftermath was no exception. In many ways it sprang from the undeniable and unswayable forces of modernization, toppling a system which was dying under its own weight and intrinsically unable to adapt and survive in the new economic and philosophical reality. One could argue that this violent

Higher Health Care Costs on Businesses Without doubt, America faces some heavy challenges in the forthcoming years. First, still reeling from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States struggles to find the medium ground between protecting its border and sacrificing its people's civil liberties and stepping on other countries' sovereignty and freedom. Most recently, we've faced a large budget crisis, with huge line items such as Social

For the most part none of these three examples ever had the experience of living under an autocratic form of government and so the transition from one form of government to another was much smoother. A tradition of democracy supersedes the influence of ethnic diversity in that such tradition cultivates an understanding and respect for negotiated solutions for contentious issues in society which in the long run increases the