1776

How the Liberty Bell was cracked, according the boy who said he broke it (1915)

Here is one theory about how the Liberty Bell was cracked, according to an old man who confessed to breaking the famous bell when he was just a boy.

Alex Haley’s ‘Roots’ came to life in 1977, and TV would never be the same

I am at loss for the proper word to use to describe what television has done with Haley’s book Roots. “Enhance” will not do, nor is “heightened” sufficient. There is no word that is adequate.

The birth of Old Glory from painting by Moran

The history of the American flag, and its evolution since 1777

There’s so much history packed into the history of the American flag, that doesn’t only represent the states in the country, but the evolution of the USA.

Delegates sign the US Constitution at Independence Hall in Philadelphia

The Declaration of Independence (1776)

The Declaration of Independence IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human

New Amsterdam to now: Images of New York in the Colonial days

Here are images showing New York City’s growth from a frontier settlement known as New Amsterdam to the metropolis of the western world –through the Colonial times, and in the early days of US independence.

Look back at how Americans celebrated July 4th long ago

How was Independence Day celebrated in the past? It varied a lot over the decades, but early on, there was cannon fire, great communal feasts in the village green, and all kinds of noisemakers and thundering sounds.