Around the World in 180 Days

This biography on James Monroe focuses on his role in negotiating the purchase of Louisiana from France in 1803, his service as both secretary of war and secretary of state under James Madison, and...

The writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau had a major impact on the Enlightenment and are considered to be among the foundations of modern political and social thought. This biography traces Rousseau's...

This biography on Jefferson Davis focuses on his service in the Mexican-American War, his support of John C. Calhoun and the idea of states' rights, and his role as President of the Confederate...

This biography of the German inventor Johannes Gutenberg focuses on his experimentation with printing, his subsequent invention of the movable type printing press, and its impact on both the...

This biography of John Adams focuses on his role as a Founding Father, including his opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765, his role in defending British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre, and...

This biography focuses on John Brown, an ardent abolitionist who led both the raid of Pottawatomie Creek, Kansas, in 1856, and the attack on Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in October 1859. Brown's intent...

This biography of John Calvin, a 16th century French theologian, pastor, and reformer, focuses on his seminal work, Institutes of the Christian Religion, his belief in predestination, and his...

This biography on John Locke focuses on his Two Treatises of Government. Believing that man was born with a "blank slate" (tabula rasa) and was essentially good by nature, Locke argued that the only...

This biography leads students through the rise of the Byzantine emperor, Justinian I. The biography focuses on Justinian's goals of re-uniting the Roman Empire, and describes the challenges Justinian...

This biography on Meriwether Lewis and William Clark focuses on their leadership of the Corps of Discovery as it traversed the Louisiana Territory to reach the Pacific Ocean. The biography also...

This biography on Lucretia Mott focuses on her early involvement in progressive and abolitionist causes, her role at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, and her participation in the Free Religious...

This biography profiles Mansa Musa, the leader of the Mali empire during the early 14th century. Tracing his rise to the throne, the biography focuses on Musa's pilgrimage to Mecca, during which he...