Mansa Musa was the king of Mali. Located in western Africa, Mali became one of the largest empires during the time of Musa’s rule. Musa helped his empire grow in size and culture by encouraging the arts, literature, and architecture.
Confucius was born in 551 B.C. There was great suffering and chaos during this time in China. He wanted to devote his life to relieving the suffering he saw and believed government reform was needed. He devoted his life to making this reform occur.
More men lost their lives during the battles of the Civil War than in any other war involving the United States. No one suspected that it would last four long years. At the beginning of the war, the battles were fought in southern territory. Each conflict brought more death and despair. In the end, the South surrendered, but everyone actually lost. Together, everyone faced the tremendous challenge of forgiving each other and rebuilding the nation.
Hatshepsut was a young woman who became the first female pharaoh of Egypt. When her father, Thutmose I, died, Hatshepsut was the only heir. Since she was female, leaders were afraid to make her pharaoh. She finally declared herself the pharaoh in 1501 B.C. and ruled Egypt for about 20 years.
Julius Caesar was a major figure in the ancient Roman Republic. Born in 100 B.C., Caesar grew up to be a talented leader who had a very successful military career. Not long after his death, the republic ended and Rome became an empire.
The colonies were the birthplace of the United States and they were made up of people that came from various backgrounds seeking religious freedom, wealth, and success. Daily life for the colonists was different depending on the region in which they lived, yet they established a united nation built on freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
Slavery was a complicated issue that divided the country to the point of war. Even after the war, slavery was not totally resolved. Freedom came because of the foresight of many people like Abraham Lincoln, the Quakers, and the abolitionists who believed that people were all created equal.
Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who helped shape Greek beliefs. However, not everyone agreed with Socrates, and he made many people angry over the years. He was eventually arrested and sentenced to death. But Socrates’s ideas and beliefs can still be found today.
Many talented and skilled immigrants came to America from various places in the world and brought with them their own cultures and traditions to enrich the American culture and way of life. Among the famous immigrants whose lives have impacted the twentieth century are Elijah McCoy, Irving Berlin, Father Edward Flanagan, and I. M. Pei.
The Middle East is comprised of many small countries, each with its own government. Volatile issues of religious extremism, the supply and demand of oil, and the establishment of the nation of Israel in 1948 have caused constant conflict. Several prominent leaders have arisen in the Middle East and have worked toward peace in this region, while others have been instigators of violence throughout the world.
The Middle East is a place of conflict based on the controversial nation of Israel, religious extremism, and the Middle Eastern oil supply. The Middle East produces 65% of the world’s oil. Oil has been responsible for many interactions between industrialized countries and the Middle East. Many times, those interactions have led to conflict. Its history and culture provide insight and understanding to world events taking place there.
World War I, or the Great War, began in Europe as a military rivalry between France and Germany. As other countries took sides and joined the conflict, the war grew and became worldwide. In 1917, the United States entered the war in an effort to make the world safe for democracy, and afterwards it became a world power.
