John Singleton Copley (1738–1815), John Trumbull (1756–1843), and Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) are three of the most important early American artists. Their work captured scenes of colonial, revolutionary, and post-independence America—especially through portraiture of the country’s founding fathers. Patriots Samuel Adams, Dr. Joseph Warren, and John Adams were all from the colony of Massachusetts and played…
Samuel Morse’s Device Connects the World
He made his living as an artist, but love for family led Samuel Morse (1791–1872) to invent a communication system that laid the groundwork for our lightning-speed technology today, when we have information at our fingertips. Although raised in Charlestown, Massachusetts, Morse moved when he married and settled his growing family in New Haven, Connecticut….
Alexander Hamilton and the Hurricane
Alexander Hamilton was born a bastard and grew up an orphan. Some might say he didn’t get a fair shake at the start. He was born in Nevis, a very small island that was part of the British West Indies. He was born on Jan. 11, 1755. Or 1757. There isn’t an official record of his…
Thomas Cole Unbound: Biography of America’s Revered Landscape Painter
June 25, 2023
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American EssenceArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightFrederic Edwin ChurchHudson River SchoolLandscape paintingThomas Cole
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Born in England’s industrial northeast in 1801, artist Thomas Cole emigrated to America as a young man. Here, he found a country brimming with unchartered and untamed wilderness. His masterful handling of light, composition, and aerial perspective captured the sublime character of the American wilderness. Cole found his unique place as one of the first…
Roger Sherman: Compromiser of the Constitutional Convention
This early American patriot was not known as an eloquent speaker, but Thomas Jefferson once said that he was “a man who never said a foolish thing in his life.” Although he received little recognition during his life, Roger Sherman would become known as the only Founding Father to sign four key documents of our…
Life at Roosevelt’s Elkhorn Ranch in North Dakota
The dry, sand-hued buttes rise from grassy canyons, and sagebrush dots the rugged North Dakota landscape. I am visiting the territory where “the romance” of Theodore Roosevelt’s life began. My renovated 1969 Shasta camper (with wings) navigates the winding roads of the national park named for the 26th U.S. president. It was Roosevelt’s escape to…
Nellie Bly Pioneers Investigative Journalism
During her professional career, Elizabeth Cochrane made a name for herself as a reporter writing under the pen name Nellie Bly. Her work would open up the whole new world of investigative reporting. Cochrane started her career as a reporter for the Pittsburgh Dispatch. She got the job after she wrote a letter to the…
Galapagos and Africa: Nature Is Here
June 20, 2023
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AfricaAmerican EssenceArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightcinemadocumentariesEpoch CinemaEpochTVFilm & TVFoodGalapagos and AfricaNature is HereTravel
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The South American islands that inspired Charles Darwin are home to 21 endemic species of birds, giant tortoises, iguanas, and penguins. There is another place on earth that can rival the beauty of the Galapagos—Africa! …
Sunsets Over the Spanish Islands
June 20, 2023
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American EssenceappreciateArts & CultureArts & TraditionBrightcinemadocumentariesEpoch CinemaEpochTVextraordinaryFilm & TVjourney
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On an extraordinary journey among Spain’s most beautiful islands to appreciate their sea, customs, fiery sunsets, and diverse cultures, we will visit Ibiza, Formentera, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife—a fascinating and comprehensive journey. …
Edwin Land, Inventor of Instant Photography
Back in the early days of consumer photography, cameras came from the factory with a roll of film sealed inside of them. When someone finished shooting the roll, he had to mail the entire camera to Kodak in Rochester, New York, where the film would be developed, the photos printed, and a new roll of…
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