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By Robert McNamara, About.com Guide

Jay Gould, Notorious Robber Baron Created: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 Updated: Monday, May 13, 2013
Jay Gould was a notorious robber baron famous for manipulating stock prices and trying to corner the market on gold.
John C. Calhoun: Significant Facts and Brief Biography Created: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 Updated: Sunday, May 12, 2013
John C. Calhoun, father of nullification and member of the Great Triumvirate of senators, was a political force and advocate for the South.
James Madison: Significant Facts and Brief Biography Created: Thursday, July 26, 2012 Updated: Saturday, May 11, 2013
The facts one should know about James Madison, America's fourth president and the man considered The Father of the Constitution.
John Brown, Fanatical Abolitionist Whose Raid at Harpers Ferry Led to Civil War Created: Sunday, November 30, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
John Brown, a fanatical abolitionist, led a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry and moved the U.S. closer to Civil War.
Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, Debated Lincoln and Defended Slavery Created: Sunday, June 08, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois is best remembered for the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates, but he was also one of the most influential figures in the US government in the 1850s, and played a cru...
Horace Greeley, Legendary Editor of the New York Tribune Created: Sunday, February 03, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Concise biography of legendary 19th century newspaper editor Horace Greeley.
Shawnee Chief Tecumseh Created a Confederation to Oppose White Encroachment Created: Sunday, April 19, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
The Indian chief Tecumseh led a confederation of Indian tribes against encroachment by whites upon Indian lands in what is now Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. His conflict with William Henr...
William Ewart Gladstone - British Prime Minister and Political Reformer Created: Monday, January 26, 2009 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
William Ewart Gladstone was the leading British statesman of the Victorian era and served as Britain's prime minister four times.
Charles Stewart Parnell, Irish Politician Called "Ireland's Uncrowned King" Created: Sunday, April 27, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Irish political leader Charles Stewart Parnell came from a wealthy Protestant Irish family yet became a hero to the oppressed Catholics. Elected to the British Parliament, he showed great brillianc...
Menai Suspension Bridge Created: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Thomas Telford's Menai Strait Bridge was an early suspension bridge built in the 1820s which used iron chains to support its roadway.
Victoria: The Queen Who Defined an Age Created: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Queen Victoria ruled Great Britain for six decades, and her life in some ways defined the 1800s.
Book Review: The President's House by William Seale Created: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
The President's House by William Seale is a comprehensive history of the White House. This review discusses the two-volume second edition, which contains the full story of the White House from its ...
Jim Fisk, Flamboyant and Unscrupulous Wall Street Character Created: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Jim Fisk was a partner of business man Jay Gould, and the pair defined unethical Wall Street practices in the late 1860s.
Abraham Lincoln and the Telegraph Created: Sunday, December 30, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Abraham Lincoln was very interested in technology, and his use of the telegraph during the Civil War was instrumental in how he commanded the military forces of the United States.
Fernando Wood, New York Mayor and Congressman Created: Thursday, November 29, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Fernando Wood was a political operator who served as mayor of New York City and as a member of Congress during the Civil War.
Elizabeth Keckley Created: Sunday, November 25, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave, was Mary Lincoln's dressmaker and became her friend while employed within the Lincoln White House.
Thaddeus Stevens Created: Sunday, October 28, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Thaddeus Stevens, a Congressman from Pennsylvania, was a lifelong opponent of slavery and led the Radical Republicans during the Civil War and Reconstruction.
Mary Todd Lincoln, Wife of President Abraham Lincoln Created: Saturday, October 20, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Brief biography of Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, who was controversial in her own time and remains a largely misunderstood figure today.
Edwin M. Stanton, Lincoln's Secretary of War Created: Tuesday, October 16, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Brief biography and significant facts about Edwin M. Stanton, secretary of war in Abraham Lincoln's cabinet.
William Seward Created: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
William Seward was a political rival of Abraham Lincoln who became secretary of state in the Lincoln administration and skillfully guided American foreign policy during the Civil War.
The Cholera Epidemic of 1832 Killed Thousands and Created Panic Created: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
The cholera epidemic of 1832 afflicted major cities of Europe as well as North America, killing thousands and creating widespread panic.
The Year Without a Summer Was a Bizarre Weather Disaster in 1816 Created: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
The year 1816 became known as The Year Without a Summer when temperatures stayed cold and crops failed; the cause was a volcanic eruption a year earlier, on the opposite side of the world.
Mount Tambora Was the Largest Volcanic Eruption of 19th Century Created: Saturday, March 24, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
The eruption of the volcano at Mount Tambora in 1815 was the largest volcanic eruption of the 19th century and contributed to 1816 being known as "The Year Without a Summer."
Seven Facts About the Lincoln-Douglas Debates Created: Sunday, January 29, 2012 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Seven facts everyone should know about the legendary Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858.
Christmas Trees Became a Tradition in the 19th Century Created: Monday, December 05, 2011 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
A look at the history of Christmas trees shows that decorated trees had appeared in America even before Prince Albert and Queen Victoria made them fashionable.
Timeline from 1890 to 1900 Created: Friday, December 02, 2011 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
The 1890s: A decade of events ranging from the Lizzie Borden murder case, the First Modern Olympics, to the U.S.S. Maine mysteriously exploding.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Created: Friday, December 02, 2011 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Why and how Charles Dickens wrote his classic story A Christmas Carol, the tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge and his encounters with the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Yet to Come.
Abraham Lincoln's 1838 Address to the Springfield Young Men's Lyceum Created: Monday, November 14, 2011 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Abraham Lincoln, in his earliest published speech, warned of mob violence while speaking on America's future at the Young Men's Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Amassed a Colossal Fortune in 19th Century America Created: Friday, September 30, 2011 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was known as The Commodore, amassed a huge fortune in 19th century America after starting out with one boat in New York Harbor.
Hurricane Called The Great September Gale Struck New York City in 1821 Created: Sunday, August 28, 2011 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
A massive hurricane hammed New York City in 1821 and led to a theory that explained how hurricanes formed and traveled.
Lizzie Borden Was Accused of Axe Murders of Her Father and His Wife Created: Monday, August 15, 2011 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
The trial of Lizzie Borden for the axe murders of her father and stepmother in 1892 was a sensation. Newspapers followed the case closely, and the Lizzie Borden case led to decades of speculation, ...
Clara Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross Created: Monday, June 13, 2011 Updated: Friday, May 10, 2013
Clara Barton served as a Civil War nurse and founded the American Red Cross.

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