Showing results by author "in60Learning" in All Categories

Robespierre was a poor, well-educated activist and politician who would seize power during the French Revolution...today he is not remembered for his work on universal male voting rights, price controls for basic food needs, and abolishing slavery...but for his Reign of Terror. How did an intelligent man driven by morals of freedom and justice end up executing thousands in a mad grab to maintain power? Follow his fascinating descent from the Hero of the Republic to its true enemy.

In March 2019, Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III, submitted the first part of his lengthy report on Russian involvement in the United States presidential election in 2016. Although Mueller discovered Russia had influenced the election, he found no evidence of conspiracy between the Russian government and Trump's advisers. In60Learning's six-chapter guide will quickly get you up to speed with Mueller's conspiracy investigation, and his findings with respect to Trump's obstruction of justice.

Considered by many to be the Father of Western Philosophy, the life of this great philosopher is shrouded in mystery. He would study under the renown Plato and along with Socrates is responsible for making the ideas of the late, great philosopher known to the world. Aristotle would ascribe views on science that would be held as gospel throughout the Middle Ages and his thoughts on the nature of existence continue to influence great minds today.

Today, Brooklyn is New York's largest and arguably most vibrant borough, with a diversity of culture and sights that draw millions of people to it everywhere. How did this borough, which was a Dutch marshland in the early 1600s, come to be the place it is today? Trace from the 1600s to modern day and explore Brooklyn's role after English takeover, during the Civil War, the monumental construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the variety of peoples who make up its demographics.

People often think of feminism as a modern movement, born out of voting rights debates in the 1920s. But strong women have been fighting for equality in society since the start, as evidenced by Olympe de Gouges, the French revolutionary writer who would die by the guillotine due to the radical nature of her work.

Ayn Rand is one of the most famous contemporary philosophers, particularly for her landmark books The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. She was the founder of Objectivist Philosophy which was largely rejected during her time but has recently enjoyed a huge surge in popularity among many political groups. Her works focused on free market capitalism and intense individual and property rights. Ironically, the woman who prized individualism above all else, and rejected all government support, rose to prominence and then ended her life surviving off of social programs.

Pericles was a statesmen, general, and speaker during the Golden Age of Athens. His impact on the city-state would be so great that Thucydides, an honored historian, would refer to him as the city's First Citizen. In what would be titled the "Age of Pericles", he would turn the Delian League from an alliance to an Athenian Empire and foster the arts and sciences within his country more than any leader had before him. He is responsible for starting the great projects of Athens, like the Acropolis and Parthenon, which can still be seen in their glory today.

Mata Hari paints a fascinating picture: an exotic dancer turned spy, eventually executed for her devious work during World War I. Her life, however, reveals a much different story. She would make a living as a dancer and exhibitionist, as well as through lifelong habit of telling wild tales about herself that sold well to the papers. Whether or not she was a true spy or was simply framed in the fallout of the War is almost impossible to ascertain, and leaves the listener wondering - who really was this woman, and can we ever know?

One thirteenth-century man founded history's largest connected empire - Mongol leader Genghis Khan. He not only managed to unite many disparate tribes, but his invasions culminated in the conquest of Northern China, leaving him with a kingdom the size of Africa. His ruthless military campaigns certainly earned him the title he gave himself: "barbarian from the North". While he could be brutal, he also brought about a time of peace and prosperity for the Mongols.

Agatha Christie remains, all these years later, the unchallenged queen of the murder-mystery genre. What life could produce the woman who seems to be the clear inspiration for J.B. Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote? Follow Christie from England to Egypt and back again, join her on archaeological digs with her husband and dive into strange facts that led to her to write fewer books as she aged.

The world remembers Audrey Meadows as the sarcastic Alice from The Honeymooners. The show only aired for one 39-episode season, yet a strategic clause in Meadows' contract earned her a fortune over the years for the series' reruns. While The Honeymooners marks the most well-known part of Meadows' life, it represents just a fragment.

The conflict lasted less than two years, but the repercussions shook both nations for much longer. Having already lost Texas, the still newly independent Mexico was unprepared to defend their northern territories. The US plowed forward through to California with a sense of manifest destiny. While the US fought to gain more land, however, the war splintered the North and South; many Americans saw the war as an unjust theft of Mexican land and knew that the South’s reliance on slave labor would further establish this divisive injustice in America.

This audiobook tells the story of how one gold nugget found in the American River changed the course of California history forever. The man who found it wasn't too happy, but the businessman who caught wind of it - Samuel Brannan - was thrilled. He spread the word that gold could be found in California soil, triggering a mass migration of workers who made the dangerous trek to California.

Meriwether Lewis's life changed forever when his old neighbor, President Thomas Jefferson, offered him a job as his personal secretary. Not long after Lewis started, Jefferson asked him to lead an exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. He agreed and recruited his friend William Clark to join him. Together, they took charge of the most significant exploratory mission in North American history. This is the story of that journey, with details on all the danger, adventure, and achievement that came from this dynamic pair and their Corps of Discovery.

Many associate Mahatma Gandhi with peace, but this should not be confused with passivity. Gandhi was an activist who helped India achieve independence from Britain, advocated for Indian rights in South Africa and at home, and improved the lives of India’s “untouchable” people. He did this all through nonviolent activism and thoughtful reflection on the nature of the injustices he saw around him. This short biography reveals the life experiences that made Gandhi an inspirational peacemaker with an international legacy.

The Roman Empire crumbled, and nothing could replace it. People groups shifted all over the continent: the Byzantines came after the Visigoths, the Saxons clashed with the Celts, and the Vikings pillaged everyone. Eventually, feudalism emerged and brought with it knights in shining armor and long lines of monarchs.

The Whigs were a party born out of opposition. Whigs came from all sorts of political beliefs. The little they had in common defines their legacy today: They upheld the Constitution and Federal law, advocated for the rights of Native Americans, supported free public education, and encouraged women’s participation in political campaigns. While their diversity in beliefs allowed the Whigs to accomplish many different goals at the local level, this ultimately led to their dissolution in the 1850s. Still, this short-lived party left a long-lasting impact on American politics.

Did you know that the Illinois Confederacy of North America is arguably the longest ruling civilization in the world? Surpassing the Romans, Egyptians, Japanese, and Chinese, the Native Americans of this confederacy ruled the Midwest unchallenged for more than 9,000 years.

The great Texan Sam Houston had an unusual upbringing: at age 16 he ran away from home to live with the Cherokee Indians. His three years with this adopted family shaped the course of his entire life. He went on to a life of military and political service, advocating all the while for the rights and protections of the Native Americans. He was elected first president of the Republic of Texas, saw to the union of Texas with the US, served as a general in the Mexican-American war, and became the first and only US governor to have previously been head of a foreign state.

Since 1823, Texas Rangers have defended frontier families, stopped cattle rustlers, solved crimes, and done much more beyond the scope of even the US Army. Writer Karl Kesel once noted that the Texas Rangers would make perfect comic book characters because “They’re so larger than life.” Their skill and bravery pushed the borders of believability: they’d famously send a single ranger to control an entire riot. This brief text delves into the Rangers’ storied history - from their humble beginnings serving the Republic of Texas, to their modern role as detectives in cowboy hats.