Nothing seems to symbolize ancient Rome like the Colosseum (also called the Coliseum). For nearly 2,000 years the Colosseum still captures the imagination and is still the subject of research. Construction of the Colosseum was begun by the Flavian emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and was opened to the Roman public by Vespasian’s son, Titus, in AD 80. When completed and opened to the public the Colosseum was an awe inspiring structure that is thought could hold … [Read more...]
Long Riders of the Pony Express
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They came from all over the frontier. Small men mostly, lean and hard muscled,smelling of sweat and wearing horse manure on their boots. They had names like "Bronco Charlie" Miller, "Sawed Off Jim" Cumbo, and "Deadwood Dick" Clarke. They wanted a job and it was fiercely competitive. Only 80 men would ride at any one time and there were hundreds of applicants. The successful candidates were required to take an oath. An odd oath really. It was … [Read more...]
Story of John Peter Zenger and the Freedom of the Press in America
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In October of 1710, a thirteen-year-old German immigrant named John Peter Zenger apprenticed himself to printer William Bradford in New York. Although Zenger’s occupation as a printer would ultimately throw his life into turmoil, that turmoil would define what it meant to have freedom of the press. After an eight year apprenticeship, a failed attempt to set up shop in Chestertown, Maryland, and the death of his first wife, Zenger found himself back in New York. … [Read more...]
The Forgotten Voyages Of Zheng He
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Many have never heard of Zheng He, a man who sailed the ocean blue with a vast armada almost 100 years before Columbus sailed to find a new route to India. In the first part of this article, You Have Heard Of Columbus, But Have You Heard Of Zheng He? we explored the rise of Zheng He to power and his ambitious efforts to both explore the known world and expand China's influence in the world. It seemed the pressure within emperor Yongle's court to end China's opening to … [Read more...]
The Fall of the Roman Empire
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At its peak in the year 106 AD, the Roman Empire consisted of 52 provinces and influenced or controlled some 2.3 million square miles of territory around the Mediterranean Sea. The Roman army was efficient and well-organized, and the ruling classes in Rome, including the Emperor, were the richest and most powerful men in the Western world. Yet within three hundred years the Empire was on the verge of collapse, and the reasons for its decline and fall have interested … [Read more...]
