The man who invented the earliest examples of chemical engineering was an American-born, French-educated, free man of color before the Civil War, and went on to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. There is something of...

Brief description of coastal rice plantations in the late 18th and early 19th centuries from the National Park Service.

A comprehensive look at the economy of the South and the changes brought by the cotton gin. Read through five pages that discuss the economy, the tradition of the plantation, and the sectionalism that arises in this time period.

Whatever early colonial prosperity there was resulted from trapping and trading in furs. In addition, the fishing industry was a primary source of wealth in Massachusetts. But throughout the colonies, people relied primarily on small...

An in-depth scholarly investigation on the differences slavery made in the shaping of societies in the North and South by using two similar communities, one north and one south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Article reviews several conditions of American society that sowed the seeds of civil war, particularly slavery and sectional conflict.

Focuses on slavery in North America, the worry about uprisings, and slavery's economic impact. Links to related information.

Learn about the slave Jordan Hatcher who was charged with killing and assaulting a white man and how his trail affected others.