American History Tour
Exploring the Past to Foresee the Future
Armchair adventures are an inherently eco-friendly way of exploring the world. Traditionally, audience curiosity for information on foreign cultures was satisfied by newsreels and travelogues. The advent of the internet has allowed for a more customized approach. The goal of this site is to enable the visitor to explore American history through online tools. Curated links are provided to established sites with a wealth of information available. As the site grows, more features will be added so visit often and please visit our advertising links, they are curated as well.
When exploring America, it is possible to experience total immersion through media sources such as American History TV which is a part of CSPAN. The History News Network is sponsored by George Mason University and presents current events in a historical context that allows for more reflection than is apparent from typical news outlets. The National Park Service offers a Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series that is a comprehensive source of history related tour planning. If virtual tours such as the opportunities provided on this site only serve to whet your appetite for professional real world immersion, then HistoryAmerica should be your first choice as they have been doing this before the internet. The Travel Channel has history related resources including short video clips. For more news connections please visit our media resource page.
Railroads transformed America from a rural to an urban society. Many towns were established literally by the railroad companies themselves. Residents soon followed. Today there are many museums dedicated to this industry in some way. Links to many of them are in this site's pages.
Restored mansions serve as museums in every part of the country. In addition to the building and contents, there is usually some insight into period lifestyles and customs provided by knowledgeable staff. Many are also available for rent for community gatherings or as bed and breakfast accommodations.
Pre-Columbian civilizations flourished and failed long before as well as during European colonization. Fortunately many aboriginal ruins are now being protected and studied in a systematic way. It is possible to combine vacations with actual archaeology at some sites.
Freedom of Religion has allowed the growth of many different doctrines that in other countries may have been persecuted. The beginning of communal societies occurred in this context. These include Amana, Oneida and Aurora.
|
Once a staple of American education, the one room schoolhouse now serves as a museum in many communities across the country. An interesting fact is that "Sunday School" originated in the church to teach basic literacy so that the Gospel could be learned more easily.
Restored working farm museums allow visitors an opportunity to learn about the true value of the work ethic as it related to life in pre-twentieth century America. The life of Abraham Lincoln is the perfect personification of this ideal. You can channel your "Inner Lincoln" in nearly every state.
Art museums and galleries allow for expressions of non-verbal content in many forms. Use the links from this website to see how they have evolved in the digital era.
Military museums come in many forms. There are Civil War Battlefields, Oregon Trail Forts, Decommissioned Ships, Memorials, Air Power, Cold War, Lighthouses and Balloon Hangers in addition to cemeteries. You can find a link to a tour of a uranium mine on this website. Plus a lot more. Do you want to ride in an Air Force fighter plane? It's linked to here.
|
