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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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The Great Chicago Fire - Rawhide Fire Hose

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The Great Chicago Fire How a city rose from the ashes and changed fire codes for the better On October 8th, 1871 the city of Chicago was devoured by one of the worst fires in U.S. history. At the time, the city boasted a population of nearly 30,000, a figure that would triple a decade later.

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The most famous fire in American history is the Chicago fire of 1871. It is also called the Great Chicago Fire. It began on the evening of October 8, 1871, and burned until...

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US History: The Great Chicago Fire for Kids

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Kids learn about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that burned down much of the city of Chicago. How and where did it start? Why did it spread so fast? Did anything survive? Educational article for students, schools, and teachers.

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Video: Dazzle Ships: WWI and the Art of Confusion 

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Video: Dazzle Ships: WWI and the Art of Confusion 

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Learn about World War I including the countries, leaders, alliances, major battles, causes, trench warfare, and timeline. The War to End All Wars was fought mostly in Europe between the Allies and the Central Powers. It was also called the Great War.

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On July 28th 1914 began the outbreak of the First World War, aka World War 1 or The Great War for Civilisation. Join us as we learn everything there is to know in our World War 1 facts ...

World War 1 facts: Why did it start?

A hundred years might seem like a very long time ago, but it isn't really. Your great-great grandparents were around then, and they would have lived through, and maybe even taken part in, this terrible conflict.

Lots of history books have been written on World War 1 facts and why it started. But it all boils down to the fact that Europe had split into two large families of countries. The Allies - the British Empire, France, Belgium, Russia and later, the USA - were in one family. And the Central Powers of Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey were in the other. On 4 August 1914, Germany invaded Belgium, and so, standing by its promise to stick up for Belgium, Britain declared war on Germany. The world was at war...

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How long did World War 1 last?

When the First World War began that summer, most people thought it would be over by Christmas. Many believed that Britain was so powerful it could win very quickly. In fact, the First World War lasted four terrible years, not four months.

Life in the trenches in World War 1

By the winter of 1915, the opposing sides had both dug long ditches called trenches which faced each other, in some places just 30m apart! These lines of narrow trenches stretched from the Belgian coast to Switzerland, and were known as the Western Front. Over five million British soldiers spent time living in these muddy, miserable ditches, taking it in turns to be on the Front Line - the trench closest to the enemy.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable First World War primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

Day-to-day life there was smelly and grim. There were millions of giant rats, overflowing latrines (loos) and terrible lice infestations. Not to mention the dead bodies. Every so often, soldiers on the Front Line would be instructed to leave their trench and venture into dangerous No Man's Land (the area between the sides) to try to push back the enemy.

A new type of war

This war was very different from conflicts of the past. For the first time, powerful new weapons and vehicles were used - at sea, on land and in the air - resulting in many people being killed or wounded. In Britain, you could sometimes hear what sounded like thunder coming across the English Channel from Europe. In fact, it was the huge boom of big guns, called artillery, being fired on the Western Front. 75% of all men who died in World War 1 were killed by artillery.

The largest battle of the World War 1 - the Battle of the Somme - is known as one of the bloodiest battles in history. It was fought by the French and British against the Germans on both sides of the River Somme in France, and lasted for more than five months. Over a million men were killed or wounded, and it was the first time that a tank was used in combat.

Animals during World War 1

Both on the battlefield and back at home, some incredible creatures helped to transport soldiers and goods - and save lives.

Almost a million horses were involved in the war. Soldiers on horseback were known as the Cavalry and horses also pulled some of the gigantic guns, ambulances and supply wagons. Gas from horse droppings could even be used to power lamps!

British families gave their pet dogs to the army so they could carry messages in special tubes on their collars (see above). Dogs were fast, difficult to shoot at, and they also caught rats! Pet pigeons were drafted in to carry messages over long distances, often carrying news from the Front Line back to Britain - Germans trained hawks to kill any carrier pigeons they saw. Goldfish did their bit too - after gas attacks, the gas masks were washed and rinsed. And if the rinsing water killed a goldfish that was placed in it, that meant the masks still had poison on them!

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable War Horses: WWI primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

What was life like in Britain during World War 1?

Just because you weren't in the battle fields didn't mean you weren't in the danger zone. Back on the Home Front, Britain was under attack from all sides.

It was the first time in history that Britain had come under threat from the sky. Gigantic German airships, known as Zeppelins (below), carried out 52 bombing raids on Britain during the war - killing more than 500. People were terrified of them! To avoid Zeppelin attacks, no lights could be used after sunset and loud noises were banned, too. Large scale bombing raids on British cities were carried out during the day by German biplanes called Gothas.

There were threats from the sea, too. Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby were the first seaside towns to be shelled by the German navy. Battlecruisers, ships with huge guns, launched a surprise attack on 16 December 1914 - 137 people were killed and 592 injured that night alone.

But all these attacks on ordinary people only stirred up hatred against the enemy, encouraging more British men to volunteer and fight for their country against "The Beast". At the start of the war there were just 350,000 men in the British army. But by 1917, there were 3.5 million! Mind you, in 1916, conscription came in - a rule that said ALL healthy men aged 18 - 41 had to fight.

Women during World War 1

Women weren't allowed to join the army, but the war still completely changed their lives - in some ways, for the better!

Before the war, a woman's role was in the home. But with the men away at war, help was needed in the workplace - and so millions of women went to work in offices, factories, shops, transport and on farms. Many men were horrified by the idea of females working and, even worse, wearing trousers! But the women proved that they could do the work of men, and do it just as well. Without the women of Britain growing food and making weapons, the war could not have been won.

When the war was over and the soldiers came home, women were made to leave their new jobs and go back into the home. But not all of them wanted to do that anymore! Their experiences during the war eventually led to women getting more freedoms and rights - including the right to vote!

Children during World War 1

Did you know that Boy Scouts and Girl Guides had a vital role on the Home Front? Girl Guides would make basic medical equipment for wounded soldiers, like bandages, swabs and slings. They also worked growing vegetables and delivering milk. Boy Scouts collected eggs for injured troops, protected roads and railway lines, and delivered messages.

Children were even paid to collect conkers which could be turned into explosives! They also wrote letters to soldiers and helped to knit socks and scarves for the troops in the winter months. Some boys lied about their age and went off to fight. The youngest of these, Sidney Lewis, was just 12 years old when he joined the army. He was sent home at the age of 13 after fighting in the Battle of the Somme, one of the war's bloodiest battles.

Children were also used to carry messages for MI5, the British Secret Service. The Boy Scouts, who were MI5's first choice for this work, apparently found it hard to keep sensitive secrets, so Britain's agents turned to the Girl Guides, instead!

Believe it or not, Winnie The Pooh has his roots in World War 1 Britain. At the time, a young bear cub called Winnie was one of the most popular attractions at London Zoo. He was a mascot belonging to the Canadian Army, who had been left there for safekeeping. The bear was seen by author A. A. Milne's son Christopher Robin, who renamed his own toy bear Winnie - and it became the inspiration for his dad's book, Winnie The Pooh!

Armistice Day

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, World War 1 officially ended when an agreement (known as an armistice) was signed by Germany and the Allies. This date is known as Armistice Day, and is still commemorated each year when people wear paper poppies to remember those who fought and died in conflicts around the world - the pretty red flowers were the only things that grew on the bloody battlefields of Western Europe.

Sadly, by the time World War 1 was over, more than 18 million people had been killed worldwide. It was hoped it would be the war to end all wars. But this wasn't to be the case. Just 21 years later, World War 2 broke out.

Your connections to World War 1

What can you find out about your family's involvement in World War 1? Ask your grandparents whether their parents, aunties or uncles ever talked about life during this time. Do you have any postcards or photographs from the war? Perhaps there are campaign medals belonging to a relative at home? Write in and tell us about it, we'd love to hear your family stories!

What did you make of our World War 1 facts? Let us know by leaving us a comment, below!

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World War 1 facts for kids | National Geographic Kids

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Explore this fascinating part of British history in our World War 1 facts. Why did World War 1 start? What was life like in the trenches? How did it end?

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World War II is considered to be the deadliest war that has happened, killing over 70 million people.

The war was between countries that formed two groups: the "Allies" which consisted of the Allied Powers of Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States and the "Axis" Powers which consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

The Start

Germany was being led by a fascist dictator named Adolf Hitler. His goal was to rule all of Europe and in his attempt to get more land the German troops invaded Poland on September 1 st, 1939.

When Hitler refused to call a halt to the invasion, Britain and France made a declaration of war against Germany. This was the beginning of WW II.

The War Continues

Hitler and the German troops continued to advance and attack countries throughout Europe. By 1941 the Germans had invaded and overtaken France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Yugoslavia, and had made an attempted and failed invasion on the USSR.

Hitler and the Nazis had specific goals in their invasions: to strip all of the wealth from the invaded country to support the war effort and Germany and to kill or imprison all of those people that didn't fit their image of what a German should look like.

They began with the imprisonment of all those of the Jewish faith, and then extended it to gypsies, anyone with a mental or physical disability, all people of color, and eventually the news media that didn't support them, and all those that were professors or intellects.

The Jewish people suffered the highest casualties with over 6 million dead and thousands more in the detention camps.

The other Front

During the time that Germany was battling in the takeover of Europe, the country of Japan had its eyes on total control of all of Asia and the Pacific.

Prior to the official start of WW II, in 1937, Emperor Hirohito of Japan attacked China and this caused many years of conflict between the two countries.

The United States had managed to avoid participating in the war until the moment on December 8, 1941, when Japan bombed the American Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, destroying a majority of the U.S. fleet.

It was at that time that the United States made the declaration of war against Japan and this also included their German allies.

European Countries that were Neutral

There were a few countries in Europe that managed to remain neutral. This means that they made the choice to not join either of the major groups that were fighting.
Neutral countries during WW2
The Day the War Ended

An Allied army made the crossing in 1944 from Britain over to France to free them from Nazi rule and oppressions. It was a year later that Allied armies invaded Germany and forced a surrender from the Germans.

The response from the attacks from Japan on Pearl Harbor was met by the United States with the dropping of two nuclear bombs: one on Hiroshima and the other on Nagasaki. In August of that year, Japan also surrendered to the Allied forces and World War II was officially over.

Facts about World War II:

The Germans were always assumed to have the most of everything to fight their battles. However, in reality, in 1940, France had more guns, tanks, and men than Germany did.

The convoys of the Allies sailing on the open seas were safer than they thought they would be. The losses suffered by the Allied convoys was only around 1%; with higher losses from those that were sailing outside of a convoy.

Germany had focused a lot of effort on their aircraft for the war, however, the Japanese also had rocket power in their human-guided anti-shipping missiles known as "Kamikaze rockets." They were a poor design and only ever managed the sinking of 3 Allied ships.

The most experienced commander on the battlefield was British Field Marshal Alexander. He was the only officer during the war to lead troops on the front-line.

During the war, Germany was famous for their propaganda promoting their country and Hitler's Nazi-based Third Reich. Part of the misinformation included that they had a modern and highly mechanized army, when in reality Germany had fewer automotive vehicles than any country in the Western world.

Germany depended on trains, carts and horses and the soldiers walking to move their equipment around to the various battles. Not only did they not have the vehicles, but very few people in Germany knew how to drive or had access to fuel.

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World War II is considered to be the deadliest war that has happened, killing over 70 million people. The war was between countries that formed two groups: the "Allies" which consisted of the Allied Powers of Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States and the "Axis" Powers which consisted of Germany, Italy, and Japan.

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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The fascist dictator of Germany and leader of the Nazis, Hitler started World War II and was responsible for the murder of millions of people.

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How does a society go down the path to genocide? Learn about how the Holocaust happened, and how to recognize the signs so we can prevent it from happening again.

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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Kids learn about World War II in history. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including WWII battles, leaders, generals, countries, Allied vs. Axis powers, Europe, Germany, Hitler, Holocaust, atomic bomb, daily life, weapons, and causes.

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National Geographic Kids: 10 Facts About World War II

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National Geographic Kids: 10 Facts About World War II

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In September 1939, Britain entered into what would become the world's most devastating war to date. Learn all about the events that changed the lives of millions in our World War 2 facts....
World War 2 facts

1. World War 2 was a battle between two groups of countries

- the " Allies" and the " Axis ". The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States. The major Axis Powers were Germany, Italy and Japan.

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2. Before World War 2 began, Germany was ruled by a man named Adolf Hitler

Together with the Nazi Party, he wanted Germany to rule Europe. To gain more land and power, on 1 September 1939 German troops invaded Poland. After Hitler refused to stop the invasion, Britain and France declared war on Germany - World War II had begun.

3. During the course of the war, German forces advanced through Europe.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Second World War primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

4. Millions of Germans were imprisoned and killed because they didn't fit the image of the 'perfect' German

Hitler wanted to create what he thought was the "best" and strongest race - and to the Nazi Party, this excluded certain groups, such as Jews, Gypsies and those with physical and mental disabilities. In an attempt to eliminate a "racial enemy" outside of Germany, such groups were also persecuted in the countries invaded by German forces.

5. The group most heavily targeted by the Nazis were the Jews

Around six million Jewish people were killed during World War 2 in one of history's most terrible events - the Holocaust. Racist in his views, Hitler blamed Jewish people for Germany losing World War I and claimed they were dangerous to German people and society.

6. Around the same time that Germany fought for power in Europe, Japan wanted to control Asia and the Pacific

In 1937 (before World War 2 had officially begun) under Emperor Hirohito, Japan attacked China, bringing the two nations into years of conflict.

7. The US didn't join the war until 1941, when Japan attacked the United States

- at their Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. On 8 December 1941 (the very next day), the US declared War on Japan and, in turn, its German allies.

8. Some countries remained 'neutral' in World War 2

Such countries were Spain, Sweden and Switzerland - who chose not to join either side.

9. The Germans surrendered on 8 May 1945

In 1944, an Allied army crossed from Britain to free France from Nazi rule. One year later, Allied armies invaded Germany, forcing the Germans to surrender. After nuclear attacks on Japan's major cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan also surrendered to Allied forces in August the same year. World War 2 had ended.

10. Around 64 million people died in World War 2

- that's more than the entire population of the United Kingdom.

Find out more about the countries involved in World War 2 with our Germany, Japan and USA facts. Plus, learn about the life of Anne Frank, a young German girl who wrote a world-famous diary...

*Yugoslavia was a country established in 1918 in south-east Europe, which included modern-day Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

*USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the Soviet Union) was a former country which included modern-day Russia, Ukraine and Estonia, as well as other socialist states.

What did you think of our World War 2 facts? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Learn astonishing World War 2 facts with Nat Geo Kids. When did the war start? Who fought in in the war and why? How did it change the course of history?

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Kids learn about the sinking of the Titanic including the construction of the unsinkable ship, the beginning of the voyage, hitting an iceberg, the ship sinks, survivors, and interesting facts. Educational article for students, schools, and teachers.

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Titanic - the iconic vessel that came to a very tragic end. But how much do you know about this world-famous ship? It's time to find out in our twenty top Titanic facts!
Titanic facts

1) Titanic was built by a company called White Star Line. She was completed and ready for the on 31 March 1912, after three years in construction in Belfast,.

3) On 10 April 1912, Titanic set out on her maiden voyage (first big journey), taking people from Southampton, England, to New York, USA. On route, she called by Cherbourg in France and Queenstown in Ireland to pick up more passengers.

DID YOU KNOW? Boats are traditionally referred to as 'she'. Historians think this may be the result of links in our language to Ancient English. Or perhaps it dates back to the idea of goddesses protecting ships on dangerous journeys!

4) Titanic's full title was RMS Titanic. Any idea what RMS means? It stands for ' Royal Mail Steamer'. As well as passengers, the ship carried nearly 3,500 sacks of letters, packages and documents.

5) There were over 2,200 people on board Titanic, 900 of which were crew members. The passengers included holiday makers, business men and people hoping to start a new life in America.

6) Life on board Titanic depended on who you were and how much money you had...

Third class: the third class facilities were much more basic, but they were still far better than those on other boats at that time. Located at the bottom of the ship, cabins slept up to ten people and each had a sink and mirror. There was also a dining room where food was served three times a day. But the big down side? All 700 third class passengers had to share two bathtubs!

8) Titanic was also known as the 'Ship of Dreams', and White Star Line claimed she was the safest ship of all time. To make sure she wouldn't sink, her hull was made up of 16 separate sections. If two, or even three sections were damaged and water got in, the ship would still have time to sail to safety. So all good, right? Wrong...

9) Just before midnight on day five, in the freezing cold North Atlantic Ocean, an iceberg loomed out of the darkness. Too big to quickly change direction, Titanic scraped along the side of the ice, tearing holes in at least four sections of the hull. Uh oh...

10) The Captain of Titanic - Edward John Smith - and his crew knew that the collision meant disaster; Titanic would sink in just a few hours. Distress signals were sent out to nearby ships and passengers were ordered to get to the lifeboats, fast!

11) But there was one very big problem. Titanic only carried twenty lifeboats - only enough to hold around half of the people on board! What's worse, the first lifeboats were launched half-empty, wasting precious spaces. In panic, many people jumped into the ocean to escape the sinking ship!

12) As Titanic sank, the bow (the front) went down first, causing the stern (the back) to rise out of the water and into the air. At around 2am, this tilt caused the ship to break in two, sending all those still on board into the freezing cold ocean...

13) In the -2°C waters, most passengers who went into the sea would have died from the cold within 15 minutes. Some managed to survive a little longer by treading water or clinging onto bits of floating wreckage.

14) The first ship to respond to Titanic's distress signals was called the RMS Carpathia. But despite setting out immediately and travelling at top speed, she didn't arrive until around 3.30am - over an hour after the Titanic had sunk.

15) On arrival at the disaster, the RMS Carpathia rescued those who had made it into the lifeboats. There were around 705 survivors in total, and all were transported safely to New York, USA.

16) But tragically, more than 1,500 people lost their lives on the Titanic, most never to be seen again. In the days following the wreckage, ships headed out to the disaster area and recovered 300 bodies from the water. These were either buried at sea or taken to Halifax in Canada (the nearest major port) to be identified.

18) Since then, there have been many expeditions to Titanic - and over 6,000 interesting items have been salvaged from the wreckage. These can be seen today in museums around the world and include jewellery, perfumes, plates, clothes, furniture and even lunch menus!

19) The longest living survivor from Titanic was Millvina Dean, who lived to be 97 years old. She was just a baby when she, her mother and brother made it into one of the lifeboats. Millvina lived to tell the tragic tale until 2009, when she passed away.

20) There have been lots of documentaries and movies made about Titanic. The first was a silent movie called Saved from the Titanic, made just one month after the disaster. The most popular today is the 1997 Hollywood blockbuster Titanic, which became one of the highest-earning movies of all time!

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable Titanic primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

Would you have survived Titanic?

So, now you know all about this incredible ship and its tragic tale. But here's the big question: if you had been on board, would you have survived? It all depends on who you were...

- YOU were a woman or child: Women and children were allowed to board the lifeboats first. However, some men did get a place when the first few lifeboats didn't fill up.

- YOU were rich: First-class passengers were lucky - they had cabins on the upper decks, closest to the lifeboats. Many poorer passengers, in 'steerage' class on the lower decks, didn't reach the lifeboat deck in time.

- YOU obeyed orders: If you had got into a lifeboat as soon as the crew told you to, you would probably have survived. Remember that, next time you're on a ship!

- YOU were brave: Many people were too scared to leave the big ship for the tiny lifeboats. Others stayed on board because they didn't want to lose sight of their friends or family. To survive, you needed the courage to go for it.

- YOU were willing to push: In the final struggle for lifeboat places, those who pushed, won!

- YOU had stamina: Some survivors were plucked from the icy water after hanging onto bits of floating wreckage for more than half an hour. They had clung on to life!

Photos and Illustrations: Getty Images UK

What did you think of our twenty Titanic facts? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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Titanic facts for kids | History | National Geographic Kids

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Learn about the most famous ship in history with our twenty Titanic facts. How big was the Titanic? Where did she sink? How many people died on the Titanic?

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MORE TITANIC FACTS

* The most expensive tickets to travel aboard Titanic cost about $99,000 in today's money.

* The Titanic was almost as long as three football fields.

* To feed the passengers and crew, Titanic had 86,000 pounds of meat, 40,000 eggs, 40 tons of potatoes, 7,000 heads of lettuce, 3,500 pounds of onions, 36,000 apples, and 1,000 loaves of bread on board.

* Titanic was one of the first ships to have a telephone system and electric lights in all the rooms.

* Including the four smoke stacks, the Titanic was as tall as a 17-story building.

* Titanic had four elevators, a heated swimming pool, a gym, two libraries, and two barber shops.

* Each day, the passsengers and crew used 14,000 gallons of drinking water.

* Titanic' s engines used more than 800 tons of coal each day. The ship's top speed was 24 knots (27 miles an hour).

* Smoke and steam made by the Titanic' s boilers escaped through three stacks. Builders added a fourth stack because they thought it made the ship look better.

* Titanic could carry 3,547 passengers and crew. About 2,200 people traveled on its first voyage.

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Read about the tragic shipwreck in the frigid North Atlantic Ocean.

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Snow Treasure, by Marie McSwigan (MPL Book Trailer 116)

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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DK Learning: Make every lesson your best yet

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DK's uniquely visual approach engages students, enhancing their learning experience

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American History for Kids: African Americans in World War II

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American History for Kids: African Americans in World War II

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After the first world war, many African Americans migrated to the north, but some stayed in the south. They got jobs or farmed their own land. Their white neighbors didn't always like them, especially if their crops were more successful. But World War II came, bringing change again.
Fun Facts

During the late 1920s, the Great Depression began. People everywhere lost their jobs and even their homes. During this time, Adolf Hitler was building his war machine in Germany. His goal was world control and he didn't like anyone who he thought was different, including people who were black, disabled, Jewish, or gay.

During this time, an African American boxer, Joe Louis Barrow, fought a German named Max. Joe Louis lost the first match, and Hitler was excited for another match to prove to the world that the Germans were superior to others. But when Joe Louis got in the ring, he beat Max in the first round.

Unfortunately, one little boxing match wasn't enough to stop Hitler. He soon controlled much of Europe and ordered the murder of millions of Jews (and others).

The U.S. tried to stay out of the war, until Japanese bomber planes hit Pearl Harbor, an American naval base in Hawaii.

When the U.S. entered the war, thousands of American men and women volunteered or were drafted. African American men wanted to fight too. At first, they were given menial jobs like cleaning, rather than being allowed to fight. But first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, convinced her husband President Roosevelt to let them be soldiers.

Several of these all-black battalions were among the strongest, most successful groups in the war. But none of them received medals or commendations from the president for their service until several decades later.

African Americans helped fight for freedom during World War II, but when they came home, they realized that they still weren't given equal treatment in the U.S.

Learn More
Visit the Smithsonian to learn about African American contributions to World War II.

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African Americans in World War II - American History For Kids

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After the first world war, many African Americans migrated to the north, but some stayed in the south. They got jobs or farmed their own land. Their white neighbors didn't always like them, especially if their crops were more successful. But World War II came, bringing change again.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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The Civil War Archives - American History For Kids

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The slaves had waited for their day of deliverance, but when it finally came, the rejoicing didn't last long. They were ill prepared for life after slavery. Fun Facts Much of the South was destroyed during the Civil War. Cities, such as Atlanta, were burned down. Both white and...

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History: Westward Expansion and the Old West for Kids

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Kids learn about the history of the Westward Expansion and the Old West of the United States as pioneers settled the west as the country expanded. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including daily life on the frontier, gold rush, Pony Express, timeline, glossary, and people.

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Learn about the Great Depression including its causes, the New Deal, Hoovervilles, Bonus Army, daily life, stock market crash, crime, entertainment, legacy, and facts. Educational article for students, schools, and teachers.

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Nineteenth-century Americans settled the western United States, but displaced Native Americans in the homesteading process. Tim and Moby look at the concept of Manifest Destiny.

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Overall, Berlin was bombed 363 times by British, American and Russian aircraft.

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Overall, Berlin was bombed 363 times by British, American and Russian aircraft.

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Ducksters: Causes of the Great Depression

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Ducksters: Causes of the Great Depression

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History >> The Great Depression

What caused the Great Depression?

There wasn't one event or a single factor that caused the Great Depression. It took a number of conditions all happening at once to make the economy go so bad. We'll take a look at some of the major factors below.

Stock Market Crash

The start of the Great Depression is usually considered the Stock Market Crash of 1929. The market crashed from "over speculation." This is whenstocks become worth a lot more than the actual value of the company. People were buying stocks on credit from the banks, but the rise in the market wasn't based on reality.

When the economy began to slow, stocks began to fall. In October of 1929, people panicked and began selling stocks like crazy. The stock market crashed and many people lost everything. Although the stock market crash wasn't the only cause for the Great Depression, it certainly helped to get it started.

Farmers Struggle

Farmers had been having a tough time for much of the 1920s before the Great Depression started. With new machinery, farmers were growing more crops than ever before. However, this caused prices to drop so low that they couldn't make any profit.

When the Great Depression hit, things got even worse for farmers. In the Midwest, a drought started that would last until 1939. With no rainfall, the soil turned to dust. Many farmers couldn't pay their bills and lost their farms. They migrated to California hoping to find work.

People Borrowing Too Much

In the 1920s, there were lots of new products available like automobiles, washing machines, and radios. Advertising convinced people that everyone could afford these items by borrowing money. As a result, many people went into debt buying products they couldn't afford. When the economy went bad, many families couldn't make their payments.

Too Many Goods

In the 1920s, the economy was booming. Companies built new factories and hired more workers. Soon companies were making more products than they could sell. When the Great Depression started, companies had to lay off workers and halt production. This had a negative affect across the entire economy.

Banks and Money

One of the major factors that led to the Great Depression was the failure of thebanking system. In the first few years of the Great Depression, over 10,000 banks failed. Many people lost their life savings. Some people went from being rich to having nothing. The U.S. government did little at the time to help the banks survive.

World Debt and Trade

The entire world economy was struggling at the time of the Great Depression. The U.S. had loaned billions of dollars to its allies recovering from World War I. As these countries struggled, they could not pay back the U.S.

A new law called the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act was passed in 1930. It placed high tariffs (taxes) on imports. This hampered trade with other countries and helped to slow down the economy.

Interesting Facts About the Causes of the Great Depression

Economists still study (and argue) over exactly what caused the Great Depression.

In the 1920s, people began to buy goods using a type of credit called an "installment plan." Prior to the 1920s, people rarely bought goods on credit.

Many American banks and businesses were unregulated and used poor business and accounting practices.

Much of the wealth of the United States was concentrated in the hands of a few people during the 1920s.

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More About the Great Depression

Works Cited

History >> The Great Depression

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History >> The Great Depression What caused the Great Depression? There wasn't one event or a single factor that caused the Great Depression. It took a number of conditions all happening at once to make the economy go so bad. We'll take a look at some of the major factors below.

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Epic: Stories of Titanic's Chairman Ismay

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Epic: Stories of Titanic's Chairman Ismay

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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History for kids - Free history network for kids

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D-Day the Invasion of Normandy

Allied Forces Backstory

The Invasion of Normandy began on June 6th 1944 and ended on August 1944, and was a joint effort by all of the Allied Forces. Comprised of 156,000 British, American and Canadian forces, D-Day was an invasion that required a massive amount of deception and tactics. Germany expected an invasion of sorts, but had no idea where it would come from. Hitler ordered Officer Erwin Rommel to build up the Atlantic Wall, a defense that would stretch several thousands of miles. The Allied Forces were already in talks of a cross-Channel invasion, so both sides had the right idea.

General Dwight Eisenhower was made the commander of the D-Day operation on January 1944, and began to oversee strategies for the assault. Part of the plan was to misdirect Hitler from where the actual invasion would take place. More importantly, most of the false info led the Germans to believe that Pas-de-Calais was the actual target rather than Normandy. The Allied Forces used fake equipment, double agents, spies, and even fake radio transmissions. The best deception of them all was having the renowned George Patton lead a phantom army in England; all of the pieces were finally in place.

Germany Backstory

All of the deception played a big part in how Germany handled the actual battle. With the invasion sneaking in through the water, 5,000 ships were deployed with a good 11,000 aircraft for support. The early parts of capturing Normandy was fairly easy, with the Allied Forces splitting up to capture key checkpoints. There was some resistance on one side of the beach, but it was eventually dealt with by the Americans. D-Day started at 6:30 a.m. and was all but over by the end of the day, with troop's losses for the Allied Forces counting at more than 4,000.

The earlier diversions were still confusing Germany, as Hitler considered Normandy to be another ruse. Even when reinforcements came to help Germany, they were so out of position that it put them at an even worse disadvantage.

The Allied Force were in full control of Normandy's beaches, and on June 11th the next phase was ready. Now with 326,000 troops, over 100,000 tons of equipment and 50,000 vehicles, the Allied Forces marched forward and continued fighting until they forced a German surrender on May 8th 1945, officially ending the Nazi reign in Germany.

Why Was D-Day Important?

The invasion was an offensive maneuver that was so suffocating that it prevented any chance of a counterattack. Through careful planning the Allied Forces mounted an Army 5x the size of Germany's in a week, and within a crucial point in their territory. The blow was so crushing that it tarnished Hitler's reputation for good, finishing the work that the Russians started with their defense of Stalingrad.

Who Was Affected?

It can be said that Germany was affected the most, as it led to their freedom from Nazi Germany. The many beliefs of the Nazi uprising was not the majority of the German people, as evidenced by the many people under Hitler who often betrayed him or tried to bargain for peace.

Names to Remember

Adolf Hitler was born on April 20th 1889 and was the dictator of Nazi Germany. His invasion of Poland in 1939 started World War II, and he was a major figure in many of the human atrocities before and during the war. Hitler served in World War I and was a popular and decorated officer for Germany. A week before Germany surrendered due to the destruction of D-Day, Hitler took his own life. This was on April 30th 1945, after many failed attempts to keep those under him from surrendering to the Allied Forces.

Important Facts

Here are some important things to remember about D-Day.

Conclusion

D-Day was crucial in helping to end World War II. It took the combined teamwork of the Allied Forces to finally make the end of the war a reality.

Over 3,200 reconnaissance missions were used to develop the plan for D-Day

Bad weather postponed the attack from its original June 5th date

100,000 workers were used to create Hitler's Atlantic Wall

Even with careful planning a lot of the paratroopers were dropped in the wrong place

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D-Day the Invasion of Normandy - History for kids

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Allied Forces Backstory The Invasion of Normandy began on June 6th 1944 and ended on August 1944, and was a joint effort by all of the Allied Forces. Comprised of 156,000 British, American and Canadian forces, D-Day was an invasion that required a massive amount of deception and tactics.

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An Introduction to the Civil Rights Movement

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An Introduction to the Civil Rights Movement

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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Kids learn about the history of civil rights in the United States. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including civil rights leaders, movements, timelines, glossary, and major events. What are civil rights and why are they important?

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Were your ancestors among the tired, the poor, the huddled masses?Tim and Moby discuss the history of immigration in the U.S., and where many of our families first landed.

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children's books taking place during World War II Europe

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Thank you, sister Rosa! Ms. Parks, that is! This movie is all about the civil rights movement, from segregation trials to freedom marches. Plus a few words from Dr. Martin Luther King!

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Explorers for Kids: Christopher Columbus

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Kids learn about the biography and life of explorer Christopher Columbus. He discovered the Americas for Spain.

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The Little House on the Prairie Series Trailer

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The Little House on the Prairie Series Trailer

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Little House in the Big Woods Book Trailer

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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An Allied correspondent stands in front of the shell of a building that was once an exhibition center and government office in Hiroshima, Japan, a month after the first atomic bomb used in warfare was dropped by the United States on Aug. 6, 1945. (Stanley Troutman/AP)

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An Allied correspondent stands in front of the shell of a building that was once an exhibition center and government office in Hiroshima, Japan, a month after the first atomic bomb used in warfare was dropped by the United States on Aug. 6, 1945. (Stanley Troutman/AP)

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Kids learn about the history of Native American Indians in the United States. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including Native American daily life, homes, art, food, clothing, people, social structure, religion, and tribes.