Nineteenth Century Life Story Briefs

What made the 19th century an interesting but tumultuous time? What technological, cultural and social changes influenced life then? Explore those issues in this story collection.

Henry Bliss Northup was the man who rescued Solomon Northup - whose slave name was ''Platt Hamilton'' - from slavery.

After revising his work seven times, Thoreau publishes Walden on August 9, 1854.

Wearing the letter "A" on her clothes, Hester Prynne must display the "scarlet letter" whenever she is in public. This artistic interpretation of Hest...

A painting, by Sir Luke Fildes, depicts desperate conditions of poor, homeless people during Victorian times. Dickens used Fildes as an illustrator fo...

Taking much of what Tom Sawyer says literally, Huck Finn thinks he can actually summon a genie by rubbing on an old tin can.

Making their point with EXTREMELY graphic depictions of slaves at work (and being punished for daring to rebel or escape), anti-slavery societies did ...

During the Napoleonic Wars, Britain had a shortage of sailors. To fix this problem, "press gangs" roamed the country's seaports where they kidnapped m...

After the potato blight infected the crops of Irish tenant farmers, in the summer of 1845, crop failures led to widespread economic distress in Irelan...

Among other items in President Lincoln's pockets, the night he was assassinated, was a Confederate 5-Dollar Bill.

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bront (1816-1855), remains popular even though it was first published in October of 1847.

Charlotte Bront once served as a governess at Stone Grappe Hall.

In Chapter III, of Jane Eyre, Mr.

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