In the bustling streets of Florence, Italy, during the early 1400s, a young boy named Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici was about to change history. Giovanni was not born into a family of great wealth or royal blood. His father, Averardo de’ Medici, was a merchant, and his mother, Jacopa Spini, was a middle-class woman. They lived in a small house, but it was filled with love and laughter.

Giovanni was a curious child, always eager to learn about the world around him. He often wandered the markets of Florence, listening to traders and merchants as they haggled over goods. From silks and spices to artworks and armor, Florence was a city thriving with trade, thanks to its location in the heart of Italy.

When he was just a teenager, Giovanni’s father took him on a business trip to Rome. It was there that Giovanni’s saw his first bank. When people needed to move money to a far away place, they could give their money to the bank who would give them a letter with a number showing the amount. Then they could travel to the faraway place and use the letter to get their money. This was much safer than trying to move large amounts of money  by wagon or on their horse – especially since the roads at that time could be very dangerous. Thieves were known to stop people and take their money. Banks could also be used to keep your money safe and to buy things in faraway places. This not only made trading easier but also safer. Giovanni saw all of this going on and was fascinating.

Returning to Florence, Giovanni decided to start his own bank. With a small amount of money saved up and a loan from a family friend, Giovanni set up a tiny banking in the local market. It was just a simple table in the market where people would come to him to trust him with their money. He was friendly and wise, offering to keep people’s money safe and help them transfer money to different cities without risk.

Banks and banking seem like a simple ideas now, but it was very new at the time and Giovanni wanted to be the one who had the biggest, most trusted, and wealthy bank.

Giovanni’s reputation grew. People trusted him because he was fair and kind. His bank began to grow. He also made money on trade. Trade is when you buy items and then sell them for more. He did this all over Europe along with helping people move and save their money. 

But beyond banking, Giovanni wanted to do more than just make money; he wanted to help Florence, the city he loved. He started lending money to artists so they could buy materials to create beautiful paintings, sculptures, and other crafts. This was the time of the Renaissance when artists were trying new styles and painting more realistically than before. 

The Medici Bank, as it was now known, became the largest bank in Europe!  Giovanni had branches of his bank in many major cities, including Rome, Venice, and even distant London. His success allowed him to support not just his family but also the city’s artists, architects, and thinkers. Florence blossomed into a center of the Renaissance, a golden age of art and science in part thanks to the money spent by Giovanni.

One of Giovanni’s proudest moments was praying for the construction of the famous dome of the Florence Cathedral. He hired Filippo Brunelleschi, a genius architect who proposed a daring design. Many were skeptical that such a grand dome could be built, but Giovanni believed in Brunelleschi’s vision. The completion of the dome was a marvel and remains one of the architectural wonders of the world.

Giovanni also believed in giving back to his community. He supported the construction of hospitals, schools, and libraries. Thanks to him, many young Florentines received education and health care, which were rare in those times for anyone but the rich.

As Giovanni grew older, he trained his sons, Cosimo and Lorenzo, to take over the bank. He taught them everything he knew, not just about banking, but also about being wise leaders and generous supporters of art and culture. Giovanni knew that wealth was not just about gold and silver; it was about making the city better for everyone.

Cosimo, Giovanni’s oldest son, was a quick learner, but he loved art more than banking like his father. He loved to stroll through the workshops of sculptors and painters, watching them turn blank canvases and rough stones into breathtaking art.

As Cosimo grew into a teenager, Florence was blossoming into the center of the Renaissance. It was during these years that Cosimo developed a vision for his city. He saw Florence not just as a center of commerce but as a shining light of culture and learning.

When Cosimo took over the Medici Bank from his father, he was ready to use his wealth to transform Florence. He believed that beauty and knowledge were as valuable as gold and silver. He started investing in art and buildings even more than his father. He became a “patron” of the arts, which means he paid to have them created.

Cosimo’s love for architecture led him to pay for the construction of the San Marco monastery in Florence. He invited architects to design a building that would reflect the elegance and spiritual depth of the city. The finished building was a peaceful place that became a home for scholars and artists. 

He also established the Platonic Academy, a school where philosophers gathered to discuss ideas. With Cosimo as the patron, this academy became a center for learning in Europe, attracting scholars from all over the continent. It was here that the works of Plato and other ancient philosophers were studied and preserved.

But life in Florence wasn’t easy for Cosimo. Even though he gave a lot to the city, he also used his money to control some of the leaders. Many people believed he and his family had too much power over Florence and their use of their wealth to run the city was unfair. One of the competing families, the Albizzi, found enough people to go against them that Cosimo had to leave the city for a time. He was devastated to leave the city he loved. The Albizzi didn’t run Florence as well and eventually the people asked Cosimo to come back. 

Back in Florence, Cosimo paid for the construction of public libraries, making knowledge accessible to more than just the elite. He also paid for public projects like aqueducts, which carried clean water through the city. These projects improved daily life in Florence, making it one of the most advanced cities of its time.

Like his father, Cosimo taught his children the value of art, culture, and community. When Cosimo passed away, Pietro took over the Medici Bank and leadership of Florence. We’re not going to spend as much time learning about Pietro but he did carry on his family’s legacy of running the bank and keeping the finances in order. Cosimo’s rule had been very expensive from all of his spending on art and architecture and Pietro was able to focus on the banking again and increase the family’s wealth.

His son, Lorenzo, grew up surrounded by scholars, artists, and poets. From a very young age, he was taught not only about banking and politics but also the value of art and knowledge. Lorenzo had a powerful personality and was very intelligent like his father and grandfather, with a natural ability to lead and inspire those around him. 

In 1469, he was barely 20 years-old when his father passed away and he was left in charge of the family bank. He paid for great art like his grandfathers, Cosimo and Giovanni, but with even greater enthusiasm. He surrounded himself with poets and scholars, too, who helped him turn Florence into the intellectual and artistic capitol of Europe.

One of the most famous artists and inventors of the Renaissance was Leonardo da Vinci. Lorenzo was a patron to Leonardo and Michelangelo, two of the most famous artists in history. He became known as “Lorenzo the Magnificent” for all of his different qualities.

He was also a very skilled politician. This means he knew how to work with leaders in the government. Often the way he worked with leaders was unfair, because he used his money to pay for who was in power and how they voted. He was like a king of Florence, but he did it in a secret way by using his money to make things go his way.

At the time, many of the different cities in what is now Italy competed for power. Cities such as Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples and Genoa. Because all of these cities were competing for power, Lorenzo’s reign as leader of Florence was not without its challenges. In 1478, someone tried to assassinate him during church in the Duomo of Florence. Lorenzo survived, but the attack left scars that would affect his leadership and the safety of his family.

As Lorenzo grew older, running Florence became harder and harder. The bank wasn’t as powerful as when his father was in charge and his building projects and art became too expensive for their family to pay for. He died in 1492, yet, the world has Lorenzo and his father and grandfather to thank for much of the beautiful artwork and buildings you can still visit in Florence today.

The Medici Family, through its generations, showed both the good and ill that come with great power. They were patrons of the arts and education, and helped keep Florence stable. However, their leadership also included times of extreme control, corruption, and abuses of power. Despite this, the Medicis left a significant mark on history, transforming Florence into a center of the Renaissance that still shines brightly today.

The story of the Medici family, from Giovanni to Cosimo to Lorenzo, teaches us that with great power and wealth comes the responsibility to foster culture, knowledge, and beauty. Their legacy reminds us that we all have the capacity to contribute to a better society. Their story inspires us to think of how we, too, can make our own mark in the world, creating something magnificent that could last generations.

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In history, there are heroes and villains. What makes someone a hero? Maybe they helped make the world a fairer place. Or they stood up when somebody was being hurt. Heroes inspire us. We love to root for them. We want to be like them.

What makes somebody a villain? Sometimes, it was because they were violent. Or they were mean and ruthless. History is full of famous villains. 

But sometimes, it isn’t that simple. A lot of the people we read about in history books are both. Most people aren’t entirely good or entirely bad. Napoleon Bonaparte is a perfect example.

Napoleon is a very famous person from history. Many people would call him infamous. Infamous people are usually remembered for being a villain. But that’s not really fair. Napoleon’s life is a lot more complex than that. Sure, he did some terrible things. But he did some heroic things, too. In fact, he spent his whole life constantly jumping back and forth over the line that defines heroes and villains. 

History has pretty much decided Napoleon was a villain. But how about you? How will you judge him?

Napoleon Bonaparte was born about 250 years ago in 1769 on an island called Corsica in Europe. When he was born, the island was ruled by the King of France. This meant that Napoleon was born French. 

He left home to attend schools in France. This helped him learn to speak French. It also meant he could go to the best military schools. He must have done well, too, because he became an officer in the French army when he was only 16 years old. 

There was a lot going on in France at this time. In 1789, there was a big revolution. The French people did not like their king. He was living an extravagant life filled with food, wine, and gold, while they were starving in the dirty streets. Most people were angry that he wasn’t taking care of them like somebody in charge should do, so they overthrew him. 

Napoleon wasn’t in France while this was happening. He was taking a break from his career in the military and living back home in Corsica. But he was still paying attention. He listened to all of the political discussions going on around him. He started to agree with those who hated the king. He adopted their radical, revolutionary ideals. 

Eventually, Napoleon returned to Paris which was the center of the French government. The new leader of France, Maximilien Robespierre, needed Napoleon’s clever mind to lead his troops. You see, while France had been busy the past few years with their king, other countries saw this as an opportunity to invade. 

Under its new leader, France needed to prove to the world they were strong, that they were not a country to mess with. Napoleon was just the guy to send that message.

Maximilien Robespierre put Napoleon in charge of protecting France and its people from invasions. But there was a slight problem. The French army wasn’t in the best shape. In fact, it was pretty pathetic.

But Napoleon wasn’t worried. He knew he could lead them to victory. And he did. Not only did he defend France, he expanded it. In 1793, while he was fighting different battles around Europe, Napoleon was promoted three ranks in the French army within 4 months. 

He was proving to be a fierce leader. He was winning impressive battles. He became famous for his military tactics. Robespierre, the leader of France at the time, made sure everybody knew how much he appreciated Napoleon. He was fast becoming a hero to France.

However, while Napoleon was away fighting wars with other countries, things weren’t so great back home in France. Robespierre was turning out to be even worse than the king he’d replaced. He created some strict laws, and anybody who broke them was publicly executed. It was horrible. Overall, more than 17,000 French people lost their lives during his short period of rule. In fact, his rule from September 1793 to July 1794 was named the Reign of Terror because people were pretty much terrified of him. 

So history is pretty clear with this one: Robespierre was definitely more of a villain. 

But the French had just ditched a king that had been a lousy ruler. They knew what had to be done and how to do it. So they overthrew Robespierre, too. This was great for the French people but not so great for Napoleon. 

He had done all that work building strong troops, winning tough battles, and planning attacks. Unfortunately, he had done it all for Robespierre. And the whole country was now very unhappy with Robespierre.

Napoleon was now labeled as a villain, too, and he was put on house arrest. After about a year of being stuck at home, Napoleon was freed. Now he needed to earn back the trust of the new people in charge of France. 

Another new government was being set up in Paris. This time, they wanted a group of people in charge and a constitution, like the one we have in the United States. This would be a set of fair rules and laws to keep all French people safe. They planned a convention where the new leaders would meet to write the constitution.

Not everybody agreed with this, though. Some people even wanted a king back. These people were getting ready to attack the new government. 

Napoleon saw this as his opportunity to show all the new leaders of France how valuable he was. He showed up at the convention ready to protect anybody who wanted to attack it. And he did a great job. He thwarted the rebels outside and saved the new government of France. 

Once again, Napoleon was back on the hero list. He was given new positions and power in the military. He had control of French armies. Instead of staying back to help with the government, Napoleon knew that he belonged out on the front lines helping fight battles against other countries. 

Napoleon was pretty much a genius on the battlefield. He knew how to organize and rally troops brilliantly. He used smart tactics to turn a small, weak army into a powerful and victorious one. 

Napoleon was also very clever in deciding where and when to attack. He and his troops even went all the way to Egypt in order to prove just how strong they were. 

Even though he’d spent a lot of time away, the people back at home were celebrating Napoleon as a hero for all of his victories against their enemies. Napoleon was earning territory for his country and respect for himself. But outside of France, his popularity wasn’t soaring. The people and places he was conquering saw him more as a villain. They were victims of his violent and large-scale attacks.

But in 1799, Napoleon returned home to Paris triumphant. He was the man who couldn’t lose. He hoped to secure his place on the Hero List of History. But there was a slight problem.

Remember all the fighting and arguing about who should be in charge of France? Well, it was still happening when Napoleon got back. The leaders who had created a Constitution with Napoleon’s help were losing power and control. 

What should he do? Support the government that he’d backed three years ago? Or once again, side with the people.

Napoleon decided the time was right to really show everyone he was boss. And well, that he was ready to be the boss. Everybody loved him. They celebrated all of his brilliant victories. So, with the help of some close friends, Napoleon overthrew the French government…again. And he put himself in charge.

At first, he called himself the First Consul of France. This basically meant that he was a dictator. A dictator is somebody who rules over a country, kind of like a King, but they have all the power. No one has the ability to make decisions other than the dictator. 

A dictator is usually not a well-liked person because they have so much power over everybody. But Napoleon wanted to use his power to help the people in France. Most importantly, he wanted to make the country stronger than it had ever been. After all they’d been through, Napoleon wanted to make France better. 

Napoleon’s first actions as dictator were very positive. He made peace with the countries he’d been battling with. He also created a set of rules called the Napoleonic Code. Many of the things that Napoleon set up are still used in many parts of Europe today. 

Napoleon created public education, so that young people in France could go to school even if they had no money. He gave people religious freedom. Systems for businesses, banks, laws, and police were created. Napoleon was doing a lot of good! He was doing the kind of stuff heroes do. 

The rules in the Napoleonic Code promised some hints of democracy across Europe! Napoleon wanted the best people in charge. He wanted power to go to those with experience and ability instead of those with money or popularity. 

These reforms were good. People liked them. They liked Napoleon. In fact, Napoleon was starting to crave more and more power. He wanted to control everything happening in France. 

Eventually, Napoleon wasn’t happy with being just First Consul of France. Five years later, in 1804, Napoleon crowned himself as the Emperor of France. And he made sure to put his own crown on himself!

Like a king or a dictator, emperors have total power and control. However, by making himself an emperor, Napoleon changed two things. First, it meant that his children would inherit his power whenever he died. Second, it meant that Napoleon was most likely planning on invading surrounding countries to turn France into an empire. 

Napoleon was ready to get back on the battlefield and put his tactical mastermind to the test. He went up against the Austrians, the Russians, and the British in different battles across Europe. And most of the time, he won.

These battles are known as the Napoleonic Wars because his armies were fighting and invading many of the countries around them. At one point, Napoleon’s French empire spread across almost all of Europe. 

For close to ten years, Napoleon ruled successfully over a growing French empire. At this time, he was becoming known as both a hero and a villain. French people loved him, but all the other leaders in countries around France feared him. 

Then he made one really bad decision. He decided to invade Russia during the winter. His army was prepared for battle, but they were not so prepared for freezing cold temperatures. Many of them starved to death in the cold before they even met the enemy. 

Eventually, Napoleon and his army were outsmarted by the Russians, who were much more prepared for their own winter storms than he was. With no food, no supplies, and a depleting amount of men, Napoleon was forced to return home. 

Napoleon had lost many of his loyal men to the Russian winter. That wasn’t such a popular thing back home in France. There was nobody left to defend him within his own country. And the world outside of France already considered him a villain.

Those countries saw this as their chance to take him down once and for all. They invaded France. Napoleon had no army left. He was helpless to defend himself.

Napoleon’s enemies exiled him to a tiny island called Elba. Instead of an empire, now all Napoleon had was a small island. Of course, this wasn’t enough for him. About a year into his exile, Napoleon decided he would try once again to get back on that Hero List.

He escaped the island and sailed back to France with some of the supporters he still had. He marched into Paris. Crowds lined the streets, cheering for him to welcome him back. They missed his great success as emperor of France. Maybe he could still be a hero.

Napoleon easily took back control of the country and started building a new army for France. Though, this time, his enemies were prepared for him. They had all teamed up against him.

Napoleon’s great return to France only lasted 100 days before he was once again defeated by enemies and placed back into exile. He was exiled to a British controlled island much further away, so they could make sure he wouldn’t escape anymore. 

This time Napoleon stayed in exile. He died only six years later at age 51.

Napoleon did quite a lot in his short life. He was a general, a commander, a dictator, an emperor, a hero, and a villain. 

Next time you’re learning about all the people from history, think of Napoleon. Think of all the different things that he did. Think about how a French person would have written about him, and think of how one of his enemies would have written about him. Depending on who’s telling it, the story of a person can change a lot. 

So, what do you think? Was Napoleon a hero or a villain? Or maybe he was both? Either way there’s a lot we can learn from him. He saw the value of public education. He advocated (at times) for a fair government. But maybe the most important lesson? Never invade Russia during the winter!

Sources:

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That is why, through the centuries, most rulers were men – men who charged into battle on a thundering war horse wearing thick armor and carrying heavy swords. They kept their crowns many times by facing their foes on the field of battle.  

One such king was King Henry VIII of England.  He became king in 1509 at the age of 17. He was a big, powerful man standing over six feet tall with broad shoulders and a fighting spirit.  He was a fierce competitor in battle against the French, Scots, Irish, and even enemies within his own realm.  He ruled England for 38 years and had six wives, but the one thing he didn’t have was a slew of sons to inherit the throne.  At that time in history, the crown was generally passed down to the males in the royal family.  But King Henry VIII had two daughters, Princesses Mary and Elizabeth, and only one son, Prince Edward, who was sickly and weak.   

Both Mary and Elizabeth had an unhappy childhood due to the whims of their father.  King Henry divorced Mary’s mother, Queen Catherine, because she could not produce a son.  He sent her into exile and she eventually died alone and abandoned by the king and court.  

King Henry did something worse to his next wife, Queen Anne Boleyn.  He tired of her manipulations and inability to birth a son.  He ordered her executed based on false accusations concocted by her enemies at court.  Their daughter, Princess Elizabeth, was just 2 years old when she lost her mother.  King Henry then declared that Elizabeth was “illegitimate” – not a true royal princess or heir – and sent her away to live in the country.  Elizabeth quickly learned that life can change in an instant:  one minute she was a princess and the next she was abandoned by her father and kicked out of the line of succession, meaning she would never sit on the throne.  She determined that she must study and learn all she could to survive in this world.  She practiced many languages, including French, Latin, Italian, Flemish, Welsh, Cornish, Scottish, Irish, German, Spanish, and Greek.  She studied people and their personalities, learning valuable skills about diplomacy and public relations.  She cultivated her charm, poise, cunning, and intelligence.

When she was 10, her father changed his mind about Elizabeth and restored her princess title and her succession to the throne behind Edward and Mary.  He died four years later and Elizabeth, then 14, was sent to live with his last wife, Catherine Parr, and her new husband.  Unfortunately, Catherine’s husband was a scoundrel and used to tickle, tease, and corner Elizabeth when she was alone or asleep.  Elizabeth tried to dress very early in the morning, or have her servants around her at all times, so that her stepfather would not try something tricky, like marry her in secret, in the hopes of becoming king if Elizabeth ever became queen.

King Henry’s son, Edward, was now king at only nine years old.  But Edward was very sickly and died when he was 15 from tuberculosis. Before he died, Edward, a Protestant, drafted a will to make his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, also a Protestant, the next ruler instead of his older sister, Mary, who was a Catholic.

Lady Jane Grey was then proclaimed queen against her wishes and thrust on the throne based on Edward’s will, plus the manipulations of powerful men in her family and at court.  She knew in her heart that Edward’s oldest sister, Mary, should be the rightful queen.  And Mary thought so, too!  Mary quickly gathered troops and rode to London, throwing Jane off the throne and locking her in the Tower of London.  Jane Grey lost her life at only 16 years old on Mary’s orders due to her nine days on a throne she never wanted.  As you can see, kings and queens in those days did not sit easily on a throne.  Anything could happen to throw them off of it – angry enemies, untrustworthy family members, manipulative counselors, or faithless friends.

Mary then took the throne and became Mary I.  She was a very strict queen and had many people burned at the stake for their religious beliefs, thus gaining the nickname “Bloody Mary.”  She was an ardent Catholic and wanted everyone to practice that religion, but she knew that many in her kingdom were Protestant, including her younger sister Elizabeth.  

Elizabeth, now 19, possessed a charming personality and keen intelligence.  Mary grew very jealous of Elizabeth and thought Elizabeth was plotting to overthrow her and take her crown.  Mary ordered that Elizabeth be taken captive and rowed by boat in the pouring rain to the Tower of London and imprisoned.  Elizabeth passed under “Traitor’s Gate” proclaiming her innocence.  She was held in the Tower for two months before she was released and sent to a country home, where she was held under house arrest.

Queen Mary I only ruled for five years before dying of stomach cancer at the age of 42.  At the time, she was married to Prince Philip of Spain, but they had no children.

Thus, on January 15, 1559, Princess Elizabeth, age 25, was crowned Queen Elizabeth I in Westminster Abbey.  She arrived at the Abbey a young beauty in an elaborate gold gown, shimmering jewels, ornate crown, and fur-lined robe.  No one thought that the little, red-headed toddler, the only child of King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn, a traitor’s daughter, would one day be queen.  Through her intelligence, iron will, and perseverance, Elizabeth survived a tyrannical father, the execution of her mother, abandonment by her family, imprisonment and false accusations by her half-sister, and a sly stepfather, to survive and thrive.  She became the ruler of a powerful nation as a single woman in her own right.  She never married nor had children.  She ruled for 44 years, much longer than her siblings, or even her all-powerful father.  She survived several assassination attempts, foiled the Spanish Armada, and thwarted various plots to overthrow her.  One of these plots was allegedly masterminded by her own cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots. Her reign was called the “Elizabethan Era” and saw literary achievements by William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlow, plus successful sea exploits by Sirs Walter Raleigh and Francis Drake.  She was called “The Virgin Queen,” “Glorianna,” and “Good Queen Bess.”

In honor of this historic queen and her coronation in January, consider visiting your local library to find a book about her life and reign, or listen to our prior episode, “History of the Spanish Armada and Queen Elizabeth.”  This young princess-turned-queen lived in a world of men and rose to the highest position of power and prestige during a ruthless time in history.  She knew that if she married, her husband would assume control over her and her country; therefore, she never married and kept her power.  Throughout her life, she had few people she could trust.  Everyone around her, including her own family members, courtiers, counselors, and other rulers, plotted against her for power, position, or property.  Being a queen during that time was one of the loneliest jobs in the world.  And with no children, she had no one to love or mentor as the next monarch.  

Today, British monarchs no longer make laws or act as the sole ruler of the United Kingdom.  They are considered a “figure head” – or symbol – of their nation, while their parliament rules the kingdom and makes the laws.  Kings and queens today approve bills, appoint Prime Ministers, and open Parliament every season.  They no longer make laws, start a war, or order their enemies imprisoned or executed. Instead, they tour the country speaking with their countrymen, listening to their concerns and shining a spotlight on organizations and causes.  They conduct outreach to other nations to foster peace and goodwill.  Their life is much different in many respects than the kings and queens of the past. Today, a monarch’s power rests not in their swords but in their statesmanship.  They work for the betterment of their people and promote their interests.  In many respects, the weight of the crown today is much lighter and the risks much fewer.

What do you think of Queen Elizabeth I and her rocky road to the throne?  Would you have liked to live as a king or queen during that time in history?  Does her story change your opinion of royalty?  If so, how?  Do you live in a country with a king or queen?  If so, where?

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Dressed in your suit, crisp white shirt, and neatly knotted tie, you look very important. And indeed, you are a significant player in the world of business. These men are no ordinary executives; they’re from IBM, which, during this time, is the largest computer maker in the world.

As you wait, a young fellow appears before you. He seems hardly older than a teenager, but there’s an air of confidence about him. You ask him for directions to Bill Gates’s office, and without hesitation, he leads you there. Much to your surprise, he takes a seat behind the desk. It’s then that you realize he is Bill Gates himself, the head of Microsoft!

Bill Gates is just twenty-four years old at this time, although he appears even younger with his tangled hair, much too-large glasses, a sprinkling of freckles, and his cozy pullover sweater. However, as soon as he begins to speak, it becomes evident that he possesses a deep knowledge of computers which would lead him to become the richest man in the world.

________________

William Henry Gates III was born on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. Due to being the third Gates with the name William Henry, his family called him “Trey,” which is another way to say the word three. However, to everyone else, he was simply Bill.

As a child, Bill was very active, spending hours rocking back and forth on his rocking horse. This habit of rocking back and forth would become something you’d often see during his important business meetings. He found it to help him think better.

On school nights, there was a strict no-TV rule in the Gates household. Instead, the family would have conversations, play games, and immerse themselves in books. Young Bill loved to read, even deciding at age seven to read the entire encyclopedia and World Book! That is a full shelf of books! 

His intelligence was obvious to all who knew him. There’s a memorable incident where the whole family was ready for a short trip in the car and suddenly realized Bill was missing. His mother found him inside the house, deep in thought. When asked what he was doing, he replied, “I’m thinking, Mother!”

Challenges always intrigued him, and he was known for looking for ways to test his abilities. He was naturally left-handed but would switch to his right hand if he found himself bored in school.

At the age of eleven, he participated in a contest at his church. The challenge was to memorize the Sermon on the Mount, a long list of Bible scriptures. He not only memorized the whole thing but also did it without making a single mistake, impressing the minister. When asked about his accomplishments, he replied, “I can do anything I set my mind to.”

Winning was also extremely important to Bill Gates, and he didn’t like losing. During summers, his family spent two weeks at a cabin named Cheerio near Puget Sound. There, young Bill’s competitive spirit shone as he excelled in many different sports, such as water skiing, ice-skating, swimming, and downhill skiing.

However, in the sixth grade his interest in school seemed to drop. This caused his parents, Bill Sr. and Mary, to make an important decision. They enrolled him in the private school Lakeside at the start of seventh grade, setting the course for a new chapter in his life.

___________

Bill was the smallest kid in his seventh-grade class at Lakeside School, but the teachers at Lakeside helped kids find what they loved. Bill Gates was good at math and science, but he hadn’t found his special interest yet.

Then, one spring day in 1968, a teacher took Bill and some of his friends to a place called “the computer room.” But guess what? There wasn’t a computer in there! You see, at that time, there were no small personal computers like we have today. Computers were huge devices as big as rooms that cost millions of dollars and were only used by the government, military, and universities. Even Lakeside, a fancy private school, couldn’t afford one. So, they got the next best thing – a Teletype machine. It looked like a large electric typewriter, and there was a telephone that connected it to a computer in downtown Seattle.

The teacher showed the boys how to type a special command, which made the teletype start making a lot of noise and punching holes in a long roll of paper tape. 

Then, that message went through the phone lines to the computer miles away, and it sent back an answer.

Bill Gates was amazed by what the computer could do! After that, he spent all his free time in the computer room. He read every computer manual he could find and learned computer languages. 

Some other kids at Lakeside got just as excited about computers, and they all learned from each other. It was funny because the teachers had planned to teach the kids about computers, but it turned out that Bill and his friends became the experts. They even taught the teachers!

At Lakeside, he discovered his true passion – computers! His genius brain now had a focus, and it was all about computers! 

A group of kids got together and created a computer club called the Lakeside Programmers. They loved writing their own computer programs. A Computer program is a set of instructions for the computer to follow. Think of a computer program as a set of commands that you give to a computer to make it do certain things. Like typing out words, playing a game, or doing math. When Bill was just thirteen, he wrote his very first program, and it was for playing tic-tac-toe!

For someone like Bill who loved a challenge, the computer was the perfect playground. Every program was like a puzzle. If he made one tiny mistake in the instructions, the computer would get all confused and make mistakes too.

Now, Bill was younger than most of the other kids in the club, and they thought he was using up too much time on the computer. So, they actually kicked him out of the club for a little while. But the other kids soon realized that Bill was smart and knew things that they didn’t. So eventually they asked him to come back to the club. 

Using the computer wasn’t free; it cost a lot of money. His parents paid for his school, but they told him he had to pay for computer time himself. So, Bill did what any smart kid would do – he got a job! There was a company in Seattle called Computer Center Corporation, and they had a computer. The boys at Lakeside made a deal with them: they could use the computer for free if they found mistakes in its programs. It was a dream job for Bill and his friends because they had control over this massive, million-dollar computer.

They had to work at odd times, like at night and on weekends when the company’s staff didn’t need the computer. Sometimes he and his buddies stayed up until midnight. If he missed the bus home, he had to walk three miles!

When he was fifteen, he teamed up with another Lakeside Programmer named Paul Allen. They created a program called Traf-O-Data, which measured traffic flow in Seattle. And guess what? They made $20,000 from it!

He and Paul were pretty different. Paul was quiet and shy, while Bill was more outgoing and liked to argue to make a point. But they both loved computers and respected each other’s ideas.

They believed that computers had the power to change people’s lives, and they talked for hours about all the amazing things computers could do.

In his junior year, Lakeside School asked him to create a computer program for their schedules because they had just merged with an all-girls school, and it was too complicated to do by hand. Bill did it, and in return, he got about $5,000 worth of free computer time. 

Finally, in 1973, Bill graduated from Lakeside School, and he was all set to go to Harvard University. Lakeside had been an incredible journey for him. He discovered his love for computers, started his first business, met Paul Allen, and they were about to do something no one had ever done before.

College life at Harvard University was already keeping Bill Gates on his toes with classes and campus adventures. But little did he know he was about to change the world forever.

Fast forward to the middle of his sophomore year, a time when Bill Gates and his friend Paul Allen stumbled upon a magazine called Popular Electronics with the headline: “WORLD’S FIRST MINICOMPUTER KIT.” 

This was the birth of the Altair 8800. The Altair was unique because it was a small computer able to perform tasks that previously required large expensive mainframe computers. Do you remember the huge computers we mentioned in a previous episode that required large rooms of equipment? With an Altair 8800 at an affordable price, someone could own a computer small enough to have in their own home.

The Altair 8800 didn’t look like today’s sleek computers. It looked more like a black microwave with switches and lights. It didn’t even have a keyboard or screens. 

Bill and Paul quickly realized that the Altair 8800 had the hardware but lacked something very important: software. It was like having a car with no fuel – a machine ready to go but unable to move! 

The physical part of the computer like the hard drive and the motherboard is called hardware – but everything you use the computer for, what you see on the screen like games and pictures is called software. Many people call these apps today. The Altair 8800 was a computer with nothing to do with it. This is where Bill Gates and Paul Allen saw an opportunity! 

Bill Gates was not your typical college student. He and Paul Allen were brilliant programmers bursting with energy and vision. They knew what they had to do – create the missing software that would bring the Altair 8800 minicomputer to life. 

Bill called the company that made the computer. The company was called MITS and was located in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

He told the head of MITS, Ed Roberts, that he and his partner were writing language software for the Altair 8800. He asked if MITS was interested in seeing it.

Roberts said SURE! He agreed to meet with the boys in a little over a month. They had boldly declared that their program was almost completed … yet they actually hadn’t even begun!

For the next eight weeks, they started on a whirlwind of late-night coding sessions and intense problem-solving. With time running out and their dreams on the line, Bill and Paul had to pull off something extraordinary. A friend from Harvard joined their mission, and just in the nick of time, their program was ready.

Paul Allen journeyed to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to present their creation to Ed Roberts, the head of the company behind the minicomputer. Their software had never been tested on a real Altair 8800 before!

In a room filled with anticipation, Paul entered the command: “PRINT 2 + 2.” Then, the magic happened – the computer responded with a triumphant “4”! Success!

That moment changed everything. Ed Roberts, head of MITS decided to purchase their program, marking the birth of the very first programming language for a microcomputer. And Bill Gates was just a 19-year-old college student at the time!

After Bill and Paul made their deal with MITS, they needed an interesting name for their business. They picked “Micro-Soft” because they were making software for tiny computers (“micro” means tiny). In less than a year, they decided to drop the hyphen. Bill became the president of Microsoft, and Paul was the vice president.

They worked day and night and hired more people as Microsoft grew. As Bill Gates hired new people he expected everyone at Microsoft to work as hard as he did, even late at night and on weekends. Luckily most of the people there didn’t mind because they were young, smart, and excited about computers.

In 1980, Bill was about to sign a major deal with a giant company called IBM. IBM was the biggest computer maker in the world, known for those massive computers that took up entire rooms. But now, they wanted to make smaller computers, and they turned to Microsoft for help. It was a big deal!

At that time, Bill was just twenty-four years old, and Microsoft had about thirty-two employees. In contrast, IBM had well over three hundred thousand people working for them. At first, people at IBM might’ve thought Bill was too young, but they soon realized how much he knew about computers. So, they hired little Microsoft to create the software for their new small computers.

The software they needed was called an operating system, which is like the commander of the computer. It tells everything how to work – the keyboard, the screen, and all the other software. Without an operating system the computer wouldn’t be able to do much, especially not use software!

For nearly a year, Microsoft worked hard to create the software operating system, and in 1981, IBM released its first personal computer, called a PC for short and these PC’s used Microsoft’s operating system called MS-DOS. 

Soon, other companies started making copies of IBM’s small computers, called clones. Microsoft could sell versions of MS-DOS to these companies as well. MS-DOS quickly became the standard operating system for computers all around the world. 

With this success, Microsoft grew like crazy. By the end of 1981, they had 130 employees, and by 1983, nearly 500! Bill was no longer able to know everyone by name, but he was still very involved in everything.

At meetings, Bill expected everyone to work hard and he respected those who stood up for their ideas and defended them. What mattered most to him was finding the best solutions to problems.

Microsoft unveiled its latest software update in 1985 called Windows. What set it apart was a small, tool on the computer screen known as a “mouse.” This tiny device had been around for a while, but for most computer users, it was their first time seeing it. The mouse brought a big change in how people used their computers. 

Before Windows, PC users had to memorize complex commands and type them on a keyboard. But with Windows, things became much easier. They could simply point at pictures on the computer screen. By clicking the mouse on an icon, an entire program would pop up. 

The reason they named their software “Windows” was because it allowed you to have more than one “screen” open at the same time, just like having multiple windows in your room.

In 1986, Bill Gates made an important move by taking Microsoft public. Going public meant that anyone could buy small portions of the company, called “shares” of stock. These shares were bought and sold on what’s called the stock market.

Shares in Microsoft sold very quickly and suddenly overnight Bill Gates became a millionaire. By the following year, the value of Microsoft’s stock had skyrocketed so much that he became a billionaire! 

Eight years after becoming a billionaire, he earned the title of the world’s richest person! He held onto that title for many years, from 1995 to 2007, and once again in 2009. His fortune was worth well over $50 billion. 

When he was thirty-eight, he married Melinda French in Hawaii, and it became famous all around the world. In order to keep it private and avoid people coming to take pictures and watch, they rented out all the hotel rooms on the entire island and even hired all the helicopters so that photographers couldn’t fly over and take pictures.

Later on, they became parents to three kids: Jennifer Katharine, Rory John, and Phoebe Adele.

In 1997, he built a fifty-five thousand square foot home near Seattle Washington that sat on top of a hill with an amazing view of Lake Washington.

To be eco-friendly and save trees, they built the house mainly using old, reclaimed lumber. 

When guests entered the house they could wear a badge with a tiny microchip that contained information about their favorite things.” When a guest entered a room, their favorite music played. The lighting and room temperature are automatically adjusted to suit the person’s tastes. Even their favorite art was displayed on the walls! 

The house had everything you could ever dream of: a game room, a movie theater, and a fully equipped gym. The indoor pool, stretching sixty feet long, had music underwater, and you could dive beneath a glass wall to go outside. There was also a boathouse, a dock, and a guesthouse!

But his absolute favorite part of the house was the giant library. Inside that library, hidden behind a secret wall, was a notebook written by the genius Leonardo da Vinci over five hundred years ago. He paid $30 million to own it!

In the English language, there’s a special word for someone who donates a lot of money to help others: philanthropist. After making a ton of money for many years, Bill started giving away huge amounts of it.

He and his wife started the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where they donated billions of dollars from their fortune. Their main question was, “How can we use our resources to help the most people in the best way?”

Back in the early days, every office desk had a typewriter on it. But now, thanks to the computer revolution that Bill Gates led, almost every office desk in the United States has a computer on it … and there’s a computer in almost every home. 

So what do you think about the story of Bill Gates? Pretty fascinating, right? Now when you see a computer and the software (or apps) that run on it you’ll remember one of the geniuses who helped bring it into the world. The world is waiting for new ideas to be born. What are some of your big ideas? Or even little ideas? Big ideas have to start somewhere!

The post History of Bill Gates for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

At the heart of the story of Jesus of Nazareth is a man whose life has left an enduring impact on the world. According to the accounts found in the Gospels, Jesus is said to have led a remarkable life. His life and teachings are always described in letters written by Paul, and he is also mentioned by the Jewish historian Josephus.

The Gospels, attributed to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, serve as primary sources, each presenting a unique perspective on Jesus’ life. These accounts are akin to friends sharing their recollections of a significant event, creating a picture of the man and his teachings.

Paul, a prominent figure in the early Christian movement, wrote letters to various communities, discussing Jesus’ life and teachings. His letters provide additional insights into the beliefs and practices of the early followers of Jesus.

The historian Josephus, who lived during the same period, contributed to our understanding of the historical context in which Jesus lived. His writings touch upon various aspects of Jewish history, including references to Jesus.

The story begins with the miraculous birth of Jesus. According to the accounts, Mary, his mother, received a visit from an angel who foretold the birth of a special child. Mary, and the man she was to marry, Joseph, traveled from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem where they were to be taxed by the Roman Empire. In Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable for animals because there was no room for them in the inns – or hotels – in the town. Shepherds were believed to have seen an angel and followed a star to the stable where they celebrated the birth of the child they believed would become their king. Later, Wise Men from the Orient visited the child Jesus and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and murr. To this day, Jesus’s birth is celebrated on Christmas and is reenacted in plays and reimagined in different ornaments and artwork to remember the birth of the child. 

As Jesus grew, he gained a reputation for performing miracles. These included healing the sick, turning water into wine, and, in one instance, even bringing a man back to life. These accounts portray Jesus as someone with extraordinary abilities, fostering a belief among many that he possessed unique powers.

Jesus’ teachings form an important part of his legacy. He emphasized principles such as kindness, compassion, and love. One of his well-known teachings is the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” This simple yet profound principle advocates treating others with the same kindness and respect one desires for oneself.

His teachings extended to helping those in need, urging his followers to help the hungry, the poor, and the less fortunate. The idea was to cultivate a sense of responsibility and create a world where everyone looks out for one another.

However, according to the accounts of his followers, not everyone embraced Jesus’ message. Powerful figures felt threatened by his teachings, leading to his arrest and subsequent death. Despite the tragic end, his followers believed that Jesus came back to life and his “resurrection” as it was called means that like Jesus others can have life after death.

Following the death of Jesus, his followers (also called disciples), who had been witnesses to Jesus’ teachings and believed in his resurrection, continued to spread his message. They traveled to different regions, carrying the message of love, redemption, and the promise of eternal life. This missionary activity led to the formation of communities of believers who followed the teachings of Jesus and saw him as the promised Messiah. These groups became known as Christians because they believed Jesus was a Savior or Christ who would save them.

The Apostle Paul, in particular, played an important role in the early growth of Christianity. Paul traveled throughout the Mediterranean region teaching about Jesus and bringing new people to the faith, including Greeks and people of all backgrounds and ethnicities.

Paul’s letters, which are now included in the New Testament, taught about Jesus and his missionary journeys. They form the early theology of the belief in Jesus as the Christ.

As the Christian communities grew, they faced both acceptance and opposition. The teachings of Jesus, emphasizing love, compassion, and equality, resonated with many, but they also challenged existing social norms and religious practices. Christians were sometimes persecuted for their beliefs, but this adversity only fueled their commitment to the message of Jesus.

Over the centuries, Christianity continued to evolve, adopting various cultural practices and incorporating diverse ideas. Eventually, it became the new religion of the Roman Empire, which led to its spread across the Empire, Europe, and beyond. Later, Christmas became a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. Many of the symbols of Christmas today come from the stories of his birth: bright stars and gifts for example.

Today, it is estimated there are over 2 billion Christians worldwide, which are made up of many different types of believers, churches, and denominations – but most are united in the belief in Jesus as a divine being and teacher. But even for those who aren’t believers in Jesus’s divinity, many today accept Jesus as a gifted numbered among Buddha, Confucius, and Gandhi, who have led by their example of how to treat others with kindness and compassion. 

The teachings of Jesus continue to resonate today. You may wonder how what Jesus said and did can apply to your own life. Jesus taught, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” It’s easy to become focused on ourselves, but there’s so much going on outside of us and others want to be treated with the same respect we expect.

We all goof up sometimes, right? Jesus was big on forgiving others (and yourself!). So, if someone messes up, or you make a mistake, don’t be too hard on yourself or others. Learn from it, forgive, and move on. 

Jesus taught about compassion. He said we should “love our neighbor” meaning those around us. He taught that he might even mean someone we don’t necessarily like, and even taught his followers to love their enemies. Little acts of kindness, helping out a friend, or volunteering in your community — that’s like living out Jesus’ message of helping those around you.

It’s cool to be awesome at stuff, but remember, nobody’s perfect. Jesus talked about being humble, which means being real about your strengths and weaknesses. It’s all about learning, growing, and staying down-to-earth. He also taught us not to judge others and to try and see our faults and how we can improve before we try and make judgments of others.

Everyone’s got their own story, right? Jesus was big on respecting everyone, no matter where they come from or who they are. He treated people who were normally shunned like the sick or those who made poor decisions the same as everyone else. He often criticized the leaders who were judgemental and didn’t treat others with kindness. Like Jesus, treating others with respect, no matter the differences is like spreading good vibes everywhere you go.

Life can get pretty hectic, huh? Jesus knew the importance of taking a breather. Often, he took the time to get away from the crowds, pray meditate and clear his head. He often did this in the mountains or quiet places or while he walked from town to town. So, set some boundaries for yourself. Take a break, reflect, and take care of your mental and emotional well-being.

In summary, the story of Jesus of Nazareth transcends religious boundaries, offering valuable lessons that can inspire people from all walks of life to strive for a world characterized by empathy, understanding, and goodwill.

We hope you enjoyed learning about the origins of the Christmas holiday and the story of Jesus of Nazareth and his teachings; however you celebrate the winter holiday whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Chinese New Year, or one of the other many holidays across the wide world, we wish you a happy holiday and New Year!

The post History of Jesus of Nazareth for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Our story begins in the ancient land of Egypt, one of the earliest civilizations in world history. Egypt was located in the deserts of Africa and its cities flourished around the longest river in the world, The Nile, which stretched 4,000 miles long. The Nile was used to give life to the farmlands and drinking water for the people who lived there. Egypt started as small bands of tribes who eventually farmed together and then were ruled by powerful leaders, who helped organize the workers and farm the Nile Delta. When the Nile flooded every year it made the farmland rich in soil where the people planted vegetables and wheat. They also fished and ate birds that lived in and around the beautiful Nile. The people also domesticated sheep, pigs, goats, and other animals. Domesticated means they created fenced-off areas and used them for milk and meat and other materials that helped keep the Egyptians alive.

The Nile River was also used as transportation to move supplies and people up and down the river. Clay from the river was used to build homes, and the river was also used to transport stones to construct the huge temples, pyramids, and other buildings that made up Egypt’s growing empire. Cities such as Memphis and Thebes became huge metropolises and were home to millions of people. Egypt traded its many goods with nearby empires and was ruled by a pharaoh, which was their name for a king. The pharaoh was also a religious priest and the Egyptians worshipped him as a “god,” who joined the other gods after their death. 

Tutankhamun was born in 1343 B.C. but no one is sure of the exact day. Most think that his father was the powerful Pharaoh Amenhotep and his mother was one of his wives, Nefertiti. Tutankhamun, or we’ll call him Tut for short, grew up in the city of Amarna. His father had moved the family from Thebes to Amarna, so this is where he spent his childhood. There, he learned the new religion of his father, who had changed Egypt’s religion from believing in many gods to making the sun God, Amun-Ra, the one and only god. All of the new temples were made in honor of Amun-Ra and all were commanded to worship the sun god alone.

Tut spent most of his time in a palace designed for the pharaoh and his family in Amarna. The palace was made of solid brick and white plaster and decorated with colorful paints. Within the palace walls, servants took care of Tut and his family, bathing him and his siblings, and serving them meat, vegetables, and other luxury foods such as figs, dates, and pomegranates. His hair was cut in the traditional style which meant it was shaved with a braid on the side. Guards surrounded the palace and servants were always waiting and at ready to do whatever Tut and the royal family asked of them. 

Tut likely learned to read and write when he was young like other educated members of the upper class and royal family. He used a reed to write on papyrus, which was their version of a paper made of reeds from the Nile River. The writing was done not using an alphabet but hieroglyphs which were pictures instead of letters, and there were around 1,000 thousand of them to learn. Learning all of them would have a lot of memorization!

For entertainment, Tut and his family took boat rides on the Nile, went swimming, or chariot rides into the desert. They hunted wild animals and likely played a popular Egyptian board game called Senet. He and others likely learned musical instruments which were later found in his tomb.

Tut’s father, Amenhotep died when Tutenkhamen was only 10, so he became king of Egypt at a very young age. At this age, he wore the signature crown of a pharaoh, a decorative beard, and held a crook and a flail which represented his power as ruler of Egypt. Even though Tut was the ruler by name, he was too young to take full control, so his father’s Chief Minister, called a vizier, and his top general helped run the empire. We don’t know all of the details, but because Amenhotep had made many radical changes to Egypt’s religion by worshipping only one god, some historians believe that the other rulers of Egypt, such as his Chief Minister, weren’t happy with those changes and wanted to go back to the old way of worshipping many gods. 

Some suspect there was a plot to end King Tut’s rule early, so they could change the religion back to the old ways. We’ll never know for sure what happened but it is very suspicious that Tut died in his teenage years. Were the Chief Minister and the General behind his early death? Truly, it’s become one of the great mysteries of world history.

After Tut’s death, his body was prepared for burial, which was mummification for the pharoahs of Egypt. If you want to learn more about mummification, it’s interesting but also probably not the best for bedtime! After mummification, he was placed in a coffin and a group of family members and servants followed the procession, like a parade, to The Nile River. The parade of servants carried food, furniture, toys, and all of the other items that would be buried in Tut’s tomb to the river as well. At The Nile, Tut, the family, servants, and all of the items were moved onto a boat and floated down the river to the grand pyramids. There, he would lay to rest with the long line of pharaohs like his father who came before him. Interestingly, most of the biggest pyramids had been built 1,000 years before King Tut. This shows just how old the empire was. Egypt was powerful for a very long time. King Tut’s tomb was sealed to keep out robbers. Many of the pyramids even had traps built into them to keep out grave robbers. Yes, when you see traps in adventure movies, they actually existed in the pyramids of Egypt. 

So what did the Egyptians believe about life after death for the pharaohs such as King Tut? They believed after death, King Tut would go on a journey through the underworld, the land of the dead. During Tut’s lifetime, he was taught many spells from The Book of the Dead which would help him find his way to a better place in the afterlife. Egyptians believed the afterlife was much like this life but even better if they completed the journey safely and used all of the correct spells. There they would continue to eat, drink, play, and hunt. But, if they wanted nice things in the afterlife the catch was they had to bring them along… Which usually meant the simple people didn’t have as much nice stuff as King Tut and the other pharaohs. They believed that by placing objects in their tomb such as furniture, bowls, cups, gold, jewelry, bows and arrows, chariots, and other tools, those objects would continue with them in the afterlife. That’s why when they found King Tut’s tomb it was loaded with all kinds of great stuff. His favorite toys, clothes, hunting tools, and other things he would want to take with him and make the afterlife very fun and comfortable. Food was even found in the tomb for him to snack on in the next life. Very interesting, right?

As you can imagine, finding this tomb with so many ancient treasures in it would be quite the find for a modern-day archeologist! We hope you enjoyed learning about Egypt and King Tut. In next week’s episode, we’re going to learn all about the archeologist Howard Carter and his quest to find King Tut’s Tomb!

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During the 1400s the people of this area were under the threat of nearby tribes. The kind at the time decided to turn and run, but fortunately one of his sons, a bold leader, decided to face the enemy instead. His name was Pachacuti (Patch-a–KOO-tee) and he quickly went to work uniting the nearby tribes in a large army to face the invaders. Pachacuti led the Incas into battle and after fierce hand-to-hand combat, they won! After becoming king and providing safety for his people, Pachacuti went to work on the new kingdom of united tribes. He organized the building of roads and city centers to improve the economy, temples to worship their gods, and stone walls and buildings to keep the people safe. And instead of being on the defense, he instead attacked nearby tribes who he worried might threaten their safety. After defeating other tribes, he added their soldiers to his army, and their people to his growing empire. They helped build new roads and cities, temples, and defenses. But if he could avoid battle, he would do just that and instead offer them gifts, so they would join his empire instead. The conquered tribes then paid taxes and little by little the Inca Empire grew. Eventually, Pachacuti’s empire spread into six countries that we know today as Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Chile, and Argentina. 

At the center of the empire was the capital city of Cuzco, in what is now known as Peru, with around 40,000 citizens and another 200,000 in surrounding areas at the time. The city was located high in the Andes Mountains and had a ruling class led by Pachacuti and a priestly class who organized the worship of their gods. The Incas were skilled farmers and artisans who mined gold, silver, copper, bronze, and other precious metals and used them to craft beautiful jewelry and bowls, and other tools. They also used these metals to decorate their buildings, many of which were covered in gold. They were also very advanced at designing fabrics and used them to make strong and colorful clothing. 

Skilled Inca engineers used advanced engineering to design their buildings. They were made of stone blocks and were often so perfectly measured that they didn’t need any kind of cement to keep them together. The rulers and priestly class used advanced math to keep track of the stars and other planetary bodies. They used astronomy to design their buildings, which meant different windows and features faced planets and stars according to the time of the year. The Incas worshipped the sun and build stone temples and in honor of the sun god, decorated their buildings with gold.

As Pachacuti conquered new tribes across South America, he got to work building palaces in all of the new lands. One of these new territories was high in the Andes Mountains and overlooking the Urubamba River Valley. Pachacuti decided this mountaintop would be the perfect place to build a palace for his family, so he could retreat there and enjoy some quiet away from busy cities like Cuzco. Basically, like a vacation home for a celebrity or the President in our day and age. From the top of the mountain, Pachacuti would also be able to view his empire in all directions and the tall peaks would keep him safe from his enemies. This is the palace that later became known as Machu Picchu which means “old peak.” 

Together with his engineers, Pachacuti figured out how to build a home in this very high, very steep place. Workers dug into the sides of the mountain and flattened it out into a series of large steps, known as terraces, where they could plant crops and build buildings. Peasants worked hard to clear and farm these terraces and planted maize (what we know as corn), beans, potatoes, and other crops on these wide steps or terraces. They also worked tirelessly to haul huge stones up the mountain to build walls and the palace itself. 

Of course, without water, the visitors to the palace wouldn’t survive, so the brilliant Inca engineers found a spring and designed aqueducts to move the water around the mountaintop and into fountains which the king, his family, and servants could use to drink and cook and bathe.

Once the construction project of Machu Picchu was complete, the king and his royal family often made the long trek from Cuzco to vacation there. Sometimes he had up to 100 family members and 500 servants living at the palace!

King Pachacuti loved nature and the stars, so when he designed Machu Picchu with his engineers, they included many works of art that reflected the beauty of the local nature and the animals of this region. They also designed a temple on the mountain and many of the buildings with the stars in mind, meaning certain windows faced certain stars or the sun and moon at different times of the year. Beautiful flowers and other plants were also cultivated on Machu Picchu to celebrate Pachacuti’s love of nature. 

During their time at the palace, the king and his family also spent time capturing and hunting animals. Some of these included deer, alpacas, and llamas. If you’ve ever seen a llama or alpaca they are a very funny-looking creature with a wooly body, long neck, and tall ears. They live and are able to climb and survive high in the mountains of Peru. The royal family feasted on the meat of deer and used the wool of llamas and alpacas for their beautiful clothing. But of course, Pachacuti wasn’t always at Machu Picchu. It was one of his many palaces and often he lived at Cuzco, the capital from which he ruled his growing empire.

As I mentioned earlier, people native to the Americas lived in North and South America for a VERY long time without anyone in the rest of the world, Europe or Asia, and beyond, even knowing they existed. This is what we sometimes call the New World, which the Old World didn’t know about. It wasn’t until Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492 that the knowledge of this new continent became really well known to Europeans. This was a time when the Incan Empire was thriving alongside major European empires like Spain, France, and England. 

After Columbus’s voyage, powerful empires like Spain decided they wanted in on the New World, too, so they immediately sent explorers to find out how to better their own situation. This era was called The Age of Discovery. The Spanish explorers who journeyed to the New World were called conquistadors and traveled there in search of new land, gold for their empires, and people with which to share their religion. 

The Conquistadors had heard about the Inca Empire and knew they had access to many mines. Especially mines containing their favorite precious metal, gold! They heard that the Incas had so much gold that they used it to decorate their temples, and other buildings, and to make beautiful jewelry. 

Francisco Pizzaro was one of the first conquistadors who wanted some of this gold to enrich himself and his beloved country of Spain. Upon landing, he declared the land of South America the property of Spain with no consideration for the people who already lived there – such as the Incas. And as you can imagine, the Inca Empire and its hoards of gold were immediately in his sights. 

At this time, Pachacuti was no longer the king of the Incas. Instead, they were ruled by a king named Atahuallpa (ah-ta-HUAL-pa), who had weakened the Incan Empire during a war with his brother. But Atahuallpa still had a very large army and seeing that Pizarro’s was very small, he assumed to defeat them very easily. He brought a small part of his army, 5,000, to the fight and didn’t even arm them. But what he didn’t know is that numbers aren’t the only important part of a battle. Technology made all the difference in this age, and he wasn’t prepared for Pizzaro’s more advanced weapons of war, such as guns, armor, and horses. 

Atahuallpa and the Inca soldiers had never seen a gun before. How did a device like this hurt someone from a distance? Why did it make such a loud, booming noise, and fire smoke and fire? For centuries, they’d only used spears and swords in battle. Needless to say, they were very unprepared to take on Pizzaro and his better-armed soldiers. When the Conquistadors started firing their weapons, the Incas were frightened and many were injured or died. Very quickly the battle was over and Atahuallpa had been taken captive by Francisco Pizzaro and the other conquistador soldiers. 

With Atahuallpa as his captive, Pizarro forced the Incas to bring him gold and they did for a very long time. The Spanish melted the beautiful gold jewelry and cups and bowls and other fine materials down into gold bars, which they sent back to Spain as a tribute to their own king. Pizarro took over the government in Peru and set up his own king, who followed his orders. Over time, the Incan Empire faded in power and glory. But back to the grand palace of Machu Picchu. By this time, the mountaintop vacation home had already started to lose its magnificence since no kings after Pachacuti lived there or took care of it as its creator did. Vines and moss grew over the stone walls, no one cultivated the terrace farms, and the beautiful buildings fell into disrepair and began to crumble with weather and age. Most Incas forgot it even existed, although the tales of this glorious mountaintop palace were still passed on, perhaps even treated as legend.

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Have you ever imagined what it must be like to be President of the United States? You’d have to govern an entire country! Just think, you would sign laws that affect over 300 million people. You would be in charge of one of the strongest militaries in the world. You would give speeches to millions of people!

Now, imagine if you had to do all of that from a wheelchair. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the thirty-second President of the United States, had to use a wheelchair because his legs were paralyzed. This meant that he couldn’t walk or even stand. How did that happen, you may be asking? And how did he still become president regardless of his challenges despite that? Let’s rewind and find out!

Roosevelt grew up on a large farm in New York State. Since he lived in the country, Roosevelt was taught at home by tutors when he was young. Because of this, he didn’t have a lot of friends his age, and he was very shy. 

But Roosevelt was close with his family. He also had a distant older cousin named Teddy who he really admired. Teddy was outgoing and popular. When Roosevelt started high school, Teddy announced that he wanted to become a politician. A politician is someone who gets elected to a government position. 

That sounded pretty cool to Roosevelt. He decided he wanted to be a politician just like his cousin. What he didn’t realize is that to be a politician, he’d have to talk to large crowds of people. He’d have to get those crowds to like and trust him. That meant A LOTa lot of socializing.

There was one big problem: Roosevelt was not particularly social. He had a hard time making friends. He preferred to spend his time reading books and studying. He studied so hard, in fact, that he got accepted into Harvard just as his cousin Teddy had done. Harvard was a top college and a good choice for people who wanted to study law. 

While Roosevelt was in his first year at Harvard, his cousin Teddy became the most important politician in the country: he was elected President of the United States. If you want to learn more about Teddy Roosevelt be sure to look up our episode about him. Roosevelt was proud of his cousin, no doubt. But how could he compete with him? Roosevelt decided to work even harder. He was determined to keep up with his superstar older cousin and forge his own path to the presidency. 

As president, Teddy made hundreds of decisions every day! People counted on him to keep the country safe. To be elected, he’d had to convince millions of people that he was the best person for the job. But Teddy had always been popular.

Being popular was not something Roosevelt had ever been very good at. 

He was not athletic. He always cared more about grades than being cool. How could he get his classmates at Harvard to like him? He hatched a plan. He started to join clubs and meet people. He even became the editor of the Harvard Crimson newspaper!

As editor of this newspaper, Roosevelt reported on events that happened not just on campus but around the world. He began to learn more about politics and the government. He started to realize which politicians he agreed with and which ones he didn’t. His cousin Teddy was a Republican, but Roosevelt decided he would prefer to be a Democrat.  

Roosevelt married a woman named Eleanor and graduated with a law degree. He was ready to give politics a try. So, when he was twenty-eight, he ran in an election to be a state senator for New York and won. As a senator, Roosevelt helped create and vote on laws for his state. Being a state senator was a good first step. But Roosevelt still had more work to do. 

After only one two-year term as a state senator, Roosevelt received a life-changing call! It was the new President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson. Wilson asked Roosevelt to move to Washington D.C. to help run the United States Navy. This was huge! Roosevelt was excited to take this job. 

His dream of being president suddenly seemed within reach. Roosevelt’s career was moving in the right direction. He was getting experience in politics and learning about different parts of government. He was meeting important politicians. He was even gaining popularity among Americans. His dream of being president was within reach. 

Then, in 1921, Roosevelt went to New York for a family vacation. One day, he was relaxing on a boat, when without warning, he fell into the ice-cold water. His legs felt numb. Soon after that, he felt lots of pain in his back and his legs. He started to lose control of his body. He couldn’t even move his face. For a short period of time, he was almost entirely paralyzed and unable to move any parts of his body.

The doctors told Roosevelt that he had a disease called polio. This disease affected his spinal cord, which is what allowed his arms, legs, and all the other parts of his body to move. It was unusual for an adult to get polio. Since there was no cure for it, Roosevelt thought that he would never be able to move again.

How was Roosevelt ever going to control a country or command a military if he couldn’t move? He couldn’t stand. He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t even wave or smile at people. It seemed like his political career was over.

However, Roosevelt did not want this disease to decide when he should retire. He wanted to stay in politics. He was determined wanted to become president. Roosevelt decided that he would fight to recover to reach his goal. Nobody knew how long it would take or if it was even possible! And he’d be away from politics for a long time. Would anybody remember him after he was away for so long?

He needed people to remember his name. He had an idea. His wife, Eleanor, was well-liked and very intelligent. Maybe his wife could help remind people of his accomplishments in political circles. Plus, he could write letters to important politicians all over the country. He would make sure he wasn’t forgotten.

It took Roosevelt years to recover. He had to work hard to regain the use of his body parts. Roosevelt had to learn how to move again by swimming. Since he weighed less in the pool, it was easier for him to try lifting his arms and legs again. At first, he needed a lot of help, but he did get stronger. He had braces fit for his legs that allowed him to stand up.

By 1928, Roosevelt had made a lot of progress. He had built back a lot of his muscles, but he was still paralyzed in his legs. He realized he would never be able to walk again. Could he be the powerful, admirable figure that past presidents like his cousin were known for if he was stuck in a wheelchair?

Roosevelt did what he’d always done: use his intelligence and determination to make progress his hard work. In 1928, seven years after he first got sick, Roosevelt made his political comeback as Governor of New York. 

This same job title had belonged to his older cousin Teddy almost 30 years earlier. Roosevelt’s path to the presidency was back on track. 

Just like Teddy, Roosevelt was well-liked by the people of New York. He ran for re-election in 1930, and he won again. He liked being governor, but still, he wanted a promotion. He wanted to be president.

In 1932, Roosevelt ran for president of the United States. He won the election by beating Herbert Hoover. He became the thirty-second President of the United States, joining the long line of famous, powerful presidents, including his older cousin Teddy.  

Roosevelt didn’t let a wheelchair stop him. He did all of the things that presidents are supposed to do. He showed his country and the world that he was a strong and capable leader. When he gave speeches, Roosevelt used leg braces, a cane, and usually the arm of a family member to walk to the podium. Instead of using the bulky, ugly wheelchairs of the time, Roosevelt built his own sleek wheelchair using a dining chair with bicycle wheels attached to it. He could even climb stairs using just the strength of his arms like a gymnast!

Roosevelt showed the country that a disability did not mean he couldn’t be just as powerful and admirable as any other president. In fact, he served nearly four terms, making him the longest-serving president in history! 

Fortunately, a few years later, a scientist named Jonas Salk discovered a cure for polio. His vaccine made it so no one had to go through what President Roosevelt did. 

Roosevelt’s path to the presidency was not an easy one. But he never gave up on his dream or his desire to match Teddy’s success. Sometimes, being the younger cousin isn’t such a bad thing, after all. 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/theodore-roosevelt/

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/franklin-d-roosevelt/

https://www.fdrlibrary.org/fdr-biography

https://millercenter.org/president/fdroosevelt/life-before-the-presidency

https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/index.htm

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roosevelt-D-Roosevelt/Paralysis-to-presidency

https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_government/senate.php

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/teaching-wiki/roles-and-responsibilities-of-the-president

https://millercenter.org/president/fdroosevelt/life-before-the-presidency

https://kids.kiddle.co/Politics

https://www.fdrlibrary.org/polio

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So, what have you noticed so far about these two pirates?  Long hair?  Yes.  Weapons?  Yes.  Fighting spirit?  Definitely.  But there’s one other thing they have in common:  they’re both men!  Have you ever heard of a female pirate?  Well, there really was one and her name was Grace O’Malley.  She was known as the “Irish Pirate Queen!”  She was a very brave lady who was also a chieftain – meaning a great lord who ruled over the people in her area.  She was a daring sailor, leader, and rebel – and even parleyed – or negotiated – with Queen Elizabeth I!  Want to hear more?  Me, too, so let’s get started!

Many years ago, around 1530, a girl named Grace was born in Mayo County, Ireland.  We do not know much about her mother, but her father, Owen O’Malley, was a great lord of his county, an experienced sailor – and some even say a pirate.  But it is hard to say if he was an actual pirate – meaning a sailor stealing things from other ships – or if he was just demanding payment as a land owner for ships to sail, trade, or fish in waters around his land.  For generations, the O’Malley men had been great seafarers, traders, and, yes, maybe pirates – who sailed the Irish coastline – and even as far as Spain and Scotland.

Pirate or not, Grace loved her father, her older stepbrother, and sailing.  She was raised as a boy – or at least more leniently than girls at that time.  She was allowed to join her father on his ships.  She would watch, fascinated, as sailors shouted and raced around, pulling lines and setting sails.  This thrilled Grace and she wanted to sail, too! But even though females were considered equal to men at that time in Ireland, there were still rules about how they should behave and what they should do with their lives – like staying home and raising children.  But Grace was having none of that.  She wanted to learn, sail, and rule!  She was very smart and could speak Gaelic and Latin, and possibly other languages like Spanish and French, too.

One day, when Grace was young, her father prepared to set sail for Spain.  Grace wanted to join him but her father said, no, her hair was too long and would get caught in the lines.  So, what did Grace do?  She cut off all her hair – and the sailors started calling her “Bald Grace!”  But she was allowed to sail and that was the important thing!  In the ensuing years, Grace learned all there was about sailing and became an experienced deckhand.

When Grace was 16, she married another sailor and landowner named Donal O’Flaherty.  She moved into Donal’s castle and they had three children.  Then one day, while Donal was out hunting, he was killed by members of the Joyce clan.  The Joyces then marched to Donal’s castle, thinking it would be easy to take it away from Grace, who was, in their opinion, “just a woman.”  But that was their mistake.  Grace fought back fiercely, protecting her family and land, and forced the Joyces to retreat!  She acted like a mother hen protecting her roost.  People then started calling the castle, “Hen’s Castle” and it is still called that today!

After her husband’s death, Grace returned with her children to her family’s land on Clare Island and worked to rebuild their stone tower house.  Her husband’s followers admired Grace so much that they followed her to her lands.  Grace’s father died and she then took over the family ships and land and became the new chieftain.  She and her loyal men sailed the waters like her father had done before her, boarding ships and demanding payment for safe passage, trade, or fishing around her land.  This is how she acquired the name “The Pirate Queen.”

And there is a legend that during this time, Grace saved a stranded sailor and they became very good friends.  Tragedy struck once more when this sailor was killed by another clan.  Grace was furious!  To avenge her friend, she marched to Doona Castle and killed the men who murdered her friend.  She then acquired another nickname, “The Dark Lady of Doona.”  

Between sailing trips, Grace married Richard Burke, called “Iron Richard” for his ironworks.  He was also a chieftain and had a lot of lands, which allowed Grace to sail more ships out of more ports and continue her adventures.  She birthed a son nicknamed Tobey while on one of her ships.  Legend states that Grace was below decks the day after Tobey’s birth when pirates attacked her ship.  The battle was not going well and it looked like Grace’s crew would lose the fight.  Grace grabbed her musket, climbed the stairs to the deck, and went into battle.  Grace was as brave as any man and rallied her crew, shooting two pirate captains in the battle.  Together they beat off the pirates and Grace’s reputation grew.  

Additionally, Grace divorced Richard within a year and changed the locks on their castle, but he still remained close to her for the rest of his life.

You may be wondering by this point how a fiercely independent female pirate would meet the Queen of England, especially since the Irish hated the English.  The English had taken their lands and property, causing constant battles between them for hundreds of years.  Additionally, the current queen, Queen Elizabeth I, was playing a ruthless game of pitting one Irish clan against the other.  She would give land and gifts to clan chieftains for their support and for fighting other Irish clans.  This made the Irish fight amongst themselves, as well as against the British. 

Grace was quite the powerful woman by this point, ruling the Western shores of Ireland and launching attacks against Queen Elizabeth’s ships with her pirate-honed prowess.  The Queen sent ships and men to attack Grace’s castle, but Grace beat them back.

Around 1577, Grace was captured and put into several cold, Irish prisons for a year.  However, thanks to some important British gentlemen who disliked how the English were treating the Irish, Grace was eventually set free.  She returned to her lands and started a rebellion against the British.  In retaliation, one of her sons was killed and one or two others were taken prisoner.  Her castle, lands, and fleet were confiscated – meaning taken away from her.  Grace was also arrested but later released.  At this point, she was sick and tired of fighting the English and decided to speak to the Queen herself!  No one thought this would ever happen.  You just don’t walk in and say, “I want to speak to the Queen!” – especially if you’re a pirate!

Queen Elizabeth demanded that Grace answer some questions first, called Articles of Interrogatory before she would meet with the Pirate Queen.  Grace must have answered them wisely because the Queen agreed to see her!  According to legend, when Grace arrived at Greenwich Palace, she did not bow to the Queen because she considered herself equal to the Queen!  Grace was searched and found to be wearing a dagger.  You are never supposed to wear a weapon in the presence of the king or queen, but Queen Elizabeth must have admired and trusted Grace because she let her keep her dagger! 

It is said that this meeting lasted a long time and the two women talked in Latin because the Queen did not know Gaelic and Grace did not, or would not, speak English.  Finally, they came to an agreement:  the Queen would release Grace’s family and her property – and Grace would provide 500 men and her ships to help support the English cause in Ireland. 

Some British nobles didn’t trust Grace and didn’t think she would keep her promise once released.  So, they took their time releasing her family.  And in spite of her agreement with the Queen, Grace supplied ships to Irish rebels under the command of Hugh O’Neill.  Although Grace did not fight in the ensuing battles, it is said that she convinced one – and possibly more – of her sons to fight for the British against O’Neill.  This did not make her very popular with the Irish – or future historians.

That is why for hundreds of years, no one knew the story of Grace O’Malley, the Irish Pirate Queen.  She is said to have died in 1603 – the same year as Queen Elizabeth I – of natural causes at one of her three castles.

So, what do you think of Grace O’Malley?  Do you think she was a pirate?  Do you think she was brave to be a rebel woman in such tumultuous times?  Do you think it was right for her to break her word to Queen Elizabeth I? Feel free to click the link in the show notes below and tell me your thoughts.  You might just be mentioned in a future episode.

I think this is an amazing story of a remarkable woman and warrior!  She was roughly the same age as Queen Elizabeth I and equal to her in many ways: in cunning, bravery, intelligence, and power.  They were both headstrong and independent, ruled over a large group of subjects, inspired loyalty, excelled in a man’s world, and loved winning! 

The post History of Grace O’Malley, Irish Pirate Queen for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

When Desmond was a little boy, Father Huddleston was walking through Desmond’s neighborhood. This was strange in itself. At the time, blacks in South Africa were required to live only in certain areas. So white men rarely came to Desmond’s neighborhood, unless they were policemen. Father Huddleston was clearly not a policeman: He was dressed strangely, with a stiff white collar and black shirt. Stranger still was what Father Huddleston did: he stopped, tipped his hat, and said a warm “hello” to Desmond’s mother. 

For a white man to treat his mother–a black woman–with kindness and respect was truly remarkable to Desmond, even as a small child. Many white people in South Africa either ignored blacks or were rude, or even cruel to them. Later, Desmond would learn that Father Huddleston worked tirelessly to help make South Africa more fair and kind to its black citizens. But that simple hello in the street showed him that all kinds of people were capable of compassion. All kinds and colors of people were human. And that planted the seed of the idea that he would spend his life striving to make it a reality. The idea of a South Africa where all people, black and white, lived together in a peaceful “rainbow” society.

When Desmond graduated high school after his bout with tuberculosis, he studied to become a teacher. He joined the debate club at his college, where he met Nelson Mandela, a young lawyer, who would become president of South Africa decades later. After graduating, Desmond got a job as a high school English teacher. He met a friend of his sister’s, Leah, who was also studying to be a teacher. The two began dating and decided to marry in 1955.  

But as Desmond was starting out in the world, the country was going through changes that would force him to take a different path than he had planned. South Africa was about to enter a very dark period of its history. Both Desmond and Nelson Mandela would play a big part in helping the country climb out of this period. 

South Africa had long had laws that tried to keep black and white citizens separate from each other. But in 1948, the country elected a government that wanted to be much more strict about making sure these laws were followed. They created a system of laws called Apartheid. They forced blacks to live in certain, limited areas. Blacks had to get special passes if they wanted to visit a white area. They couldn’t own land. They couldn’t vote. Blacks and whites couldn’t marry each other. They couldn’t even go to the same beaches.  

As Desmond and Leah started their life together, things were getting worse. The government passed a law that forced black South Africans to go to separate schools, and then didn’t pay black teachers as much as whites. Desmond and Leah decided to quit teaching. Desmond had been volunteering in their Anglican church and decided to become a priest. Meanwhile, Leah started school to become a nurse. 

Desmond studied to become a priest in South Africa and then in London. When he and his family moved back to South Africa in 1967, he began to speak out against Apartheid, cautiously at first. He wrote about how the church should help solve issues facing blacks in South Africa and beyond. When students at a university protested policies that supported Apartheid, Desmond gently stepped past the police dogs that surrounded the protesters and began to pray with them. Desmond would become known for this warmth and gentleness when facing tense situations.

Desmond was becoming a leader in the church as he spoke out more. He became a bishop, which is a very respected leader in the church. In 1978, he became the leader of the South African Council of Churches, which worked with many different Christian churches throughout South Africa. He was the first black man to hold this influential position. He used it to spread his message even further. He shared his vision of South Africa as a rainbow nation far and wide. 

Desmond was committed to working towards this rainbow society without violence, and even with gentleness and humor. He went to protest marches and committed civil disobedience, such as visiting beaches that were supposed to be whites-only. Civil disobedience is when you protest an unfair law by breaking that law, but in a peaceful way, which could still get you in trouble. And Desmond and other protesters DID get in trouble: Desmond was arrested and fined, and the authorities were violent with many others. 

Desmond also visited other countries, trying to get people around the world to care about the situation in South Africa. He met the Pope and the leader of the United Nations. He even asked leaders of other countries to boycott, or refuse to buy things, from South Africa. When he returned to the country after a speaking tour, the government took away his passport, which meant he couldn’t leave the country. They gave it back a year later, but this would happen a few more times as he traveled the world to speak out against Apartheid. Still, Desmond knew that if the leaders of other countries didn’t put pressure on South Africa’s government, it would be very hard to change things.  

Then, in 1984, Desmond won the Nobel Peace Prize. He gave a speech to accept the prize. In it, he told how Apartheid had caused people to mistrust and hate each other. He told how the police used violence against everyday people and peaceful protesters. He told how South Africa was a beautiful country of rolling mountains and sunshine, where people just wanted to live in peace with their families. He told how Apartheid had made that impossible for blacks and even many whites. 

Many people around the world learned from news coverage what Apartheid was really like for the first time. Governments finally decided to sanction South Africa, meaning they made laws that made it harder for South Africa to buy or sell things to other countries. 

Meanwhile, Desmond returned to South Africa, where he continued to speak and march against Apartheid. The government was starting to listen. Desmond and other activists met with the president of South Africa, Pieter Botha. But he still wasn’t willing to make many changes. 

But Desmond’s influence was growing. People loved to be around this warm, joyful man, who made everyone feel valuable and loved. In 1986, the church made Desmond archbishop of Cape Town. As the archbishop, he got to move into a big, beautiful house set aside for him. This angered the government because the house was in a whites-only area. But Desmond used his superpower and turned a tense situation into an opportunity to show kindness. He had a playground built on the lawn, and let anyone come to play or swim in his pool.

Finally, things began to change. In 1990, a new president was elected. F.W. de Klerk showed signs that he would be willing to end apartheid. He freed Nelson Mandela from prison after nearly thirty years and refused to punish peaceful protesters. After long talks with Mandela, Tutu, and others in the anti-apartheid movement, de Klerk agreed to put an end to Apartheid. 

In the next election, all South Africans were allowed to vote. Black South Africans, voting for the first time, lined up for hours to cast their ballot. Desmond dropped his vote into the ballot box in front of cheering supporters, then jumped up and down, saying he felt two inches taller than when he came in. He said a new South Africa began that day, “where all of us, black and white, will be holding hands and working for a common prosperity.”  Nelson Mandela was elected the first black president of South Africa. Today, South Africans commemorate this election every April 27th as Freedom Day. 

But the story didn’t end there. South African society still had a lot of work to do if all people were going to live in peace together. Think of a time when you had a big argument with a sister, brother, or friend. A time when you hurt each other’s feelings. It probably took some time to feel better and learn to be friends again. The whole country of South Africa felt this way. It would take time and work to help everyone feel like they could live and work peacefully together. Apartheid had been in place for more than 50 years. Many black people didn’t trust whites because of how badly they’d been treated. Many white people were afraid that the new government, led by a black man, might treat them just as badly in return. 

But Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu came up with a better plan. They formed a group, which Desmond led, called the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. They would help South Africans talk to each other. People who had been hurt by the old system would get to tell their stories. And so would people who had hurt others. They would be honest. They would listen to each other. Finally, they would be able to forgive each other.  

As Desmond put it, “I am human because you are human. My humanity is caught up in yours.” It’s important to remember when we’re angry with someone, they are still a person, just like us. We have to live with other people. Saying I’m sorry is one of the hardest things you ever have to do if you mean it. And waiting for someone to say they’re sorry to you is just as hard. But things start to get better right afterward. 

Sources

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/truth_and_reconciliation

https://www.history.com/topics/africa/apartheid

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1984/tutu/biographical/

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1984/tutu/lecture/

https://passiontounderstand.blogspot.com/2010/04/this-day-in-history-27-april-1994.html

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africas-tutu-anti-apartheid-hero-who-never-stopped-fighting-rainbow-nation-2021-12-26/

https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2022/01/01/10-memorable-quotes-by-desmond-tutu.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_South_African_general_election

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Tutu

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantu_Education_Act,_1953

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._W._de_Klerk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pass_laws

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

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