The walls of the trench were scarred with the remnants of past battles, and every shadow seemed to conceal unseen dangers. It was a harsh world, where the constant threat of enemy gunfire echoed in the air, and the only safety was found in the tight, makeshift shelters. As James huddled in the trench, the memory of home seemed a distant dream, drowned out by the harsh reality of trench warfare in World War I.

World War I began in 1914 because different countries in Europe had a conflict and couldn’t figure out how to sort things out through negotiations, so tragically they turned to war. The major players were divided into two groups – the Allies, which included countries like Britain and France, and the Central Powers, with Germany and Austria-Hungary.

World War I took place during The Industrial Revolution, a period of massive technological change, which transformed the way things were made and powered. Those changes played a new role in how the war was fought. The Industrial Revolution had ushered in a new era of machinery and innovation. Factories churned out weapons, tanks, and airplanes at a fast pace, powered by steam and later electricity. The introduction of assembly lines made production faster and more efficient. This change, called mechanization altered the nature of warfare, as nations now had access to powerful and technologically advanced weapons. The Industrial Revolution essentially turned the gears of progress, and the impact of this transformation could be seen on the battlefields of World War I, where machines played a significant role in shaping the course of history.

During the war, soldiers on both sides had a horrible job. They fought in trenches, which were long, narrow ditches in the ground. Imagine living in a muddy, wet hole, facing constant rain, and dealing with cold weather. On top of that, there were rats, lice, and the fear of enemy attacks always hanging over their heads.

In the year 1914, during the winter, the holidays were approaching. The soldiers missed their families. They thought of how nice it would be to be home, in a warm home with those they loved. They didn’t want to be fighting and cold and suffering. This was the holidays and Christmas time for them. It was supposed to be a delightful time of year of family, friends, and giving.

On December 24th, Christmas Eve 1914, as the moon shone brightly, a British soldier named James heard the singing coming from the German side. The enemy soldiers were singing Christmas carols. James peaked his head out of the trench and saw candlelights twinkling in the distance. 

Soldiers from both sides cautiously stepped out of their trenches, meeting in the space between, called no man’s land. At first, they were cautious, but then they started sharing things. A German soldier named Franz offered James a piece of chocolate – a rare treat in those times.

In No Man’s Land, the tension between enemies faded, and soon, soldiers from both sides were sharing food and exchanging small gifts. One British soldier set up a makeshift barbershop. Someone pulled out a soccer ball and the ground in between was very icy, but both sides started playing the game together, laughing and enjoying this moment of peace. Soon a couple hundred soldiers were playing together.

One officer later wrote:

“How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”

This was a Christmas truce. A truce is an agreement of peace between enemies.

One British soldier, Tommy, wrote in a letter home, “It was a Christmas miracle! We sang, we laughed, and for a brief moment, the war seemed to disappear. We realized that the men on the other side were just like us, missing their families and longing for peace.”

Word of the truce spread, and soon, other soldiers along the Western Front joined in the Christmas celebrations. The spirit of goodwill and humanity triumphed over the hatred and violence of war.

As Christmas morning arrived, the soldiers exchanged more than just gifts. They shared stories of home, pictures of loved ones, and dreams of a future where they could live without fear and anger. For a short time, the war was forgotten, and the soldiers saw each other not as enemies but as fellow human beings.

Private Albert Moren of the British 2nd Queen’s Regiment later wrote, “On Christmas morning, we stuck up a board with ‘A Merry Christmas’ on it. The enemy had stuck up a similar one. Platoons would sometimes go out for twenty-four hours’ rest – it was a day at least out of the trench and relieved the monotony a bit – and my platoon had gone out in this way the night before, but a few of us stayed behind to see what would happen. Two of our men then threw their equipment off and jumped on the parapet with their hands above their heads. Two of the Germans did the same and commenced to walk up the river bank, our two men going to meet them. They met and shook hands and then we all got out of the trench.”

From the German side, Lieutenant Kurt Zehmisch later wrote, “How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as friends for a time.”

These accounts offer a glimpse into the unique and unexpected moments of camaraderie and humanity that emerged during the Christmas truce of 1914.

But as the sun set on that magical Christmas day, the soldiers knew they had to return to their trenches to fight. The war would continue for another 4 long years, and the truce would become a memory. Yet, the Christmas truce of 1914 left a lasting mark on those who experienced it.

As the war continued, the soldiers carried the memory of that special Christmas with them. They remembered the warmth of friendship, the joy of shared laughter, and the hope that even in the darkest times, humanity could prevail.

The story of the Christmas truce teaches us that even in the middle of a conflict, there is room for kindness and understanding. It reminds us that, despite our differences, we are all human, with the same hopes and dreams for a better world.

So, as you spend time with your family and friends during the holiday season, think about the Christmas truce of 1914. Consider how a simple act of kindness can bring people together. Is there someone you have had disagreements with but want to be close to again? Or someone you need to forgive? Finding harmony in life isn’t easy but something we should work toward and just like those brave soldiers on the Western Front, let the spirit of peace and goodwill fill your heart.

And who knows, maybe, just maybe, the inspiration from the Christmas truce will encourage a world where kindness triumphs over hatred, and where the spirit of unity prevails, not just during the holidays but every day of the year.

The post Christmas Truce of 1914 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.

When I say “Super Hero,” who or what comes to mind?  Do you think of Superman, Iron Man, or Wonder Woman?  Maybe you think of the Black Panther, Captain America, or Thor.  Well, I know some real-life heroes and they aren’t humans – they’re animals!  Animals with four paws and wagging tails who love to pull sleds.  They’re Siberian Huskies – the great sled dogs of Alaska and other snowy countries.  They are very brave and powerful.  They can survive in freezing temperatures and blowing blizzards.  They can run for hours pulling heavy sleds and battle fierce animals like grizzly bears and wolves.  They are very smart, strong, and loyal.  

And an amazing pack of Huskies saved a town in Alaska many years ago!

The year was 1925 and it was January in Nome, Alaska.  People huddled inside their homes as the wind howled outside and Alaska froze.  Families gathered around stoves and fireplaces to keep warm.  They wrapped themselves in furs and watched as their cold breath swirled in the polar night air. Little did they know that a disease named Diphtheria was silently spreading across Alaska.

But one person did know and his name was Dr. Curtis Welch, the local doctor in Nome.  He had treated a few children for colds, which later turned out to be Diphtheria, a dangerous and contagious disease.  This was the worst time for a Diphtheria outbreak.  Alaska was isolated and frozen.  The shipping ports had closed two months prior, in November, and wouldn’t open until the following July.  Plus, the doctor’s supply of antitoxin, or medicine, to treat Diphtheria had expired.  What could he do?  

He immediately contacted the mayor of Nome and started a quarantine in hopes of stopping the spread of the disease.  But with everyone huddled together inside, the disease started to spread.  The doctor sent urgent telegrams to Public Health in Washington, D.C., pleading for an emergency delivery of medicine.  In these small Alaskan towns, the people had never been exposed to many diseases, including Diphtheria, so they had no natural immunity, or protection, against it.  Everyone in the town could be lost.

An emergency meeting was held.  A plan was discussed to deliver the medicine by plane.  However, the conditions were too brutal for most planes to fly without freezing and the few planes that could make the flight had been dismantled, or taken apart, for the winter.  They then thought about trains.  It was a good plan, but with one hitch: the train could only go so far before the tracks were covered, frozen, and unusable.  They then considered a dogsled team.  It would be a round trip of over 600 miles and take 30 days in weather of -50 F or -46 C.  Winds in Alaska were whipping at 25 mph and snowbanks were 10 ft or 3 m tall.  The problem with this plan was that the medicine would only last for 6 days in this brutal weather.

So, the doctor and his team decided on a combined approach – train and multiple dog sled teams.  By this time, 300,000 units of medicine had been found at a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska.  The medicine was packed in quilts, wrapped in padding, and stuffed into a metal cannister weighting 20 pounds. The cannister was then put on a train for a short trip before being transferred to dog sled teams for the main trek, which started on January 27, 1925, at 9:00 p.m.  The Great Race of Mercy was on!

The first dog sled driver, or musher, was “Wild Bill” Shannon, with his lead dog Blackie, and a team of 10 Huskies.  The dogs yipped, barked, and jumped in excitement as they were hitched into their harnesses.  They could sense the urgency in the air and were anxious to get started.  The night was fiercely cold but their thick coats helped keep them warm.  “Wild Bill” snapped the reins, yelled “mush” to the dogs, and they were off!  The team raced over snowy trails and frozen rivers.  On and on they raced through the frigid night, their breath appearing like steam from a racing locomotive.  They arrived at the next stop at 3:00 the next morning, exhausted.  “Wild Bill” was suffering from hypothermia (extreme cold) and his face was black from frostbite.  The medicine was then placed by the fire to warm while “Wild Bill” and the dogs rested for four hours.  They awoke and started the next leg of the trip, leaving 3 exhausted dogs behind.

“Wild Bill,” Blackie, and the team arrived in Minto at 11:00 a.m. the following morning and passed the medicine off to the next team led by musher Edgar Kalland.  The team raced off through the forest in frigid temperatures, causing Edgar’s hands to freeze to the wooden handlebars of the sled.  At a rest stop, a man had to pour boiling water on Edgar’s hands to release them from the sled.  

And while this lifesaving race was underway, more cases of Diphtheria were spreading across Nome.  More dog sled teams were added to the race to save precious hours.  The medicine was passed from team to team as the heroic Huskies raced for hours across the frozen landscape.  The weather was so extreme that several dogs on one team passed away from frostbite and their musher took over their spots, pulling the sled alongside the dogs.

Soon an artic storm was brewing. Gale force winds, dangerous white out conditions, and wind chill temperatures reaching -70 F, -57 C battered the dogs and mushers.  But the brave Huskies of the Great Race of Mercy would not stop.  For hours they barreled through unrelenting snow drifts and unforgiving terrain, their strong paws beating the snow in a race against time and Mother Nature.  It was now January 30^th.  There were 27 cases of Diphtheria in Nome and rising.  All the medicine was gone.  Time was running out.

Meanwhile, a musher named Leonhard Seppala, his lead dog, Togo, and his team raced out from Nome into the storm to meet the incoming dog sled team.  They raced for 91 miles in a gale-force blizzard with wind chills reaching -85F, -65C.  Blinding snow pelted the dogs’ coats and slashed their eyes. They met the incoming team, transferred the medicine, then Seppala, Togo, and the team raced off into the night, only stopping to rest for a few hours, before starting again. Togo, Seppala, and the dogs then made the treacherous trip up and over Little McKinley Mountain, a total of 8 miles and 5,000 feet in elevation, in the raging storm.  On the other side, exhausted and freezing, they transferred the medicine to the next team.  It was now February 1^st.  

The next team took off into the storm and were blown off course, causing the musher to suffer severe frostbite while putting blankets on his dogs.  The team arrived at the next transfer point at 7:00 p.m. that night.  A new team of musher Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dogs, Balto and Fox, waited to see if the storm would stop.  When it worsened, they decided to start the trek before the trail became lost completely.  They raced into the storm at 10:00 p.m.  They were battered by gales and blinding snow as they crossed Topkok Mountain.  Gunnar couldn’t see the reins in front of him or the dogs through the swirling snow.  At one point the sled overturned, burying the lifesaving medicine and canister.  Gunnar dug furiously in the snow, panting with anxiety, his hands stiff with frostbite.  But luck was with him – he found the canister, righted the sled, fastened the canister to the sled, and shouted to Balto, Fox, and his dogs to run.

On they raced, now ahead of schedule and nearing the end, arriving in Nome on February 2^nd at 5:30 a.m. with the lifesaving antitoxin.  The medicine had survived the trip and was thawed and ready for patients by noon the same day!  The town was saved!  

These strong, brave sled dogs raced over 600 miles on a lifesaving mission in subzero conditions and hurricane-force winds for a total of 127.5 hours, setting a world record.  The dogs, along with their Alaskan and Norwegian mushers, were honored with gold medals, wreathes, and accolades. 

A statute of Balto, the lead dog who crossed the finished line in Nome, was erected in New York’s Central Park in 1925.  An inscription reads, “Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed antitoxin 600 miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters, through arctic blizzards, from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome.”  Three additional words were added at the bottom of the inscription: “Endurance · Fidelity · Intelligence.”  

This race, while historic, also stirred some controversy.  Most of the credit and fame from this race was bestowed upon lead dog Balto.  However, many believe that lead dog Togo completed the longest, hardest part of the trek.  He raced for 261 miles compared to Balto’s 55 miles.  Some believe that Fox was the true lead dog on Gunnar’s team, not Balto.  Also, the Alaskan mushers were not recognized as fully as the Norwegian mushers, even though they completed most of the race.

But I think all of us would agree that this was a historic and amazing mission of mercy that saved many lives.  And you may wonder what happened to the dogs.  Well, a few passed away from this demanding trek, but most survived.  Balto lived until he was 14 and his body is now on display at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.  Togo lived to the age of 16 and is now on display at the Iditarod Museum in Wasilla, Alaska. 

What do you think of this amazing race?  Have you ever seen actual sled dog teams or watched the Iditarod races?  Do you have a Siberian Husky as a pet?  I think this is an amazing story of how man and animals can work together to accomplish great things.  Siberian Huskies are an important – and lifesaving – part of life in various parts of the world.

The post Togo, Balto, and the Lifesaving Sled Dog Race appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Imagine standing on the center court of the biggest tennis match in the World, The US Open, facing your toughest opponent yet. The sun beats down on your skin, and the crowd’s roar fills your ears as you prepare to serve the ball.

As you toss the ball into the air, your mind flashes back to all the hours you’ve spent practicing, training, and pushing yourself to become the best tennis player in the world. You remember the countless sacrifices you’ve made, the injuries you’ve overcome, and the doubts you’ve silenced.

With a powerful swing of your racket, you send the ball flying over the net and into your opponent’s court. The crowd erupts into cheers as you begin the intense rally that will decide the fate of the match.

As the ball flies back and forth between you and your opponent, you stay focused and determined, using every ounce of your strength, speed, and skill to keep the rally going. You hear your opponent’s breaths getting heavier, see her movements slowing down, and you know you’ve got her where you want her.

In a sudden burst of energy, you make a bold move, charging forward to the net and delivering a stunning volley that catches your opponent off guard. The ball flies past her, landing squarely in the corner of the court, and you raise your arms in triumph as the crowd explodes with excitement.

You’ve done it again. You’ve proven yourself to be the best tennis player in the world, and nothing can stop you. As you bask in the glory of your victory, you can’t help but feel grateful for all the hard work, dedication, and passion that have brought you to this moment. 

You are Serena Williams in a tennis match and it’s nothing short of exhilarating.

Serena Williams is one of the most famous tennis players in the world. She has won countless championships and is known for her incredible athleticism, strength, and skill on the court. But before she became a tennis superstar, she was just a little girl with a big dream.

Serena was born in Saginaw, Michigan with 6 siblings, in 1981 to parents Orancene and Richard Williams who worked hard to keep their big family happy. 

One day while watching a tennis tournament on TV Richard Williams, had an amazing idea. The winner of the tennis tournament received a large amount of money, and Richard believed that his daughters could also become tennis champions. He decided to learn everything he could about the sport and coach his daughters to become superstars. He even wrote a book outlining what they needed to learn about tennis and how he would teach them. He was determined to make his daughters into tennis champions. 

When Serena was just three years old, her father started teaching her and her older sister, Venus, how to play tennis. He would take them to the public courts in their neighborhood and give them lessons on the basics of the game.

Serena learned to play on old and cracked tennis courts in Compton. These courts were not like the ones found in fancy tennis clubs. The nets were held up by chains and ropes, and the fence surrounding the courts was broken in some places. The area around the courts was also not very safe. There were often gang members causing trouble, and sometimes the girls even heard gunshots nearby! It was definitely not an easy place to practice and play tennis.

As the young girls kept practicing their tennis skills, something amazing started to happen. The court began to feel like a safer place to be. Some people who lived nearby even remember seeing gang members standing outside the courts, keeping an eye on the girls and their dad while they played.

Serena and Venus quickly fell in love with tennis. They would practice for hours every day, hitting balls back and forth and working on their technique. They also played other sports, like basketball and track and field, but tennis was always their favorite.

The girls continued taking tennis lessons from their dad and kept improving their skills. 

Serena’s older sister Venus was around nine years old when she started playing in tennis tournaments against other kids her age and Serena was only 8! She was so eager to compete that she surprised her dad by secretly filling out forms to enter a tournament without telling him. He only found out when he saw Serena win her first match!

During that same tournament, her dad got to see both of his daughters play against each other for the first time in the tournament final. Venus was nine and Serena was eight. It was a big moment for the family!

As the sisters began to win more and more games everyone in the tennis community began to notice them. What made Venus and Serena stand out was that they didn’t come from a fancy tennis club. They wore regular clothes without designer labels and they played differently from most young players. Instead of just trying to hit the ball where their opponents couldn’t reach it, they used power and slammed the ball so their opponents couldn’t even see it! The Williams sisters’ success didn’t just stay in California. It caught the attention of people all over the country. The sisters were interviewed and during the interview, Venus said that if she didn’t become a tennis player, she wanted to be an astronaut or an archaeologist and Serena said she wanted to be a gymnast or a veterinarian. 

Their dad had been teaching them all he knew about tennis, but soon he realized that his daughters needed more help to improve their skills. That’s when he decided to hire a professional coach named Rick Macci, a coach in Florida who had trained other young champions like Jennifer Capriati, the youngest player ever to reach the top ten in the world rankings at age fourteen in.

Macci flew to Compton, where the Williams family lived, to see the girls play. Macci was surprised by the run-down courts that the sisters were practicing on, but he was even more impressed by how well the girls played. He saw that they were not only strong, but also fast and graceful. After he watched them play he explained to Serena and Venus that they needed better coaching to take their game to the next level.

Macci saw that Venus and Serena had a burning desire to win, and he believed that they had the potential to become champions. But to do so, the family would have to leave California and move to Florida, where Macci’s tennis academy was located. 

In 1991, the Williams family packed up an RV and drove across the country to start a new life in Florida.

The move was not easy for some of the older sisters to pack up and leave their home, but their parents knew that it was the best decision for Venus and Serena’s tennis future. 

In Florida, the girls practiced six hours a day, six days a week for four years, hitting hundreds of serves every day. They also attended a private school that was part of the tennis academy, where they focused on both tennis and school every day.

Soon after turning fifteen, Serena played in her first professional tournament. And once she started playing professionally the German shoe company Puma offered her a lot of money to wear their name and logo while she played in tournaments, this is called being a sponsor. When you are really good at something like playing tennis, racing cars, or skating, businesses will give you money to wear their logo!

Making money while playing tennis was a big deal for Serena’s family because it helped them to have a better life. It allowed them to pay for travel expenses to tennis tournaments around the world. 

Serena and Venus worked very hard to become professional tennis players, and their success allowed them to support their family and live a more comfortable life.

The sisters were able to  move their family to a big house in Palm Beach, Florida. The house had two tennis courts that were in perfect condition, which was much different than the tennis courts they grew up playing on. 

Serena’s dad started coaching her and her sister again, and they hired tutors to help them with their schoolwork. On the way to the courts, Richard put up signs with encouraging messages for his daughters. One sign said that Venus needed to take control of her future, while another told Serena to use more top spin on the ball.

When Venus and Serena started playing in professional tournaments, they sometimes ended up playing against each other. Venus won against Serena in their first match at the Australian Open in 1998, but Venus said it wasn’t fun to eliminate her little sister. They both celebrated when they won tournaments, and in 1999, they made history by becoming the first sisters to each win a tournament on the same day! Venus won in Oklahoma, while Serena won in Paris.

Serena was only 14 years old when she turned pro in 1995. Over the years she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, which is more than any other player in recent history! That means she’s won the biggest and most important tennis tournaments in the world many times over! She’s also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus, and four Olympic gold medals too!

Serena’s powerful serve and aggressive style of play are famous around the world. She’s been ranked No. 1 in the world eight times by the Women’s Tennis Association.

Her success hasn’t come without challenges though. She’s had to overcome injuries, setbacks, and tough opponents. But through it all, she’s shown us that with hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude, anything is possible!

Serena is an inspiration to millions of people around the world. She’s not only an amazing athlete, but she’s also a businesswoman, a fashion designer, and a philanthropist who gives back to her community. Serena is proof that you can achieve anything you set your mind to, and she’s a true champion both on and off the court!

The post Serena Williams Story for Kids appeared first on Bedtime History: Podcast and Videos For Kids.

Can you imagine what it would be like to not be able to see or hear? Your world would be completely dark and silent. How would you talk to your friends and family? How would you eat? How would you walk around the house and play with your friends? Tonight we are going to talk about a girl who lived most of her life without being able to see or hear. This is the amazing story of Helen Keller!

Birth

Helen Keller was born June 27, 1880, in Alabama. She was a healthy child and lived a pretty normal life for her first year. She learned to talk at 6 months old and walked like most kids when she was 1. When she was 19 months old she became very sick. After she was well her mother noticed she couldn’t see or hear anything. Helen had permanently lost her sight and hearing. Close your eyes again and cover your ears. This is how Helen lived and it was very difficult for her to cope with life afterward. Imagine trying to walk around the house or eat your dinner. Imagine trying to go outside and play and do basic things like play with your toys or friends. Because Helen couldn’t hear her ability to speak never improved, so she wasn’t able to talk to people in her family. All of these challenges led to Helen acting out in ways that made life for her and her family even harder. If you put yourself in Helen’s shoes you can think of how hard it would be to act normal under such circumstances. 

Helen would often kick and pinch her family members. When she was angry she would fall on the floor and screen and yell. At the dinner table, she grabbed food off their plates. The family felt so bad for Helen that they let her do whatever she wanted. They didn’t know how to deal with a child who couldn’t see or hear. Some friends and family said they should send her away, because she was causing so much trouble for the family, but her parents loved her too much to do that.

Anne Sullivan

One day her mother was reading about another child who was blind, but received help by Alexander Graham Bell. Alexander Graham Bell was also known for the invention of the telephone. They met Bell, who recommended them to a school called The Perkins Institute for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts. They traveled there, and for the first time met Anne Sullivan. Anne Sullivan agreed to move to Alabama to help Helen.

Anne first taught Helen sign language. Sign language is where you move your hands and fingers in different ways to communicate words. For example, if you want to say “you” you point. If you want to eat you move toward your mouth with your fingers. But, of course, this didn’t work for Helen, so they tried to spell words into Helen’s hand so she could feel them. But Helen didn’t understand and became frustrated. One day at the dinner table yelled and started grabbing everyone’s food off their plates. Anne took control of the situation and had everyone leave the room. This made Helen even madder, but Anne was determined to show her that even when she threw tantrums she wouldn’t get what she wanted. Before she could improve at sign language, she’d need to learn some basic discipline. 

Anne soon realized that the only way to teach Helen would be to live somewhere else. So they got in a carriage and rode circles around the family’s home for a while and then stopped at a small home nearby. They did this so Helen thought they had traveled very far, when really they were living around the corner. But it was important for Helen to know only Anne was around, so she’d have to rely on her to learn. 

One day Anne had the idea to put Helen’s hand under the water to let her feel it first. Then she held her hand and spelled W-A-T-E-R into it with sign language. She did this over and over until it clicked for Helen that she could use these signs to communicate with others. She spelled the word back into Anne’s hand. Helen became very excited! By that evening they learned 30 new words! Once Helen could learn to communicate, she wasn’t as frustrated. Often when someone else is angry or acts out in ways we don’t understand, they may do this because they aren’t understood. Before you judge others and criticize them, first try to understand why they may be behaving this way. Anne did this with Helen and it completely changed her life.

With Anne’s help, Helen continued to learn new signs and eventually learned to read books using braille. Braille is bumps on a page that represent words. When a person cannot see they feel the words instead. For example, the letter “A” is a single dot and the letter “B” is two dots. 

Attending School

Helen also attended a school in Boston for other children who were deaf. She really wanted to be able to speak and for many years worked on improving this ability. She was also determined to go to college, but it was very expensive so she wasn’t sure how to make it happen. Around this time she met Mark Twain, the famous American author who wrote books like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. They became friends and Twain introduced her to a wealthy friend who decided to pay for her college. Helen attended and later graduated college, a major achievement for someone who was deaf and especially for someone who was deaf and blind. 

Charitable Acts

Helen later wrote a book about her life and traveled and spoke to others about her experiences and ways to improve the world for people with disabilities. She also spoke in favor of women being able to vote. Soon people all over the world knew about Helen Keller and listened to her speak and read her books. In 1920 she helped start the American Civil Liberties Union. 

Over the years, Helen traveled to 35 different countries, sharing her ideas and spreading her influence to others who were inspired by her incredible life. 

Helen once said:

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

She also said:

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.

Conclusion

Spend some time thinking about what it would be like to live like Helen. Do you know anyone who can’t see or hear? When you try to see the world the way someone else does, we call this “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes”, it helps you to understand them. Often we get caught up in our own little world and realize that the world is made up of people with many different life situations and experiences. When you get the chance, look up sign language symbols and letters and try to learn a few. It can be a lot of fun! 

Think of the challenges Helen faced and think of your own challenges. It may not be obvious, but everyone has their own struggles and their own challenges. Spend some time thinking about yours, and what you might do to change your situation. You also may realize there are some things you just can’t change. For example, Helen wasn’t able to change the fact that she couldn’t see or hear. You may have similar challenges. You may be stuck in a place you don’t like or with someone who is hard to be around. Or maybe you have physical disabilities like Helen. But remember, even though you can’t always change your situation, you can change how you react to it. Helen couldn’t make herself see, but she could learn new ways to communicate. She learned sign language and learned braille, so she could read. She learned how to type, so she could write books. Everyone has their own unique challenges, so it is up to YOU to come up with a plan for how you can act and improve your situation. And this will often mean asking for help, and that is ok, too!

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But if someone had asked a young Frederick Douglass these questions, he wouldn’t have been able to answer some of them.  Frederick was born into slavery in the early 19th century, in the state of Maryland. Not only was he considered the property of his white master, but many other things were also denied to him and his fellow enslaved workers. Frederick never knew his birthday, or exactly how old he was. He never knew his father, though there were rumors that his master was his father. He barely knew his mother: she was forced to work on a farm miles away from Frederick. She wanted so badly to see her son that, whenever she could, she would walk for miles after a long day of fieldwork to visit him late at night. Sadly, these visits stopped when Frederick was seven. He would only learn later that his mother had died.

This was how life looked for millions of enslaved people at the time. Birthdays and close family members are important parts of who we are, but slave masters didn’t want their slaves to have these connections. They didn’t want them to learn to read or write. Family, birthdays, and books might give the enslaved worker things to care about and hope for that had nothing to do with working for their master from dawn til dusk, and work was what the master wanted.

Not long after his mother passed away, Frederick’s grandmother took him to a different plantation. Once there, the master made her leave. Frederick stayed. At 8 years old, he would get a taste of what life as an enslaved worker was like. He was given two long shirts to wear, but no pants, shoes, or even a blanket. He slept on the floor, sometimes stealing a flour sack to keep warm under. He saw the grown-ups go off to the fields to work before dawn, and not return until it was dark, so tired they were ready to collapse. He saw his aunt whipped for talking to a man she liked.

But soon, Frederick’s enslaver decided he’d be of better use elsewhere. He sent Frederick to live with his relatives in Baltimore, Hugh, and Sophia Auld. There, he would live in a house and be given better clothes to wear. But this wasn’t exactly a privilege: Frederick was going there to be a servant to the Auld’s son. 

Still, for a brief time, Frederick got a glimpse of a better life. But the nice house, the big, bustling city, and the real clothes were just a small part of that better life. His new mistress, Sophia Auld, gave him something far more valuable than those things..in fact, more valuable than even she realized. She taught him to read. 

Sophia Auld did not come from a family that kept slaves. She didn’t know it was illegal to teach them to read, and maybe she didn’t realize what a powerful thing reading was. But she was delighted to see how quickly Frederick learned, and he loved his lessons. 

Hugh Auld was not so pleased. He scolded Sophia that reading would ruin Frederick as a slave. He thought, like many other slaveholders, that if slaves knew how to read they might learn about ideas that made them question slavery. They might start thinking about freedom and democracy. They might rebel or run away. 

Sadly, Sophia came around to her husband’s way of thinking. She stopped teaching Frederick. She became distant and cold. Frederick wrote later that “slavery proved as injurious to her as it did to me.” It made her less kind and less human.

Hugh Weld was right about one thing though. Reading gave Frederick power.  Like many enslaved people, Frederick had wished for freedom even before he could read. But in books, he found people who argued that he deserved freedom, who said he was just as human as any white person. He learned about people and ideas that gave him the strength to keep hoping – for his own freedom and that of all enslaved people. 

Frederick didn’t want to stop learning. He befriended white children in the streets of Baltimore. He convinced them to help him with his reading and writing. Like Sophia, they didn’t know that they weren’t supposed to. They saw Frederick as just another little boy. Many of these children were hungry and poor, so Frederick would take a little extra bread from the Auld’s kitchen to share with them. By the time he was 12, he convinced many of these children that he should be free when he grew up, just like them. They could see what the grown-ups all around them couldn’t: Frederick was a child just like them, and he deserved the same freedom they had. 

Eventually, Frederick was sent to work on Hugh’s brother’s farm. Thomas Auld was far more strict than Hugh, and he and Frederick clashed from the beginning. Frederick would sometimes let Thomas’s horse run off. He knew the horse would always wander to a particular neighbor’s house, and that neighbor would give Frederick a good meal when he went to retrieve the horse. But maybe he secretly wished that escape could be so easy for him. Thomas soon got tired of this behavior. He thought he knew how to teach Frederick to be obedient and meek. He sent him to live with a man named Edward Covey. 

Covey was the worst person yet. He wasn’t a new master, who just wanted Frederick to work and obey his orders. Covey’s job was to break slaves who weren’t behaving the way their regular masters wanted. He worked Frederick harder than any other master had, and punished him more cruelly. He whipped and beat him almost daily. But Frederick stayed strong. He never gave in, and finally, one day, he had had enough. He fought back. The two fought with each other for hours, but finally, Covey gave in. From that day on, Frederick knew he could stand up to even the worst treatment. More than that, he knew he could escape.

Frederick was sent back to the Aulds in Baltimore. He had one goal now: to free himself. To go north, where he could make his own decisions and fight for the rights of others to do the same. 

In Baltimore, he met a free black woman named Anna. The two fell in love, but Frederick didn’t want anything to get in the way of his goal of freedom. He told Anna he would marry her when he was a free man.

Finally, he found a friend who was willing to help. The friend was a free black sailor in Baltimore, and he let Frederick use his identification papers. Wearing a rumpled sailor uniform that didn’t quite fit, Frederick got on a train to Delaware, then a ship to Philadelphia and freedom. He settled in New York and sent word to Anna to join him.

Freedom for himself wasn’t enough though. Frederick knew that millions of other enslaved people still suffered – children without mothers who didn’t have enough to eat or wear; grownups who worked every moment of the day with no pay and no choices in life. He began to speak against slavery, and in August of 1841, he traveled to a meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Someone in the hot, crowded meeting hall had heard him speak before and urged Frederick to address the meeting. 

Frederick was nervous because he’d never spoken in front of such a large group. His voice shook. But soon after he began, he saw the sympathetic expressions on the faces in the audience. He told about his struggles to learn to read and about the harsh treatment he’d endured under Edward Covey. How he didn’t know his age or birthday, and never really knew his mother.

After that, Frederick joined the Anti-Slavery Society and began to tour the free states, speaking about his experience. His perspective was valuable since many in the North had not witnessed slavery up close. He wrote his autobiography, revealing the terrible things he and other enslaved people experienced every day.

None of this was safe or easy. Having his name in newspapers and pamphlets, then on a published book, meant that people in the south might realize who he was, and Frederick’s old master might send slave catchers to kidnap and bring him back. After his book came out, Frederick traveled to England. In England, all people were free. Frederick spoke to groups there about American slavery, convincing many British people to speak out against the system. Two English friends raised money to buy Frederick’s freedom. For 710 dollars and 96 cents, the Aulds officially gave Frederick the freedom he’d known all along was his right. 

Frederick returned to America as a free man in 1847. By this time, many Americans were starting to think that they would never be able to resolve their differences about slavery peacefully. Civil War broke out in 1861 between the Northern, free states, and slaveholding states in the South. Frederick knew this conflict would determine the fate of the millions of people still enslaved in America. 

Frederick was one of the most famous men in America by now. He met with President Lincoln in the White House and helped convince him to allow black men to fight in the Union army. He then recruited black men to fight, including two of his sons. He attended Lincoln’s second inauguration, and when he was turned away at the door for a reception afterward, Lincoln insisted the guards let him in. Lincoln asked Frederick his opinion of his speech, saying there was “no man in the country whose opinion I value more than yours.” Frederick told the president that it “was a sacred effort.”

Frederick lived three more decades after the civil war. He kept working to help black people get to vote, get their education, and enjoy the rights that had been denied them for so long.

Frederick was born enslaved–denied a mother, a birthday, and his freedom. He was taught to read almost by accident, and that one forbidden activity opened a world of ideas–of freedom, justice, and opportunity to him. He discovered that words were powerful. With his speeches and writing, Frederick opened the minds and hearts of masses of people, even a president, to the experiences of enslaved people. He made them see these people as people, made them care, and made them act. Frederick’s voice may have shaken at first, but it grew strong and clear and deep. And it could never be broken. 

Sources

https://www.hup.harvard.edu/features/frederick-douglass/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7716878/

https://www.nps.gov/frdo/learn/historyculture/confronting-a-president-douglass-and-lincoln.htm

Douglass, Frederick. (1845) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. Anti-Slavery Office, Boston. 

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. (2012) Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America. Disney, New York.

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Early Days of Wangari Maathai

This is the world Wangari Maathai knew as a child. Born in the rainy season in the highlands of Kenya to a farming family, she spent a lot of time outdoors. She learned to observe the natural world: the rains, the rocks, the plants, and animals. She grew her own garden, diligently tending her crops. She fetched water from a spring where it bubbled up out of the ground and found hideaways behind forest plants. She learned how the rain fed her family’s crops, which fed her family and provided them with income when they sold the excess. She learned how that rain flowed down to rivers, providing clean drinking water for people and animals. 

She learned to respect nature because it could be dangerous. Animals hid in the forest – leopards and elephants. She learned to care for it because it could also be fragile. Human beings could easily throw things out of balance by taking more than they needed from them, or not protecting what they gave them.  

When she was eight, Wangari left her little farming village. Her mother took her and her older brothers to the nearby town of Nyeri so her brothers could go to school. In the 1940s, girls in Kenya rarely went to school. Wangari went along so that she could help her mother around the house with cooking and cleaning. But within weeks of their arrival, it became clear that this plan would never work. Wangari asked her older brothers about what they were learning each day when they got home from school. Soon, one of the brothers asked their mother why she couldn’t just go to school too.  Her mother decided this wasn’t a bad idea, and soon, Wangari was going off to school each day too.

Wangari loved school and did well. She especially loved learning about the living world, the plants, and the animals that had been her constant companions when she lived in her small farming village. She graduated high school in 1959 but didn’t want to stop. As unusual as it was for a girl to finish high school in Kenya at that time, it was almost unheard of for one to go on to college. But Wangari heard about a program that sent Kenyan students to the United States for college. She applied and got a scholarship! Wangari was off to study at Mount Saint Scholastica College in Kansas. 

Educational Adventures of Wangari Maathai

The 1960s were a time of big social changes in the United States. Women and African Americans were fighting for rights that they had been denied for a long time. They wanted equal opportunities to work and go to school, and they wanted unfair laws to be struck down. It was an exciting time, and Wangari embraced the ideals of equality and freedom. She went on to get a Master’s degree in biology at the University of Pittsburgh before returning to Kenya.

While she was gone, Kenya had gone through some big changes of its own. The country had been controlled by the British empire since the 1920s, but in 1963, it gained its independence. When Wangari returned, she came back to a country that was finally run by its own people. Wangari was excited to be a part of her country’s history. She hoped she could help it become a place where all people have equal rights and opportunities.

But, Wangari still wasn’t done learning. She began studying to become a veterinary doctor at the University of Nairobi. She became the first woman in East Africa to earn such an advanced degree! She began working as a professor at the university, teaching others about veterinary medicine. 

Working Towards Democracy

Even though she was busy working at her job and starting a family by this time, Wangari kept thinking about how she could help make her country reach the ideals of democracy and equality. She took time to notice the problems facing the people of Kenya. One thing she noticed was that the lush, green hillsides she had explored as a child, the forests that had first taught her about the natural world, had changed. So many trees had been cut down that the land looked bare. Under British rule, people had cut down huge swaths of forest to make way for crops that could be sold for lots of money overseas, like coffee and tea. For someone who loved nature, like Wangari, this was a sad thing, but she knew it wasn’t just a problem for the trees. This deforestation was a problem for people too. 

Trees help the land in many ways. They provide shade on hot days and grow fruit that people and animals eat. With their deep, spreading roots, they keep the soil on mountainsides from washing away in the rain. With so many trees gone, the rainy season no longer meant good crops and drinking water. Instead, the rain washed all the best soil down the hillsides, and into the rivers below. This made it harder to grow crops, so farmers couldn’t earn enough money to support themselves. It also made the rivers dirty, so the water wasn’t good to drink. With fewer trees, people had to walk farther to find firewood, which made it harder to cook meals.

These problems especially affected women, because they were the ones who went to fetch water and firewood. They had to walk further and further to find clean water and large trees. 

Wangari wanted to help return her country to the beautiful, green landscape she’d known as a child, and, at the same time, fix the problems that deforestation had caused. If she could help people plant trees, they would also be able to grow more crops, so they could earn enough money to live off of. They would be able to find clean water and firewood nearby. 

Wangari worked with a women’s group to pay women in rural areas of the country to plant trees. This helped with both deforestation and poverty since these women now earned a little bit of money to help their families. She taught women all over Kenya how to plant trees in nurseries, then transplant them into wild areas. At the same time, she taught them about how trees helped keep the land and their communities healthy. She called this project the Green Belt Movement because they planted trees in rows that would look like long, green belts across the land.

At first, the Kenyan government didn’t like Wangari’s movement. Didn’t like that a woman was taking charge, didn’t like that people planting trees weren’t professional foresters, and didn’t like that she helped poor people take control of their lives. Many in the government thought it would be better to make money for themselves by selling the deforested land to people who wanted to build on it. Wangari was attacked, beaten, and arrested.  But she never gave up. The Green Belt Movement planted millions of trees in Kenya. Hillsides became green again. Trees helped hold soil in place so it didn’t wash away into the rivers, making them mucky and brown. 

Wangari was even elected to Kenya’s parliament in 1997. She got 98% of the vote, which is very unusual for an election! Later, she was made minister of the environment. She helped make policies that would ensure long-lasting change and protection for the environment. Wangari felt that protecting the environment was a critical part of keeping people healthy and provided for. She had seen how the trees planted by the Green Belt Movement helped people out of poverty, cleaned up rivers, and made the soil healthy again. 

Over time, Wangari’s movement started to mean more than just trees. People started to see that it was about helping people who were suffering, and when you do that, you create a more peaceful society. When people have what they need, they can help others too. They also saw that the small act of tree-planting, when many people did it, had a huge impact. This is how democracy works too: when enough people vote or speak out, small acts can amount to big changes.  Kenya was working towards becoming a democracy during this time, so this was an important idea to spread. The trees planted by the Green Belt Movement became symbols, reminding people of how they could overcome their differences, make better decisions together as a country, and live in peace.

Nobel Peace Prize

In 2004, Wangari received a huge honor. She won the Nobel Prize for Peace. The Nobel Peace Prize recognizes someone who has done big things to support peace between countries or help people who were suffering. With her trees, Wangari had helped end suffering for people in Kenya and create a healthy environment where they could live peacefully for years to come. She did this even while she faced serious opposition from her own government. She worked not only to improve the natural environment but to guide her country towards democracy so that everyone could have a voice in how things were run. 

Wangari became ill and passed away in 2011, but the movement she started continues. They still plant trees in Kenya, but also partner with other groups around the world to plant trees and tackle other problems like climate change and inequality. Even though the world faces a lot of big problems, it’s important to remember that even small acts can lead to big change, if enough people do them. There are so many things you can do to help, too! Plant a tree, donate food to a food pantry, or just say a kind thing to someone.  If you do it, maybe someone else will too. All these little acts add up, bringing us closer, as Wangari put it, to “a time when we have shed our fear and give hope to each other.” 

Sources

https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/kenya

http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/ 

https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2004/maathai/lecture/

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1860/14.%20Kenya%20Country%20Profile.pdf

Crayton, Lisa A (2020). Wangari Maathai: Get to Know the Woman Who Planted Trees to Bring Change. Capstone, North Mankato, MN

Maathai, Wangari (2006) Unbowed. Random House, New York.

Swanson, Jennifer (2018) Environmental Activist Wangari Maathai. Lerner Publishing, Minneapolis.

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

Close your eyes and imagine you are in a beautiful, Japanese garden. You see a small stream leading to a calm pond covered in bright pink flowers and water lilies. The green grass around you is cut short and all of the plants and shrubbery are neatly trimmed. Flowering trees are above you. You see a wooden footbridge and cross the pond to an open area with a grand temple in the middle. It’s designed in Japanese fashion with a peaked roof. Surrounding the temple are men and women holding wooden swords. A teacher is showing them how to use the sword, swinging it upward and then down. They all follow his instructions at the same time in a coordinated dance. Then they kick and swing the swords again. Past them, in the temple, you see a group cross-legged and meditating. You suddenly realize you are observing a group of Japanese samurais in training.

Have you ever heard of a “samurai”? A samurai was an ancient warrior in the country of Japan. You could compare them to the knights of Medieval Times, because they were warriors who wore armor, fought in battles, and lived a code of honor. But they were also different from knights in other ways which we’ll talk about today.

If you saw a samurai today they’d be wearing armor, a helmet, and carrying a long sword called a “katana.” They were known for their great strength and skill and speed and their incredible use of the katana sword. The first Samurai fought on horseback. For a long time, the soldiers in Japan were peasants – simple people who farmed the land and weren’t trained to fight. So when they fought in a battle, they weren’t very effective because their job was normally farming not fighting. At the time in Japan, some of the wealthier citizens had horses and decided they might be better warriors than the peasants. Horses gave them an advantage and using a bow and arrow from the back of the horse, these wealthy Japanese became very dangerous fighters. Soon, instead of peasants fighting, more and more of the soldiers became Samurai, fighting with swords and bow and arrows from horseback.

As the samurai trained harder and from a young age, they became known for their excellent skills with the katana sword. They disciplined themselves. Discipline means to have self-control. Daily they practiced riding horses, using the katana, and doing things that were very hard but made them stronger because they pushed their body and mind to their limits. They were similar to Spartan warriors in this way, too.

Some of the legendary samurai were women, too. Tomoe Gozen fought bravely during the clan wars. She was a skilled archer and swordsman, “a warrior worth a thousand” the legends say. She was a strong horseman and could ride down steep hills. In battle, she was sent out as a captain in the best armor and the best weapons to lead the other samurai – and “performed more deeds of valor than any of the other warriors.” 

Another well known general at this time was female samurai Hangaku Gozen. Female foot soldiers were also known to fight alongside the men during clan wars.

In the Pacific Ocean, Japan is an island located off the coast of China. At the time, a powerful people called the Mongols ruled China and wanted to rule Japan, too. In 1270 A.D. Kublai Khan, the leader of the Mongol army,  decided to attack Japan. He sent 40,000 soldiers and 90 ships to invade the island. But for many years, the Japanese Samurai had been preparing and training to defend their country. When the Mongols invaded, they were met by the fast and powerful Samurai who used their skills to defend Japan and stopped the invasion. 

For a time, Japan was also divided into power clans, or groups of people sort of like small cities or towns. The clans were ruled by a leader called a “daimyo” (dime-yo). The daimyo hired samurai to protect their clan. Often clans fought against each other for more land so many of the samurai battles over the years were between competing clans. Samurai became distinguished for their honor in battle. Honor meant their commitment to the samurai code or set of rules known as the “bushido.” They strictly followed the rules of a samurai or “bushido” which included courage, respect, self-control and righteousness, which means doing the right thing. In battle, the Samurai were taught to never surrender or back down, to continue fighting even when they were losing and to have courage even in the most fearful moments.

In 1582, a man named Oda Nobunaga was born to a powerful daim-yo in the Owari region. Growing up, Nobunaga was trained as other samurai to fight with the bow and arrow, sword, and learned to discipline himself after the “bushido,” the way of the samurai. After his father passed away, Nobunaga and his brothers fought to rule the clan and Nobunaga became the new leader. But he wasn’t content leading one clan, he wanted to grow the clan’s power and began conquering other clans nearby. He was a skilled military leader and organized his soldiers and samurai in a way that continued to win until he ruled many other clans. Nobunaga also made alliances with other powerful clans. An alliance is an agreement that they will work together. And eventually Nobunaga’s clans and alliances brought all of the clans together. Nobunaga eventually became the leader of half the clans in Japan, also called a “shogun.” He built a beautiful castle on a lake and lived there during his rule. From there he continued to organize and strengthen his armies and make laws that he believed were in Japan’s best interest. The rule of a powerful Japanese leader was called a “shogunate” and his rule was followed by powerful leaders such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa. Under Hideyoshi, all of Japan was united under a single leader or “shogunate.” This led the way for a unified Japan up until the single country it is today. 

Back to the samurai – with Japan united, the different clans and their dime-yo leaders no longer fought for control. Because there was peace between clans, the samurai weren’t needed for fighting. Also, gunpowder and guns were introduced to Japan, so the army became made up of regular soldiers and swords were replaced with guns. The samurai became workers for the new Japanese government. They still followed the code of the Samurai but weren’t needed for battle and taught others about the “bushido” code and how to have self-control and respect for others. 

Some of the samurai who didn’t want to become peaceful government workers and who no longer were needed by the clans became leaderless. These wandering samurai became known as “Ronin” (row-nin) who often became bandits or soldiers for hire. In one of the most famous Japanese stories, 47 of these Ronin lost their master after he was murdered. They band together and seek after his murderer until they get revenge. This legendary story was made into plays and later movies and comic books called “47 Ronin.” 

As we’ve mentioned before, the way of the samurai, the special code they followed that made them samurai was called “bushido.” Without bushido, they wouldn’t have had the discipline to train and act with courage during the toughest moments of battle. Even though you aren’t a samurai, you can take the best things from the bushido code and apply them to your own life. As we talk about the principles of bushido, think about how you might use them each day.

The first principle of bushido was rectitude or justice. This meant to act in a way that made sense, was rational, even when it was very hard to do so. Also, to treat others with fairness and honor.

The second principle was courage, which means acting on what is right even when it is hard. A samurai was determined to act even under difficult circumstances. If you’ve ever done something hard, when it wasn’t easy, you’ve demonstrated courage. And courage doesn’t always come easy, it takes practice! Next time something challenging comes your way say to yourself, “I can have courage, I can do it!” With each courageous step you take, it can become easier.

The third principle of bushido was mercy. This means showing love to others and being able to forgive.

Fourth, politeness. To treat others with respect, have good manners, and say kind things. 

Fifth, honesty. We all know what that means. Telling the truth even when it’s not easy.

Sixth, honor. This meant showing personal respect. Respecting yourself and having patience. This means taking a deep breath when you might get upset and finding ways to work through problems by keeping a cool head, rather than getting angry and losing ones temper. 

Seventh, loyalty. To the samurai this loyalty to their leaders, usually the daim-yo. For you, this might mean listening to your parents or sticking up for your family, siblings, and friends, and being there for them when they need your help.

Finally, eighth, self control. One of the most important because it helps with all of the other principles. This means being able to manage your wants. There might be something you really want, but you can ask yourself if you really need it. It’s important to be able to tell the difference between wants and needs. Needs are things you do need, like good food and sleeping each day. Wants might be a toy or watching a movie, which can be fun at times but aren’t really necessary all the time. Next time you want something, but don’t really need it, try saying “no.” And you’ll find each time you strengthen that part of your brain that has self-control. Also, eating healthy and getting good sleep help with self-control. 

Those are the principles of bushido, the way of the samurai. Like I said, think of ways you can incorporate these good teachings and others into your own life to have the strength of a samurai!

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But did you also know that letters are also important to people who study history? They are! We have the letters of many famous people from the past. In some cases, that’s the only writing we have that was written by an important person. Today, we’re going to talk about someone who is famous for the many letters she wrote to important people of her day: Abigail Adams. 

Abigail was the wife of one US president, and the mother of another, but her story starts in Weymouth, Massachusetts, in 1744, when the North American colonies were still part of England. Abigail was sick and weak at birth, but to everyone’s surprise, she survived. Whether her parents realized it at the time or not, this strong will was a characteristic that Abigail would show throughout her life. She was a spirited and curious child, who didn’t have much use for the types of chores girls were expected to do in colonial America. Instead of sewing, churning butter, or spinning wool into yarn, Abigail preferred to read the books in her father’s library, ask questions of his guests, and boss around her younger siblings! Even though she didn’t get to go to school, Abigail was interested in philosophy, history, government, law, and many other subjects. Over time, Abigail did learn to behave in the way people expected, but she never stopped reading, learning, or expressing her opinion. 

When she was 18, Abigail met a young struggling lawyer named John Adams. The two fell in love and were married in 1764. Abigail’s father, a minister, performed the ceremony. At first, the couple lived on a farm not far from Abigail’s childhood home, with John practicing law from the house. After a few years, the family moved to the city of Boston, where John’s law practice could grow. 

At this time, the American colonies were becoming unhappy with British rule. Britain had fought a war, the French and Indian War, to keep control of the American colonies. Britain won the war, but they had borrowed a lot of money to pay for it. They needed to pay that money back, so the British Parliament passed taxes on tea, paper, sugar, glass and other goods in the colonies. The American colonists were upset because they did not have a say in the taxes. Boston was full of people angry with the British king. They staged protests and boycotted, or refused to buy, British goods. John and Abigail watched all this and thought about how government should work and what rights people should have. John wrote pieces criticizing the taxes for the Boston newspaper. 

By 1774, Abigail and John felt that the colonies should try to win their freedom from Britain. John went to Philadelphia to be part of the First Continental Congress, where the delegates debated how to respond to British taxes and the harsh laws they’d enacted.  Abigail lived on their farm during this time, and she and John wrote to each other often. Though Abigail certainly had a lot to do running the farm and raising their four children, she used her letters to keep John informed of important events happening in their family and in Massachusetts.  

In 1775, John again took part in the Continental Congress. This time, he helped Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration of Independence, which said that the American colonies would no longer be part of Britain. If there was going to be a new country, Abigail thought it should do certain things a little better than in the past. She believed women should be allowed to own property, get a good education, and have a say in the laws of their own country. She wrote to John during the Congress:  “In this new code of laws…I desire you would remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.” Unfortunately, her ideas didn’t make it into the Declaration of Independence or the new laws of the country. 

Abigail also questioned how other groups would be treated in the new country. Even though the Declaration of Independence stated that “all men are created equal” and had rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” most black people in the colonies were enslaved, and many of the members of the Continental Congress owned slaves. Abigail felt very strongly that this was wrong, and would lead to conflict between the states later on. She wrote to John: “I wish most sincerely there was not a slave in the province. It always appeared a most iniquitous scheme to me–fight ourselves for what we are daily robbing and plundering from those who have as good a right to it as we have.” Unfortunately, this was another issue where Abigail’s views didn’t carry the day, though John was also against slavery. Sadly, when the United States constituion was written in 1787, it allowed slavery to continue. 

As the Continental Congress was debating and writing new laws, the Revolution was gaining speed. Abigail saw first hand the effects of the war. She wrote letters to John detailing British troop movements and battles that happened near their home, and . She even took her son, the future president John Quincy Adams, to a hilltop to watch the Battle of Bunker Hill. She housed and fed soldiers from the Revolutionary War in their home as well as people who had to leave their homes because of the fighting. All the while, she made all the decisions about how the farm should be run, and made sure the family had enough money to live. 

After the war, John Adams travelled to France to help negotiate the peace treaty between the new United States of America and England. At first, Abigail stayed behind and took care of running the family’s farm, but she, along with her oldest daughter and son, soon joined him in Europe. There, she had the chance to explore both Paris and London while John worked as a diplomat. 

When they returned to the United States, John became the vice-president to George Washington. When Washington decided to step down as president after eight years, John was elected as the second president of the United States. Abigail spent much of her time hosting dinners and meeting with visitors at the Presidential House in Philadelphia, which is where the capitol was at the time. She also advised John on who should be given certain jobs and helped him edit his speeches. 

In the last few months of John’s presidency, the couple moved to a brand-new presidential house in the brand-new capital city of Washington, DC. And I do mean brand-new: the house, which, of course, we now call the White House, wasn’t quite finished, and it was surrounded by woods and fields instead of the bustling city that’s there now! Abigail wrote to her daughter telling her how hard it was to heat the rooms, or even find people to help cut firewood.  Abigail warned her daughter though: “You must keep all of this to yourself. When asked how I like it, say that I write you the situation is beautiful, which is true. The house is livable, but there is not a single apartment finished.”

A few months later, John lost his attempt to be re-elected as president. Though Abigail was disappointed, she wrote to her son, future president John Qunicy Adams, saying: “could I be assured that the remainder of my days might be passed in Peace and quietness, I should have reason to rejoice in a liberation from public Life.” She and John returned to Massachuesetts, to enjoy their retirement on a farm they called Peacefield. John Quincy went on to be elected president in 1825, although Abigail had passed away by that time. 

Even for people who are well-known, being able to read their letters gives us a better idea of how they felt and reacted to events at the time. Letters help historians piece together what things were really like in the past – how people felt privately, and when conditions weren’t as rosy as they would have liked. Letters show us how people felt about each other, and how they supported each other. Abigail’s letters to John Adams, to her children, and to other people, famous or not, show us that she was an intelligent, caring, and opinionated woman. She was devoted to the cause of creating a successful and independent United States, and she made sacrifices to see it happen.  But more than telling us about the history of that time, these letters give us a glimpse of the real people who wrote them–not only their accomplishments, but their true feelings, fears, and hopes for the future.

Sources

Abigail Adams

https://millercenter.org/president/adams/adams-1797-abigail-firstlady

Abigail Adams (1744 – 1818)

https://www.nps.gov/adam/learn/historyculture/abigail-adams-1744-1818.htm

Black and slave population of the United States from 1790 to 1880

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1010169/black-and-slave-population-us-1790-1880/

First Lady Biography: Abigail Adams

http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=2 

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

https://www.nps.gov/articles/archeology-at-adams-birthplaces.htm

Belton, Blair. Abigail Adams in her own words. New York, NY: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2014.

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Imagine that you are living in South America in the 1940s.  Life is fun in Argentina, the country where you live, but also hard for your family and for many people you know.  Most people are poor and cannot find jobs that pay well.  The jobs that your aunts, uncles and parents have don’t pay very much.  And so people are not feeling very hopeful about their futures.  There is a lot of talk in the evenings about what people can do to make life better.  

You listen to what the adults talk about and one day, you go into the city with your mother and hear someone speaking on stage.  It is a famous woman who comes out.  She is dressed well and speaks with great passion about what should be done to make the lives of regular people better.  “Who is that?” you ask your mother.  “It is the president’s wife,” your mother responds.  “Her name is Eva Peron and she is a great saviour of our country, Argentina.”

Eva Peron was the wife of the president of Argentina in the 1940s.  She became very famous because she was good at speaking in public and she was passionate about helping poor people of her country.  People loved her and felt that she played a big role in improving the lives of the people of the time.  But Eva Peron was not always rich and famous.  She was actually born into a poor family, which helped her to understand the struggles of being poor. 

Eva Peron was born in May 1919 in Los Toldos, Argentina.  When she was born, her name was actually Maria Eva Duarte.  She was born to a poor family.  She grew up in poverty, meaning that she didn’t have a lot of money or access to good things in life.  She had three siblings, but her closest was a sister named Erminda and together, the two girls dreamt of becoming famous actresses.  They made up plays together and put them on for their parents and friends. 

Her mother was named Juana Ibaguren and her father was named Juan Duarte.  Unfortunately, when Eva was 7 years old, her dad died suddenly.  Everyone was very upset and their money problems suddenly got much worse.  Eva’s dad had previously been married and when he died, all of his money went to his first wife and children. Juana Ibaguren and her children were now even more poor than before.

Eva and her family struggled to have enough to eat and pay rent for their home.  So the older children had to get jobs to help earn money.  The family moved to Junin, a city in the Province of Buenos Aires in 1930.  The older children took jobs as teachers and cooks.  Eva’s mother also started taking in boarders, or people who pay money to stay at a home and be fed meals.  Eva’s mother also earned money by cooking and sewing clothes.

When Eva was 15 years old, she needed to get a job as well to contribute and bring in money.  But instead of taking one of the jobs that were available in their town, Eva did not lose sight of her dream to become an actress.  She decided to move to the big city of Buenos Aires to become an actress.  She packed her bags and caught a bus into the city.  There she found a cheap boarding house to stay at and she started trying out at various theatre houses for auditions.  

Eva was a talented actress and a beautiful young girl.  She found work at a number of theatre companies and landed roles in plays that they were performing.  While she was a teenager, Eva was in many plays and theatre productions and and even landed her first film role, or role on TV.  She also got a contract, or paid position, performing as a voice actress on the radio. 

Eva made a good amount of money as an actress and when she was about 20 years old, she decided to invest her money in starting a business.  To invest means to use your money to try to make more money.  Eva’s new business was an entertainment business called “the Company of the Theatre of the Air.”  In her new business, Eva produced radio programs like the ones she had acted in. 

At first business was difficult and stressful, but over time Eva had great success: she made a deal to create a special radio series in which she would act like famous women in history.  She was very excited to get the chance to play famous historical figures like Queen Elizabeth I and Catherine the Great.

When Eva was in her early 20s, she met a man that would dramatically change her life.  He was an older man named Juan Peron.  Juan was a colonel in the army and a government official.  They met in Buenos Aires and fell in love.  It wasn’t long before Juan asked Eva to marry him and they got married in 1945.  

Only one year later, Juan became the president of Argentina!  Can you imagine what it would be like to go from being an actress with a radio program to the president’s wife within one year?  That must certainly have been a wild time for Eva.  

Eva became a very powerful influence on Juan’s politics.  Influence means the power to shape how things are. Eva used her position as first lady to fight for causes she believed in.  This included fighting for women to have the right to vote and improving the lives of poor people in her country.  She also had a lot of influence over health andworker’s policies in the government while Juan was president. 

Because Eva was a voice actress on the radio, she was very good at speaking .. and very good at speaking in front of crowds. People who heard her speak liked listening to her a lot.  She spoke about all the ways that she wanted to help poor people make their lives better.  Eva started giving speeches while her husband was president.. And people loved her!  She was very easy to listen to and poor people who heard her speak loved to hear her message about how the president planned to help them.  

Eva became very popular.  Everywhere she went, people knew who she was and were very excited about her messages of hope for the future.  She became even more famous and she used her fame to continue spreading her message around the country of Argentina.  She spent about 5 years doing this and her popularity grew and grew.

Unfortunately, Eva started to experience health problems.  She wanted to continue working to help her fellow people of Argentina and to help poor people.  But unfortunately she got sicker and sicker and soon she was not able to work.  The people of Argentina were very sad when they learned that she was sick.  They brought her flowers and chanted her name.  They knew that she had helped them so much and they wished she would get well and stay with them for years to come. 

Eva made her last appearance in front of a crowd June 1952, when her husband was elected president for a second term.  She passed away the following month from cancer.  She was given a large funeral and millions of people showed up to say farewell.  It showed how much support Eva had from the Argentine people at the time. 

Eva Peron is a famous person in her home country of Argentina and around the world still today.  Many people are fascinated by the story of how a poor girl became a famous political power house.  Her life story has been made into a number of books, films and plays.  This includes a famous play called Evita in 1979. The most famous song is “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and made her legacy even more known across the world.

Spend some time thinking about Eva and her life. Growing up, her life wasn’t easy but rather than sitting around and feeling sorry for herself, she started working and practicing to become an actress. It took time for her skills to grow and for her business to take off, but she stuck with it until it became successful. And when Eva became successful and the wife of the President, she used her power and influence for good. She spoke out for people who had less people, those who couldn’t vote or who were poor. Even though most of us don’t have the same power as Eva, we can use what we have to help others. This may mean donating clothes or food or money to help those in need. Our family likes to go to a place where we prepare and box food for people in need. Ask your parents if there’s a place like this near you where you can volunteer your time. Every little bit helps and makes the world a better place like Eva Peron strived for herself!

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