Langston Hughes was one of the leading voices in twentieth-century literature. As a writer, he took chances, not minding if what he had to say upset someone. His writing reflected not only his life, but life around him. Whether he attacked the discrimination aimed at African Americans or expounded on communist philosophy, his writing came from who he was. Growing up a lonely little boy, he longed for parents to support him and love him. Instead, they were always leaving him or asking him to be someone other than who he was. His grandmother taught him to be proud of being African American, and he carried this with him throughout his life. He felt disdain for those artists who he felt denied their race. Best known as a poet, Hughes also wrote short stories, novels, plays, lyrics, and nonfiction books for children. One of his favorite things to do was to write poetry that sounded like the blues and jazz music he loved so well. He became a leading voice in the Harlem Renaissance, a 1920s movement of great artistic achievement by African Americans, and remains an inspiration for poets and playwrights in the twenty-first century....

Maria and her classmates can t wait for their class trip to San Antonio. They ll get to see the Alamo, where Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie fought for Texas freedom in 1836. Before they can go, the class has a lot of other things to learn about the second largest city in Texas. They find out about the Native Americans who lived in the area before Spanish missionaries arrived, and how the Alamo and four other Spanish missions still stand along Mission Trail. They find out about people from many other countries who have also influenced the city, including Germans, Greeks, and Chinese, which is celebrated by San Antonio s Institute of Texan Cultures. On the big day, not only does the class visit the Alamo and the institute, but they also visit River Walk, an ingenious solution for controlling the San Antonio River that provides beauty and entertainment for all....

The Vietnam War sparked one of the most controversial periods in American history. Although Vietnam had been fighting for its independence for thousands of years, the United States didn t enter the picture until the 1950s. Increasing tensions between North and South Vietnam officially brought the U.S. into the war in 1964. At the same time, a military draft was instituted. People struggled to understand the role of the U.S. in Vietnam. Americans began learning more about the Vietnam War through television. As the first televised war, Americans were treated to horrific scenes with their evening news. Popular magazines and newspapers published the effects of battle on their front pages. These images added to the antiwar sentiment. Meanwhile, three million U.S. troops faced constant danger in a war eventually determined to be unwinnable. After more than 58,000 American soldiers were killed, the U.S. finally pulled out of Vietnam in 1973, and South Vietnam fell in 1975. The effects of the war would last much longer....

Barack Obama seemed to burst onto the national political scene in early 2007 when he announced his candidacy for president of the United States. In reality, his lengthy resume included work as a community organizer, civil rights attorney, state senator, and U.S. senator. His political accomplishments showed Obama as a candidate who could get things done by working with Republican and Democratic legislators alike on such issues as education, crime reform, and campaign reform. Obama s historic campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination drew both strong support and strong opposition from members of both major political parties. A skilled orator, his speeches attempted to transcend race as he focused not on how people were different, but how they were alike. A grassroots campaign grew, spreading the message that Obama was the candidate who would bring change we can believe in. He was nominated for the Democratic ticket over Hillary Rodham Clinton, and then on November 4, 2008, Barack Obama made history when he was elected America s first African American president....