Articles by Kelli Ballard

Today is Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May – a holiday of Mexican origin. In the United States it is celebrated with parades and get-togethers while in Mexico the day is honored on a much smaller scale. Contrary… Read More

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882) grew up in a very eventful time in America. The country was fairly new with hardly any culture of its own yet, and the Civil War was looming. Unlike many poets of his era,… Read More

Rachel Donelson, later Rachel Jackson, was a quiet woman who preferred the calm and quaint country life. But little did she know that she’d be thrust into the public eye that spanned the nation. The Early Life of Rachel Jackson… Read More

Benjamin Harrison (1833 – 1901), the 23rd president of the United States, was the second in his family to be elected to the position. His grandfather, William Henry Harrison, was the ninth president and served the shortest term in history…. Read More

For Christians, Good Friday is one of the most important holidays of the year because it represents Jesus Christ’s sacrifice to wash away our sins. It was the day he was crucified, only to rise again on Sunday, which we… Read More

The 28th president, Woodrow Wilson, was born December 28, 1856, in Staunton, Virginia. He studied law and received a Ph.D. in political science from Johns Hopkins University. He became a professor of jurisprudence and politics at Princeton in 1890 and… Read More

William Taft (1857-1930) was the 27th president of the United States. He was the only president to also serve as chief justice. Born on September 15, 1857, Taft was raised in a political family. His father, Alphonso, was a Republican… Read More

Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was the 26th president of the United States – but that hadn’t been the plan. Some Republicans didn’t like him and didn’t want him to remain governor of New York. They planned to get rid of him… Read More

It’s Valentine’s Day, a holiday to celebrate romance and love. It’s a time to give out chocolates and poetic cards to loved ones and those you might have a crush on. But who was St. Valentine and why is this… Read More

William McKinley (1843-1901) was the 25th president of the United States and the third to be assassinated. His terms saw the United States in a victory over Spain, freeing Cuba, and leading the nation out of a depression. In 1869,… Read More

Stephen Grover Cleveland (1837 – 1908) was the 22nd president of the United States. Before breaking into politics, he studied law and held several jobs. During the Civil War, Cleveland was able to avoid military service by paying $300 for… Read More

When people think of first ladies, they often picture fancy dresses, state dinners, and polite smiles, but Sarah Polk was something very different. Living in a time when women were expected to stay quiet about politics, she became one of… Read More