Articles by Kelli Ballard

Dressing up as a witch for Halloween is popular among kids and adults as they take time adding warts to their noses and other witchy accessories. In fact, according to Google, a witch is the number one costume choice for… Read More

As the Civil War neared its end around 1865, Edouard de Laboulaye, a French historian, suggested that France should create a statue to celebrate America’s hard-won independence from England. The project was awarded to Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, a sculptor, and… Read More

The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution might seem like no big deal, as it just changes the date that the new president and Congress take office. But if the dates had always been as they are now, American history… Read More

On September 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers went up in flames in a terrorist attack on our own soil, Americans – and the whole world – watched in horror and shock. Nearly 3,000 people died that day and America… Read More

How far is America willing to take political correctness and refrain from saying or doing anything that might offend someone, whether here in the United States or elsewhere in the world? For Hollywood, that answer would be pretty far. Not… Read More

August 18 marks 100 years since the 19th Amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote. President Donald Trump, in a surprise move, pardoned suffragette Susan Brownell Anthony, to mark the anniversary. Anthony’s crime? She dared to vote. During… Read More

Today, August 15, marks 75 years since Japan surrendered, ending World War II. But the cost of the win was not cheap. Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, killing more than 2,400 Americans and injuring another 1,000…. Read More

Nevada became the 36th state of the Union on October 31, 1864. It was during the campaign to re-elect Abraham Lincoln, and the Republicans wanted the extra three electoral votes the new state would bring to the table. There wasn’t… Read More

Nebraska, the Cornhusker State, didn’t join the Union until two years after the Civil War. It became the 37th state on March 1, 1867. Its name came from the Otoe Indians and means “flat water,” referring to the Platte River,… Read More

Montana entered the Union as the 41st state on November 8, 1889. Many of the U.S. states got their names from the indigenous tribes of the region; however, Montana is a Spanish translation from “montaňa” which means “mountainous region.” This… Read More

Missouri, the “Show Me State,” was named after the tribe Missouris. The first European explorers showed up in 1673 when Father Jacques Marguette and Louis Joliet visited and provided the first written accounts of the area. It would be nearly… Read More

America has seen a spate of protests over the past few weeks – some have been peaceful, and other violent. Now, some groups have started tearing down statues across the country. This started with Confederate monuments, since these are related… Read More