Stories of America’s Past

Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly

Kate Kelly

  • Fun Facts about the U.S. Flag

    Flag Day was proclaimed to be June 14 by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. The date was chosen to commemorate that on June14, 1777, a flag with stars and stripes was selected as the symbol of the United States of America. The 1777 resolution stated that the flag should have “thirteen stripes alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” For a time, the founders foresaw…
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  • Revolutionary War Female Soldier Deborah Sampson

    Deborah Sampson (1760-1827) is well-remembered for her actions during the Revolutionary War. She decided it was her calling to serve in the Continental Army, so she disguised herself as a man and enlisted. She served successfully for 17 months in an area near West Point, known as Neutral Ground. The discovery of her gender occurred when she was sent with her regiment to Philadelphia. Many of the soldiers—including Deborah- became seriously ill. Sampson’s fever became…
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  • The Automat: Restaurant Built With Nickels

    For decades, Horn & Hardart’s Automats served as a singular social crossroads within the urban fabric of New York and Philadelphia. It was a regional restaurant business beloved by the locals who frequented it, yet mythologized by a national media that saw the restaurants as unique and powerful social equalizers. Any customer who had a nickel could come in and enjoy a cup of coffee or a piece of pie.  After a humble start with…
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  • Why is Election Day on Tuesday after the first Monday in November?

    Why is Election Day always on a Tuesday? This is a question I am often asked when I address groups about our election day history.  In 1845, Congress chose the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November because it was the most convenient day for 19th-century farmers. They traveled on horseback or with wagons, so a Tuesday gave them travel time without interfering with Sunday church services or Wednesday market days. That’s the simple…
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On
This
Day

On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill. This legislation was designed to compensate returning members of the armed services–known as G.I.s–for their efforts in World War II. This bill became one of the major forces that drove an economic expansion in America that lasted 30 years after World War II.

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Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly

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Part of the inspiration for this site comes from this remark: “People do not want to hear about simple things. They want to hear about great things – simply told.”

Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams (1860-1935)

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