The Handy History Answer Book

963 Pages·2005·11.96 MB·English

by  Rebecca Ferguson

About the Author
Author of the bestselling first edition of the Handy History Answer Book,
Rebecca Ferguson helped develop the Handy Answer Book® series and a
number of books for Visible Ink Press during the last 15 years, including
titles on noteworthy legal trials, Hispanic/Latino culture, and the
Olympics. She recently contributed to the Britannica Student
Encyclopedia, a part of Britannica Online, as well as The Lincoln Library
of American History. Her love of history runs deep. “History,” Rebecca
says, “teaches us to appreciate the scope of human endeavor and
experience.”
She lives with her husband and young son near Chicago.
Also from Visible Ink Press
The Handy Anatomy Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-190-9
The Handy Answer Book for Kids (and Parents), ISBN 978-1-57859-110-
7
The Handy Biology Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-150-3
The Handy Geography Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-062-9
The Handy Geology Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-156-5
The Handy History Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-170-1
The Handy Math Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-171-8
The Handy Ocean Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-063-6
The Handy Physics Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-058-2
The Handy Politics Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-139-8
The Handy Presidents Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-167-1
The Handy Religion Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-125-1
The Handy Science Answer Book®, ISBN 978-1-57859-140-4
The Handy Sports Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-075-9
The Handy Supreme Court Answer Book, ISBN 978-1-57859-196-1
The Handy Weather Answer Book®, ISBN 978-0-7876-1034-0
Please visit us at visibleink.com.

Copyright © 2006 by Visible Ink Press®
Photo Credits
AP/Wide World: pages 9, 28, 33, 40, 50, 63, 65, 93, 99, 100, 102, 152, 155, 158, 165, 168, 170,
184, 187, 197, 202, 204, 208, 212, 216, 270, 272, 274, 289, 310, 312, 349, 350, 352, 367, 384,
394, 400, 406, 408, 413, 418, 423, 427, 434, 447, 487, 489, 494, 500, 502, 547, 559, 562, 570.
Getty Images: pages 18, 42, 108, 122, 176, 242, 333, 342, 441, 464, 534, 545.
The Library of Congress: pages 5, 14, 27, 29, 31, 71, 74, 83, 88, 115, 125, 135, 137, 141, 148,
151, 163, 230, 234, 238, 246, 263, 265, 268, 276, 281, 285, 292, 298, 306, 335, 345, 370, 378,
398, 420, 448, 451, 459, 471, 474, 478, 483, 507, 513, 524, 526, 543, 552, 553, 555, 557, 566,
572, 576, 580, 583, 592.
Cover images reproduced by permission of AP and Library of Congress.
This publication is a creative work fully protected by all applicable copyright laws, as well as by
misappropriation, trade secrets, unfair competition, and other applicable laws.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the
publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review
written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper.
All rights to this publication will be vigorously defended.
Visible Ink Press®
43311 Joy Rd. #414
Canton, MI 48187-2075
Visible Ink Press is a trademark of Visible Ink Press LLC.
Most Visible Ink Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk
by corporations, organizations, or groups. Customized printings, special imprints, messages, and
excerpts can be produced to meet your needs. For more information, contact Special Markets
Director, Visible Ink Press, at www.visibleink.com.
Art Director: Mary Claire Krzewinski
Typesetting: The Graphix Group
ISBN: 1-57859-170-8
Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress.
Printed in the United States of America
All right reserved
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
I
NTRODUCTION
A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
C S E
HRONOLOGY OF ELECTED VENTS
ERAS AND THEIR HIGHLIGHTS
Prehistoric Era
Stone Age
Copper Age
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Age
Greek Civilization
Mycenaean Age
The Roman Republic
Holy Roman Empire
The Middle Ages
The Renaissance
European Colonialism
The Enlightenment
The Scientific Revolution
The Industrial Revolution
Era of the World Wars
The Cold War
Early Twenty-first Century
RELIGION
Roman Mythology
Greek Mythology
Buddhism
Hinduism
Shinto
The Bible
The Hebrew Bible
Christianity
The Old Testament
Dead Sea Scrolls
The Ten Commandments
Golgotha
Islam
The Koran
Five Pillars of Faith
Mecca
The Crusades
The Catholic Church
Popes
The Reformation
Counter Reformation
Martin Luther
Jesuits
The Puritans
The Protestant Ethic
Mother Teresa
Pope John Paul II
EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT
Marco Polo
The Vikings
Christopher Columbus
Cabeza de Vaca
Hernando de Soto
Ferdinand Magellan
Sir Francis Drake
Captain Cook
Lost Colony
Pilgrims
Lewis and Clark
Manifest Destiny
American Immigration
Northwest Passage
Robert Peary
Roald Amundsen
Sir Edmund Hillary
Charles Lindbergh
Amelia Earhart
Space Exploration
WAR AND CONFLICT
Trojan War
Peloponnesian War
Alexander the Great
Attila the Hun
Genghis Khan
Hundred Years’ War
Joan of Arc
French and Indian War
American Revolution
French Revolution
Napoleon
War of 1812
American Civil War
Spanish-American War