United States
Flags of the United States line both side of a road.
“The diversity of America is a strength of the country, and I don’t think that we use that. We don’t talk about our strengths. I mean, having so many diverse people in this country from all aspects of all over the world, and we don’t use that. I think we should talk about who we are – that melting pot that we’ve become.”
–Steve Stoute
The lyrics in the anthem America the Beautiful expresses it best–the United States of America really is beautiful.
O beautiful for spacious skies…For amber waves of grain…For purple mountain majesties…Above the fruited plain!…America! America!…God shed His grace on thee…And crown thy good with brotherhood…From sea to shining sea!
The United States really is a beautiful and wonderfully diverse country. When you travel to each of the 50 States and even within each State you will feel as if you’re traveling to another country.
The United States is a country built by immigrants and each corner of this country is influenced by a variety of cultural diasporas including former enslaved people from Africa and the West Indies. Even traces of Native American culture can be found despite earlier efforts to erase them from the narratives of American history.
The United States has not always been the land of the free but it has always been the home of the brave.
As Paul Tsongas said, “America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor.”
Birmingham, Alabama - the Magic City - saw events and courageous people who played a central role in the Civil Rights struggle. World Footprints goes on a walking tour through history along the Civil Rights Heritage Trail as we step onto the grounds where African Americans confronted Jim Crow era voilence with non-voilent civil disobedience.
A friend invited me to share a house with her and a few other friends in Martha’s Vineyard over the Fourth of July weekend last year. Hearing stories of the Kennedys and the Obamas vacationing there, I assumed it would be a stuffy, pretentious community for the rich and famous. This was not the case.
Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as Black History Month and we greatly owe the celebration of this month of Black Heritage, more so, the study of black history to Dr. Carter G. Woodson. The Harvard scholar was disturbed to find that history books largely ignored the black American population-and when blacks were depicted, they were reflected as socially inferior and stero-typed in a very uncomplimentary fashion. Today, thanks to Dr. Woodson and others the historical story of how the month-long celebration of African-Americans came about is amazing and inspirational. But the celebration of African-Americans should not be limited to just one month. Throughout the year there are many lesser known sites around the country where you can celebrate the contributions of African-Americans in a unique way. The African-American Heritage Trail is quite long and the short list that follows doesn’t begin to [...]
Enjoy the historic opening ceremonies surrounding the opening of the MLK Memorial in Washington, DC
Beaufort is a gorgeous coastal town filled with beaches, local shops, and even diving experiences. With so much to explore in Beaufort, this coastal gem is packed with an interesting history and some amazing activities.
Jekyll Island today is well known as a Georgia State Park where we can view a preserved piece of the lifestyle of the elite during the time of the robber barons. But did you know it also has a piece of history that was a factor in the Civil War? It was here that an illegal slave ship, The Wanderer, arrived on November 28, 1858, with over 400 people who were sold into slavery.
Located in western Illinois, on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, you’ll find my charming and welcoming hometown of Quincy. With a rich history, Midwestern hospitality, and a thriving arts scene, Quincy is Illinois’s best-kept secret.
What does the future of travel look like? We asked a travel industry insider, Helen Hernandez, CEO of the North American Travel Journalist Association (NATJA) for her insights.
On January 13, 1888, a small group of explorers and scientists, 33 in all, gathered at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. (A place where DC members of the famed Explorers Club, including World Footprints, meet today.) They proposed to organize a society "to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world's cultural, historical, and natural resources." Two weeks later, they incorporated the National Geographic Society . Alexander Graham Bell, the Society's second president, proposed a magazine, sales of which would help fund the Society's activities. In 1899, Bell's son-in-law Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor was named the first full-time editor of National Geographic magazine. He served the organization for fifty-five years (until 1954), and members of the Grosvenor family have played important roles in the organization since. Bell and Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor devised the successful marketing notion of Society membership and the first major use of [...]
New York City's La Guardia Airport opened on this day in 1938. Located in Queens County on New York's Long Island, the airfield was originally named Glenn H. Curtiss Airport but it was re-named after Fiorello H. La Guardia, a former mayor of New York City who presided over the airport's construction. It's central location and proximity to the city center make La Guardia a favorite hub for many travelers. La Guardia is the smallest of the city's three primary airports behind JFK and Newark's Liberty International.
A mere 88 years ago, women had no Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote in elections. In January of 1918, President Woodrow Wilson announced that he was supporting a new amendment to the US Constitution that would give women the right to vote. The House of Representatives passed the 19th amendment, but it failed in the Senate after a series of delays. The National Woman's Party began a campaign to oust members of Congress who voted against the 19th Amendment - with great success. The following year, both Houses of Congress were overwhelmingly pro-suffrage. On May 21, 1919 the House of Representatives passed the 19th amendment by a vote of 304 to 89 and in June, the Senate passed it by a margin of 56 to 24. After ratification by the States, the Nineteenth Amendment was certified on August 26, 1920. Beginning in the 1800s, women organized, petitioned, and [...]
Don Vicente Martinez Ybor, a Spaniard, came to Florida from Cuba. He first set up his cigar-making factory in Key West but found his mostly Cuban workers often left to return home.
