What national event do you remember most from your lifetime? The Greatest Generation recalls Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and the death of President Roosevelt. Baby Boomers remember the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr. For Gen X-ers, the Challenger space shuttle explosion, and Milennials, 9.11,

Nineteenth-century Americans would never forget the events of Easter weekend 1865. The Civil War had just ended. A new hope broke over the horizon. Then the unspeakable happened...

For the full story, click on my podcast icon on this web page: Anchor.fm/rebeccapricejanney

Marian Anderson was known as “The Voice of the Century.” Born in South Philadelphia in 1902, this gifted African-American singer rose to international prominence, becoming the first black person to perform with New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Her outstanding talent and quiet personality not only opened doors for her, but broke down racial barriers in the musical world.

This month is the 80th anniversary of her historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial. For the full story, click on my podcast link or visit Anchor.fm/rebeccapricejanney.

Have you ever experienced an earthquake? I think this must be an especially unsettling occurrence, to literally have the ground beneath you give way.

Today my podcast is about the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, one of the worst disasters in U.S. history. This happened at a time when many people believed the 20th century would be one of unprecedented human progress and peace. They were especially shaken. There is only so much human beings can control.

The grinding Civil War came to a close on April 9, 1865 with the surrender of Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia. The two men, mortal enemies during the conflict, met as brothers in a red brick house designated for the ceremony. What transpired during that meeting is one of the most touching accounts to come out of that era.

Listen to this heartfelt story on my podcast: Anchor.fm/rebeccapricejanney

Virginian Patrick Henry is one of America’s most famous orators. Born in Hanover County in 1736, he bounced around in his youth, home educated, running a store, helping out at his faith-in-law’s tavern. Few people would have pegged him for greatness. He started practicing law in 1760, after educating himself, and quickly distinguished himself, so much so that he became a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. It was there he gave one of the most rousing, and memorable speeches in American history.

You can hear the story about that speech on my podcast: Anchor.fm/rebeccapricejanney