UWA History and Social Sciences

08/31/2026

The International House hosts great events throughout the year where you can meet your colleagues from other countries and learn about each other's culture. You can also find out about all the amazing study-abroad opportunities for UWA students. These are especially valuable for students in HY&SS.

☕🍰 Join us for Coffee & Culture this Thursday!

Start your morning with coffee, sweet treats, and great company at I-House! Come relax, meet new people, and enjoy conversations with students from different cultures and backgrounds. 🌎✨

📅 Thursday, September 3
⏰ 10:00 AM
📍 I-House

Everyone is welcome — come share a cup and connect with us! 🤎

08/31/2026

On this day in history:

Massacre of the Ciompi revolutionary cloth workers at Florence (1378); Battle of Ingolstadt: Imperialists defeat the Schamlkaldic League (1546); British troops kill 17 Stockbridge Indians in the Bronx (1778); Atlanta Campaign: Battle of Jonesborough (1864); Britain, Russia, & France form the Triple Entente (1907); Chinese forces in north Burma and south China approach linkup (1944); Actor Richard Gere born (1949); Boxing legend Rocky Marciano dies (1969); The ashes of former Ensign George Gay, sole survivor of Torpedo Squadron 8, were scattered across the waters into which his comrades had fallen during the Battle of Midway (1995); Princess Diana dies in car crash in Paris (1997); 953 die in bridge stampede in Iraq (2005); Baseball great Tom Seaver dies (2020).

08/29/2026

08/28/2026

Our American Government students are working on learning the philosophical foundations of the American founding. We love Lockean Barbie from Toy Story 3!

08/28/2026

If you're a classroom teacher, consider adding Alabama History Day to your curriculum. As a former judge for the event, I assure you that your students will have a wonderful learning experience.

08/27/2026

Matt Ford, an alumnus of HY&SS, honed his skills as a Chemistry major and Political Science minor, (History Masters degree) to achieve greatness in the practice of the law. Congratulations, Matt, your selection to Best Lawyers is well deserved and represents a lot of hard work on your part. If you'd like to learn more about pursuing a career in the law, contact UWA's pre-law advisor, Dr. Jacob Snyder ([email protected]).

08/27/2026

If you're teaching the AP courses at your high school, this looks like a valuable, free resource.

📖Are you starting APUSH or AP African American Studies this Fall? We have your back! Check out the Gilder Lehrman Institute's study guides. These free resources include primary sources, essays, and videos, organized by course unit, as well as test-taking strategies and practice questions.

APUSH Study Guide: www.gilderlehrman.org/ap-us-history

AP AfAm Studies Guide: www.gilderlehrman.org/ap-african-american-studies

08/27/2026

On this day in history:

A lunar eclipse caused the Athenians to postpone an attempt to escape from Syracuse harbor, dooming them to destruction (413 BC); Battle of Baekgang: Tang Chinese and Silla Korean forces defeat Baekje Korean forces and their Yamato Japanese allies on the Geum River in Korea, the last Japanese invasion of Korea for 900 years (663); British capture Fort Frontenac, forcing the French out of Pennsylvania (1758); The British defeated the Americans in the Battle of Brooklyn/Long Island, the largest fight of the Revolutionary War (1776); First successful oil well drilled near Titusville, Pennsylvania, by Edwin Drake (1859); Skirmish at Ball's Cross Roads, WVa (1861); President Lyndon B. Johnson born (1908); Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary (1916); 60 nations signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, renouncing war (1928); Guadalcanal: 5th Marines raid Kokumbona (1942); _Guinness Book of World Records_ first published (1955); Sociologist and civil rights activist WEB Du Bois died (1963); American vaudevillian Gracie Allen died (1964); US Senator Barack Obama becomes the first African American to be nominated by a major political party for President of the United States, by the Democratic Party (2008).

08/26/2026

If you're a high school History or English teacher, your students might be interested in this book club.

📣High school students! Are you looking for a fun way to explore American history? Check out History School Book Club!

Students watch a video featuring a renowned historian discussing their pivotal work and answer knowledge-check questions interspersed throughout. When they complete all the units in the topic, they will receive a certificate.

There are three Book Club topics to choose from, including African American History! African Americans have played a central role in shaping US history. Hear experts discuss key moments, milestones, and figures in Black history. Learn about military, scientific, cultural, and political achievements from the colonial era through the abolition of slavery, the civil rights movement, and the election of Barack Obama.

Books for this course include:

📓Annette Gordon-Reed: "The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family"
📓Peniel Joseph: "The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King"
📓Mia Bay: "Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance"
And more!

Learn more and register at gilderlehrman.org/history-school-book-club or visit the link in our bio!

08/26/2026

On this day in history:

Moslem raiders desecrate the Vatican, but are repulsed from the walls of Rome (846); Afonso the Conqueror is proclaimed first King of Portugal (1139-85); Battle of Crecy: English longbows defeat the French (1346); First Congressional action on veterans' benefits (1775); The "Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen" approved by the French National Assembly (1789); US Revenue Cutter 'Washington' seizes the Spanish ship _Amistad_, manned by self-liberated slaves, off Montauk Point, NY (1839); Krakatoa erupted, killing over 36,000 (1883); St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta born (1910); The German Eighth Army overwhelmed the Russian Second Army in Battle of Tannenberg (1914); 19th Amendment, granting US women right to vote, takes effect (1920); First televised Major League Baseball game (1939); Vichy French police round up 7,000 Jews (1942); Battle at Omugulugwombashe: Initiates the Namibian War of Independence from South Africa (1966); 13 US military personnel, more than 169 Afghans killed during su***de bombing at Kabul airport (2021); Television host Bob Barker dies (2023).