They enjoy many of the benefits of being citizens of the United States, such as a free public education for their children, the right to free speech, the right to run for public office, and the opportunity to earn a comfortable living. But being a U.S. citizen isn’t just about rights and privileges. It is also a responsibility. The Citizens try to be good citizens every day, at home, in school, and at work.
On a regular day, John Citizen leaves his house and gets into his car for the drive to his office. As he drives, John carefully obeys local laws, such as not driving faster than the speed limit and stopping to let pedestrians cross the street in a crosswalk. Every day, John also obeys more important laws, such as not robbing a bank, not destroying someone else’s property, and not stealing a car.
The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution mentions the need to establish justice. Obeying federal, state, and local laws is one of the responsibilities of citizenship. Laws keep governments and communities running smoothly. They prevent individual citizens from doing whatever they like, actions that might harm other citizens and interfere with their rights. By respecting the laws established at all levels of government, John is fulfilling one of the duties of citizenship.
This story is from the May/June 2023 edition of Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.
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This story is from the May/June 2023 edition of Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.
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Eye in the Sky
An interview with Joe Piotrowski
Airborne Animals
Humans have taken to the skies in balloons, gliders, and airplanes-but we're not alone among the clouds. Animals of all sorts have evolved to harness wind power.
TAKING OFF
The Wright brothers expected airplanes to “take off,” but even they might be amazed at the way the airline industry has become big business. In the past, it was expensive to send something by plane.
GROWTH OF AN INDUSTRY
After their historic flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright returned to Dayton, Ohio. They spent the next few years making adjustments and building additional versions of their powered aircraft in their bicycle shop.
WHY KITTY HAWK?
The Wright brothers searched carefully for the best place to test their gliders and flying machines. Their main concern was for good, steady winds. But they also hoped to find a remote location to allow them to perform tests away from the public eye.
Two Brothers From Ohio
Most people do not realize that the Wright brothers—Wilbur, born in 1867, and Orville, born in 1871—performed various scientific experiments before inventing their aircraft. For as long as anyone in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio, could remember, the Wright boys had worked on mechanical projects.
A Helping Hand
May 6, 1896. A group of people who had gathered beside the Potomac River, just south of the U.S. capital, grew quiet. Then, it erupted in cheers as a small, unmanned aircraft took to the skies and flew for more than half a mile. The flight came seven years before the Wright brothers’ first manned, powered flight. The inventor of the aircraft was Dr. Samuel Pierpont Langley.
THE IDEA MEN
People dreamed of flying thousands of years before the Wright brothers found success near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. These dreamers, such as Leonardo da Vinci, studied birds flying and imagined how humans might do the same—if only they had wings. Other men developed a more hands-on approach to the topic. Early inventors made wings of cloth, glue, and feathers and tied these creations to their arms in an attempt to imitate nature.
Da Vinci's 4 Designs
Have you ever wondered how a bird flies? Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) did. He thought that understanding how a bird flies would provide the key to human flight. So, what did da Vinci learn from birds?
Silken Wings
Seven hundred years before the Wright brothers began experimenting with human flight, the Chinese had already mastered its secrets—with kites.
