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IT'S ΟΚΑΥ ΤΟ DISAGREE

John F. Kennedy spoke the words above during his 1960 presidential campaign.

EXTENDING THE RIGHT TO VOTE

Stepping inside a voting booth is perhaps the most important part of being a U.S. citizen. But the U.S. Constitution does not even address who has-or does not have the right to vote.

Meet the Citizens!

Meet John and Jane Citizen. They have three kids, two cars, and a nice house in a medium-size town.

A Famous Mud Pie

There are many versions of Mississippi mud pie. Some recipes call for creating a pie with five different layers, which might include layers of brownie, custard, pudding, or meringue.

A Fiesta of Flavors

There's no denying that Puerto Rico has a wealth of culture, a captivating past, and an abundance of scenic wonders. It should come as no surprise, then, that the island's food is also rich in fun and flavor. Traditional Borinquén fare has influences from around the world. It is rooted in native tastes. But it was blended with African cooking styles, refined with Spanish flavors, and later zested by Dutch, Irish, Italian, and even Chinese elements. No wonder the cuisine is nicknamed la cocina criolla, or "the creole kitchen!"

Mighty Rivers

Rivers play a huge role in both the natural environment and human activity. Here are three important rivers around the world.

Major Rivers

The Mississippi isn't the only river to have an important role in the nation's history.

STEPPING UP - AN INTERVIEW WITH ROJEAN HEYER

Rojean Heyer (RIGHT) has been a lockmaster for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for 12 years.

Controlling the River

Seasonal flooding is a natural event for a river. When a river floods, it spills beyond its banks into nearby low-lying areas.

Engineer Extraordinaire

he Mississippi River was littered with sunken steamboats that had hit snags or had gone down in flames. Someone could make a fortune retrieving cargoes that were sitting on the bottom of the river.

THE FALL OF VICKSBURG

Vicksburg's location high on the bluffs gave it a commanding view-and control-of the Mississippi River.

Riverboat Pilot

Twenty-one-year-old Samuel Clemens decided he needed a change. He would leave his dull job as a printer and head to New Orleans. From there, he would get passage on a ship to South America. He hoped to have great adventures and become a wealthy businessman.

France Stakes a Claim

Father Jacques Marquette, a French Jesuit missionary, J arrived in Quebec, New France (present-day Canada), in 1666.

First Peoples

Prehistoric North American peoples traveled in small nomadic family groups.

Getting Started

Old Man River. The Father of Waters. The Mighty Mississippi.

REMEMBERING ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Since baseball was introduced to the people of Puerto Rico in the 1890s, it has become the most popular sport on the island. Puerto Ricans brought the sport home after learning to play while visiting the United States. Baseball's popularity grew after the Spanish-American War in 1898. U.S. soldiers stationed in Puerto Rico played games against local clubs. By the 1930s, the island had its own professional league.

STATEHOOD

Independence, statehood, or status quo? Puerto Ricans have tried to address that question and their relationship with the United States-for more than 100 years. The island has held six referendums about the issue in the second half of the 20th century.

The United States Step In

By the early 1800s, the once-vast Spanish Empire was fading. Many of its original colonies in the Americas had fought for and won their independence. But Spain was determined to hold on to its few remaining territories. Puerto Rico was one of them.

SAN JUAN: Puerto Rico's Caribbean Jewel

When the Spanish settled San Juan in 1521, they quickly recognized the value of Puerto Rico's capital city. It became an important port, outpost, and gateway for exploration of the Americas. Spain's enemies, primarily the British and the Dutch, coveted its strategic military location. Its excellent harbor was one of the largest and best in the Caribbean.

Spanish Conquest

The promise of gold and a sea route to India. Those were the two J main reasons why Spain's King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella backed Christopher Columbus's voyages.

Getting Started

Puerto Rico is a small island with a big presence. Its rich heritage is pulled from a combination of Indigenous Taino people, Spanish conquerors, enslaved Africans, and its relationship with the United States. Most Puerto Ricans speak Spanish, but the island's official languages are Spanish and English.

A Son of the Revolution

Dark clouds of smoke spiraled into the sky over Breed's Hill as cannon roared.

MR. PRESIDENT

The Democratic-Republican party was the dominant U.S. political party in the first two decades of the 1800s.

Life of Service

Even for a person of John Quincy Adams's remarkable credentials, the practice of law was challenging.

Old Man Eloquent and the GAG RULE

The Speaker of the House punctuated his shouts with the banging of his gavel. Across the marble-columned U.S. House of Representatives, enraged southern congressmen howled and shook their fists.

Fight For Freedom

Locked in a crowded Connecticut jail cell in the winter of 1841, 11-year-old Kali was a world away from Mendeland (present-day Sierra Leone).

At Home in Quincy

Today, the National Park Service (NPS) oversees three historic residences connected to the Adams family.

The Rise of New Spain

Within a couple of years of arriving in Mexico, Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire.

Rethinking A Holiday

Columbus Day has been an official U.S. holiday since 1937. But some people question the idea of celebrating Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the “New World.”

A New Conflict Threatened The US And Mexico's Relationship

More than 60 years after the United States and Mexico fought their last battle over land, a new conflict threatened the two countries’ relationship.