The Rise of Cotton: Crash Course Black American History #13

Cotton is everywhere in our modern world, and it became a hugely important crop in the 19th century United States. Cotton was a huge economic boon to the US, and much of that wealth was built on the backs of enslaved laborers. And cotton didn’t only benefit the states where slavery was legal. While cotton

Majority of Trump Voters Want to Split the Nation Into ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ Halves

A majority of Trump voters want to split the country into red and blue halves, according to a new poll conducted by the University of Virginia’s (UVA) nonpartisan Center for Politics. Roughly 52 percent of people who voted for Republican former President Donald Trump either “somewhat agree” or “strongly agree” that it’s time to split the country,

Alabama plans to use Covid relief funds to finance prison-building spree

Decarceration advocates urge lawmakers to consider sentencing reform instead as prisons have seen high rates of Covid outbreaks The southern US state of Alabama, which has the highest death rate from Covid-19 in America, is planning to use Covid relief funds to help construct three large prisons and renovate several others. State lawmakers began a special

The Clinton Years, or the 1990s: Crash Course US History #45

In which John Green teaches you about the United States as it was in the 1990s. You’ll remember from last week that the old-school Republican George H.W. Bush had lost the 1992 presidential election to a young upstart Democrat from Arkansas named Bill Clinton. Clinton was a bit of a dark horse candidate, having survived

Same-sex marriage referendum approved by wide margin in Switzerland

Switzerland has become one of the last Western European countries to make same-sex marriage legal, Reuters reported. A nearly two-thirds majority, or 64 percent of the country, approved the measure in a referendum, which was conducted under the nation’s direct democracy, Reuters reported. The new legislation would legalize same-sex marriage and gives same-sex couples the right

America’s billionaires pay an average income tax rate of just 8.2%, Biden administration says

The wealthiest 400 families in the United States are paying an average income tax rate of just 8.2%, according to a new analysis from the Biden administration. President Joe Biden and Democrats are pushing to raise taxes on the richest Americans as they look for ways to pay for their ambitious agenda, making its way through Congress

Supreme Court approval drops to historic low of 40%

Survey conducted as court refused to block new Texas abortion law The US Supreme Court’s approval rating has dropped to a historic low of just 40 per cent, according to a new poll. America’s highest court is disapproved of by 53 per cent of respondents, says the September poll conducted by Gallup. Since 2001 the court’s approval rating had

The Rise of Conservatism: Crash Course US History #41

In which John Green teaches you about the rise of the conservative movement in United States politics. So, the sixties are often remembered for the liberal changes that the decade brought to America, but lest you forget, Richard Nixon was elected to the presidency during the sixties. The conservative movement didn’t start with Nixon though.

The 1960s in America: Crash Course US History #40

In which John Green teaches you about a time of relative tumult in the United States, the 1960s. America was changing rapidly in the 1960s, and rights movements were at the forefront of those changes. Civil Rights were dominant, but the 60s also saw growth in the Women’s Movement, the LGBT rights movement, the Latino

Civil Rights and the 1950s: Crash Course US History #39

In which John Green teaches you about the early days of the Civil Rights movement. By way of providing context for this, John also talks a bit about wider America in the 1950s. The 1950s are a deeply nostalgic period for many Americans, but there is more than a little idealizing going on here. The