Keeping your blanket roll as thin as possible is paramount. Therefore, keeping it no less than 30 inches allows you to pack extra personal gear in your bed roll while not having a massive roll on your saddle that you have to get over when mounting your horse. Simply put, keep it at 30" in length ...

On December 1, 1955, a soft-spoken African-American seamstress named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, as dictated by existing segregation laws. She was neither the first African American, nor the first woman to challenge the segregation laws within a public transportation sy...

Injuries and fatalities are a serious issue at an electrical utility. Management thinks it is due to worker carelessness. A lineman named Jim is planning to marry on this day but “won’t take safety seriously”. He lives in a boarding house, is late for work and is not yet married. The more fastidi...

The British and Polish airborne and airlanding men engaged at the tip of the Market Garden spear - Arnhem. Let's explore the range of small arms they carried, and use those weapons to meet several of the men who served in this great struggle from World War II.

Only weeks after Gettysburg, Union and Confederate forces vie for control of the gaps in the Shenandoah Valley. On July 21st, 1863 the 17th Virginia marched into Front Royal. With their company B having been raised in Front Royal, it was a brief homecoming - then they had to defend nearby Manassa...

Since the Battle of Antietam back in September, the Confederate and Federal armies have stared the other down for the last few months of 1862. However, after a change of command for the Federal army, a prompted Burnside decides to lead his men on a winter campaign that will bring him to the very ...

The Henry Ford celebrates trailblazers like Amelia Earhart, who defied gender barriers in pursuit of her dreams. In this video, Curator of Transportation Matt Anderson discusses Earhart’s life and legacy, including her skills, accomplishments and fearlessness that continue to inspire us today.

For almost 5 weeks since the staggering Battle of Antietam, the two sides stared each other down as neither side moved. While Lee was rebuilding his strength, McClellan found every excuse not to move forward and attack the rebels. With the midterms and winter near, Lincoln tried his best to get h...

The infantry soldiers had the luxury of using their ramrods to clean and dry the bore of their rifles. However, federal cavalry during the American Civil War did not have that tool to use. How did they clean their carbines without a rod?

Released in 1943, this newsreel shows West Point during the stewardship of Major General Francis Bowditch Wilby (April 24, 1883 – November 20, 1965). Wilby served as the 39th Superintendent of the United States Military Academy from 1942 to 1945, during World War II. Many of the Cadet Corps athl...

The 8th New York is on the lines at Cross Keys battlefield, and doesn't realize there are Confederates lying in wait for them.

Much of this is Capra’s love letter to his adopted country. Like most immigrants, the magic of America never lost its luster for him, and however dated the approach may now seem, the fundamental principles it espouses are still worth living for. This installment is largely concerned with how ordi...

Using herring as bait, fishers catch halibut in a large region off the coast of British Columbia, from the Strait of Juan de Fuca all way to Kodiak Island to the north. Fishers, in boats of 6 to 20 men then bring their haul on a larger “mothership” to be processed in factories in Prince Rupert. A...

Inspired by our 20-year celebration of The Henry Ford’s Candy Cane collection, you’ll learn about the chemistry of glass, colorants used and the history of cane-making specific to the glassmaking process, directly from The Henry Ford’s Glass Shop Supervisor, Chris Hofmann. From sourcing materials...

he average civil war cavalry trooper had to carry more than just his weapons. He had to carry his bedroll, shelter, canteen, poncho, picket pin, lariat, haversack, and much more! How and where did they put all of it when riding on campaign?