In this four-minute episode of PBS's "History Detectives," Charlotte Brooks, speaks about the relationship between Chinese immigrants and the white populations with which they came into contact in the U.S. Topics covered include the transition from violence to non-violent discrimination, the simultaneous romanticization and distrust of the Chinese, the lack of Chinese legal standing, and the way in which the arrival of Japanese and Filipino immigrants altered the social standing of the Chinese.

Teachers should be aware that the term tong is never defined within the talk. It essentially refers to Chinese organized crime groups within early Chinatowns. The violence and disparity of the anecdotes called to attention in this discussion render it better suited to middle or high school students, rather than an elementary audience.

Brooks holds a BA in Chinese history, as well as a MA and PhD in American history. She currently teaches at Baruch College, and primary academic interests include Asian American history, politics, and community in California.

Gwen Wright of PBS's History Detectives speaks to Dan Coquillette, Professor of History at Harvard, about an artifact, a book John Adams gave to his son. The book contains pamphlets spread following the Scottish Martyr Trials of 1792. Coquillette speculates that Adams may have given them to his son as a warning against carrying through with the Sedition Act.

Wes Cowan of PBS's History Detectives learns about the role of aerial reconnaissance and aerial photography in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

John McNish, a former Captain on the USS Thresher, talks to Gwen Wright of PBS's History Detectives about life on the submarine.

Fort Ancient features 18,000 feet of earthen walls built 2,000 years ago by American Indians who used the shoulder blades of deer, split elk antler, clam shell hoes, and digging sticks to dig the dirt. They then carried the soil in baskets holding 35 to 40 pounds. Portions of these walls were used in conjunction with the sun and moon to provide a calendar system for these peoples. The Museum at Fort Ancient contains 9,000 square feet of exhibits, including many interactive units, focusing on 15,000 years of American Indian history in the Ohio Valley.

The site offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational programs.

Named in honor of Henry Laurens, then president of the Continental Congress, Fort Laurens was built in 1778 in an ill-fated campaign to attack the British at Detroit. Supplying this wilderness outpost was its downfall, as its starving garrison survived on boiled moccasins and withstood a month-long siege by British-led Indians. The fort was abandoned in 1779. Today, only the outline of the fort remains, but a small museum commemorates the frontier soldier, presents a video giving the fort's history, and displays archaeological artifacts from the fort's excavation. The large park surrounding the museum is the location for periodic military reenactments. The remains of the soldiers who died defending the fort are buried in a crypt in the museum wall and at the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot of the American Revolution.

A second website covering the site, the Friends of Fort Laurens website, can be found here.

The site offers a short film; exhibits; and occasional recreational and educational events, including living history events.