Charles River

*Includes pictures*Includes a bibliography for further readingIn 1494, there were five sovereign regional powers in Italy: Milan, Venice, Florence, the Papal States and Naples. In 1536, only one remained: Venice. These decades of conflict precipitated great anxiety among Western thinkers, and Italians responded to the fragmentation, forevermore, of Latin Christendom, the end of self-governance for Italians, and the beginning of the early modern era in a myriad of ways. They were always heavily influenced by the lived experience of warfare between large Christian armies on the peninsula. The diplomatic and military history of this 30 year period is a complex one that one eminent Renaissance historian, Lauro Martines, has described as "best told by a computer, so many and tangled are the treatises, negotiations and battles." At the same time, the fighting went in tandem with the Renaissance and was influenced by it. Most historians credit the city-state of Florence as the place that started and developed the Italian Renaissance, a process carried out through the patronage and commission of artists during the late 12th century. If Florence is receiving its due credit, much of it belongs to the Medicis, the family dynasty of Florence that ruled at the height of the Renaissance. The dynasty held such influence that some of its family members even became Pope. Among all of the Medicis, its most famous member ruled during the Golden Age of Florence at the apex of the Renaissance's artistic achievements. Lorenzo de Medici, commonly referred to as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was groomed both intellectually and politically to rule, and he took the reins of power at just 20 years old. Lorenzo de Medici may have not been a king, prince or duke, but he nevertheless held significant influence over all of the noble houses of the region, from Milan and Naples to the King of France. Between 1482 and 1484, Lorenzo's influence prevented a close alliance between King Louis IX of France and the city of Venice, which was at war with Ferrara. Lorenzo's personal influence helped reduce Venice's power in the region. During the Baron's War of 1485 and 1486, while Florence sided with the pope, Lorenzo favored Ferdinando of Aragon, who had close ties with Naples, giving Lorenzo the chance to attempt to negotiate an improvement in relations between the pope and Naples. While the two had once been allied against Florence, their alliance had ended with the war. Lorenzo proposed a new agreement between the two, largely centered around financial obligations, in 1489. It was accepted in 1492, creating an enduring peace for some time. Perhaps fittingly, once Lorenzo the Magnificent died, the tenuous peace would go with him, touching off the Italian Wars. The First Italian War: The History and Legacy of the Italian Wars' Initial Conflict at the Height of the Renaissance chronicles the various nations and city-states that jousted for power throughout the peninsula during the late 15th century. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the First Italian War like never before.

*Includes pictures*Includes a bibliography for further readingIn 1494, there were five sovereign regional powers in Italy: Milan, Venice, Florence, the Papal States and Naples. In 1536, only one remained: Venice. These decades of conflict precipitated great anxiety among Western thinkers, and Italians responded to the fragmentation, forevermore, of Latin Christendom, the end of self-governance for Italians, and the beginning of the early modern era in a myriad of ways. They were always heavily influenced by the lived experience of warfare between large Christian armies on the peninsula. The diplomatic and military history of this 30 year period is a complex one that one eminent Renaissance historian, Lauro Martines, has described as "best told by a computer, so many and tangled are the treatises, negotiations and battles." At the same time, the fighting went in tandem with the Renaissance and was influenced by it. Most historians credit the city-state of Florence as the place that started and developed the Italian Renaissance, a process carried out through the patronage and commission of artists during the late 12th century. If Florence is receiving its due credit, much of it belongs to the Medicis, the family dynasty of Florence that ruled at the height of the Renaissance. The dynasty held such influence that some of its family members even became Pope. Among all of the Medicis, its most famous member ruled during the Golden Age of Florence at the apex of the Renaissance's artistic achievements. Lorenzo de Medici, commonly referred to as Lorenzo the Magnificent, was groomed both intellectually and politically to rule, and he took the reins of power at just 20 years old. Lorenzo de Medici may have not been a king, prince or duke, but he nevertheless held significant influence over all of the noble houses of the region, from Milan and Naples to the King of France. Between 1482 and 1484, Lorenzo's influence prevented a close alliance between King Louis IX of France and the city of Venice, which was at war with Ferrara. Lorenzo's personal influence helped reduce Venice's power in the region. During the Baron's War of 1485 and 1486, while Florence sided with the pope, Lorenzo favored Ferdinando of Aragon, who had close ties with Naples, giving Lorenzo the chance to attempt to negotiate an improvement in relations between the pope and Naples. While the two had once been allied against Florence, their alliance had ended with the war. Lorenzo proposed a new agreement between the two, largely centered around financial obligations, in 1489. It was accepted in 1492, creating an enduring peace for some time. Perhaps fittingly, once Lorenzo the Magnificent died, the tenuous peace would go with him, touching off the Italian Wars. The First Italian War: The History and Legacy of the Italian Wars' Initial Conflict at the Height of the Renaissance chronicles the various nations and city-states that jousted for power throughout the peninsula during the late 15th century. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the First Italian War like never before.

*Includes pictures*Includes a bibliography for further reading"But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me." - Luke 19:27For centuries, Christians and Muslims were embroiled in one of the most infamous territorial disputes of all time, viciously and relentlessly battling one another for the Holy Land. In the heart of Jerusalem sat one of the shining jewels of the Christian faith, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Legend has it that this was where their Savior had been buried before his fabled resurrection. What was more, it was said to house the very cross Jesus Christ had died upon. It was for precisely these reasons that fearless pilgrims, near and far, risked their lives and made the treacherous trek to Jerusalem. The Crusades are still a fascinating and controversial topic, so when people think of religious knighthoods, they almost always think of the Knights Templar or the Knights Hospitaller. These orders captured the imagination of medieval authors due to their influence and prestige during the Crusades between the Christian kingdoms and Islamic caliphates of Western Asia and Northern Africa. They were not, however, the only orders in existence, and the Holy Land was not the only region featuring such religious conflicts. In fact, each region of Europe tended to spawn its own religious knighthoods, adhering to different saints, monastic rules, laws, and obligations, and the Muslim Moors and Christians fought throughout much of the Middle Ages across the Iberian Peninsula. It was there that one of Catholicism's most famous military orders, the Order of Santiago or Order of St. James of the Sword, left a lasting impact. The Order of Santiago appeared shortly after the First Crusade and rose to prominence in the early 12th century. While its members did not often travel to Jerusalem like their counterparts, the order did play a massive role in the Reconquista and would influence the development of several Iberian kingdoms, helping to establish modern Spain and Portugal. Given the different location and the unique culture in which it developed, the Order of Santiago obeyed far different rules than the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller, emphasizing the importance of blood purity, nobility, and adherence to a strict system of patronage and independent wealth unheard of in other orders. How such a system developed can be traced straight back to the Reconquista and the bad blood between Christians and Muslims during the High Middle Ages. In essence, the Order of Santiago stood out from other religious knighthoods of its time because of its lack of participation in the Crusades, the ethnic and religious tensions in Iberia, and the unique code of honor upheld by Iberian nobles. Although the Order of Santiago continues to exist in the present day, its heyday came during the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula, when the Christian kingdoms worked together to remove Islamic caliphates from power. Over time, the mission evolved to mean removing any and all Muslims from the peninsula, spurred on by the first rulers of a unified Spain: Ferdinand II of Aragorn and Isabella I of Castile. The Order of Santiago: The History of the Catholic Military Order Sworn to Defend the Iberian Peninsula examines the events leading up to the order's founding, its development throughout the years, its inner workings, and the lives of these famous knights of God. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Order of Santiago like never before.

*Includes pictures*Includes a bibliography for further reading"But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me." - Luke 19:27For centuries, Christians and Muslims were embroiled in one of the most infamous territorial disputes of all time, viciously and relentlessly battling one another for the Holy Land. In the heart of Jerusalem sat one of the shining jewels of the Christian faith, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Legend has it that this was where their Savior had been buried before his fabled resurrection. What was more, it was said to house the very cross Jesus Christ had died upon. It was for precisely these reasons that fearless pilgrims, near and far, risked their lives and made the treacherous trek to Jerusalem. The Crusades are still a fascinating and controversial topic, so when people think of religious knighthoods, they almost always think of the Knights Templar or the Knights Hospitaller. These orders captured the imagination of medieval authors due to their influence and prestige during the Crusades between the Christian kingdoms and Islamic caliphates of Western Asia and Northern Africa. They were not, however, the only orders in existence, and the Holy Land was not the only region featuring such religious conflicts. In fact, each region of Europe tended to spawn its own religious knighthoods, adhering to different saints, monastic rules, laws, and obligations, and the Muslim Moors and Christians fought throughout much of the Middle Ages across the Iberian Peninsula. It was there that one of Catholicism's most famous military orders, the Order of Santiago or Order of St. James of the Sword, left a lasting impact. The Order of Santiago appeared shortly after the First Crusade and rose to prominence in the early 12th century. While its members did not often travel to Jerusalem like their counterparts, the order did play a massive role in the Reconquista and would influence the development of several Iberian kingdoms, helping to establish modern Spain and Portugal. Given the different location and the unique culture in which it developed, the Order of Santiago obeyed far different rules than the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller, emphasizing the importance of blood purity, nobility, and adherence to a strict system of patronage and independent wealth unheard of in other orders. How such a system developed can be traced straight back to the Reconquista and the bad blood between Christians and Muslims during the High Middle Ages. In essence, the Order of Santiago stood out from other religious knighthoods of its time because of its lack of participation in the Crusades, the ethnic and religious tensions in Iberia, and the unique code of honor upheld by Iberian nobles. Although the Order of Santiago continues to exist in the present day, its heyday came during the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula, when the Christian kingdoms worked together to remove Islamic caliphates from power. Over time, the mission evolved to mean removing any and all Muslims from the peninsula, spurred on by the first rulers of a unified Spain: Ferdinand II of Aragorn and Isabella I of Castile. The Order of Santiago: The History of the Catholic Military Order Sworn to Defend the Iberian Peninsula examines the events leading up to the order's founding, its development throughout the years, its inner workings, and the lives of these famous knights of God. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Order of Santiago like never before.

*Includes pictures*Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading"A more uncouth clumsy machine can scarcely be imagined. In the front is a cabriolet fixed to the body of the coach, for the accommodation of three passengers, who are protected from the rain above, by the projecting roof of the coach, and in front by two heavy curtains of leather, well oiled, and smelling somewhat offensively, fastened to the roof. The inside, which is capacious, and lofty, and will hold six people in great comfort is lined with leather padded, and surrounded with little pockets, in which travellers deposit their bread, snuff, night caps, and pocket handkerchiefs, which generally enjoy each others company, in the same delicate depository. From the roof depends a large net work which is generally crouded with hats, swords, and band boxes, the whole is convenient, and when all parties are seated and arranged, the accommodations are by no means unpleasant. Upon the roof, on the outside, is the imperial, which is generally filled with six or seven persons more, and a heap of luggage, which latter also occupies the basket, and generally presents a pile, half as high again as the coach, which is secured by ropes and chains, tightened by a large iron windlass, which also constitutes another appendage of this moving mass. The body of the carriage rests upon large thongs of leather, fastened to heavy blocks of wood, instead of springs, and the whole is drawn by seven horses." - A European tourist's description of a stagecoach in the early 19th centuryThe United States is a massive country, with the continental 48 states covering over three million square miles. From the 13 colonies along the Atlantic Ocean, the nation spread ever westward, and before automobiles, airplanes, and railroads, the most reliable transportation was one's own two feet or a horse. Wagons, whether covered or uncovered, have been used to haul people and supplies for centuries. Roman armies marched with mule-powered wagons, and the Hussites utilized them to form defensive works in warfare. By the time the United States came into existence, wagons were a tried and true method of transportation, and to that end, men and their families expanded westward in wagons and stagecoaches, the automobiles of the era. Driven by oxen, horses, or mules, wagons and stagecoaches allowed people to traverse long distances much faster than walking, and although this form of travel remained relatively slow and perilous, the journey was often considered worth the risk. Some saw the potential profits in moving to the frontier, and as the nation expanded, enterprising individuals sought to form companies dedicated to stagecoach travel. In fact, trails would be forged across the country to help spread settlers, and the westward movement of Americans in the 19th century became one of the largest and most consequential migrations in history. Among the paths that blazed west, the most well-known is the Oregon Trail, which was not a single trail but a network of paths that began at one of four "jumping off" points. These trails branched off at various points and stretched roughly half the country, and hundreds of thousands of settlers would use it, yet the Oregon Trail is famous not so much for its physical dimensions but for what it represented. As many who used the Oregon Trail described in memoirs, the West represented opportunities for adventure, independence, and fortune. The stagecoaches and wagons were the vehicles carrying the supplies and people, making them crucial in shaping the nation. Stagecoaches and Wagons: The History of Overland Transportation Companies and Methods in 19th Century America looks at the vehicles that helped Americans travel across the young country. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about stagecoaches and wagons like never before.

*Includes pictures*Includes a bibliography for further reading"Glorious servant of God, St. Denis, with intense love did you devote yourself to Christ after learning to know Him through the apostle St. Paul. Preaching His saving name to the nations, and bringing the knowledge and love of God, for Who's sake you did not shrink from martyrdom..." - The Invocation of St. DenisPerched atop a bed of luxuriant grass on the Montmartre crest, the highest hilltop in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, stands a princely, cream-white monument known around the world as the Sacr -Coeur Basilica. An estimated 10 million visitors hike up the 300 steps to this iconic landmark each year, and on a good year, this figure rises to anywhere between 11.5 and 12 million people. Half of those who make the difficult, but worthwhile journey to the Sacr -Coeur are pilgrims, eager to gaze upon the breathtaking Christ in Majesty mosaic and receive the Eucharist from the blessed tabernacle of the Sacr d Heart. The others mostly consist of tourists, many of them drawn to the unique silhouette and exquisite elegance of the basilica that has become one of the French capital's most notable landmarks. The Basilica of the Sacr d Heart of Paris: The History and Legacy of the Sacr -Coeur looks at the architectural history of the site, the events that inspired its creation, and the scandals that continue to surround it to this day. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Sacr -Coeur like never before.

*Includes pictures*Includes a bibliography for further reading"Glorious servant of God, St. Denis, with intense love did you devote yourself to Christ after learning to know Him through the apostle St. Paul. Preaching His saving name to the nations, and bringing the knowledge and love of God, for Who's sake you did not shrink from martyrdom..." - The Invocation of St. DenisPerched atop a bed of luxuriant grass on the Montmartre crest, the highest hilltop in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, stands a princely, cream-white monument known around the world as the Sacr -Coeur Basilica. An estimated 10 million visitors hike up the 300 steps to this iconic landmark each year, and on a good year, this figure rises to anywhere between 11.5 and 12 million people. Half of those who make the difficult, but worthwhile journey to the Sacr -Coeur are pilgrims, eager to gaze upon the breathtaking Christ in Majesty mosaic and receive the Eucharist from the blessed tabernacle of the Sacr d Heart. The others mostly consist of tourists, many of them drawn to the unique silhouette and exquisite elegance of the basilica that has become one of the French capital's most notable landmarks. The Basilica of the Sacr d Heart of Paris: The History and Legacy of the Sacr -Coeur looks at the architectural history of the site, the events that inspired its creation, and the scandals that continue to surround it to this day. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Sacr -Coeur like never before.

Desde la cl sica carne a la parrilla a sofisticados platos de cinco estrellas, la pimienta ha sido siempre la especia obligada. La pimienta a granel puede estar almacenada en los supermercados y tiendas de abarrote hoy en d a, pero hubo un tiempo cuando esa especie tan com n era considerada unos de los m s valiosos productos en el mundo. Los comerciantes se peleaban por poner sus manos sobre esas diminutas cuentas negras, que crecen en coloridos racimos de drupas parecidas a las bayas y que recuerdan a las luces de Navidad. Eran tan apreciadas que un n mero incontable de hombres cruzaban los turbulentos e inexplorados mares en busca de ellas. De hecho, la especia tropical era tan demandada que se derram sangre por este oro comestibles. Para muchos, la menci n de comerciantes mar timos evoca una galer a de ruidosos piratas ataviados seg n un estereotipo y con un colorido papagayo colocado sobre su hombro. Estos granujas n uticos vagan por los mares en busca de tesoros y aventuras. Aunque esa imagen sea inexacta, las compa as reales que alguna vez dominaron las aguas internacionales operaban con una sed parecida de riquezas. Quiz s la m s famosa -o como muchos dir an, infame- de estas corporaciones navales fue la Compa a Neerlandesa de las Indias Orientales, conocida tambi n como la VOC. Establecida hacia comienzos del siglo XVII, este mastodonte n utico se propuso aplastar y sacar a los dem s del mercado. Investida con el poder para librar guerras y exterminar a todo aquel que se atreviera a ponerse en su camino, el resto del mundo se paraliz mientras esta fuerza indetenible se adue aba del comercio mar timo internacional. La compa a destru a a sus oponentes a medida que ascend a a la cima, estableciendo un monopolio sobre el comercio global de especias que no solo sacudir a el mundo sino que cambiar a para siempre el curso de la historia moderna de los negocios. La Compa a Brit nica de las Indias Orientales fue uno de los jugadores cruciales en la formaci n del Imperio brit nico. Desde sus or genes como una empresa mercantil en puja por mantenerse a la par con sus competidores superiores -los holandeses, portugueses y espa oles-, a su per odo como la autoridad gobernante del subcontinente indio, hasta su ensoberbecida ca da, la Compa a de las Indias Orientales sirve como un lente a trav s del cual explorar las fuerzas sociales y econ micas de mayor escala que moldearon la formaci n de un Imperio brit nico global. Como una empresa privada que se convirti en un poder global no estatal por su propio m rito, la Compa a de las Indias Orientales tambi n sirve como una historia aleccionadora muy relevante para la situaci n pol tica y econ mica actual del mundo moderno. En su nivel m s b sico, la Compa a de las Indias Orientales jug un papel esencial en el desarrollo del comercio de larga distancia entre Inglaterra y Asia. El comercio en textiles, cer micas, t y otros bienes trajo consigo un enorme flujo de capital para la econom a brit nica. Esto no solo impuls la Revoluci n Industrial, sino que tambi n cre una demanda de productos de lujo entre la clase media. El crecimiento econ mico que hizo posible la Compa a fue un factor en el ascenso de Gran Breta a de un poder regional intermedio, a la naci n m s poderosa del planeta. Las ganancias generadas por la Compa a de las Indias Orientales tambi n fueron un incentivo para otras potencias europeas para seguir su ejemplo, lo que condujo a tres siglos de competencia colonialista alrededor del mundo. Este proceso abarc mucho m s que Asia y lleg a incluir al Medio Oriente y frica.

*Includes pictures*Includes contemporary accounts*Includes a bibliography for further reading"Few people in 1830 believed that an Italian nation might exist. There were eight states in the peninsula, each with distinct laws and traditions. No one had had the desire or the resources to revive Napoleon's partial experiment in unification. - Denis Mack Smith In the 18th century, Italy was still divided into smaller states, but differently than during medieval times when the political entities were independent and were flourishing economic and cultural centers almost unrivaled in Europe. During the 18th century, all of them were submitted, in one way or another, to one of the greater hegemonic powers. This process of conquest and submission began during the early 16th century, when France was called on by the Duke Milan to intervene in his favor and from there never stopped. This was the geopolitical picture in Italy when the tumult of the French Revolution crossed the Alps, and the military campaigns of the legendary Napoleon Bonaparte would initiate a chain of events that would have massive reverberations across Italy throughout the 19th century. The different Italian states on the peninsula experienced Napoleonic rule in the early 1800s, followed by a brief restoration that led to widespread political upheavals in the 1820s. As the 1840s came to a close, the Italian peninsula was in major disarray. In 1847, the Austrian Chancellor Klement von Metternich referred to Italy as merely a "geographical expression," and to some extent, he was not far off the mark. The inhabitants did not speak Italian; only a literate few wrote in the Italian of Dante and of Machiavelli, and a mere estimated two and a half percent spoke the language. The rest spoke their own regional dialects, which were so distinct from one another as to be incomprehensible from town to town. Similarly, most future Italian citizens knew nothing of the history of the peninsula, but instead learned of their own local traditions and histories. The events of 1848-1849 began to pull the peninsula together, however. In January 1848, Sicily had a major revolution, which provoked widespread uprisings and riots, after which the kingdoms of Sardinia, the Two Sicilies, the Papal States and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany all were granted constitutions. In February, the Pope fled Rome and a three-month long Republic was declared, headed by Giuseppe Mazzini. In March, a revolution in Venice led to the declaration of a republic. In April, Milan also rebelled and became a republic. Soon, the Austrian government clamped down again on the peninsula with such intensity that not even the most optimistic would have been able to fathom the nationalist Risorgimento movement would unify Italy a little more than a decade later. The Italian state may have come together thanks to ideals, but the success of the Second Italian War of Independence owed a lot of its success to chance, foreign intervention, and the wheeling and dealing of a few powerful men. Its story is long and complex, and the ultimate unification of Italy as it's recognized today would require no less than four wars. Nonetheless, despite its difficult birthing process and rocky start, the Italian state has survived over 150 years, and it even managed to remain united in the aftermath of World War II, escaping the fate of Nazi Germany. The Kingdom of Italy: The History and Legacy of the Italian State from Unification to the End of World War II chronicles the turbulent events and wars that unified Italy into one kingdom, and the struggle to maintain it over the next 75 years. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Kingdom of Italy like never before.

*Includes pictures*Includes contemporary accounts*Includes a bibliographyOn New Year's Day 1892, a young Irish girl named Annie Moore stepped off the steamship Nevada and landed on a tiny island that once held a naval fort. As she made her way through the large building on that island, Annie was processed as the first immigrant to come to America through Ellis Island. Like so many immigrants before her, she and her family settled in an Irish neighborhood in the city, and she would live out the rest of her days there. Thanks to the opening of Ellis Island near the end of the 19th century, immigration into New York City exploded, and the city's population nearly doubled in a decade. By the 1900s, 2 million people considered themselves New Yorkers, and Ellis Island would be responsible not just for that but for much of the influx of immigrants into the nation as a whole over the next half a century. To this day, about a third of the Big Apple's population is comprised of immigrants today, making it one of the most diverse cities in the world. Angel Island, the largest island in San Francisco Bay at about 740 acres, was originally named when Don Juan Manuel Ayala sailed into San Francisco Bay. Supposedly, the island was named "Angel" because the land mass appeared to him as an angel guarding the bay, and when Ayala made a map of the Bay, on it he marked Angel Island as, "Isla de Los Angeles." This would remain the island's name ever since, even as the use of the island would certainly change over time. The island is currently a large state park with beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay and skyline, but the most noteworthy part of the park is the immigration museum. That site is what makes Angel Island so famous today, as it remains best known for being the entry point for Asian immigrants to the United States from 1910-1940. There is no way to know for sure how many people actually passed through Angel Island because of the destruction of most of the historical documentation in a fire, but historians estimate that it was between 100,000 and 500,000 people. Angel Island is often referred to the Ellis Island of the West, but many argue that they are extremely different in their preservation of immigrant histories. For one, Angel Island took much longer to preserve, and the preservation of Ellis Island focuses on the positive reception of European immigrants on the East Coast, which plays well to corporate sponsors and the American story. Historian John Bodnar explained that Ellis Island represents "the view of American history as a steady succession progress and uplift for ordinary people." Ellis Island fits nicely into the narrative of the American Dream, because even though the immigrants who came through there were subject to racism, they were predominantly white. Angel Island was a much more multiracial experience, and when recounting its history, the tensions of exclusiveness and xenophobia that existed in the late 19th century and early 20th century are laid bare for all to see. After a fire in 1940, Angel Island went from being an immigration station to being used for military purposes. At first, it was used as POW holding facility during World War II, and then finally as a Nike missile base between 1954 and 1962. After a long fight to preserve the island's history as an immigration station and a huge pillar of Asian-American history, the island was declared a landmark in 1996, and the museum opened with a fully restored immigration station in 2009. Today, the island can be visited by the public via a ferry from San Francisco, and countless people hike and bike the island, as well as taking tours of the immigration station. Ellis Island and Angel Island: The History and Legacy of America's Most Famous Immigration Stations examines how these islands became immigration inspection centers, and what life was like for those who landed in each place.

*Includes pictures*Includes contemporary accounts*Includes a bibliographyOn New Year's Day 1892, a young Irish girl named Annie Moore stepped off the steamship Nevada and landed on a tiny island that once held a naval fort. As she made her way through the large building on that island, Annie was processed as the first immigrant to come to America through Ellis Island. Like so many immigrants before her, she and her family settled in an Irish neighborhood in the city, and she would live out the rest of her days there. Thanks to the opening of Ellis Island near the end of the 19th century, immigration into New York City exploded, and the city's population nearly doubled in a decade. By the 1900s, 2 million people considered themselves New Yorkers, and Ellis Island would be responsible not just for that but for much of the influx of immigrants into the nation as a whole over the next half a century. To this day, about a third of the Big Apple's population is comprised of immigrants today, making it one of the most diverse cities in the world. Angel Island, the largest island in San Francisco Bay at about 740 acres, was originally named when Don Juan Manuel Ayala sailed into San Francisco Bay. Supposedly, the island was named "Angel" because the land mass appeared to him as an angel guarding the bay, and when Ayala made a map of the Bay, on it he marked Angel Island as, "Isla de Los Angeles." This would remain the island's name ever since, even as the use of the island would certainly change over time. The island is currently a large state park with beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay and skyline, but the most noteworthy part of the park is the immigration museum. That site is what makes Angel Island so famous today, as it remains best known for being the entry point for Asian immigrants to the United States from 1910-1940. There is no way to know for sure how many people actually passed through Angel Island because of the destruction of most of the historical documentation in a fire, but historians estimate that it was between 100,000 and 500,000 people. Angel Island is often referred to the Ellis Island of the West, but many argue that they are extremely different in their preservation of immigrant histories. For one, Angel Island took much longer to preserve, and the preservation of Ellis Island focuses on the positive reception of European immigrants on the East Coast, which plays well to corporate sponsors and the American story. Historian John Bodnar explained that Ellis Island represents "the view of American history as a steady succession progress and uplift for ordinary people." Ellis Island fits nicely into the narrative of the American Dream, because even though the immigrants who came through there were subject to racism, they were predominantly white. Angel Island was a much more multiracial experience, and when recounting its history, the tensions of exclusiveness and xenophobia that existed in the late 19th century and early 20th century are laid bare for all to see. After a fire in 1940, Angel Island went from being an immigration station to being used for military purposes. At first, it was used as POW holding facility during World War II, and then finally as a Nike missile base between 1954 and 1962. After a long fight to preserve the island's history as an immigration station and a huge pillar of Asian-American history, the island was declared a landmark in 1996, and the museum opened with a fully restored immigration station in 2009. Today, the island can be visited by the public via a ferry from San Francisco, and countless people hike and bike the island, as well as taking tours of the immigration station. Ellis Island and Angel Island: The History and Legacy of America's Most Famous Immigration Stations examines how these islands became immigration inspection centers, and what life was like for those who landed in each place.