Stories of America’s Past

Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly

Kate Kelly
  • Jovita Idar: Mexican American Journalist and Activist

    Journalist and activist Jovita Idar (1885-1946) lived and worked in Laredo, Texas, along the Mexican border. She is the equal of social activists and reporters like Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochran), Ida B. Wells, and California newspaper owner Charlotta Spears Bass. Idar deserves for more people to know her story. In the early 1900s, Mexicans and Mexican Americans moved freely between the U.S. and Mexico, but as more Anglos moved into the region the fluid lifestyle…
    Read More Jovita Idar: Mexican American Journalist and Activist
  • Road Maps: Before There Was GPS

    Remember foldable paper road maps? For some of us, the thought of foldable highway maps conjures memories of family road trips where the words, “Let’s stop for a map,” were spoken whenever the family drove into unfamiliar territory.  Parents studied the map for route guidance and then passed the map to those of us in the back seat who yearned for something new to look at during long drives. Early Drivers Didn’t Need Maps When…
    Read More Road Maps: Before There Was GPS
  • When Gasoline-Powered Cars Were First Used, Where Did They Get Gasoline?

    How did early drivers get gasoline before there were gas stations? Until “horseless carriages” began traveling along American roads, there hadn’t been much need for gasoline.  Gasoline was identified during the mid-19th century, when companies began refining crude oil to extract kerosene. Gasoline was a byproduct of this process, but because it was highly flammable, it was generally discarded. But with the development of gas-powered automobiles, Americans needed places to buy gasoline. Early Retail Sources…
    Read More When Gasoline-Powered Cars Were First Used, Where Did They Get Gasoline?
  • The Enduring Role of Animals in World War I

    World War I marked a turning point in warfare, ushering in an era of large-scale mechanization. Trains, trucks, tanks, cars, and motorcycles were deployed for the war, yet animals remained indispensable. Before the United States entered the war, France and Britain were importing horses, mules, and donkeys from the U.S. But buying and importing animals was both difficult and expensive. Many of the animals became ill during transatlantic transit. When the United States entered the…
    Read More The Enduring Role of Animals in World War I

On
This
Day

On October 22, 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis came to public attention when President John F. Kennedy announced that spy planes discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba.  Kennedy announced a naval blockade of Cuba, and ordered the USSR to dismantle the bases. The Soviets did not respond, so Kennedy threatened to invade. The Soviets countered with a challenge: The U.S. should remove their missiles in Turkey. Negotiations became secret, and by October 28, the crisis was resolved.

Heroes & Trailblazers


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Welcome to America Comes Alive!, a site I created to share little-known stories of regular people who made a difference and changed the course of history. Look around and see what inspires you! — Kate Kelly


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Part of the inspiration for this site comes from this remark: “People do not want to hear about simple things. They want to hear about great things – simply told.”

Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Addams (1860-1935)
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