 |
 |
 Jean
Laffite was a pirate who once preyed
on merchant ships in the Gulf of Mexico. In 1815,
he and his men helped General Andrew Jackson
defeat the British at the Battle of New Orleans. |
 Fort
Caroline was established by the French on the
site of present-day Jacksonville in 1564, in an
attempt to gain a share of the riches offered by
the New World. Unfortunately, the Spanish, who
then had a monopoly on trade in the New World,
did not like the competition and destroyed the
settlement barely a year after its establishment. |
 George
Corley Wallace served an
unprecedented (and unbeaten) four terms as
Governor of Alabama. During most of his tenure he
was known for being a staunch segregationist,
and, in 1963, literally stood in the way of two
blacks attempting to attend the University of
Alabama. By the time his fourth term started,
however, he had actually gained forgiveness from
civil rights leaders for his past actions. He was
also a three-time candidate for President, but
never made it past the early primaries. |
 Marquette
and Joliet Explore the Mississippi River
In 1673, Father Jacques Marquette and fur trader
Louis Joliet went out in search of a mighty river
that they hoped would be the fabled Northwest
Passage. On June 17, they found the Mississippi
River, which, though a mighty river, proved not
to be a passage to the Orient. |
 Sam
Houston helped fight for Texas'
independence from Mexico, and then became the
first popularly elected President of the Republic
of Texas. During his tenure he secured U.S.
recognition of Texas and stabilized the
republic's finances. |
|
