After this newsletter is mailed to all our members, it will have its own URL. Click here to pull it from the newsletter archives if you'd like to forward it to your friends and colleagues.

SITE MAP - To help users more quickly locate stories, we have created a new site map.

• Beowulf provides a direct path to a modern scop who tells the tale in Old English.
• Columbia
includes a video of the astronauts soon before the shuttle exploded.
• Thomas Jefferson links the original Declaration of Independence (with handwritten changes by John Adams and Ben Franklin).
• Bagger Vance compares a modern allegory to an ancient epic.
• The Amistad Incident uncovers drawings of the actual captives.
• Mummies provides a virtual journey to see some of the world's most famous mummies.

FOCUSED TOPICS at AWESOME STORIES - Because the site has hundreds of stories which incorporate thousands of topics, it isn't always easy to do a "one-stop shop" on a particular subject. So ... we are creating a series of focused topics which provide our members, and site users, with detailed information - and direct access - to those sources.

This month we feature:

• Medieval History
• Space and Aviation
• Civil War (American)
• Victorian Age

STREAMING AUDIO at AWESOME STORIES - We have completed many audio recordings. You do not have to load a player - just click on the green arrow, at the top of each recorded chapter, and off you go! (Soon the audio versions will also be available as podcasts.)

IN THE NEWS 

John Adams, a new HBO miniseries starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney, begins March 16. Producers say it is the first time the story of the American Revolution will be told, in detail, on film. These numerous topics, linking to primary sources, will provide helpful background for the series.

AwesomeStories has hundreds of links to explanatory animations, audio/video clips, online games and virtual field trips. Linked throughout the entire site, they are not always easy to spot. We thought a separate section, where you can quickly locate these learning tools, would be helpful. The first version is now online.

We look forward to welcoming more individual and academic members.

Follow the link to select a free individual password. Academic group memberships are always available for educators, schools and libraries. Click here to make that selection.

If you plan to change your email address, please be sure to use this form to keep your membership current. Our database will automatically cancel existing passwords if the corresponding email address no longer works.

BOSTON MASSACRE  By 1770, many Americans wanted British soldiers to leave the colonies. On the 5^th of March that year, a taunting mob threw hard-packed snowballs at British soldiers on duty near Boston's custom house. The soldiers fired at the crowd, killing five people. John Adams, a future U.S. president, successfully defended some of the soldiers who were tried for murder.

REMEMBER THE ALAMO  The Republic of Texas declared its independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. A few days later - on March 6 - the Alamo fell. The massacre led to the rally cry: "Remember the Alamo!" Thanks to the Texas State Archives, we have significant primary sources to study the events.

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER  If it hadn't been for Doc Beanes, Francis Scott Key may never have found himself on a Royal Navy ship while the British attacked Ft. McHenry. Had he not been on the ship, Key may not have written his famous poem (which officially became America's national anthem on March 3, 1931). Learn the story and see the famous, now-restored flag which once flew above Ft. McHenry.

REVOLUTION in RUSSIA  On the 8^th of March, 1917, riots in St. Petersburg caused the Tsar, Nicholas II, to lose power. It was the beginning of the Russian Revolution which ultimately took the lives of the imperial family.

BATTLE of IWO JIMA and INCENDIARY BOMBING of TOKYO  Japanese defenders and American invaders fought for more than thirty days on the island of Iwo Jima. The famous battle finally ended in March of 1945. Under American control, the island was used as an air base for B-29s whose crews dropped fire bombs over Tokyo.

GENERAL MacARTHUR in AUSTRALIA  On the 12^th of March, 1942, General Douglas MacArthur left the Philippines for Australia where he worked closely with John Curtin, the Australian prime minister. Famously declaring that he would return to his troops, the general had been ordered to leave. He had not been told, however, that the American government was temporarily abandoning soldiers, sailors and nurses serving their country in the Philippines.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY - The Wind that Shakes the Barley  The Irish people have a long history of seeking independence from Great Britain. Our story behind The Wind that Shakes the Barley provides background on the struggle, including the partition of Ireland and the resulting civil war.

BRITAIN ABOLISHES the SLAVE TRADE  On the 25^th of March, 1807, the British Parliament formally abolished African slave-trading. This story provides background on the beginning of slave-trading, its impact on the lives of Africans and the extraordinary efforts required to end it.

BEETHOVEN and HIS HAIR  The great composer, Ludwig von Beethoven, died in Vienna on March 26, 1827. In poor health, he left behind a never-sent letter which begged his brothers to find out why he'd been so ill. Hundreds of years later, a lock of his hair provides an answer: He had severe lead poisoning!

TENERIFE - DISASTROUS AIR CRASH  On March 27, 1977, people vacationing in the Canary Islands were delayed due to a terrorist attack. What happened thereafter led to the world's deadliest aviation accident.

INVENTION of COCA COLA  In March of 1886, Dr. John Pemberton created a secret formula for a drink he called Coca-Cola. A few years later, he sold his rights to the product for a mere $2,000. Until 1905, the popular drink contained the cocaine alkaloid.

VIRGINIA WOOLF  The author, Virginia Woolf, loved London so much she once observed: "To walk alone in London is the greatest rest." Despite her fondness for the capital, Virginia's doctors believed the stress of city life in war-torn London contributed to her illnesses. On the 28^th of March, 1941, Virginia left her East Sussex home and followed the footpath to the River Ouse. She put a heavy stone into her coat pocket and walked into the water. Her body was found three weeks later.

ALASKA PURCHASE  On the 30^th of March, 1867, America purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. William Seward, wounded in an assassination attempt the night President Lincoln was killed, had lived long enough to see one of his greatest dreams come true. Not everyone agreed that buying Alaska made sense. To some, the purchase was known as "Seward's Folly." See the original purchase documents, including the paid "warrant."

To find general topics, see the new site map. To find specific subjects, check out the detailed subject index.