Lists about what's going on on Capitol Hill and in your own backyard.

US Government & Politics

History

Laws named after victims remain a source of debate. While plenty of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crimes-by-rich-white-women/elle-tharp" target="_blank">brutal crimes</a> occur within any given year, only a very small percentage&nbsp;lead to changes to our legal system. When it comes to US laws created because of crimes, public outrage is key. Particularly <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crimes-by-rich-white-women/elle-tharp" target="_blank">horrifying kidnappings</a>, murders, and suicides receive&nbsp;an unusual amount of press coverage, often resulting in&nbsp;the widespread backlash needed to pressure politicians into reforming the legal system.&nbsp;The crimes that resulted in new laws&nbsp;were already illegal when they were committed. The resulting legislation is usually seen&nbsp;as closing a loophole or addressing a unique aspect of the crime. However, there is much public debate on whether such laws are ethical or effective. People who have laws named after them are honored and memorialized, on the one hand, but critics argue such laws are often too reactionary to be truly effective.&nbsp;If you're unsure where you stand on the issue, browse this list. It will help you develop a more detailed understanding of how and why some crimes lead to new laws.&nbsp;

Every US Law Named After A Victim And What It Does

General

Jodi Smith

Lists about the family, life, and tragic end of one of America's most popular and controversial figures, 35th President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).

The Rise and Fall of Camelot

Assassinations

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Arguably the crime of the century, Kennedy&#39;s murder stunned&nbsp;the American people and set off an outpouring of grief around the world. But the days after JFK&#39;s assassination also involved additionally shocking events and dramatic moments, from his <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/jfk-funeral-small-poignant-details/jim-rowley" target="_blank">funeral service</a> to the search for his assassin.

In the immediate aftermath of the JFK assassination, Kennedy&#39;s alleged assassin, Lee Harvey&nbsp;Oswald, was&nbsp;shot to death live on American television. Oswald&#39;s background as a former resident of the Soviet Union, his Russian wife, and connections to communist Cuba added a cold war component to the assassination. The sketchy background of Oswald&#39;s assassin, Jack Ruby, also quickly&nbsp;fomented numerous conspiracy theories that became an integral part of any future discussion of JFK&#39;s&nbsp;assassination - one of these even claims <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/lincoln-kennedy-similarities-urban-legend/zach-seemayer" target="_blank">countless eerie coincidences</a> between Kennedy&#39;s life and that of Abraham Lincoln. What happened following the assassination of John F. Kennedy - arguably one of the world&#39;s most important leaders - &nbsp;had historical, political, and social implications that still reverberate today.&nbsp;&nbsp;

What Happened Immediately After JFK Was Assassinated?

Phil Gibbons

Lists of fascinating facts and lesser-known details about the lives of people whose names you learned in History class (or should have).

Down in History

US History

Many of the stories about Davy Crockett (1786-1836) are wrapped up in myth and masculinity, much of which was propagated by Crockett&#39;s own hand. He wrote an autobiography, aptly titled&nbsp;A Narrative of the Life of David Crockett of the State of Tennessee, which detailed - and perhaps&nbsp;embellished -&nbsp;life on the American frontier.

Davy Crockett&#39;s stories became wrapped up in the&nbsp;frontier, manliness, and American strength, promoting a sense of machismo that contrasts heavily with its modern conception. As a frontiersman, soldier, and politician, Davy Crockett achieved folk hero status soon after his passing in 1836,&nbsp;and his reputation continued to grow throughout the 20th&nbsp;century.

The best Davy Crockett stories demonstrate the many lives he led and the challenges he faced - with some questionable details and antiquated mores mixed in.

Unbelievably Macho Tales Of Davy Crockett From His Heyday

Unbelievably Macho Davy Crockett Stories From His Heyday

Melissa Sartore

Lists about the period of United States history that allowed for human enslavement, from early colonial days until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865.

American Slavery

America

What actually happened when the slaves in America were freed? It didn&rsquo;t all happen at once, so it&rsquo;s not like trying to picture what, say, the surrender of General Lee was like. There are plenty of accounts of that specific incident. But the emancipation of Black slaves in the United States wasn&rsquo;t that simple (<a href="http://www.freedmen.umd.edu/chronol.htm">as this timeline indicates</a>). The end of the war on April 9,&nbsp;1865, is just one of many instances of the &ldquo;freeing of the slaves.&rdquo; There were other occasions, depending on where you lived&nbsp;(slavery was abolished in Washington, D.C., in 1862, for example).

So this list features firsthand accounts of what happened once the slaves were freed at plantations and farms across the United States, on the day of their emancipation, whatever that particular date may be. Want to really know how the freeing of the slaves worked? <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/actors-describe-serial-killer-roles/brent-sprecher?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">How it felt</a>? Below is just a small sampling of the words of the millions of men, women, and children who actually lived through it.

What Actually Happened on Plantations When the Slaves Were Freed

How the Freeing of the Slaves Actually Worked

Kellen Perry

These are the most dramatic, petty, savage, and entertaining rivalries since Cain & Abel.

Where's the Beef?

Trending on Ranker

The war between the Hatfields and McCoys is one of the most brutal family feuds in American history, distinguished by its absurd escalation&nbsp;of violence.&nbsp;The moonshine-soaked, romance-fueled&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/family-feud-fails/whitneysmoore">family feud</a>&nbsp;took place between 1865 and 1890, in a bloody brother-on-brother, neighbor-on-neighbor wave of violence with ties to&nbsp;the recently ended Civil War. The barbaric&nbsp;battle&nbsp;between the two families became a&nbsp;national legend and was even made into a&nbsp;miniseries on the History Channel.The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield%E2%80%93McCoy_feud">Hatfields &amp; McCoys</a> were large families on opposite sides of the Tug River, which separates Kentucky and West Virginia. The McCoys lived on the Kentucky side, the Hatfields on the West Virginia side. The families were run by two powerful patriarchs: William Anderson Hatfield, known as Devil Anse, and Randolph &quot;Old Ranel&quot;&nbsp;McCoy. While these men were in charge of their respective families and are largely credited with leading&nbsp;the troops on either side of the river, the feud involved many different members of each clan.History experts disagree on when exactly the feud started. The violence either kicked off in 1865, with the murder of Asa Harmon McCoy, or in 1878, with a deadly dispute over a hog. Regardless, the feud was perpetuated by&nbsp;thefts and increasingly vicious acts of violence, which escalated to all out war. The grand finale of the&nbsp;feud came in 1889, when several members of the Hatfield clan were put on trial for murder.

The 12 Most Brutally Insane Moments of the Hatfield-McCoy Feud

The Craziest and Most Brutal Things the Hatfields and McCoys Did to One Another

Katherine Ripley

Lists about memorable candidates, jawdropping campaigns, and fascinating election facts in the U.S. and around the world.

Election Season

Politics

At the time, the 2016 presidential election often felt&nbsp;like the last 10 minutes of a slasher movie. America thought&nbsp;the strange figure slaughtering&nbsp;everything in its path&nbsp;would probably&nbsp;be defeated by the plucky final girl with the bob. Then it got weirder. But not quite as weird as some of the most insane election cycles in US history. It may not seem possible, but there have been many tough-to-explain elections, and at least one of them ended&nbsp;with a candidate being murdered in front of multiple witnesses. Keep reading to find out about the nastiest elections ever.

Most of the craziest US elections happened in the 19th century, before extensive voting reform happened, when it was easy to suppress votes in radical ways. But that doesn&rsquo;t mean the 20th century didn&rsquo;t play host to some of the weirdest elections ever. We&rsquo;re willing to be the phrase &ldquo;hanging chad&rdquo; still sends a chill down many spines. Continue reading to see if your candidate took part in any of nastiest US elections, and remember &ndash; your vote counts (unless you&rsquo;re voting for the Whig party).

Make your voice heard.&nbsp;<a href="https://headcount.turbovote.org/?r=ranker" target="_blank">Register to vote</a>.

The Strangest Election Cycles In US History

16 Historic US Election Cycles Crazier Than 2016

Jacob Shelton

From 1861 to 1865, The Union faced secessionists in 11 Southern states grouped together as the Confederacy and waged war against America. It was the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history.

North vs. South

There's no question: the Civil War was about slavery. Denying the central role that slavery played in the Civil War goes against all the facts. And yet some still cling to the revisionist history argument that the South wanted independence or&nbsp;lower taxes, or fought for states' rights. But history shows that states' rights meant the right to own slaves.How did slavery cause the Civil War? For decades before the war, Americans became increasingly polarized over the question of slavery, as the number of slaves increased in the South and decreased in the North. Westward expansion created a new battleground over slavery, with slave states promoting the expansion of the &quot;peculiar institution&quot; into new territories like Missouri, Kansas, and California. Abraham Lincoln predicted that slavery would split the country, and a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/map-that-convinced-lincoln-to-end-slavery/genevieve-carlton" target="_blank">shocking map</a> convinced him&nbsp;that slavery had to end. Finally, the abolition of slavery was a condition of the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/what-happened-right-after-civil-war-rebel-surrender/cheryl-adams-richkoff" target="_blank">Confederate surrender</a>&nbsp;at Appomattox.History before, during, and after the Civil War proves that the war was about slavery.&nbsp;Anyone who still doubts what the Civil War was really about should&nbsp;listen to the words of Confederates and former slaves -&nbsp;both groups agreed on this point.

The Civil War Was About Slavery, And Leading Confederates Of The Day Said So

The Civil War Was Definitely About Slavery And Saying It Wasn't Is Revisionist History

Genevieve Carlton

Lists about the brilliant and fascinating men who led the American Revolution and created the documents that established these United States of America.

Our Founding Fathers

&quot;We the People of the United States&quot; is perhaps the most famous phrase in the Constitution - and it was penned by one of the most mysterious Founding Fathers. Gouverneur&nbsp;Morris, who was <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-people-from-the-bronx/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">born in the Bronx</a> and spent&nbsp;many years in Europe, might not top the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-founding-fathers/amylindorff" target="_blank">list of the best Founding Fathers</a>, but he was one of the wildest of the bunch.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/founding-fathers-horrifying-facts/isadora-teich" target="_blank">None of the Founding Fathers were saints</a>, but Morris arguably led the craziest life.From engaging in trysts at the Louvre, to losing a leg in an adultery-driven&nbsp;accident, to vehemently opposing slavery, Morris never failed to fascinate.

The Wild Life Of Gouverneur Morris, The Most Mysterious Founding Father Of Them All

The Wild Life of Gouverneur Morris, The Most Mysterious Founding Father Of Them All

Lists about notable people who were targeted for termination, the ways they were slayed, and their portrayals in the media.

Hits for Hire

Exploring the life and end Abraham Lincoln, the tall lawyer in the top hat who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until he was taken out by an enemy in April 1865.

Lincoln the Liberator

On April 14, 1865, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln sent off shock waves throughout a United States that was crawling out of four years of civil war. Murdered by a Confederate sympathizer in a Washington, DC&nbsp;theater, the death of Abraham Lincoln shocked everyone. America&nbsp;would never be the same - it was the first presidential assassination in the nation’s history.As one of the most traumatic and significant events in American history, Lincoln’s assassination is also one of the most-taught subjects in schools across the country. Consequently, the vast majority of Americans know the basics of the story: Abraham Lincoln was <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/surviving-a-headshot/travis-morgan?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">shot in the head</a> by <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/facts-about-john-wilkes-booth/stephanroget">John Wilkes Booth</a>, an actor, just as the Civil War was coming to a close. The play Lincoln and his wife were seeing was Our American Cousin, a light comedy.But there are many shocking facts connected to Lincoln’s assassination that are a bit more surprising and obscure to the casual historian. The events of April 14, 1865, were simultaneously bigger and more tragic than most people realize. Many dramas were unfolding outside of Ford’s Theater before, during, and after that fateful, bloody night. And the horrors that happened in the presidential box continue to haunt the witnesses for the rest of their lives.

13 Fascinating Things You Didn't Know About Lincoln's Assassination

Setareh Janda

There was an inherent paradox within the life&nbsp;of enslaved people at Monticello, one that echoed Thomas Jefferson&#39;s own thoughts and writings on the topic.

Slavery at Monticello was a reality based in business and economic interests, one that highlighted the longstanding and horrific practice ingrained in colonial life. Jefferson himself struggled with how to address slavery in the new nation, but never rid himself - nor his land - of enslaved labor.

A Founding Father&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-u-s-presidents-from-best-to-worst" target="_blank">third president of the United States</a>,&nbsp;Jefferson advocated for liberty but <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/every-president-who-owned-slaves/melissa-sartore" target="_blank">brought enslaved people to the White House</a>. He derided the international slave trade while <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-politicians-in-american-history" target="_blank">applying his Democratic-Republican&nbsp;beliefs</a> to the practice. The relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings further emphasizes the complicated and&nbsp;often dehumanizing&nbsp;power struggles that shaped relationships among slave-holders and those they enslaved.

The lives of enslaved people at Monticello represent the contradictions of Jefferson&#39;s words and actions. The housing, conditions, and treatment of the enslaved at Monticello highlight the tenuous balance Jefferson sought to achieve while reminding historical observers of the untenable nature of what amounted to idealized servitude.

What It Was Like To Be An Enslaved Person At Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

What It Was Like To Be A Slave At Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

Interesting

For most people, the name Cassius Clay is associated with one man and one man only: Muhammad Ali. Perhaps the most famous athlete of the 20th century, Ali famously rejected the name Cassius Clay when he joined the Nation of Islam and refused to answer to what he had dubbed &quot;my slave name.&quot;

This bold move had the intended effect and cemented Ali as a crusader for equality and African American rights, but ironically, the name Cassius Clay was taken from a man who had fought for abolition his entire life. So who was the original Cassius Clay? The simple answer is that he was a prominent abolitionist politician in the mid-1800s. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives and was&nbsp;appointed ambassador to Russia by Abraham Lincoln.

But that&#39;s not the whole story. Known as the Lion of White Hall - named after the estate and plantation he owned and grew up on - he was also one of the toughest politicians ever to walk the halls of Congress. He won duel after duel, and his physical exploits are legendary. Not only that, he was an open and vocal advocate for the abolition of slavery in the 1840s, in Kentucky of all places.

He was bombastic and charismatic, but could also be vicious and cruel. His boundless energy brought him close to&nbsp;Lincoln, even as his ambition alienated the president. He embodied the volatile, contradictory spirit of his age, and in the end Cassius Marcellus Clay went down as perhaps the most larger-than-life figure of the day.

Duel-Happy Abolitionist Cassius Clay Was The Most Metal Politician In American History

Who Was Cassius Clay? Duel-Happy Abolitionist Was The Most Metal Politician

Quinn Armstrong

Historical Figures

The Founding Fathers of the United States of America boast luminary names like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams. But there were dozens of signers of the Declaration of Independence and delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, many of whom had noteworthy careers in law, politics, and the military. Most of their names are known only to historians or devotees of the period.There were dozens of people who played key roles in <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/lies-about-the-founding-of-america/stephanroget?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the founding of America</a>, but their names have been overshadowed by the most famous of the Founders. Here's your chance to vote up the Founders that you think have been unfairly forgotten by history, or that people just don't know enough about. Likewise, if you think a Founding Father is overrated or maybe wasn't as important as people think, give them a down vote.The Founding Fathers were a pretty interesting bunch of guys, learn more about them (including a cool essay Benjamin Franklin wrote about flatulence!) on this list of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/founding-fathers-facts/mel-judson">Founding Fathers facts</a>!

John Hancock

The Best American Founding Fathers

Politician

List of All US Founding Fathers | American Founders

Amy Boal

Lists about American living and culture before the modern era.

Early Days in the USA

Debunking

For many in the United States, the colonial period is murky and&nbsp;full of half-remembered stories from school. We may recall some important tidbits like the Mayflower, the Salem Witch Trials, and the Declaration of Independence, but the stuff in between can be a blur. Didn&#39;t Thomas Jefferson own slaves? Wasn&#39;t there a mystery about&nbsp;Roanoke&nbsp;and the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/legends-theories-croatoan-roanoke-disappearance/lyra-radford" target="_blank">Croatoan</a>?

The fact is there are many <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/common-myths-about-american-history/jason-f-collins" target="_blank">misconceptions about this period of history</a>, from&nbsp;simple yet slightly off aspects of daily life to major historical moments that are nothing like you thought.&nbsp;You may not know quite as much about colonial America as you think you do. This period -&nbsp;and particularly during the American Revolution -&nbsp;has become so heavily mythologized the truth may elude you. For the storytellers who discuss this period, it&#39;s much easier to recount only the thrilling story of heroes who fought for freedom than delve into the complicated politics surrounding the revolution and the brilliant but flawed <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-founding-fathers/amylindorff" target="_blank">Founding Fathers</a>.

Myths About Colonial America, Debunked

Colonial America Myths Debunked

A fair bit of American history is wholly inaccurate, yet <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/biggest-us-historical-events-not-taught-in-school/alby-thompson" target="_blank">these myths persist</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;US&nbsp;history classes, popular anecdotes, and even textbooks. This is how several American history lies have become&nbsp;facts to many people.

Many popular American misconceptions are easy to disprove, but difficult to accept. What follows is the factually correct American history all Americans deserve to know. Vote up the truths&nbsp;that genuinely surprise you.

12 Lies About American History Even History Buffs Are Guilty Of Believing

Lies About American History Even History Buffs Believe

Jason F. Collins

There are dozens of celebratory, and occasionally apocryphal, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/crazy-teddy-roosevelt-stories/thaneeconomou" target="_blank">tales about President Theodore&nbsp;Roosevelt</a>&nbsp;- one of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-u-s-presidents-from-best-to-worst" target="_blank">America’s most popular Presidents</a> - but the story of him and his brother, Elliott, is not one worthy of celebration. Any simple biography composed of Elliott Bulloch Roosevelt facts is filled with tragedy&nbsp;and - although many of the troubles in his life were self-inflicted -&nbsp;his brother conspired to further ruin him.Fearing a potential scandal due to Elliott’s alcoholism and womanizing, some contend that Teddy made moves to <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-teddy-roosevelt-diffused-a-scandal-by-destroying-his-brothers-marriage" target="_blank">protect his reputation</a>. He went so far as to exile Elliott to Paris and later rip him from his family and institutionalize him.&nbsp;This callous treatment of his younger brother helped preserve Theodore’s reputation long enough to win him the White House, but it also destroyed his brother’s life and ultimately led to his suicide at 34 years old.

Theodore Roosevelt Tried To Have His Own Brother Committed And Exiled – So He Wouldn't Embarrass Him

Theodore Roosevelt Tried To Have His Brother Elliott Roosevelt Committed And Exiled – So He Wouldn't Embarrass Him

Stephan Roget

President Abraham Lincoln experienced many life-altering events in 1862.&nbsp;His son <a href="http://www.historynet.com/abraham-lincoln-timeline" target="_blank">died of typhus</a>, the Confederate Army&nbsp;advanced, and the Dakota War - one of the deadliest clashes of the Indian Wars - took place. Even though some scholars believe Lincoln was <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-u-s-presidents-from-best-to-worst" target="_blank">one of the best presidents</a>, many people&nbsp;don&#39;t realize the man&nbsp;approved the largest mass execution in US&nbsp;history. And the action wasn&#39;t taken&nbsp;against&nbsp;Confederate troops who rebelled against their country. Instead, it was directed toward 38 members of the Santee Sioux Tribe.

In the 1800s, official&nbsp;government policy pushed Native Americans off their lands. <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/everyday-life-on-the-trail-of-tears/rylee_en" target="_blank">The Trail of Tears</a>, for example, destroyed&nbsp;thousands of Native lives because&nbsp;white settlers demanded their land. The Santee people, also known as the&nbsp;Dakota&nbsp;Sioux, lived in the area that became Minnesota and faced a similar situation. After an 1837 treaty, they were forced&nbsp;onto a reservation and promised an annual payment from the US government.

But when Congress, strapped with Civil War debts, failed to send the payment or the food needed during a drought, the nearly starving&nbsp;tribe&nbsp;revolted. An unjust&nbsp;military commission sentenced 303 of the rebels&nbsp;to death, and President Lincoln decided on the final number.

Lincoln Approved The Largest Mass Execution In US History - But Not Against Confederates

Minnesota Sioux Massacre: How Lincoln Ordered The Mass Execution

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