Dollie B. Burwell Remembers (2022)
Dollie B. Burwell, often referred to as the “mother of the environmental justice movement,” was a central figure in protests against toxic waste dumping in North Carolina in 1982. Polychlorinated biphenyls, known as PCBs, are toxic chemical [...]
Demands for Legislation Against Industrial Pollution of Rivers (1875)
In this newspaper article, the Richmond Dispatch advocates for legal protections against the dumping of industrial waste in Virginia's waterways. Throughout North America, manufacturers located on river banks used fast moving water as a source of [...]
Background Essay on Iron Horses and American Indians
This essay discusses the impact of the transcontinental railroad on Native American life. It focuses on the role of buffalo hunters in the federal government's policy of Indian removal. This essay, and the related Iron Horse vs. the Buffalo [...]
Background Essay on Building the Railroads
This essay explains how railroads transformed late-nineteenth century America and shows how their impact was felt differently across class and racial lines.
Devastation After the Church Rock Uranium Mill Spill (1983)
After World War II, uranium mined in New Mexico was used to fuel nuclear weapons and power plants. The process was toxic for employees who worked with the radioactive materials and the mines also posed risks for nearby communities. In 1979, the dam [...]