In 1850, hundreds of migrant ships arrived in San Francisco harbor, fueled by gold rush. But many of these ships weren't needed after that and were simply sunk, making the city a maritime archaeologist's dream.
After Spanish conquistadors crossed the Rio Grande In the 1500s, they built a string of native missions in an area that would later become San Antonio.
In 1862, Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law. For just eighteen dollars, the law entitled men over twenty-one to claim 160 acres of land, provided they farmed it successfully for five years.
The railroad tracks that crisscross West Virginia pass through the state's mountains - an engineering feat made possible by the steam-powered drill, or, according to legend, a man named John Henry.
New-Agers have been coming to Sedona for years because of its mysterious spiritual energy, but they weren't the first to believe in its religious power.
On this Rhode Island beach, the mansions and the sunshine are reserved for socialites and high society - from the Astors to the Wideners, these are the homes of America's oldest and richest families.