Cobblestone American History and Current Events for Kids and Children

Every four years, in even years divisible by four, Americans make an important decision. They elect a president. Voting in any election is an important civic responsibility. A vote is a voice. It gives citizens a say in who their leaders are. Unlike

Running for president is a long and exhausting process. Take a look! Long before Election Day in November, many people announce their decision to run for president of the United States. But there can be only one president. Candidates know that to win

Why did the Founding Fathers create the Electoral College? To answer that question, it is important to look at the problems they were trying to solve more than two centuries ago. The United States was a different country in the 1780s than it is today

When it came to casting votes for the president of the United States, the Founding Fathers did not set a specific day. They left that decision to the states. The only requirement was that the states hold their elections sometime in the 34 days before

Throughout U.S. history, the presidential candidate who won the popular vote almost always won the Electoral College vote, too. But there have been a handful of times when a candidate who won the popular vote did not win the electoral vote, and thus

Horace Greeley holds an unenviable place in history. He is the only presidential candidate to die during the process. He ran against President Ulysses S. Grant in the 1872 general election. He passed away after the popular vote was tabulated but befo

Have you ever had an argument with a friend, a classmate, or a family member? It’s okay not to agree. But how do you get to some common ground if you both feel strongly? You might want to learn how to debate. Presidential candidates—even members of

Do you think you might want to run for president some day? Be prepared to wear many hats. The office of the president of the United States has changed over the centuries. For example, when George Washington was elected in 1789, the nation consisted o

Jasmine Jones (ABOVE) is the organizing director for Rock the Vote. She works with teenagers and adults to spread election information. She sat down with COBBLESTONE to talk about her work and about how kids can get involved with elections. Rock the

Can you solve this crossword puzzle about presidential elections? All the answers can be found in this issue. Answers on page 49. 2. Political parties traditionally gather at a national _____ to officially nominate their candidates for president an

The United States has never had a woman president. But that doesn’t mean women haven’t tried to change that. In 1884, as voters across the United States lined up on Election Day, they saw a woman’s name on their ballots: Belva Ann Lockwood. Lockwoo

Here are three countries that also have presidents. You’ll see that not all elections are the same . . . The tiny west African nation of The Gambia has a high illiteracy rate, so voting in that country involves marbles and steel drums. Each drum is

A platform is a formal declaration of the principles upon which a group, such as a political party, “stands.” A party or a candidate’s platform usually is announced as a way to get support. It includes ideas that a party or a candidate has about how

George Washington is the only U.S. president to be chosen unanimously. He earned 69 out of 69 Electoral College votes in 1789. When he ran for reelection in 1792, he won 132 out of 132 Electoral College votes. His size 13 shoes were pretty difficult

Maybe everyone reading this month’s column will witness the first woman elected president of the United States. When that happens, perhaps everyone’s thoughts will turn to the first woman who ran for that office. She is this month’s mystery hero. B

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What’s the first creature that comes to mind when you think of the United States and its president? The bald eagle, of course! A majestic and powerful bird, the bald eagle is an important American symbol. As a top bird of prey, not much intimidates i