The prohibition era was quite a notable time in American history. After a period of alcoholism and family violence, the federal government instituted a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages, which lasted from 1920 to 1933. This led to an unbelievable cat-and-mouse game between criminals and the FBI.
The FBI was hot on moonshiners’ tails and constantly found new ways to catch them. One of these was by using footprints as evidence, which got many moonshiners arrested and charged. These criminals found an original way to get around this problem by using cow hoof imprints as false shoe bottoms, which completely masked their footprints.
This Surgeon Kit from the American Civil War
There weren’t many places as terrible to be in between 1861 and 1865 as the United States of America. Roughly 620,000 citizens lost their lives during the Civil War, which primarily centered around the rights of African-Americans and their release from slavery. This figure represents about half of the American casualties of war from the day the nation was founded.
The main firearms used during the Civil War were rifled muskets, while various cutting weapons were also used. Considering that medical technology was much less advanced back then, you can only imagine how terrible things could get on the battlefield. This picture of a fully-stocked medical kit shows just how scarce medical tools were back then, and many lives were lost as a consequence.
This 16th Century Gold Ring Features a Sundial and Compass
If you wanted to know your location during the 20th century, Google Maps wasn’t an option. You had to either use a physical map or politely ask someone for directions. If, however, you wanted to do that before the 20th century, you pretty much had to rely on a sundial and compass.
Getting from place to place before modern times was quite complicated and dangerous. This 16th-century gold ring was created for both style and navigation. It is made of gold and features a sundial and a compass. The ring has a latch that reveals both and was quite the genius invention back when it was first made.
The Statue of Liberty’s Face Viewed From the Inside
The Statue of Liberty was constructed in the late 19th century and delighted the world with its incredible inspirational message. It was built on top of Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York. The statue is a gift from France to the United States and was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi.
While the Statue of Liberty represents freedom, justice, and opportunity, it is much less inspirational when you look at it from the inside. This photo was taken from inside the statue, where it’s all hammered metals and beams. You can still see the features that make the statue from the inside, but honestly, it looks like a completely different piece.
This Marie Antoinette Watch Was Worth Over $30 Million
You may recall Marie Antoinette as the last queen of France, but she was also notorious for suggesting her people eat cake when they ran out of bread. The queen was suited by many individuals, and they spared no expense when it came to getting her attention.
One of Marie Antoinette’s suitors presented her with a watch that was arguably the most expensive and advanced ever built at the time. It had a full calendar, 23 different settings, and almost 1,000 parts. It’s considered to be the fifth most complicated watch ever made. Unfortunately, our lovely queen didn't get to enjoy this watch as she was executed in 1793, and the watch arrived at her door more than three decades later.