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Articles Recently Featured from Our Archives
We Must Do A Better Job Teaching Civics | Spring 2023, Vol 68, No 2
Our classrooms are failing to pass down the essentials of what it means to be an American, a citizen of the United States.
Government Shutdowns: How We Got Here | May 2023, Vol 68, No 3
Today’s budget wars would be unrecognizable to earlier generations of Americans. A veteran reporter on government looks at the history of shutdowns and battles over the budget.
Marilyn Monroe Gets Down to Business | Spring 2023, Vol 68, No 2
The world’s most prominent actress risked her career by standing up to one of Hollywood’s mega-studios, proving that behind the beauty was also a very savvy businesswoman.
How the Cherry Blossoms Came to Washington | Spring 2023, Vol 68, No 2
Rarely has the full story been told about how a famed botanist, a pioneering female journalist, and First Lady Helen Taft battled reluctant bureaucrats to bring Japanese cherry trees to Washington.
Reconsidering Jimmy Carter | Spring 2023, Vol 68, No 2
Often thought to have been a weak president, Carter was strong-willed in doing what he thought was right, regardless of expediency or the political fallout.
Samuel Adams Starts a Revolution | May 2023, Vol 68, No 3
Enlisting an army of alter egos, Adams used the Boston press to make the case for American independence and to orchestrate a burgeoning rebellion.
What Were the Japanese Thinking? | August 2023, Vol 68, No 5
Leaders in Tokyo alone controlled when the war would end, but the regime's political structure was so complex that it crippled rational decision-making.
Counting All The Dead | August 2023, Vol 68, No 5
When judging the morality of the use of atomic weapons in World War II, observers typically focus on Japanese deaths, while ignoring the far-larger number of non-Japanese casualties.
Cities Reduced to Ashes | August 2023, Vol 68, No 5
In the spring of 1945, American bombing raids destroyed much of Tokyo and dozens of other Japanese cities, killing at least 200,000 people, without forcing a surrender.
John Hersey Uncovers the Horror | August 2023, Vol 68, No 5
The U.S. government managed to hide the magnitude of what happened in Hiroshima until John Hersey’s story appeared in the New Yorker, driving home the truth about America’s new mega-weapon.
“With Malice Toward None” | Winter 2023, Vol 68, No 1
In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln embodied leading in a time of polarization, political disagreement, and differing understandings of reality.
Ted Kennedy Passes the Torch | Winter 2023, Vol 68, No 1
In his last months, Ted Kennedy was inspired by passing the torch to a new generation.
“These Are No Ordinary Times” | Winter 2023, Vol 68, No 1
A hundred years ago, America was rocked by riots, repression, and racial violence.
The Ultimate Congressional Scandal | November/December 2022, Vol 68, No 6
Crédit Mobilier, one of the worst outrages in the history of Congress, affected national elections and gave “the Gilded Age” its name.
FDR Unites America for War | November/December 2022, Vol 68, No 6
Adding Republicans to key positions in his administration, Franklin Roosevelt created a unified effort to fight World War II.
Andrew Jackson: Our First Populist | November/December 2022, Vol 68, No 6
Was he the era’s greatest Democrat or its elected autocrat? A hero or a scoundrel? Balancing Andrew Jackson’s legacy is a problematic exercise, complicated by his many contradictions.
Buffalo Bill and the Duel at Warbonnet Creek | October 2022, Vol 67, No 5
William Cody established his reputation during a celebrated clash with Yellow Hair.
Jim Thorpe Finally Wins | October 2022, Vol 67, No 5
Considered by many to have been the world’s greatest athlete, Thorpe persevered through triumphs and tragedy.
The Founders Warned Us Against Federal Debt | November/December 2022, Vol 68, No 6
Political leaders once agreed that the U.S. should borrow only for well-defined purposes. But in the last twenty years, we’ve ignored their guidance and added a staggering $25 trillion to the federal debt.
Carving Up the Americas | September 2022, Vol 67, No 4
By artfully illustrating the boundaries of colonial powers, mapmakers in the 1700s helped define what our New World would become.
Antietam, America's Bloodiest Day | September 2022, Vol 67, No 4
In September 1862, the South hoped to end the war by invading Maryland just before the mid-term elections. But its hopes were dashed after the bloodiest day in American history.
Italia Crashes in the Arctic | September 2022, Vol 67, No 4
In 1928, an attempt to land the first men on the North Pole ended in tragedy when the airship Italia crashed, sparking the largest polar-rescue mission in history.
American Rebels at Sea | Summer 2022, Vol 67, No 3
An estimated fifteen hundred privateering ships played a crucial role in winning the American Revolution, but their contributions are often forgotten.
The Black Woman Who Managed Morgan's Millions | Summer 2022, Vol 67, No 3
Born during Jim Crow, Belle da Costa Greene perfected the art of "passing" while working for one of the most powerful men in America.
When Abortion Roiled 19th Century New York | Summer 2022, Vol 67, No 3
Long before Roe vs. Wade, the practice of abortion led to fierce political conflict and public health problems in 1870s America.
Bob Dole and the Nazis’ Brutal Last Stand in Italy | Summer 2022, Vol 67, No 3
Allied soldiers struggled for months to clear veteran German troops dug into the mountains of northern Italy in late 1944 and early 1945.
Our Readers Choose: Favorite Books of 2021 | October 2022, Vol 67, No 5
Interestingly, most of the 2021 books voted best by readers of American Heritage are about the Colonial and Founding eras.
Can Russian Democracy Rise Again? | Spring 2022, Vol 67, No 2
The former foreign minister of Russia provides a unique look inside his country's leadership and reflects on the prospects for democracy there.
We Must Never Surrender | Spring 2022, Vol 67, No 2
For nearly three decades, the author has warned that, if we ignored Putin's ambitions, he would become a global problem.
“Times That Try Men’s Souls” | Spring 2022, Vol 67, No 2
The words of Thomas Paine changed the course of history, and are still relevant as Ukrainians fight for the rights he articulated.