AMERICAN HERITAGE

Featured Articles

Blackface: the Sad History of Minstrel Shows

For most of the 1800s, whites in blackface performed in widely popular minstrel shows, creating racist stereotypes that endured for more than a century.

The Importance of Mill Springs

by Jack Hurst

The first significant Union victory in the Civil War is now honored at one of the newest National Monuments. It was a battle too often ignored by historians and the public.

Agony and Triumph at Anzio

by Flint Whitlock

Seventy-five years ago, Allied soldiers made a daring amphibious landing behind German lines and were soon surrounded in what would become one of the toughest battles of World War II

1619: The Year That Shaped America

by James Horn

Four hundred years ago this year, two momentous events happened in Britain’s fledgling colony in Virginia: the New World’s first democratic assembly convened, and an English privateer brought kidnapped Africans to sell as slaves. Such were the conflicted origins of modern America.

Web Exclusive

The Woman Who Said “No” to War

by Bruce Watson | Wed, 01/09/2019 - 17:35

Why Today Is an Anti-American Holiday in Panama

by Jack Kelly | Wed, 01/09/2019 - 17:35

The "Wild West" Division Fights in Germany

by Edward G. Lengel | Wed, 01/09/2019 - 17:12

The Gentle Wit of Robert Benchley

by Bruce Watson | Thu, 02/15/2018 - 13:07

The First Washington Monument Is Threatened

by Edward G. Lengel | Thu, 02/15/2018 - 11:52

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History around the web

The AP's Secret Deal with the Nazis, by Michael S. Rosenwald Did the Associated Press violate the "Trading with the Enemy Act" to profit from selling Nazi propaganda photos, or was this an authorized effort to gain images with legitimate news value?

Frederick Douglass, Refugee, by David Blight Millions forced to flee as refugees and beg for asylum have felt Douglass’s agony, and thought his thoughts.

Gwen Ifill’s Clear-eyed Coverage of Bill Clinton, by David W. Dunlap This past year we lost a legend in the field of journalism. A look back at her coverage of Bill Clinton and the 1992 election and the journalist with the ability to bridge many gaps between race, gender and generations.

What Abraham Lincoln Can Teach Us About Ugly Politics, by Mark Tooley We should recall Lincoln's confidence in American democracy despite the perceived failure of the Washington Peace Conference of 1861.

Roosevelt Was Hardly Naive About Stalin, by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. When they met at Yalta, Roosevelt and Stalin had corresponded in more than 300 letters.

Today in History

Egypt-Israeli Peace Accords

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin sign the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty. The treaty, a follow-up to the Camp David Accords, formalized the peace between the two neighbors; Israel agreed to relinquish the Sinai Peninsula while Egypt became the first Arab state to recognize Israel's sovereignty.
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Sandra Day O'Connor born

Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is born in El Paso, Texas. Considered a swing vote during her 25 years on the Supreme Court, she became the first lady to serve on the court after being appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
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