Trusted Writing on History, Travel, Food and Culture Since 1949
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Featured Articles
The late Tony Horwitz, in his own epic journey, followed in the footsteps of Frederick Law Omsted, who traveled through the South just before the Civil War to learn about our nation in divided times. Here are some observations from West Virginia.
The first votes of the fledgling Virginia Assembly in 1619 marked the inception of the most important political development in American history — the rise of democracy.
The story of the Pilgrims’ journey 400 years ago, and the voyage of Mayflower II in 1957, are still sources of inspiration today.
Abraham Lincoln learned much of what made him a great president — honesty, sincerity, toughness, and humility — from his early reading and from studying the lives of Washington and Franklin.
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History around the web
We nearly lost our first president to the flu. The country could have died, too, by Gillian Brockell
In 1790, George Washington fell severely ill, threatening his life and the young nation he led.
Yes, Women Could Vote After The 19th Amendment — But Not All Women. Or Men, by Melissa Block
Even after that milestone, millions of people — women and men alike — were still excluded from the vote, as many barriers to suffrage remained.
I’m a Historian. I See Reason to Fear—And to Hope, by Joanne Freeman
We can’t assume that all will be fine in the end, but history shows us that times of unrest are opportunities, too.
The Mask Slackers of 1918, by Christine Hauser
As the influenza pandemic swept across the United States in 1918 and 1919, masks took a role in political and cultural wars.
How a Lincoln-Douglass Debate Led to Historic Discovery, by Ted Mann
Texting exchange by two professors led to Frederick Douglass letter on Emancipation Memorial
In 'Hamilton', Angelica Schuyler's husband is called 'not a lot of fun.' Here's his real story, by Daryl Austin
While the play's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, has delivered Hamilton his long-overdue public acclaim, many other historical figures are overlooked or represented in a less-than-flattering manner throughout the production.
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UN formed
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Harry Houdini gives final performance
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Black Thursday