Trusted Writing on History, Travel, and American Culture Since 1949
Featured Articles
It's one of the oldest folk ballads in our national songbook, but where did it come from? The answer is complex, multi-layered, American.
A whiskey baron who murdered his wife in a jealous rage, George Remus led a life that embodied both the opulence and violence of Prohibition.
The long, embattled history of women’s suffrage that began with the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention continues to this day.
The young nation was lucky to have the only candidate on earth who could do the job.
Web Exclusive
SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE BY BUYING A NEW EBOOK!
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.
-
Supreme Court breaks up Standard Oil
-
Madeleine Albright born