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Featured Essays
Some writers ignore a mountain of evidence that is contrary to their theories about the telephone's development.
Our Founders profoundly transformed the way people participate in government.
Congress forbade living persons from appearing on paper currency in 1866, after an unpopular Treasury Department official put himself on the five-cent note.
The extravaganza celebrating the nation’s first century was the greatest cultural event of America’s Gilded Age.
America 250!
An Update on “Save the Glover!” | Spring 2026, Vol 71, No 2
By Nancy L. SchultzEfforts continue to preserve the historic home of General John Glover in Swampscott, Massachusetts, which is still slated for demolition.
Making Sense of the Fourth of July | July/August 1997, Vol 48, No 4
By Pauline MaierThe Declaration of Independence is not what Thomas Jefferson thought it was when he wrote it, and that's why we celebrate it.
The Declaration Still Unites Our Nation | Winter 2026, Vol 71, No 1
By Michael AuslinAs we celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, our founding charter remains central to our national life, unifying us and paving the way for what we have long called “the American Dream.”
Drama on Dorchester Heights: Washington’s First Victory | Winter 2026, Vol 71, No 1
By Edward J. LarsonThe American patriots came up with a bold plan to force the British out of Boston 250 years ago this month.
Knox Brings Cannon and Victory to General Washington | Fall 2025, Vol 70, No 4
By Edwin S. GrosvenorSetting out 250 years ago this month, Henry Knox’s “Noble Train” carried 60 tons of desperately needed artillery to help patriots oust British forces from Boston.
Classic Essays from the Archives
Alice Paul: “I Was Arrested, Of Course…” | February 1974, Summer 2025, Vol 70, No 3
By Robert S. GallagherAn interview with the famed suffragette, Alice Paul
Growing Up Colored | Summer 2012, Summer 2025, Vol 62, No 2
By Henry Louis Gates Jr.The noted writer and educator tells of his boyhood in the West Virginia town of Piedmont, where African Americans were second-class citizens, but family pride ran deep.
A Few Parchment Pages Two Hundred Years Later | May/June 1987, Summer 2025, Vol 70, No 3
By Richard B. MorrisThe framers of the Constitution were proud of what they had done but might be astonished that their words still carry so much weight. A distinguished scholar tells us how the great charter has survived and flourished.
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