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Articles Recently Featured from Our Archives
The O'Learys and the Great Chicago Fire | November 2020, Vol 65, No 7
People who know nothing else about Chicago’s Great Conflagration have heard of Mrs. O’Leary and her famous cow. But the disaster's real origins are more complicated.
Lincoln and Presidential Character | October 2020, Vol 65, No 6
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.
The Words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg | October 2020, Vol 65, No 6
Her philosophy was embodied in the words engraved over the entrance to the Supreme Court: "Equal Justice Under Law"
Heartbreak at Heart Mountain | October 2020, Vol 65, No 6
The thousands of Japanese-Americans interned in Wyoming during World War II maintained their dignity and community spirit.
Truman Serenades Bacall | November/December 2021, Vol 66, No 7
Harry Truman's wife Bess was not amused when she saw the photo of her husband playing the piano while Lauren Bacall's legs dangled in front.
British Ships Lost in 1780 Hurricanes | September 2020, Vol 65, No 5
Research by American Heritage reveals that the Royal Navy had 24 warships sunk or heavily damaged in October 1780, which must have affected Britain's ability to fight in the months before the surrender at Yorktown.
Marshall's Secret Preparations for War | September 2020, Vol 65, No 5
When Germany unleashed its blitzkreig in 1939, the U.S. Army was only the 17th largest in the world. FDR and George Marshall had to build a fighting force able to take on the Nazis, against the wishes of many in Congress.
The Spirit of Chautauqua | September 2020, Vol 65, No 5
The force behind the early education and social movements—American curiosity—still lives on today.
Two Hours in Hell at Pearl Harbor | Winter 2021, Vol 66, No 1
The USS Nevada was the only battleship to get underway during the attack at Pearl Harbor. The recent discovery of the ship's hull has revived interest in her dramatic story.
Fighting for the Wrongly Convicted | September 2020, Vol 65, No 5
Jim McCloskey and a handful of other advocates do the tough work of helping the wrongfully convicted.
Ike's Excellent Adventure | July/August 2020, Vol 65, No 4
What the future president learned during a coast-to-coast military motor expedition would later transform America.
In Search of Real Barbecue | July/August 2020, Vol 65, No 4
American barbecue is more than a way of cooking. It’s myth, folklore, and history.
Vandalism in Lafayette Square | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
Both our Constitution and our historic monuments were trashed during recent protests.
Confederates in Congress: Heritage or Hate? | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
Our research reveals that 19 artworks in the U.S. Capitol honor men who were Confederate officers or officials. What many of them said, and did, is truly despicable.
Marquette and Jolliet's Excellent Adventure | November 2020, Vol 65, No 7
In 1673, a Jesuit missionary, a fur trader, and a small group of canoe men traveled 2000 miles from what is now upper Michigan down to Arkansas and back.
Confederates Honored by the U.S. Army | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
The Army has named ten military bases in honor of men who killed 365,000 U.S. soldiers. Should they be renamed? Or left as they are, since the bases are part of a “great American heritage," as Mr. Trump says?
Lafayette Square: Seven Acres of History | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
Now closed to the public as part of the enlarged White House security zone, the Square has witnessed many historic moments over the last two centuries.
Special Section: America 50 Years Ago | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
The year 1970 was a watershed, so we asked several thoughtful writers to reflect on some key events.
Reassessing Spiro Agnew | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
Although he was forced to resign as Nixon’s Vice President, Agnew’s tough-guy persona set the precedent for subsequent anti-establishment figures, including Donald Trump.
Librarians at War | July/August 2020, Vol 65, No 4
The origins of today’s vast intelligence apparatus can be traced, in part, to the forgotten efforts of librarians and archivists to gather information during World War II
The story of the Pilgrims’ journey in 1620, and the voyage of Mayflower II in 1957, are still sources of inspiration today.
The story of the Pilgrims’ journey in 1620, and the voyage of Mayflower II in 1957, are still sources of inspiration today.
Thurgood Marshall, American Revolutionary | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
The architect of American race relations in the 20th century, he ended legal segregation in the United States and became the first African-American on the Supreme Court.
Yellow Fever Stalks the Founders | Spring 2020, Vol 65, No 2
During George Washington’s first term, an epidemic killed one-tent of Philadelphians, which was the capital of the young United States.
A Fateful Experiment at Jamestown | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
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.
Voyage of Mercy | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
In the blackest days of the Great Potato Famine in Ireland, Americans responded by organizing the first international humanitarian mission, sending food and provisions in the refitted warship USS Jamestown.
The Spanish Flu Strikes | Spring 2020, Vol 65, No 2
Toward the end of World War I, American doctors fought an invisible enemy on the home front — a pandemic that would kill more people than any other outbreak of disease in human history.
John Marshall Saves the Republic | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
Our greatest Chief Justice defined the Constitution and ensured that the rule of law prevailed at a time of presidential overreach and bitter political factionalism.
The Woman Who Said “No” to McCarthy | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith was the first in Congress to stand up to the bullying of Joe McCarthy.
The Frémonts Open the West | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
With five major exploring expeditions west of the Mississippi, John C. Frémont redefined the country — with the help of his wife’s promotional skills.