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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.
How America’s Founding Fathers Missed a Chance to Abolish Slavery, by Michael Hirsh
They swept the issue under the rug, and even Thomas Jefferson realized that civil war was inevitable before he died on July 4, 1826. But history could have taken a different direction.
The Dr. Strange of the American Revolution, by Brian Gallagher
Benjamin Rush was a strange, or a strangely gifted, man, and one of the youngest—at 30—to sign the Declaration of Independence.
What is Juneteenth? The history behind the oldest commemoration of the abolishment of slavery in the US, by Lucia Suarez Sang
Black Americans began to celebrate Juneteenth in honor of when Texas - the last rebel state - officially abolished slavery.
Cathartic acts of rage, or the rewriting of history? How statues became political lightning rods, by Tim Lister
The soul-searching about race prompted by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has extended into how the history of racial persecution and prejudice is remembered.
The History of the “Riot” Report, by Jill Lepore
How government commissions became alibis for inaction.
Respectability and Remembrance: The Continued Condemnation of Black Resistance, by Ann Stokes
Condemnation of black violent resistance, and of black radicalism, is not a new phenomenon.
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.