How the Civil War Got Its Name
From "insurrection" to "rebellion" to "Civil War," finding a name for the conflict was always political.
Native Nations and the BIA: It’s Complicated
Historically, relations between Native Americans and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have been contentious. Is that still the case?
The Shark-Fighting Brothers behind 20,000 Leagues under the Sea
In 1916, the Williamson brothers used their father's underwater photography device to film a fight with a shark, piquing Universal Pictures' interest.
Cults on TV!
How stereotypes influence our ideas about what is and isn’t legitimate religion.
How the IWW Grew after the Centralia Tragedy
A violent confrontation between the IWW and the American Legion put organized labor on trial, but a hostile federal government didn’t stop the IWW from growing.
Why Some Plants Are Parasites
Tap into the underground network of plants and fungi with mysterious myco-heterotrophes.
The Early American Radical Fiction of John Lithgow
In the early 1800s, the Scottish immigrant wrote an anonymous tract imagining equality. He was worried about the brand-new American republic.
A New “Lost Cause,” Rhinos on the Edge, and Moon Water
Well-researched stories from CNN, the New York Times, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
How Technology Got Its Modern Meaning
If we give technology credit for changing history, does that mean we give ourselves less?
In The Gay Cookbook, Domestic Bliss Was Queer
Chef Lou Rand Hogan whipped up well-seasoned wit and served a gay take on home life during the early-1960s craze for camp.