An Age of Fantasy Politics
Tropes from science fiction and fantasy have become fodder for political rhetoric and action on all sides in the twenty-first century.
Seeking Clues in Cabinet Cards
The poignant images, at once banal and intimate, in the Lynch Family Photographs Collection contain mysteries perhaps only the public can solve.
Nationalism Before It Was in the News
Nationalist rhetoric has surged to the center of US politics, but what do Americans actually mean when they say “nationalism” in the twenty-first century?
Hoe History: Complex and Knotted
The plantation hoe, a simple, ubiquitous, and historically ignored farming tool, was specific to the Atlantic colonial project, shows historian Chris Evans.
“Simple, Wholesome Food” for a New American Nation
In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, Americans faced understandable anxiety about what their society would look like—and what they should eat.
A Presidents’ Day Roundup
Who—or what—do Americans celebrate on the third Monday of February?
Valentine’s Day in Egypt
In recent decades, celebrations of Valentine’s Day have become common in Egypt. But, as anthropologist Aymon Kreil found, opinions on the holiday are mixed.
The Art of the Deal or the Dirt?
Will so-called Trump Tariffs ensure that the United States has the minerals it needs to transition to sustainable energy?
The Power of the Purse
The first time a president withheld funds for something approved by Congress, it led to the Impoundment Control Act. We’ll soon find out if that law has teeth.
Praising Washington in Lincoln’s Day
At the time of the Civil War, many Americans revered the nation’s Founding Fathers, and both supporters and opponents of slavery recruited them to their sides.