The Undercover Abolitionists of the 18th Century
Since many people considered them an off-putting radical sect, some Quaker abolitionists worked behind the scenes to eradicate slavery.
Democracy, Beauty, and West Side Story
Well-researched stories from The New Yorker, Smithsonian Magazine, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
How Spirit Photography Made Heaven Literal
Are the departed watching over us, and if so, what are they wearing? Victorian spiritualists believed that ghosts could be captured on film.
Is It Really Carnival if You’re Not Drunk?
Carnival is known for overturning the rules of society for a short time. But strangely, many scholars don't discuss what a big role alcohol plays in it.
Autobiography, Chemical Love, and Virtuous Chocolate
Well-researched stories from FiveThirtyEight, Aeon, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
Wounded Knee and the Myth of the Vanished Indian
The story of the 1890 massacre was often about the end of Native American resistance to U.S. expansion. But that's not how everyone told it.
The Politics of Drinking in Revolutionary Russia
To leaders, the ideal Soviet worker should be sober. Actual workers had other thoughts.
Crowded Skies, Disappearing Bees, and Romney’s Vote
Well-researched stories from The Atlantic, The Verge, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
The Rebellious, Scandalous Origins of Polka
The dance is often associated with the traditions of immigrant communities in America. But it emerged in Europe during a time of radicalism.
The Inner Life of Neoliberalism
Does it seem like left-wingers have a monopoly on therapeutic ideas? Not so fast.