When the Weather Service Spied on Americans
The United States National Weather Service began as part of the military, with a mandate to serve the interests of federal officials and business owners.
Pop-Culture Preaching in the 1910s
Billy Sunday was a charismatic preacher who brought in thousands to his vaudeville-inspired church services.
When Death Was Women’s Business
In the 19th century, women called "watchers" tended to the dying and the dead.
Animal Actors, Kids’ Jokes, and Pickup Artists
Well-researched stories from Vox, NPR, and other great publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
When Buddhism Came to America
Buddhism was embraced by the Beats of 1950s America. But some Buddhists felt these converts were engaging with the practice in a shallow way.
White Women’s Role in School Segregation
White American women have long played significant roles in maintaining racist practices. One sociologist calls the phenomenon "social mothering."
When Europeans Feared the Wind
In early modern Europe, various sorts of winds were associated with illness and even death.
Makeup in the Technicolor Age
When Technicolor changed the face of the film industry, it also altered the cosmetics industry, sparking the great Hollywood Powder Puff War of the 1930s.
What Does History Smell Like?
Scholars don't typically pay that much attention to smells, but odors have historically been quite significant.
Finding the Value of Housework
Can housework be anything other than drudgery? Maybe part of the problem is that we consistently devalue unpaid work.