green semi truck

The Populist Power of the American Trucker

How did truckers nudge the American economy toward deregulation?
Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren

An early paper by Elizabeth Warren argues for a Financial Product Safety Commission that would regulate financial products.
Wampum illustration

Wampum was Massachusetts’ First Legal Currency

First Nations' seashell-derived wampum was Massachusetts' first legal currency, used as currency throughout northeastern America into the 19th century.
Mulberry tree Cambridge

When America Went Crazy for Mulberry Trees

In the early 19th century, mulberry trees became associated with economic prosperity and morally upright productiveness, leading to a speculative bubble.
colorful pills on black background

Paying People to Take Their Pills

The majority of medication-related hospital admissions were caused by noncompliance—when patients, for one reason or another, don't take their drugs.
Starbucks drinks

Why Brands Want To Be Your BFF

Most contemporary consumers consider ourselves too savvy to be taken in by a corporation’s attempts to integrate seamlessly ...
Bride alone on couch

Why Pay the Costs of a Wedding for One?

Self-marriage may be, at least in some cases, a ritual reclaiming a sense of control when women may have felt they've lost it.
Iran hostage crisis TV

How the Iran Hostage Crisis Changed International Journalism

On November 4th, 1979, Iranian militants took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. They seized 63 Americans, a number later ...
kitchen of the future baby boomers

Did Better Household Technology Create the Baby Boomers?

The Baby Boomers have been blamed for everything from economic stagnation to America's current political situation. But where did they come from?
Clothing Rack full of T-Shirts at a Thrift Store

How Thrift Stores Were Born

According to the Association of Retail Professionals, about 16 to 18 percent of Americans shop at thrift stores in any given year.