Nineteenth century British periodicals

Nineteenth-Century Clickbait

Online publications that offer clickbait and easy entertainment mirror some of the most popular nineteenth century British magazines.
credit card decals

A Brief History of the Credit Card

For now-ubiquitous consumer credit cards, bad early results had a hidden benefit.
Andrew Carnegie

The Social Responsibility of American Industrialists

In the 1890s, the first public relations professionals began advising the wealthy on how to use philanthropy to placate the public. 
Business woman

The Businesswomen of Early Twentieth Century America

Women's roles in the business world partly depended on their status as consumers in the early twentieth century.
soap carving

When Corporations Co-opt Crafts

Procter & Gamble made its industrially produced soap the basis for a revival of an ancient craft, leading to a huge fad for soap carving.
Trump Tower

Do Corporate Leaders Need to Pay Taxes?

Donald Trump’s claim that he had a fiduciary duty to minimize his taxes has sparked a conversation about business ethics. Are CEOs obligated to avoid taxes?
Woman at Bank of England

The Long History of Financial Advice for Women

There's a whole modern industry devoted to promoting women’s financial literacy.
Grand Central terminal clock

How America Got its Time Zones

Boston is considering joining the Atlantic time zone. How did Americans decide on time zones anyway?
Hazelton PA postcard

Could Immigration Save Middle America?

This election season has drawn enormous attention to the anxiety that many Americans in economically-distressed rural places seem ...
A woman in the kitchen of her mobile home in New Ulm, Minnesota, 1974

Class and the Glass Ceiling

Feminism and "women's work" have looked very different for U.S. women depending on their class.