When Prison Time Meant Rhymes
The “gay, frolicsome and amusing" rhymes of 1970s American prison slang.
The Campaign for Child Labor
Why did David Clark lead a successful campaign to keep kids working in the early 20th century? For one thing, child labor benefited his interests.
Why the French Revolution’s “Rational” Calendar Wasn’t
What ever happened to "the most radical attempt in modern history to challenge the Western standard temporal reference framework?"
Burying NYC’s Forgotten Dead at Hart Island
A few miles off the coast of the Bronx is Hart Island, a potter's field where New York City's poor and unclaimed dead are buried.
How Global Colonialism Shaped Segregation
One of the first U.S. municipal laws demanding residential segregation, passed in 1910 in Baltimore, has roots in European colonial policies.
Child Sacrifice in the Ancient Americas
At various sites throughout Peru and Argentina, archaeologists have found remains of child sacrifices.
The Divine Power of Kings to Heal by Touch
Healing ceremonies showed that monarchs ruled by God’s will, as divine power worked through anointed hands.
When Reading Inspired Women to Change History
The "Friday Night" group was a cohort of prominent nineteenth century Baltimore women who met each week to read, write, and debate social issues.
Global Food Security: A Primer
World hunger is not caused by our inability to produce enough food. The problem arises because of the economic inequality that distorts food distribution.
The Soaring Symbolism of Moscow’s Subways
Lofty ceilings, massive slabs of marble, and colorful mosaics celebrated Soviets in all their incarnations, from military leaders to collective farmers.