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.
The Fable of the Fourteen Points
Woodrow Wilson's legendary support for "self-determination" is indeed just a legend.
When Death Was Women’s Business
In the 19th century, women called "watchers" tended to the dying and the dead.
When Dancing Plagues Struck Medieval Europe
The tarantella is named for a peasant woman from southern Italy whose tarantula bite started a contagious dancing fever!
What Reformers Learned When They Visited 1830s Brothels
Middle class members of the New York Female Moral Reform Society visited brothels to save women from sin. What they actually encountered surprised them.
The Many Metaphors of Brexit
How do metaphors shape political perceptions? And what do they mean for the future of Europe?
When Europeans Feared the Wind
In early modern Europe, various sorts of winds were associated with illness and even death.
What Does History Smell Like?
Scholars don't typically pay that much attention to smells, but odors have historically been quite significant.