How Consumerism Sold Democracy to Postwar Germany
After World War II, the United States was battling the Soviet Union for cultural influence. In divided Berlin, the tactics included lavish consumer goods exhibitions.
How the Victorians Politicized Lace
Scholar Elaine Freedgood tells the story of how, in the face of encroaching industrialism, handmade lace enjoyed a frilly revival.
How Prohibition Encouraged Women to Drink
During Prohibition, American women “made, sold, and drank liquor in unprecedented fashion,” writes historian Mary Murphy.
How Nuclear Tests Spawned Environmentalism
It's been 55 years since the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The massive amounts of fallout in the decade previous to the Treaty taught us a lot about the interconnected planet we live on.
The African Roots of MLK’s Vision
“Ghana tells us that the forces of the universe are on the side of justice… An old order of colonialism, of segregation, discrimination is passing away now.”
When Native Americans Were Slaves
Initially, Indian slavery was considered different from African slavery in the early Anglo-American colonial world, but this split didn't last for long.
The Truth About J. Edgar Hoover’s “Cross-Dressing”
The story of J. Edgar Hoover dressing in women's clothing is part of American myth. But does this story tell us more about Hoover or about the nature of gossip?
How the Memphis Sanitation Strike Changed History
How the Memphis Sanitation Strike, with its iconic “I AM A MAN” signs, helped deepen Martin Luther King, Jr.'s radicalism in the last months of his life.
Why Paul Robeson Was Labelled a Psychopath
The singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson had a spectacular rise and then a stunning fall brought on by the Cold War's pathologizing of dissent.
Are Referendums Good For Democracy?
Referendums have a way of turning everyone into a self-proclaimed political expert. But does giving a population the chance to directly weigh in on a specific issue lead to a more informed voting public?