David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell

Why Some Politicians Bounce Back from Scandal

Three years ago, then-CIA director General David Petraeus resigned amid scandal: He'd had an affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell.
The Berlin Wall

Why Was There a Berlin Wall in the First Place?

A brief history of East and West Germany, and why they built the Berlin Wall.
The American flag as sewn by Betsy Ross White

Happy Flag Day! (What is Flag Day?)

What is Flag Day, again? Early American flags were all over the place. There was no consensus about the flag until 25 years after the Revolution.
Parade goers carry a large rainbow flag at the Orlando Pride Parade

Why Naming Anti-Gay Violence Matters

The Orlando shooting was an act of anti-gay violence, an element of the story many politicians have ignored.
The Loving Family

Loving v. Virginia and the Origins of Loving Day

Loving Day celebrates the SCOTUS decision in Loving v. Virginia in 1967 which struck down the laws of the 16 states still forbidding interracial marriage. 
Advertisement for Lucky Strike Cigarettes with a well-dressed smoking couple

A Brief History of Tobacco in America

Over the past 50 years, the portion of Americans who smoke dropped has dropped from 42 to 15 percent. The precipitous decline could mean the end of the fascination.
Victoria Woodhull

Free Love and the First Female Presidential Nominee

Victoria Woodhull who was known to her enemies as "Mrs. Satan," was the first woman to run for president of the United States.
Louis D. Brandeis

The Confirmation of Louis D. Brandeis

Louis D. Brandeis was confirmed as a Supreme Court justice a century ago. The protracted nomination process may sound familiar.
Black and white engraving of Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman the… Politician?

Before Walt Whitman was a famous poet, he was a scandalous poet, but before even all that he was in the thick of local and national politics.
Black and white photo from a couple dressed in 1940s style clothing

When Do We Grow Up? After Graduation?

The age when we grow up and begin our adult lives has changed over the years.