How Benjamin Franklin’s Almanac Appealed to the Common Man
Why did Benjamin Franklin become an American patriot when he was such a loyal son of the Crown for so long?
How Do White House Transitions Actually Work?
How do presidential transitions really work? Political science scholarship on White House staffers provides some insight.
Babies on Display
In the mid- to late nineteenth century, people showed off their infants at baby shows.
Before Helen Keller, There Was Laura Bridgman
Before Helen Keller, there was Laura Bridgman, the first blind and deaf woman who learned to communicate through language.
Whatever Happened To Piltdown Man?
Piltdown Man was once considered the missing link between apes and humans. What happened?
Creating the Voter Fraud Myth
Although in-person voter fraud is close to nonexistent, it’s a big concern for many voters.
Why America Went Medieval
In the middle of the nineteenth century, upper-class America went gaga over a vision of the medieval. Carpenter’s Gothic ...
How A Gambling Duchess Changed British Politics
Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, won and lost fortunes, giving into a compulsion that pitted her against some of society’s most notorious ne’er-do-wells.
The Venerable Tradition of the Presidential Sex Scandal
Americans have been obsessed with the sexual character and moral rectitude, or lack thereof, of politicians from the beginning.
How the Women of Los Angeles Protected Their Rights to Drive
In the 1920s, women's love of driving in auto-obsessed Los Angeles created traffic jams and a battle over women’s rightful place.