How Jim Crow Divided Florida’s Cubans
In the late nineteenth century, many Cuban immigrants supported racial equality. That began to change as white supremacist terrorism grew in intensity.
Belize: On the Way to Somewhere
After declaring independence from Great Britain in 1981, the Central American nation directed itself down a path to tourism and transformation.
When Hitchhiking was Wholesome
In the 1930s, hitchhiking was viewed as an opportunity for generosity on the part of the driver and a way to practice good manners on the part of the rider.
Mother’s—and Others’—Milk
Said to bestow strength and beauty, to purify body and soul, and to yield success and happiness, milk’s image is as adulterated as the liquid itself.
A Messy Divorce: The Sino-Soviet Split
The ideological disagreements between two nations shattered the idea of monolithic communism and re-arranged the chessboard of the Cold War.
The Actual Louisiana Purchase Price
The $15 million price tag of the Louisiana Territory has been described as one of the greatest real estate bargains ever. But what did that actually buy?
Putting an End to Obscene Quackery
When medical professionals joined anti-vice campaigners to censor publications about sex in the 1800s, they found themselves wielding a double-edged sword.
Ada Blackjack’s Secret Weapon
Memories of her son helped Blackjack to become the sole survivor of an ill-fated expedition to Wrangel Island.
The Delhi Durbars
Elaborate demonstrations of British royal ceremony fused with Indian tradition, these assemblies were meant to assert political dominance over Indian subjects.
Earthsickness At Sea
Early European circumnavigators thought that their long absence from land during sea voyages made them sick. (Spoiler alert: it was scurvy.)