Whence the White Horse of Uffington?
A white horse of chalk both defines and defies a common understanding of what English heritage is, and is not.
Introducing American Prison Newspapers, 1800-2020: Voices from the Inside
This overlooked corner of the press provided news by and for people who were incarcerated. A newly available archive shows it worked hard to reach outside audiences too.
William Dampier, Pirate Scientist
An oft-overlooked explorer who traversed the globe, driven by his thirst for scientific discovery—and a love of piracy.
The Mystery of the Mustard Family
An archaeological dig turned up eight bottles of mustard powder in one eighteenth-century homestead. Why the condiment love?
How Wet-Nursing Stoked Class Tensions
“[N]o man can justly doubt, that a childs mind is answerable to his nurses milk and manners.”
The Native American Roots of the US Constitution
The Iroquois, Shawnee, Cherokee, and other political formations generally separated military and civil leadership and guarded certain personal freedoms.
Sex Panic at the Department Store
Were shopgirls selling more than scents at the perfume counter? Three investigators were determined to find out.
Did Allied Bombs Destroy German Morale?
With men mostly absent, women and children dominated a small city called Darmstadt. Then "fire night" came.
The Hidden History of Biology Textbooks
American biology textbooks supposedly became less scientific after the Scopes trial. One scholar argues that this isn't the whole story.
The Ugly History of Chicago’s “Ugly Law”
In the nineteenth century, laws in many parts of the country prohibited "undeserving" disabled people from appearing in public.