Frances Perkins: Architect of the New Deal
She designed Social Security and public works programs that helped bring millions out of poverty. Her work has been largely forgotten.
The Victorian Tea “Infomercial”
By the 19th century, tea was the British national beverage, and "tea histories" were a form of imperial propaganda.
Nashoba: Not So Interracial, Not So Utopian
In the 1820s, Frances Wright established a community whose major project was the emancipation of enslaved people. Why did it crash and burn?
Who Invented Weird Hipster Ice Cream Flavors?
From asparagus to pâté de fois gras, early modern ice cream was decidedly different from plain chocolate and vanilla.
How Black Americans Co-opted the Fourth of July
After the Civil War, white southerners saw the Fourth of July as a celebration of Confederate defeat. Black southerners saw opportunities.
The Madness of John Roberts
The Supreme Court’s pro-choice decision in June Medical Services v. Russo illustrates the Chief Justice's embattled relationship with precedent.
Shirley Chisholm: Sisterhood Is Complicated
A 1974 interview on feminism and politics with the first Black major-party candidate for president.
How Churches Helped Make Scandinavians “White”
At a time when people from the "wrong" places were entering the U.S., missionaries tried to recruit immigrants they found acceptable.
Abolitionist “Wide Awakes” Were Woke Before “Woke”
“Now the old men are folding their arms and going to sleep,” said William H. Seward while campaigning for Lincoln, “and the young men are Wide Awake.”
Media Literacy & Fake News: A Syllabus
Ten lessons from the past and steps we can take now to educate ourselves and our students about how to be a thoughtful consumer of information.