The First American Restaurants’ Culinary Concoctions
A study of historical fine-dining menus yields surprises. Like six preparations of frog, and delicious lamb testicles.
Interview: The League of Revolutionary Black Workers
Two industrial workers, members of Detroit’s League of Revolutionary Black Workers, share experiences with political organizing and education.
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 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.
How Cremation Lost Its Stigma
The pro-cremation movement of the nineteenth century battled religious tradition, not to mention the specter of mass graves during epidemics.
When the Telephone Was Considered Feminine
Being difficult to understand on the other end of the line was a badge of masculinity.
In Han Dynasty China, Bisexuality Was the Norm
So tender was Emperor Ai’s love for his "male companion" that, when he had to get up, instead of waking his lover, he cut off the sleeve of his robe.
The History of Mourning in Public
After a massive factory fire in 1911, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to stage a "symbolic funeral."
From Gay Liberation to Marriage Equality
One scholar explains how the LGBT movement became focused on advancing the rights of a narrow set of people at the expense of its once-radical vision.
Walter Rodney, Guerrilla Intellectual
Walter Rodney’s radical thought and activism led to his eventual killing by a bomb in Guyana, in 1980.