The Genderless Eighteenth-Century Prophet
In 1776, a 24-year-old Quaker woman named Jemima Wilkinson died of fever, and came back to life as a prophet known as the Publick Universal Friend.
Speaking for Rural America, 100 Years Ago
In the early 20th century, the Country Life Movement tried to make rural life appeal to women. But it ignored many truths about farms and women alike.
Satan, the Radical
There is a long history of leftist thinkers embracing Satan, usually just as a way to shake up political rhetoric.
I Could Spend All Day Looking at the Covers of These LGBTQ Publications
A treasure trove of queer publications from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s are now available through Reveal Digital’s open access collection "Independent Voices."
The Trouble with Absinthe
When temperance advocates won the ban on absinthe in 1915, many of them saw it as the first step in a broader anti-drinking campaign.
Restaurants Built Modern Japan’s Identity
In the early 20th century, Japan's embrace of exotic cuisines helped strengthen its connections both to China and to the West.
Why Are Americans So Cheery?
How Americans went from loving melancholy to focusing on controlling their emotions -- and destinies.
What Does It Mean To Be Celtic?
How various nationalist groups have come to use "Celtic" as a coded way of saying "white."
The Stonewall Riots Didn’t Start the Gay Rights Movement
Giving Stonewall too much credit misses the movement’s growing strength in the 1960s, sociologists note.
When Foster Care Meant Farm Labor
Before current foster care programs were in place, Americans depended on farmers to take care of kids in exchange for hard labor.