When New Yorkers Burned Down a Quarantine Hospital
On September 1st, 1858, a mob stormed the New York Marine Hospital in Staten Island, and set fire to the building.
How White Kids See Race
A study of white children in 1960s Wisconsin showed how strongly peer groups can affect the way people think about race.
The Dawn of WWII, According to the Chief of British Secret Intelligence
An original essay from 1939.
Early Mexican Immigrants Blurred Color Lines in the Southern U.S.
In the 1920s, Mexican immigrants to the United States challenged the country's notions of who was white and who was not.
Franklin, the American State that Wasn’t
Franklin was the 14th state of America. If you haven't heard of it, that's because it only lasted for four years.
Understanding Planet-Wide Danger
The way Americans metabolized the global threat of nuclear war has had lasting effects on how we think about our newest global threat: climate change.
Boy Scouts and the Phenomenon of “Boyification”
After a series of traumatic wars, the U.K. and the U.S. embraced a trend of "boyification." Scholars theorize it was an attempt to recover lost innocence.
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.
The Man Who Tried to Claim the Grand Canyon
Ralph H. Cameron staked mining claims around the Grand Canyon, seeking to privatize it. When the federal government fought back, he ran for Senate.