Barrels of whiskey are opened and poured into a blending vat below, circa 1940.

Bourbon Country

Examining the ingredients—time, grain, government regulations—that have made bourbon an enduring national favorite.
Annie Londonderry, 1896

The Hunt for the Massachusetts “Wild Man”

In a tale with as many false identities as supposed crimes, investigative reporter Annie “Londonderry” Kopchovsky gets her man (maybe).

The Changing Face of Southern California

An expansive collection of postcards captures the evolving cultural landscape of Southern California—particularly greater Los Angeles—in the twentieth century.
Andrew Johnson holds a leaking kettle, labeled "The Reconstructed South", towards a woman representing liberty and Columbia, carrying a baby representing the newly approved 14th Constitutional Amendment

The Pro-Democratic Fourteenth Amendment

At the heart of recent US Supreme Court decisions, the Fourteenth Amendment was framed to require free speech and free elections in the South.
A climate change activist stands outside the home of Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) on June 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. Activist groups are holding a "Tour of Shame", or march to the homes of senators they consider most responsible for a reduction in climate change regulations.

A Return To Nineteenth-Century Style Regulation?

In an era of laissez-faire governance, a growing number of federal and state regulations were justified as necessary to protect public health and morality.
Golfers in Minnesota in the 1940s

Fairness on the Fairway: Public Golf Courses and Civil Rights

Organized movements to bring racial equality to the golf course have been part of the sport since the early 1900s.
Fetching water from a spigot which services many people who live in the huge slum area known as "El Fangitto" in San Juan, Puerto Rico

The New Deal Comes To Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico was hit hard by the Great Depression. New Deal relief programs were often democratic and locally controlled.
From the cover of a 1988 issue of The Moral Majority

The Moral Majority: Collection of Primary Sources

The Moral Majority Report and the Liberty Report newsletter from the conservative advocacy group are now on JSTOR. Researchers take note.
Chuck Berry does the splits as he plays his Gibson hollowbody electric guitar in circa 1968.

Race, Rock, and Breaking Barriers

The rock music industry brought more than a little racism to the radio, but a few artists pushed beyond the boundaries imposed by white audiences.
Film still from a 1960s drag cocktail party, picnic, and pool party, c. 1968-1969

The Battle over Drag in 1960s San Francisco

The organized struggle for rights has been shaped by debates over the relationship between gender presentation and sexuality.