The Age of the Birth Certificate
When states began restricting labor by children, verifying a person's age became an important means of enforcement.
Freedom Libraries and the Fight for Library Equity
Freedom libraries in the south provided Black residents with access to spaces and books, whether in church basements or private homes.
50 Years Later: The Evolution of Prison Policy
Buried within Adelante is evidence of a fleeting attempt at prison reform and oversight in Connecticut. Is history repeating itself?
The Emancipation Proclamation: Annotated
Abraham Lincoln proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in America on January 1, 1863. Today, we've annotated the Emancipation Proclamation for readers.
Our Writers’ Favorite Stories of 2021
Without our writers (and editors and fact checkers and producers) and you, we're nothing.
The Snowy Winter that Devastated Colonial New England
For eleven days in February and March 1717, New England was hit with four major snowstorms. The devastation struck some as a sign from God.
Desegregating Bowling Alleys
The bowling desegregation movement began during World War II, but wouldn’t end there.
Colonial Traffic in Native American Women
Slavery in North America was not an institution of singular evil.
Silence in the Face of Intellectual Conflagration
Columbia University President Nicholas Murray Butler's actions (and inaction) towards Nazi Germany spoke loudly, while he said nothing.
The Declaration of Independence: Annotated
Related links to free scholarly context on JSTOR for the foundational document in American government.