Black Soldier Desertion in the Civil War
The reasons Black Union soldiers left their army during the Civil war were varied, with poor pay, family needs and racism among them.
Grifting In The 18th Century: The Grift Remains the Same
When faking an identity, it helps to choose something foreign to your audience.
Jim Crow’s Civil Defense Plans
The first head of the Federal Civil Defense Administration planned on maintaining segregation in bomb shelters, and in the post-nuclear future.
Buffalo Soldiers and the Bicycle Corps
Buffalo Soldiers were assigned to assess bicycles as military transportation on the frontier at the end of the nineteenth century.
New History of the Illinois Country
The history of French settlement in le pays des Illinois is not well-known by Americans, and what is known is being revisited by historians.
Angela Proctor on the “Opinions Regarding Slavery: Slave Narratives” Collection
We spoke with Angela Proctor, head archivist at Southern University, about the collections of slave narratives compiled by John B. Cade from 1929-1935.
John B. Cade’s Project to Document the Stories of the Formerly Enslaved
A recently digitized slave narrative collection consists of original manuscripts compiled by John Brother Cade and his students at Southern University.
Antisemitism at the 1932 Winter Olympics
The 1932 Winter Olympics were a small foreshadowing of what was to come in 1936 Berlin.
Colonial Civility and Rage on the American Frontier
A 1763 massacre by colonial settlers exposed the irreconcilable contradictions of conquest by people concerned with civility.
Were Early American Prisons Similar to Today’s?
A correctional officer’s history of 19th century prisons and modern-day parallels. From Sing Sing to suicide watch, torture treads a fine line.