A postcard featuring the Castillo de San Marcos

St. Augustine, the Real First European Settlement in America?

By the time Jamestown, Virginia was settled, St. Augustine, Florida was already 42 years old. The rich history of America's oldest settlement.
jefferson davis inauguration

The Battle Over Confederate Heritage Month

A Southern governor has proclaimed April to be Confederate Heritage Month. But how can you celebrate the confederacy without mentioning slavery?
Jefferson statue

What Are We to Make of Thomas Jefferson?

There is perhaps no more enigmatic figure in American history than Thomas Jefferson, born April 13, 1743. How should his legacy be understood today?
Komagata Maru

The 1917 Immigration Act That Presaged Trump’s Muslim Ban

Prohibitive laws like the 1917 Immigration Act barred many Asians from entering America. Cultural fears still determine who "deserves" to migrate.
wake up, America!

What Americans Thought of WWI

What did Americans think of World War I before the US entered the conflict 100 years ago? “Public opinion” was no more universal in 1917 than it is today.
Aurora Alaska

Buying Alaska

It's the 150th anniversary of the Alaska Purchase. Why did the Americans want all that ice and why were the Russians willing to sell?
The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, January 3, 1777

Immigration and National Security on George Washington’s Day

Presuming that immigration was a boon to national security, U.S. borders remained mostly open for the first century of the nation’s existence.
Buffalo Bill Cody

The Truth Behind Buffalo Bill’s Scalping Act

“Buffalo Bill” Cody was among history’s most intriguing showmen, fascinating a nation with a show that helped weave the modern myth of the Wild West.
Harvard quad

The Infamous Tale of the Murderous Chemistry Professor

The murder of Dr. George Parkman on the campus of Harvard College was one of the most famous crimes in nineteenth century America.
Girl Scout camp

What the Girl Scouts’ Founder Wanted Girls to Know

Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world celebrate World Thinking Day, a holiday aimed at helping global scouts connect and reflect on their past.