When Fireworks Told Stories
In Europe between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, fireworks displays were performances that told a story or symbolized real-world battles.
The Unexpected Impact of James Garfield’s Assassination
On July 2, 1881, less than a year after President James Garfield was elected the 20th president of the United States, he was shot by Charles Guiteau.
A Precedent for Today’s Political Violence
Illegal violence has always been a political tool, often serving the interests of the powerful. A historian looks at the case of 1930s Birmingham, Alabama.
The Making of the American Diner
Today's diners would surprise a 1940s patron. These restaurants were once vulgar boy’s clubs before becoming today's family-friendly establishments.
The Women’s Magazine That Tried to Stop the Civil War
Godey’s Lady’s Book, one of the most influential American publications of the nineteenth century, tried to halt the Civil War.
The Clash Over Water in Waukesha, Wisconsin
A town that once thrived on tourism around its famed natural springs is seeking water from faraway Lake Michigan.
When Americans Became Obsessed with Fresh Air
Once it became clear that mosquitoes, not the air itself, carried malaria, early 20th-century Americans went to extreme lengths to enjoy fresh air at night.
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.
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?
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?