Why Don’t Americans Eat Whale?
Whales have been used for everything but meat in this country. Why is that?
The Secret Order Behind the Underground Railroad
William Lambert and George De Baptiste, free-born black men, used the underground railroad to help slaves escape to British Canada.
Why Do Some States Have Citizen Militias While Others Don’t?
The occupation of a wildlife refuge in Oregon and subsequent arrest of Ammon Bundy has once again drawn ...
Aaron Burr: Most Hated Man in American History
A more sympathetic look at Aaron Burr, the man who killed Alexander Hamilton.
How the Chinese Fought Discrimination in 19th Century Arizona
Chinese immigrants in the American West faced legal discrimination and fought back against it using other laws.
Margaret Sanger’s Eugenics Defense
Margaret Sanger's belief in eugenics stemmed from her interest in individual choice—an idea that brought birth control into the mainstream of American life.
Planned Parenthood Gunman Robert Dear’s “Idiosyncratic” Faith
Planned Parenthood gunman Robert Dear has been pigeonholed for his "idiosyncratic" faith. But it's very much a part of the American evangelical tradition.
The Poem at the Foot of Lady Liberty
Emma Lazarus's famous poem welcoming refugees to America was written during a period of nativist backlash against immigrants.
Understanding Woodrow Wilson’s Racism
Woodrow Wilson's racism was of its time, and so were critiques of it by the likes of political ally turned critic, W.E.B. Du Bois.
The Immortal Life of Joice Heth: How P. T. Barnum Used an Elderly Slave To Launch His Career
P. T. Barnum's career as a Kentucky show man began with his ownership and exploitation of African American slave Joice Heth.