Logging in the Oregon forests, c. 1917

Water Logs

Log drivers once steered loose timber on rivers across America before railroad expansion put such shepherds out of work.
Three pence Colonial currency from the Province of Pennsylvania. Signed by Thomas Wharton. Printed by Benjamin Franklin and David Hall, 1764

Building an Economy on Paper Money

A shortage of coined currency led Pennsylvania to begin using paper money in the 1720s. The British didn't like it, but the colonists did.
Sing Sing prison, with warden T. M. Osborne and two other men, c. 1915

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.
Facsimile of the original draft of the United States Declaration of Independence with images of the signers around the border.

The Declaration of Independence: Annotated

Related links to free scholarly context on JSTOR for the foundational document in American government.
A person driving a Mercedes

In Epidemics, the Wealthy Have Always Fled

"The poor, having no choice, remained.”
A Red Cross nurse wearing a face mask, c. 1918

The 1918 Parade That Spread Death in Philadelphia

In six weeks, 12,000 were dead of influenza.
Monkeys illustration

Early America’s Troubled Relationship With Monkeys

The real and supposed resemblances between humans and non-human primates shaped American conversations about race and society.
Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson vs Paul Robeson: A Double Play for the Ages

In 1949, Jackie Robinson testified in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee against Paul Robeson.
"The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor", lithograph depicting the 1773 Boston Tea Party

Taxation Without Money

The Stamp Act of 1765, which inspired the “taxation without representation” cry, imposed taxes that outraged specific groups of people.
"Sprit of '76.2". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

The American Revolution and Genealogy Research

The history of loyalists and rebels in the American Revolution and genealogy research.