Declaration of Conscience: Annotated
In June 1950, Senator Margaret Chase Smith criticized Joseph McCarthy's anticommunist campaigns. She was the first of his colleagues to challenge his Red Scare rhetoric.
Lyndon B. Johnson’s Decision Speech: Annotated
United States President Lyndon B. Johnson’s televised announcement that he would not run for re-election shocked a nation divided by the Vietnam War.
The Pardon of President Nixon: Annotated
President Ford’s unconditional pardon of Richard Nixon created political controversy. It also tarnished Ford’s own reputation with the American public.
Mad About Nixon
No other personality appeared more often on the cover of Mad during the first fifty years of the satirical magazine’s life.
When Eartha Kitt Condemned Poverty and War at the White House
It was supposed to be a genteel luncheon with the first lady dedicated to discussing crime policy. The chanteuse had other ideas.
How Has Hollywood Shaped the Presidency?
"Acting presidential" can mean fulfilling expectations that have been shaped by TV and the movies.
The Accidental Presidents of the United States
How "accidental" world leaders have faced the challenges of leading major democracies without being voted in.
How the Bay of Pigs Invasion Changed JFK
The disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion, early in John F. Kennedy's presidency, led him to reconfigure his foreign policy decision-making process.
The Monroe Doctrine’s Checkered Past
This 1823 policy initially focused on preventing European colonization in the Americas. But different U.S. presidents have used it to mean different things.
What Made the Pinto Such a Controversial Car
The Pinto became known as the subcompact car that Ford sold while ignoring major safety defects. But was that just a false narrative?