The Milk Banks of New York
Milk banks, a successor concept to wet nursing, are a little discussed part of the contemporary landscape of infant care.
How One Household Avoided Emancipation Laws
The Volunbruns enslaved twenty people and moved relentlessly between empires and states as more jurisdictions outlawed slavery.
Rural Rent Wars of the 1840s
Anti-rent rebellions in New York State helped to shatter the two-party political system in the nineteenth century.
The Odd History of the Adirondacks
The largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi was deemed "Forever Wild" in 1885. But it wasn't exactly created to preserve nature.
Video: Lady Deborah Moody and the Founding of Gravesend, Brooklyn
A short video describing the colonial village of Gravesend, Brooklyn, founded by Lady Deborah Moody in 1643, only to somewhat mysteriously disappear.
Why Were Americans Obsessed With Ghosts in the 1940s?
In 1940s America, two folklorists undertook the task of collecting and studying the "modern" ghost stories of their time.
The Curious History of Ellis Island
Ellis Island celebrates its 125th anniversary as the federal immigration depot. From 1892-1954, more than 12 million immigrants passed through the island.
