Race-baiting the Last Big City Socialist
When business interests tried to use red-baiting to take down a socialist mayor of Milwaukee in the Fifties, it didn't work, so they used race-baiting instead.
The Paradoxical Pomegranate
Aphrodisiac and contraceptive, enflaming and cooling, the pomegranate was a balancing act, mediating between opposing states.
What Does Thanksgiving Look Like in Prison?
Our American Prison Newspapers collection provides a peek at Thanksgiving celebrations in prisons throughout the decades.
A Brief History of Literary Cats
There’s nothing like curling up with a good book and a soft cat. Even better is a book with a cat in it.
Separate Spheres On Narrow Boats: Victorians At Sea
On the North Atlantic, the ships were small and the trips were long, making it difficult to maintain the land-based social distinctions.
The Plagiarism Scandal That Ended Nella Larsen’s Career
Larsen's 1930 story "Sanctuary" had a similar plot to an earlier British story. So what? Perhaps the tale never really belonged to either writer.
How South Asian Temple Dancers Fought Moral Reform
Devadāsīs appealed to a longstanding tradition to argue that they had a legitimate position in their modernizing nation.
In Rome, Mourning Clothes as Political Resistance
In Ancient Rome, swapping one’s regular toga for the dirty, drab robes associated with mourning could request mercy, or communicate resistance.
Why the History of Science Should Matter to Scientists
Two historians consider the field of taxonomy to ask what history can provide science at the bench level.
How Black CB Radio Users Created an Audible Community
CB radio was portrayed as a mostly white enthusiasm in its heyday, but Black CB users were active as early as 1959.