View of the West Front of Monticello and Garden by Jane Braddick, 1825

Building A Better Democracy?

Metaphors of construction have been popular in American history from the start. How come?
Garlic

Garlic and Social Class

Immigrants from southern Italy were stereotyped for their use of the aromatic vegetable.
A sales assistant at the perfume counter of a department store, 1946

The Fight to Integrate Philadelphia’s Department Stores

Black women shopped at department store counters, but they weren't welcome to work where they spent their money.
Two pages from a baby book from the 1920s

The Long-Lost Ritual of Baby Books

Mothers used to documented their infant children's milestones—first steps, first smile—in specially made books. They're amazing historical documents.
A historical marker for the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster

Remembering the Disaster at Hawks Nest

Hundreds of miners, mostly African American men, died from an entirely preventable industrial catastrophe.
Members of the Japanese Independent Congregational Church attend Easter services in Oakland, California, 1942

Who Helped Japanese Americans after Internment?

Resettlement was difficult and traumatic, but the religious community worked to provide housing, food, and job opportunities.
Execution of Louis XVI, 1793

The Decapitation Experiments of Jean César Legallois

This French scientist conducted a series of gruesome experiments in his quest to discover the true limits of life and death.
Stacked products in open fridge

Food and Class: What’s in the Fridge?

A recent New York Times quiz got us thinking about refrigerators, food, diet, and assumptions about class. Here are 12 stories on the subject.
Little brown bat

What Bats Can Teach Humans About Coronavirus Immunity

Bats have a unique genetic ability to tolerate many viral infections. Can humans uncover their secrets?
Visitors walk past the entrance gate to the Auschwitz death camp, the most notorious of the many Nazi concentration camps

Does Dark Tourism Exploit Tragedy for Profit?

Thanatourism, as one scholar calls it, has a long history. And some historic sites of mass death do offer thoughtful educational experiences.