What Was Women’s Liberation?
The short-lived radical movement within feminism has gotten a bad reputation for centering white women's experiences. Is that deserved?
Hair, Gender, and Social Status in Ancient Egypt
Egyptian tomb chapels depict men, women, and children of different ranks in society. What can their hairstyles tell us about their lives?
The Alpha Suffrage Club and Black Women’s Fight for the Vote
Black women’s experiences in the suffrage movement show that the Nineteenth Amendment marked one event in the fight for the vote, not an endpoint.
Corn Is Everywhere!
Two educators use the history of corn, from the domestication of maize 10,000 years ago to today's ubiquitous "commodity corn," to teach about biodiversity.
The Real Story of Black Anarchists
Often in the news today, anarchism is widely misunderstood. One myth is that it's a movement for white people.
How “Prerequisite Cases” Tried to Define Whiteness
A law of 1790 said that only "free white persons" were eligible to be naturalized. But courts struggled for years afterward to tell who was white at all.
How Gwich’in Hunters Protect Caribou Herds
An Arctic indigenous community has developed complicated but flexible "rules" for its own hunters to follow. Respect for animals is paramount.
The Long History of Comet Phobia
Even the invention of the telescope couldn't convince all people to put aside superstitions about comets.
Toni Morrison’s Operatic Life
Toni Morrison was renowned for the musicality of her prose, so writing lyrics for classical music wasn't a huge stretch.
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.