What Did the Diggers Really Believe?
The early modern Protestant sect has been seen as a predecessor to radical political views. But is that how they saw themselves?
How the Internet Changed Chronic Illness
Online communities show that isolation doesn't have to define the experience of having a chronic disease.
Harriet Taylor Mill, At Last
When you're married to John Stuart Mill, whatever you do or say may be held against you. And so it was.
Music Education and the Birth of Motown
Music teachers in the Detroit public schools paved the way for the success of future Motown artists like Smokey Robinson and Mary Wilson of the Supremes.
Diane di Prima
The Italian American poet and artist's “willingness to speak” about what was culturally unspeakable was a liberation.
The Desperate Quest for American Cinnamon
Centuries ago, Europeans went to extreme and horrific lengths in search of the spice.
The Poem That Inspired Radical Black Women to Organize
Beah Richards is best known as an actor, but in 1951 she wrote a sweeping poem that influenced the Civil Rights Movement.
Racism and the Fear of “Voodoo”
During Reconstruction, lurid tales of African-derived religious practices in Louisiana made news all over the country—especially when worshipers included white women.
Building A Better Democracy?
Metaphors of construction have been popular in American history from the start. How come?
Garlic and Social Class
Immigrants from southern Italy were stereotyped for their use of the aromatic vegetable.