American History
There’s a Better Way to Teach the California Gold Rush
A new lesson plan centers Native American perspectives on the violence of Western expansion
Preserved Fruit From the 18th Century Found at George Washington's Estate
During a renovation project, archaeologists uncovered intact bottles containing preserved cherries and berries that are more than 250 years old
Railbiking Is Catching On Across the Nation—Here's Where to Try It Yourself
Sit back, relax and pedal your way along historic railroad tracks
You Could Own Rare Copies of the Nation's Founding Documents, Just in Time for the Fourth of July
Sotheby's is auctioning early printings of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as well as a 1790 Rhode Island broadside
Everyone Should Know About Rickwood Field, the Alabama Park Where Baseball Legends Made History
The sport's greatest figures played ball in the Deep South amid the racism and bigotry that would later make Birmingham the center of the civil rights movement
Ancestry Releases Records of 183,000 Enslaved Individuals in America
The genealogy company has digitized and published 38,000 newspaper articles from between 1788 and 1867—before Black Americans were counted as citizens in the U.S. census
The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2024
From a bluegrass capital in Virginia to a laid-back surf town in Hawaii, these spots are beckoning to tourists this year
Twenty-Five Years Before the Wright Brothers Took to the Skies, This Flying Machine Captivated America
First exhibited in 1878, Charles F. Ritchel's dirigible was about as wacky, dangerous and impractical as any airship ever launched
How the United States Laid Claim to the Mississippi River, One Mile at a Time
Thomas Jefferson imagined the waterway as the heart of his “empire of liberty" as he dispatched surveyors to measure a land already occupied by Native Americans
More Than a Century Ago, Flamingos Disappeared From Florida. Now, They're Coming Home
Likely transported by Hurricane Idalia last August, more than 100 of the pink birds were counted in a February census in the Sunshine State, where they are considered a native species
Hall of Fame Examines 150 Years of Black Baseball History
A new exhibition begins long before the creation of the Negro Leagues and ends with the triumphs and challenges of today's players
Why Juneteenth, the U.S.'s Second Independence Day, Is a Federal Holiday
The celebration commemorates June 19, 1865, when a military decree informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were free
Archaeologists Discover Ancient Canoes Hidden Beneath a Wisconsin Lake
One of the vessels dates back around 4,500 years, making it the oldest ever found in the Great Lakes region
Martha Gellhorn Was The Only Woman to Report on the D-Day Landings From the Ground
In June 1944, the veteran journalist hid on a hospital ship so she could report firsthand as Allied soldiers fought their way onto the beaches of Normandy
Wreck of WWII Submarine Found After 80 Years
The USS Harder, known by the nickname "Hit ‘em HARDER," was led by a commander known for his 'particularly audacious attacks' on Japanese warships
Bette Nash, Longest-Serving Flight Attendant in the World, Dies at 88
Nash became a flight attendant in 1957 and never stopped working
A Century Ago, This Law Underscored the Promises and Pitfalls of Native American Citizenship
The 1924 Indian Citizenship Act sought to assimilate Native people into white society. But the legislation, signed by President Calvin Coolidge, fell short
How the Murder of a Black Grocery Store Owner and His Colleagues Galvanized Ida B. Wells' Anti-Lynching Crusade
The saga of People's Grocery stands as a powerful reminder of the centrality of Black radicalism to the food justice movement
What America's First Board Game Tells Us About the Aspirations of a Young Nation
Released in 1822, the Travelers’ Tour Through the United States took players on a cross-country adventure
Why Leopold and Loeb Committed Cold-Blooded Murder in the 'Crime of the Century'
A century ago, two Chicago teenagers killed an acquaintance named Bobby Franks for the thrill of it. The case captivated the nation and continues to fascinate the public today
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