U.S. History

During the campaign, Lincoln confided he would have preferred a full term in the Senate "where there was more chance to make a reputation and less danger of losing it."

Election Day 1860

As soon as the returns were in, the burdens of the presidency weighed upon Abraham Lincoln

After almost two centuries, the flag's frail state became plain. The icon's new high-tech home will protect it from exposure to bright light, humidity and ambient pollution.

Star-Spangled Banner Back on Display

After a decade’s conservation, the flag that inspired the National Anthem returns to its place of honor on the National Mall

"Montpelier, which lies a few miles south of Orange, Virginia, and about 90 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., is where James Madison grew up and where he retired after his days as president were over."

Montpelier and the Legacy of James Madison

The recently restored Virginia estate of James Madison was home to a founding father and the ideals that shaped a nation

Wall Street with Trinity Church in the distance.

The Financial Panic of 1907: Running from History

Robert F. Bruner discusses the panic of 1907 and the financial crisis of 2008

"The lost synagogue" at Eastern State Penitentiary.

The Synagogue at Eastern State Penitentiary

Meals were delivered to the inmates and they ate in their cells. Food carts ran on tracks along the catwalks in the two story cellblocks.

Eastern State Penitentiary: A Prison With a Past

Philadelphia set the stage for prison reform not only in Pennsylvania, but also the world over

"We, The Delaware Boat Veterans, take as our solemn duty before our Creator to make known the truth concerning the Presidential candidate who calls himself George Washington."

Swiftboating George Washington

For politicians, it’s the same olde, same olde story

An undated rendering of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Ted Sorensen on Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Words

Kennedy advisor Ted Sorensen found that of all the U.S. presidents, Lincoln had the best speechwriter—himself

George Washington

Digging Up George Washington

Archaeologists continue to uncover more about the nation's first president

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Fergus M. Bordewich on "Face the Nation"

Douglas expected to crush his untried opponent in the enormously crowd-pleasing debates

How Lincoln Bested Douglas in Their Famous Debates

The 1858 debates reframed America's argument about slavery and transformed Lincoln into a presidential contender

Aerial view of the Washington dig site with Fredericksburg visible on the horizon

Washington's Boyhood Home

Archaeologists have finally pinpointed the Virginia house where our first president came of age

Frederick Douglass

Conventional Facts

The DefendantsNathan Leopold (left) and his lover Richard Loeb confessed that they had kidnapped and murdered Bobby Franks solely for the thrill of the experience.

Leopold and Loeb's Criminal Minds

In defense of murderers Leopold and Loeb, attorney Clarence Darrow thwarted a nation's call for vengeance

Inside the convention hall, delegates battled over the Vietnam War and the power of the party establishment. Outside, Chicago police prepared for a parallel battle with antiwar protesters who flooded the city.

1968 Democratic Convention

The Bosses Strike Back

Delegates to the Republican National Convention stage a huge demonstration for Senator Barry Goldwater, after his name was placed in nomination for the Presidency.

How the 1964 Republican Convention Sparked a Revolution From the Right

At the ugliest of Republican conventions since 1912, entrenched moderates faced off against conservative insurgents

Truman committed the Democrats to civil rights. After the party splintered, Strom Thurmond ran as the candidate of the States’ Rights Party.

1948 Democratic Convention

The South Secedes Again

Theodore Roosevelt giving a campaign speech.

1912 Republican Convention

Return of the Rough Rider

Red, white and bruising: at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, conflicts within the hall were amplified in violence on Chicago’s streets.

Parties to History

Four Political Conventions That Changed America

Carleton Watkins stereograph of El Capitan in Yosemite

About Carleton Watkins

On the life and career of the 19th-century American landscape photographer who captured Yosemite in stereo

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