American History
The 1927 Bombing That Remains America’s Deadliest School Massacre
More than 90 years ago, a school in Bath, Michigan was rigged with explosives in a brutal act that stunned the town
What Richmond Has Gotten Right About Interpreting Its Confederate History
And why it hasn't faced the same controversy as New Orleans or Charlottesville
One Man Invented Two of the Deadliest Substances of the 20th Century
Thomas Midgley Jr.'s inventions have had an outsize impact—not all of it good—on humankind
A Little History of American Kindergartens
Songs, blocks and snack time (and don't forget a nap)
The First “Chocolate Chip” Was a Molasses Candy
The name "chocolate chip" goes back much farther than the Toll House cookies
With This One Quotable Speech, Teddy Roosevelt Changed the Way America Thinks About Nature
In a speech at the start of the 1908 Conference of Governors, Roosevelt changed the national conversation about resource use
Apple Pie Is Not All That American
Neither apples nor the pie originally came from America, but Americans have made this dish their own
The Suffragist Statue Trapped in a Broom Closet for 75 Years
The Portrait Monument was a testament to women’s struggle for the vote that remained hidden till 1997
A Federal Immigration Building With a Dark Past
In post-war San Francisco, discrimination against Chinese immigrants resulted in tragedy
Listen to This First 1920s Recording By One of the Kings of Jazz
Sidney Bechet was one of the first big jazz soloists, and brought the soprano saxophone into the jazz fold
Why Does Every Tourist Attraction Sell Fudge?
One thing that places as different as Niagara Falls, Disneyland and Ellis Island have in common? Fudge
Songwriter Irving Berlin's Interfaith Marriage Caused 1920s Gossip
The songwriter made headlines when he and writer Ellin Mackay got married against her millionaire father's wishes
Has the FBI Ever Been Divorced From Politics?
From its earliest days, Congress feared it would act as a “secret federal police”
Why People Love Southern Gothic
From the 19th century to S-Town, it’s a compelling genre that’s as flawed as its most grotesque characters
This Infamous 19th-Century Birth Control Pamphlet Got Its Writer Imprisoned
Charles Knowlton did three months hard labor and was fined $50
Patents (Only) a Mother Could Love
For Mother's Day, we've pulled some of history's wackiest patented ideas for mothers and children
Tomatoes Have Legally Been Vegetables Since 1893
Okay, so it's technically a fruit. But we don't eat it like one
Belle Boyd, Civil War Spy
The so-called “Siren of Shenandoah” stole weapons and carried letters in service to the Confederacy
How White House Chiefs of Staff Help Govern
According to Chris Whipple’s new book, an empowered chief of staff can make a successful presidency
The Woman Who Stood Between America and a Generation of 'Thalidomide Babies'
How the United States escaped a national tragedy in the 1960s
Page 91 of 179