Historical Documents
Chicago Library Seeks Help Transcribing Magical Manuscripts
Three texts dealing with charms, spirits, and all other manners of magical practice are now accessible online
Suggested Alternative Dates for Independence Day
The reason Independence Day is on July 4 isn’t very robust
Colorized Footage Is a Vivid Reminder that History Didn't Happen in Black and White
A new Smithsonian Channel series takes a fresh, vibrant look at five decades of historical footage
At Its Core, the Declaration of Independence Was a Plea for Help From Britain’s Enemies
The intended audience for the document could be found in the royal houses of France and Spain
The Army Veteran Who Became the First to Hike the Entire Appalachian Trail
His journal and hiking boots are in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
How a Single Paragraph Paved the Way for a Jewish State
The Balfour Declaration changed the course of history with just one sentence
This Infamous 19th-Century Birth Control Pamphlet Got Its Writer Imprisoned
Charles Knowlton did three months hard labor and was fined $50
A Digital Archive of Slave Voyages Details the Largest Forced Migration in History
An online database explores the nearly 36,000 slave voyages that occurred between 1514 and 1866
Found: A Second Parchment Copy of the Declaration of Independence
Likely commissioned in the 1780s by James Wilson, the handwritten copy's signatory order appears to emphasize national unity
Sealed Files of the United Nations War Crimes Commission Will Finally See Light of Day
The massive archive has already revealed that war crimes charges against Hitler were drawn up as early as 1944
When Freud Met Jung
The meeting of the minds happened 110 years ago
A Coal Fire May Have Helped Sink the 'Titanic'
A new documentary claims the <i>Titanic</i>’s hull was weakened before it struck an iceberg
A Brief History of Children Sent Through the Mail
In the early days of the parcel post, some parents took advantage of the mail in unexpected ways
The Remedy for the Spread of Fake News? History Teachers
Historical literacy, and the healthy skepticism that comes with it, provides the framework for being able to discern truth from fiction
The Typos on This Dead Sea Scroll Don't Mean It's Fake
When the Dead Sea copper scroll was unveiled, doubts were quickly raised about its authenticity. For one thing, it was riddled with spelling errors
What Is the Glass Palace Chronicle and Why Is It Important?
One of the most important sources of Burmese history is a document known as the Glass Palace Chronicle
Will We Ever Know Why Nazi Leader Rudolf Hess Flew to Scotland in the Middle of World War II?
The remarkable tale of insanity, espionage, and conspiracies remains unanswered after 75 years
How Magna Carta Went Viral
In a world before the printing press, how did news of the famous document make the rounds?
This Chart From 1790 Lays Out the Many Dangers of Alcoholism
Founding father Benjamin Rush was greatly concerned with the amount of booze imbibed in post-Revolution America
"Unbroken"'s Louis Zamperini Crashed Into the Pacific on May 27, 1943. Here is the Missing Air Crew Report
The National Archives holds a record with details of the downing of the former Olympian's B-24 bomber that left him lost at sea for 47 days
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