Mona Eltahawy on Egypt’s Next Revolution
The Egyptian-American activist speaks out on the dangers women still face in a changing Mideast
May 2013 |
By Ron Rosenbaum
How the Ford Motor Company Won a Battle and Lost Ground
Corporate violence against union organizers might have gone unrecorded—if it not for an enterprising news photographer
April 30, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
When New York City Tamed the Feared Gunslinger Bat Masterson
The lawman had a reputation to protect—but that reputation shifted after he moved East
April 03, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
The Most Audacious Australian Prison Break of 1876
An American whaling ship brought together an oddball crew with a dangerous mission: freeing six Irishmen from a jail in western Australia
March 12, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
The Dead Woman Who Brought Down the Mayor
Vivian Gordon was a reputed prostitute and blackmailer—but her murder led to the downfall of New York Mayor Jimmy Walker
February 25, 2013 |
By Rachel Shteir
Eleanor Roosevelt and the Soviet Sniper
Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a Soviet sniper credited with 309 kills—and an advocate for women's rights. On a U.S. tour in 1942, she found a friend in the first lady.
February 21, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
Harry Truman’s Adorable Love “List” to His Wife, Bess
As a celebration of 38 years of marriage, the former president shared his memories, both fond and bittersweet, from each anniversary
February 12, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
The Unsuccessful Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln
On the eve of his first inauguration, President Lincoln snuck into Washington in the middle of the night, evading the would-be assassins who waited for him in Baltimore
February 2013 |
By Daniel Stashower
War and Peace of Mind for Ulysses S. Grant
With the help of his friend Mark Twain, Grant finished his memoirs—and saved his wife from an impoverished widowhood—just days before he died
January 16, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
Document Deep Dive: The Menu From President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Ball
What delicacies and confectionaries were found on the 250-foot-long buffet table?
January 15, 2013 |
By Megan Gambino
The Candor and Lies of Nazi Officer Albert Speer
The minister of armaments was happy to tell his captors about the war machine he had built. But it was a different story when he was asked about the Holocaust
January 08, 2013 |
By Gilbert King
The History of the Teddy Bear: From Wet and Angry to Soft and Cuddly
After Teddy Roosevelt's act of sportsmanship in 1902 was made legendary by a political cartoonist, his name was forever affixed to an American classic
December 21, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Document Deep Dive: Emancipation Proclamation
When freeing the slaves 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln traded in his famous lyricism for a dry, legal tone. Harold Holzer explains why
December 19, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
How the Emancipation Proclamation Came to Be Signed
The pen, inkwell and one copy of the document that freed the slaves are photographed together for the first time
December 2012 |
By Louis P. Masur
The Day Henry Clay Refused to Compromise
The Great Pacificator was adept at getting congressmen to reach agreements over slavery. But he was less accommodating when one of his own slaves sued him
December 06, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The Kennedy Assassin Who Failed
Richard Paul Pavlick’s plan wasn’t very complicated, but it took an eagle-eyed postal worker to prevent a tragedy
December 06, 2012 |
By Dan Lewis
Madame Restell: The Abortionist of Fifth Avenue
Without benefit of medical training, Madame Restell spent 40 years as a "female physician"
November 27, 2012 |
By Karen Abbott
The History of Pardoning Turkeys Began With Tad Lincoln
The rambunctious boy had free rein of the White House, and used it to divert a holiday bird from the butcher's block
November 21, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Henry Wiencek Responds to His Critics
The author of a new book about Thomas Jefferson makes his case and defends his scholarship
November 14, 2012 |
By Smithsonian.com
Geronimo’s Appeal to Theodore Roosevelt
Held captive far longer than his surrender agreement called for, the Apache warrior made his case directly to the president
November 09, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
