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History / U.S. History

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

The History of How We Came to Revere Abraham Lincoln

The slain president’s two personal secretaries battled mudslingers for a quarter-century to shape his image

When Cassius Clay Signed His Gloves With a Prediction of His Future Greatness

In 1964, a 22-year-old Cassius Clay was largely untested as a pro. Then he stepped into the ring

The JFK Christmas Card That Was Never Sent

A rare White House card from 1963 evokes one of the nation’s darkest holiday seasons

The first ransom notes come from an 1874 kidnapping.

The Story Behind the First Ransom Note in American History

Last year, a school librarian was looking through family artifacts when she stumbled upon the first ransom note in American history

Different visuals paint different pictures of the AIDS epidemic in America.

The Confusing and At-Times Counterproductive 1980s Response to the AIDS Epidemic

A new exhibit looks at the posters sent out by non-profits and the government in response to the spread of AIDS

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This Thanksgiving, Step Back in Time and into 17th-Century Plymouth Colony

Reenactors in this “living museum” bring the Pilgrim’s homestead back to life

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Dear Sir, Ben Franklin Would Like to Add You to His Network

Historian Caroline Winterer’s analysis of Franklin’s letters applies big data to big history

An editorial that critiqued Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address as “silly remarks.”

My Great-Great-Grandfather Hated the Gettysburg Address. Now He’s Famous For It

It’s hard to imagine anyone could pan Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address, but one cantankerous reporter did just that

On February 15, 1958, Elizabeth Taylor and her husband, producer Mike Todd, board his private plane named "The Liz," which crashed a month later killing Todd and two others.

10 Lucky Celebrities Who Escaped Disaster

Most of the time it’s the disasters that are famous—but sometimes, famous people escape disasters instead

Comrades now, veterans in gray and blue shake hands at the 1913 Gettysburg reunion, much of the old animosity healed after a half century of peace.

The Last Civil War Veterans Who Lived to Be Over 100… Or Did They?

As America prepared to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Civil War, two centenarians told their tales — only one was telling the truth

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Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on Why Judges Wear Black Robes

The Supreme Court icon breaks down the tradition

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Why the Oral Contraceptive Is Just Known as “The Pill”

A new birth control method gave women unprecedented power and revolutionized daily life

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The Stark Reminders of the Birmingham Church Bombing

Upon the 60th anniversary of the tragic attack, these stained glass shards recall the day that saw four girls killed in Alabama

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The Science Behind Why Pandas Are So Damn Cute

There’s a reason why millions adore these furry exemplars of China’s “soft power”

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How Much Do We Really Know About Pocahontas

Historian Tony Horwitz tries to separate the truth from the myths that have been built up about the Jamestown “princess”

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The Spirit of St. Louis’ Amazing Journey

A daring flight shrank the world and created the first global celebrity

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Why No One Will Ever Replace Richard Petty as the King of NASCAR

There’s a good reason why his stock car is in the collections of the American History Museum

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It’s Time to Cut Barbie a Little Slack

Writer Sloane Crosley asks if the doll really represents such a menace to society

Author Frank Deford writes in our 101 Objects Special Issue: Negro baseball leagues allowed African-Americans the chance to play the national pastime for pay (if not for much). The heyday of the Negro Leagues was the '30s, the cynosure of most seasons the East-West All-Star Game, which was usually played in Chicago at Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox. Indeed, in 1941, just before America entered the war, that fabled season when Ted Williams batted .406 and Joe DiMaggio hit safely in 56 straight games, the Negro League All-Star Game drew a crowd of more than 50,000 fans. Read more of Deford's essay.

A Long Toss Back to the Heyday of Negro League Baseball

Sportswriter Frank Deford looks back at the games that opened the national pastime to African-Americans

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John Deere Was a Real Person, His Invention Changed the Country

His plow turned the Midwestern mud into the nation’s breadbasket

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