Civil War
How 'Blackbirders' Forced Tens of Thousands of Pacific Islanders Into Slavery After the Civil War
The decline of the American South's cotton and sugar industries paved the way for plantations in British-controlled Fiji and Australia, where victims of "blackbirding" endured horrific working conditions
The Shocking Moment When a Group of Confederate Spies Plotted—and Failed—to Burn Down New York City
Southern operatives tried to light New York businesses on fire and bring the Northern city to its knees on this date in 1864
Abraham Lincoln's Legendary Gettysburg Address Promised 'Government of the People, by the People, for the People'
The president's humble speech, delivered on this day in 1863, was filled with profound reverence for the Union's ideals—and the men who died fighting for them
When White Supremacists Staged the Only Successful Coup in U.S. History
The 1898 Wilmington massacre left dozens of Black North Carolinians dead. Conspirators also forced the city's multiracial government to resign at gunpoint
These Black Americans Were Killed for Exercising Their Political Right to Vote
In the Jim Crow South, activists became martyrs at the hands of white racists, all for the just cause of using the vote to fight for equality and freedom
This 19th-Century 'Toy Book' Used Science to Prove That Ghosts Were Simply an Illusion
"Spectropia" demystified the techniques used by mediums who claimed they could speak to the dead, revealing the "absurd follies of Spiritualism"
He Escaped Slavery and Became a Civil War Hero. Now, Robert Smalls Is Getting a Statue in South Carolina
A special committee has until January 15 to finalize the design, location and funding for a monument that will be erected on the lawn of the South Carolina State House
What the Long History of Mail-In Voting in the U.S. Reveals About the Election Process
A recent exhibition shows how soldiers sent in votes during the Civil War and World War II, as many Americans would in 2020 following the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic
Inside Disney's Controversial Plan to Open a Theme Park Inspired by American History
In the early 1990s, historians and the public alike questioned how Disney's America would accurately and sensitively document the nation's thorny past
Explore Abraham Lincoln's Life and Legacy Through Rare Copies of Historic Books and Documents
A new exhibition in New York City uses more than 200 texts and artifacts to contemplate Lincoln's rise to the nation's highest office
This Female Civil War Soldier Participated in the Bloodiest Battle in American History and Spied on the South—or Did She?
Historians say that Sarah Emma Edmonds exaggerated many aspects of her wartime experiences. Still, she bravely served in the Union Army, becoming one of hundreds of women who fought in the conflict in secret
What's the History of Hawaiian Grass Skirts? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
Vandals Spray-Painted Graffiti on Historic Structures at Gettysburg National Military Park
Police have identified a suspect, and preservationists have removed "all traces" of paint
Statue of Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Replaces Confederate Monument in Georgia
The 12-foot-tall bronze artwork depicts the former congressman with his hands over his heart
The Black Fugitive Who Inspired 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' and Helped End Slavery in the U.S.
New research sheds light on John Andrew Jackson, who sought help from Harriet Beecher Stowe during his escape from bondage
Why Descendants Are Returning to the Plantations Where Their Ancestors Were Enslaved
Some Black Americans are reclaiming antebellum estates as part of their family legacy, reflecting the power and possibility of these historic sites
How Coffee Helped the Union Caffeinate Their Way to Victory in the Civil War
The North’s fruitful partnership with Liberian farmers fueled a steady supply of an essential beverage
Why Juneteenth, the U.S.'s Second Independence Day, Is a Federal Holiday
The celebration commemorates June 19, 1865, when a military decree informed the people of Texas that all enslaved people were free
How Jewish Soldiers Celebrated Passover in the Midst of the Civil War
A group of Union men from Ohio held a makeshift Seder in the western Virginia woods in 1862
The Club of Cape-Wearing Activists Who Helped Elect Lincoln—and Spark the Civil War
The untold story of the Wide Awakes, the young Americans who took up the torch for their antislavery cause and stirred the nation
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