Founding Fathers
The Masonic Murder That Inspired the First Third Party in American Politics
Public outcry over whistleblower William Morgan's disappearance gave rise to the Anti-Masonic Party, which nominated a candidate for president in 1832
How George Washington Wrote His Farewell Address
A candle stand used by the first president illuminates his extraordinary last days in office
Did George Washington Order Rebels to Burn New York City in 1776?
A new book points out that the general was happy when the city burned and expressed regret that more of it was not destroyed during the fire
What the Nation's Founders Said About the Indictment of a Former President
Alexander Hamilton wrote that a commander in chief removed from office would be "liable to prosecution and punishment"
This Congressman Was Sworn Into Office With Rare Superman Comic
California’s Robert Garcia says the superhero embodies values like truth and justice
The Little-Known Story of the First Washington Monument
A stone tower in western Maryland, the structure predates the obelisk on the National Mall by more than two decades
A Group of Crypto Investors Is Trying to Buy the Constitution—Again
For the second year in a row, a DAO is vying to bid on a rare first-edition copy
The Noble Fury of Samuel Adams
How America’s “first politician” galvanized a colony—and helped set a revolution in motion
After Selling for $43 Million, Rare Copy of the Constitution Goes on Display
The new exhibition explores diverse interpretations of the document's founding values
The Civil War's First Civilian Casualty Was an Elderly Widow From Virginia
Union gunfire killed 85-year-old Judith Carter Henry on July 21, 1861—the day of the First Battle of Bull Run
Did an Enslaved Woman Try to Warn the Americans of Benedict Arnold's Treason?
New research sheds light on Liss, who was enslaved by the family of a Culper Spy Ring leader and had ties to British spymaster John André
How Do Birds Stay Upright When They Are Sleeping?
You've got questions. We've got experts
Ben Franklin Lives in Your Smartphone
The 18th-century inventor discovered concepts that impact modern technology
Sold: Paul Revere Family Artifacts Found in a Boston-Area Attic
A trade sign bearing the name of the patriot’s son, along with letters and personal items owned by his grandchildren, sold at auction for $20,000
When Benjamin Franklin Shocked Himself While Attempting to Electrocute a Turkey
The statesman was embarrassed by the mishap—no doubt a murder most fowl
Graves of Enslaved People Discovered on Founding Father's Delaware Plantation
A signee of the U.S. Constitution, John Dickinson enslaved as many as 59 men, women and children at one time
The Pitfalls and Promise of America's Founding Myths
Maintaining a shared sense of nationhood has always been a struggle for a country defined not by organic ties, but by a commitment to a set of ideals
How John Adams Managed a Peaceful Transition of Presidential Power
In the election of 1800, for the first time in U.S. history, one party turned the executive office to another
New Research Suggests Alexander Hamilton Was a Slave Owner
Often portrayed as an abolitionist, Hamilton may have enslaved people in his own household
Grandson of President John Tyler, Who Left Office in 1845, Dies at Age 95
Born 14 years after the nation's founding, the tenth commander in chief still has one living grandson
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