Founding Fathers
This Congressman Was Sworn Into Office With Rare Superman Comic
California’s Robert Garcia says the superhero embodies values like truth and justice
Untold Stories of American History
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
Untold Stories of American History
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
Untold Stories of American History
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
A Brief History of the United States Postal Service
To forge a nation, the founders needed an efficient communications network
These Portraits Revisit the Legacies of Famous Americans
Photographer Drew Gardner painstakingly recreates the images with the notable figures' descendants
The Father of the Nation, George Washington Was Also a Doting Dad to His Family
Though he had no biological children, the first president acted as a father figure to Martha's descendants
George Washington Saw a Future for America: Mules
A newly minted celebrity to the world, the future president used his position to procure his preferred beast of burden from the king of Spain
