Industrial Revolution
When an Influx of French-Canadian Immigrants Struck Fear Into Americans
In the late 19th century, they came to work in New England cotton mills, but the <i>New York Times</i>, among others, saw something more sinister
The Transcontinental Railroad Wouldn't Have Been Built Without the Hard Work of Chinese Laborers
A new exhibit at the National Museum of American History details this underexamined history
How the Formerly Ubiquitous Pumpkin Became a Thanksgiving Treat
The history of Cucurbita pepo has a surprising connection to the abolitionist cause
Many Roman Children Suffered From Vitamin D Deficiency
New research suggests rickets was common long before the Industrial Revolution, when pollution blocked out sunlight
How British Gun Manufacturers Changed the Industrial World Lock, Stock and Barrel
In ‘Empire of Guns,’ historian Priya Satia explores the microcosm of firearm manufacturing through an unlikely subject—a Quaker family
How UFO Reports Change With the Technology of the Times
Fears of Zeppelins, rockets and drones have replaced the "celestial wonders" of ancient times
How Industrial Espionage Started America's Cotton Revolution
To the British, Samuel Slater was ‘Slater the traitor,’ but to the Americans, he was the father of the American industrial revolution
Friction Matches Were a Boon to Those Lighting Fires–Not So Much to Matchmakers
Those who worked in match factories were exposed to white phosphorus, which caused a debilitating and potentially deadly condition
This 1814 Beer Flood Killed Eight People
More than a hundred thousand gallons of beer burst onto the streets of London when a vat broke
America Has Been Struggling With the Metric System For More Than 200 Years
The United States is the one of the world's only holdouts at this point, but it could have been the first country outside of France to adopt the system
The Unlikely Bromance Between Henry Ford and Mohandas Gandhi
Both men had complicated ideologies but bonded over pacifism
Bismarck Tried to End Socialism’s Grip—By Offering Government Healthcare
The 1883 law was the first of its kind to institute mandatory, government-monitored health insurance
Americans Caught ‘Victoria Fever’ For The British Queen’s 1838 Coronation
Such delicacies as 'Victoria soap' could be bought in America as a souvenir of the occasion
Creating a Full Palette of Blues
How the discovery of a new metal helped to change painting forever
Humans Polluted the Air Much Earlier Than Previously Thought
Ice cores suggest that humans have been polluting the air with lead for at least 2,000 years
The First “Chocolate Chip” Was a Molasses Candy
The name "chocolate chip" goes back much farther than the Toll House cookies
The US Declared “Loyalty Day” in the 1950s to Erase Worker Protest
Under Eisenhower during the Cold War, "Loyalty Day" was declared to paper over International Workers' Day
A Civil War Colonel Invented Fracking in the 1860s
His first invention was an 'oil well torpedo,' but it was followed by others
“Are Women Animals?” Asked One 19th-Century Letter Writer
If women couldn't have the rights of full human beings, "An Earnest Englishwoman" asked, could they at least have as many legal protections as animals?
The ASPCA’s Founder Was Known as “The Great Meddler”
Although Bergh's efforts to prevent animal cruelty weren't well-received by all, the ASPCA did change how animals were seen in the United States
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