Reconstruction
Abraham Lincoln's Oft-Overlooked Campaign to Promote Immigration to the U.S.
A few weeks after the president delivered the Gettysburg Address, he called on Congress to welcome immigrants as a "source of national wealth and strength"
How the Smithsonian Is Helping Black Americans Trace Their Roots
Free sessions hosted by the National Museum of African American History and Culture offer visitors advice on researching their genealogy
The Formerly Enslaved Black Bordello Queen Who Built a Notorious Business Empire
In 19th-century St. Louis, Madam Priscilla Henry earned a life-changing fortune—and scores of enemies vying for her crown
Why America Is Just Now Learning to Love Thaddeus Stevens, the 'Best-Hated Man' in U.S. History
The Pennsylvanian was one of America’s greatest heroes. Why hasn’t he gotten his due?
The Ten Best History Books of 2023
Our favorite titles of the year resurrect forgotten histories and illuminate how the United States ended up where it is today
The 1873 Colfax Massacre Set Back the Reconstruction Era
Occuring 150 years ago, one of the worst incidents of racial violence after the Civil War set the stage for segregation
The Nation's First Woman Senator Was a Virulent White Supremacist
In 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton, a Georgia women's rights activist and lynching proponent, temporarily filled a dead man's Senate seat
How to Rebuild Notre-Dame Using 12th-Century Tools
In Washington, D.C., an innovative team of designers demonstrated how medieval techniques could be used to repair the Parisian landmark
America Is Still Reckoning With the Failures of Reconstruction
A new NMAAHC book and exhibition examine the reverberating legacies of the post-Civil War era
Survey Identifies Correlation Between Confederate Monuments and Lynchings
Counties with higher numbers of statues honoring the Confederacy recorded more racially motivated killings of Black Americans
Follow a Couple's Daring Escape From Slavery in the Antebellum South
A new short film from SCAD chronicles the lives of Ellen and William Craft, who disguised themselves to find freedom in 1848
Newly Digitized Freedmen's Bureau Records Help Black Americans Trace Their Ancestry
Genealogists, historians and researchers can now peruse more than 3.5 million documents from the Reconstruction-era agency
What Did Stonehenge Sound Like?
Researchers have developed a new understanding of what it meant to be a member of the inner circle
Georgia Approves Changes to Stone Mountain Park, 'Shrine to White Supremacy'
The site's board authorized the creation of a truth-telling exhibit, a new logo and a relocated Confederate flag plaza
How the Unresolved Debate Over Black Male Suffrage Shaped the Presidential Election of 1868
At the height of the Reconstruction, the pressing issue was Black male suffrage
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 to Tell 400 Years of Black History in One Book
From 1619 to 2019, this collection of essays, edited by two of the nation's preeminent scholars, shows the depth and breadth of African American history
Meet Joseph Rainey, the First Black Congressman
Born enslaved, he was elected to Congress in the wake of the Civil War. But the impact of this momentous step in U.S. race relationships did not last long
When Young Americans Marched for Democracy Wearing Capes
In 1880, a new generation helped decide the closest popular vote in U.S. history
The Outsized Role of the President in Race Relations
A new podcast series explores how the presidency has shaped the nation's approach to pursuing racial justice
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