The Ill-Fated Idea to Move the Nation’s Capital to St. Louis
In the years after the Civil War, some wanted a new seat of government that would be closer to the geographic center of a growing nation
Are There Native Descendants of the Lewis and Clark Expedition? And More Questions From Our Readers
You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts
100 Years of Women at the Ballot Box
How the American West Led the Way for Women in Politics
Western territories and states were the first to expand voting rights for women
100 Years of Women at the Ballot Box
Recreating a Suffragist’s Barnstorming Tour Through the American West
Inez Milholland Boissevain’s campaign to win the vote for women inspires a dramatic homage a century later
Early Residents of the Pacific Northwest Smoked Smooth Sumac
Researchers used a new technique to detect the chemical fingerprints of specific plant species in a 1,400-year-old pipe’s residue
Storm Unearths Wreck of Century-Old Boat in Utah’s Great Salt Lake
The vessel may belong to a fleet used to construct and maintain a railroad causeway that crosses the briny body of water
A 2,000-Year History of Restaurants and Other New Books to Read
The fifth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis
Remnants of a 19th-Century Red-Light District and Chinatown Unearthed in Montana
A trove of artifacts reveals the town of Missoula’s remarkable and diverse past
The Kansas Homestead Where America’s First Serial Killer Family Committed Its Crimes Is Up for Sale
Authorities recovered the bodies of up to 11 people from the Old West tract of land owned by the notorious “Bloody Benders”
When Mexico’s Immigration Troubles Came From Americans Crossing the Border
Before Texas fought for its independence, thousands of settlers from the east entered the country unlawfully in search of land and agricultural opportunity
Deadwood Is Getting a Brothel Museum
A non-profit is telling the local history of prostitution in the Wild West town, popularized by the HBO show of the same name
What David Levinthal’s Photos of Toys Reveal About American Myth and Memory
A new show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum reflects on iconic events including JFK’s assassination, flag raising at Iwo Jima and Custer’s last stand
What Do Bovids, Bridges and the West Have to Do With American Art?
In the debut episode of “Re:Frame,” Smithsonian curators explore the iconic symbol of the West, the American Bison
Nevada Has a Massive New Dark Sky Sanctuary
The night skies at 100,000-acre Massacre Ridge are some of the starriest in the world
One of the Biggest Locomotives of All Time Rides Again
After five years of restoration, 1.2 million pound Big Boy 4014 is visiting Utah to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike
The Last Remaining Rail Car That ‘Witnessed’ the Transcontinental Railroad’s Momentous Day
‘Crocker’s Car’ brought the tycoon Leland Stanford to connect the East Coast to the West in 1869
Recounting the Untold History of the Early Midwestern Pioneers
In his new book, historian David McCullough reveals how the New England settlers made their mark on the U.S.
When California Went to War Over Eggs
As the Gold Rush brought more settlers to San Francisco, battles erupted over another substance of a similar hue: the egg yolks of a remote seabird colony
During the Mexican-American War, Irish-Americans Fought for Mexico in the ‘Saint Patrick’s Battalion’
Anti-Catholic sentiment in the States gave men like John Riley little reason to continue to pay allegiance to the stars and stripes
How First Lady Sarah Polk Set a Model for Conservative Female Power
The popular and pious wife to President James Polk had little use for the nascent suffrage movement
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