Children sit by wreaths in a cemetery of Civil War dead.

The Evolution of Memorial Day

What started as a solemn commemoration of dead Civil War soldiers has become a celebration of summer. Here's why that makes total sense.
Demonstrators hold signs arguing to "Save Sacco & Vanzetti"

Is There a Place in Public History for Sacco and Vanzetti?

Ninety years after the duo was executed, there are virtually no physical markers in Boston commemorating them.
James Garfield

The Unexpected Impact of James Garfield's Assassination

On July 2, 1881, less than a year after President James Garfield was elected the 20th president of the United States, he was shot by Charles Guiteau.
The Mount Carmel Center in Waco, Texas engulfed in flames

How Religious Literacy Might Have Changed the Waco Tragedy

Religious scholars argue that the Waco raid was not justified and that with more understanding of theology, the loss of life could have been avoided.

Rosa Parks and the Power of Oneness

Rosa Parks shook the world of Jim Crow by refusing to give up her seat to a white man on her way home from work.
The inauguration of Abraham Lincoln in 1861.

The Most Contentious Presidential Transition in American History

Was Abraham Lincoln's the most tumultuous presidential transition in American history?
Jim Jones in 1977

Drinking the Kool-Aid at Jonestown

Did you drink the Kool-Aid? The phrase has become such a part of the vocabulary that for many its origins have been obscured.