Culture

There was little indication 166 years ago that the book would enter the canon of great American fiction.

It’s more helpful to think about exploitation and disrespect than to define cultural “ownership.”

Old fights about radio have lessons for new fights about the Internet.

The Library of Congress is turning to the internet for a new generation of shared culture.

Even in a fractious era, the filmmaker still believes that his documentaries can bring every viewer in.

Freedom, fear and friendliness mingle in these emblematic eateries.

How the classic film helped promote a Reconstruction myth that was central to the maintenance of Jim Crow.

The marriage of twentieth-century avant-gardists Arthur Cravan and Mina Loy was blissfully happy—until his mysterious disappearance.

As the nation debates monuments and public memory, it’s important to understand how other cultural sites help people learn (false) history.

In the 1960s, there was no grand vision behind the idea of a middle school. The problem that the model sought to solve was segregation.

The alcohol epidemic devastated Native American communities, leading to crippling poverty, high mortality rates — and a successful sobriety movement.

The genius move that turned potato scraps into a frozen-food empire

For the 30th anniversary of "Dirty Dancing," we spoke to the film's screenwriter about her revolutionary decision to include a depiction of an illegal abortion.

Revisiting the contradictions in "Hamilton" – and in the pushback to criticisms of the beloved musical.

Each year there is one undeniable 'song of summer.'

The end of an era.

Discover the unknown history of this fizzy, fermented drink.

What we can learn from liberal anti-communists.

You know that punchy percussive sound popularized by Phil Collins and Prince? This is where it came from.

From cross-dressing to white robes to Tiki torches, what we can learn from white supremacists’ long history of carefully cultivating their own aesthetic.

A review on the many publications about Henry David Thoreau's life for the bicentennial anniversary of his birthday.

Why do people hike?

Only by the most specific, immediate definition can we consider the Confederacy to have lost the Civil War.

For Chinese immigrants, surviving in America has always required intense strategy.

There’s never been a golden age of free speech at American universities.

Projected to earn $1 billion and earning Tony-Award glory, 'Hamilton' the musical is still going strong in backyards and classrooms across the country.

And why you might never have heard of Ira Aldridge.

For decades, the military made sure soldiers had access to the treat—including spending $1 million on a floating ice-cream factory.

Historically black colleges and universities hosted all but six ATA tournaments from 1927 to 1968.

Popular theater productions and Hollywood movies about the Vietnam War have a continued place in popular culture and memory.