Cross-shaped steel beam from the wreckage of the World Trade Center

Disasters and the Politics of Memory

The challenges involved in constructing the 9-11 Museum in New York City within the context of other man-made disasters.

The Problem of Slavery

David Brion Davis’s philosophical history.

The Weeping Time

A forgotten history of the largest slave auction ever on American soil.
1846 proposal for design of Washington Monument
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Mall Rats

The early controversy over whether or not to build the Washington Monument on the National Mall.
Photo of Laura Bridgman wearing opaque eyeglasses.

The Education of Laura Bridgman

She was Helen Keller before Helen Keller. Then her mentor abandoned their studies.
The house of Alfred Iverson Jr. behind a white curtain.

My Civil War

A southerner discovers the inaccuracy of the the myths he grew up with, and slowly comes to terms with his connection to the Civil War.
Painting of Hannah.

Hannah, Andrew Jackson’s Slave

A favorite of Old Hickory, she made him seem kinder than he was. Why?

'The Greatest Catastrophe the World Has Seen'

Considering six books on the outbreak of World War I and its place in history.
President John F. Kennedy, his wife, Jackie, and their son John Jr. on his Christening day, Dec. 8, 1960.

Snapshots of History

Wildly popular accounts like @HistoryInPics are bad for history, bad for Twitter, and bad for you.

The Soldier Who Needed 'Nam

The story of one veteran who could never find peace—until he made Vietnam his home.

Black Beethoven and the Racial Politics of Music History

How the attempt to claim Beethoven as Black actually recycles racist tropes.
Painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Ages of Revolution: How Old Were the Early American Leaders on July 4, 1776?

They have shaped America, but how old were they on Independence Day?

150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War

As the 150th of the Battle of Gettysburg approaches, it's time to question the popular account of a war that tore apart the nation.
Film still of Hattie McDaniel as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind."

The Mammy Washington Almost Had

In 1923, the U.S. Senate approved a new monument in D.C. "in memory of the faithful slave mammies of the South."
Crowd in front of Washington Monument for presidential inauguration
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Monumental Disagreements

On America's iconic monuments and the idea of national remembrance.
Puritans drinking in a colonial pub.

Perry Miller and the Puritans: An Introduction

Historians often treat Miller as a foil, but the Father of American Intellectual history retains untapped potential to inspire new modes of inquiry.

History of Survivance: Upper Midwest 19th-Century Native American Narratives

A series of objects of both Native and non-Native origin that tell a story of extraordinary culture disruption.
Moore's Ford Lynching historical marker.
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Georgia On Our Mind

The story of a group of people who get together each year to reenact the notorious 1946 Moore’s Ford lynching in Georgia.
Poster for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.
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Where the Buffalo Roam

How Buffalo Bill’s Wild West brought scenes from the American West to audiences around the globe.
Civil War reenactors.
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Telling the Untold Story 1

Why Marvin Greer spends his weekends playing the part of a slave at Civil War reenactments.
Illustration of angry communist with caption "Primer for Free Men."

I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill

History books are rewritten to focus on the underdog. Surely that is a victory for the common people...or is it?
A photograph of a Pony Express employee riding a horse.
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Cowboys and Mailmen

Debunking myths about the Pony Express.

How Columbus Day Fell Victim to Its Own Success

It's worth remembering that the now-controversial holiday started as a way to empower immigrants and celebrate American diversity.
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Who Invented Memorial Day?

As Americans enjoy the holiday weekend, does anyone know how Memorial Day originated?
An illustration depicting the size of the Titanic in comparison to world wonders.

The Unsinkable Myth

Reflections on the various legends surrounding the world's most famous ship.
Paul Philippoteaux's cyclorama of the Battle of Gettysburg depicting the Union and Confederate armies fighting.

The Great Illusion of Gettysburg

How a re-creation of its most famous battle helped erase the meaning of the Civil War.
Ronald Reagan.

Conservatism: A State of the Field

Does recognizing the importance of conservatism in the twentieth century make us see the arc of American history in a new way?

What Became of the Taíno?

The Indians who greeted Columbus were believed to have died out. But a search for their descendants yielded surprising results.

Geronimo: The Warrior

Edward Rielly tells of the tragic massacre which underpinned the life of resistance fighter Geronimo.
Library card catalog card reading "Forgetfulness: see memory."

Historical Amnesias: An Interview with Paul Connerton

“The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.”