Trusted Writing on History, Travel, and American Culture Since 1949
Articles Recently Featured from Our Archives
Marshall's Secret Preparations for War | September 2020, Vol 65, No 5
When Germany unleashed its blitzkreig in 1939, the U.S. Army was only the 17th largest in the world. FDR and Marshall had to build a fighting force able to take on the Nazis, against the wishes of many in Congress.
The Spirit of Chautauqua | September 2020, Vol 65, No 5
The force behind the early education and social movement—American curiosity—still lives on today.
Two Hours in Hell at Pearl Harbor | Winter 2021, Vol 66, No 1
USS Nevada was the only battleship to get underway during the attack at Pearl Harbor. The recent discovery of the ship's hull revived interest in her dramatic story.
Fighting for the Wrongly Convicted | September 2020, Vol 65, No 5
Jim McCloskey and a handful of other advocates do the tough work of helping the wrongfully convicted.
Ike's Excellent Adventure | July/August 2020, Vol 65, No 4
What the future president learned during a coast-to-coast military motor expedition would later transform America.
In Search of Real Barbecue | July/August 2020, Vol 65, No 4
American barbecue is more than a way of cooking — it’s myth, folklore, and history
Vandalism in Lafayette Square | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
Both our Constitution and our historic monuments were trashed during recent protests.
Confederates in Congress: Heritage or Hate? | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
Our research reveals that 19 artworks in the U.S. Capitol honor men who were Confederate officers or officials. What many of them said, and did, is truly despicable.
Marquette and Jolliet's Excellent Adventure | November 2020, Vol 65, No 7
In 1673, a Jesuit missionary, a fur trader, and a small group of canoe men traveled two thousand miles from what is now upper Michigan down to Arkansas and back.
Confederates Honored by the U.S. Army | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
The Army has named ten military bases in honor of men who killed 365,000 U.S. soldiers. Should they be renamed? Or left as they are, since the bases are part of a “Great American Heritage," as President Trump says?
Lafayette Square: Seven Acres of History | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
Now closed to the public as part of the enlarged White House security zone, the Square has witnessed many historic moments over the last two centuries.
Special Section: America 50 Years Ago | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
The year 1970 was a watershed, so we asked several thoughtful writers to reflect on key events.
Reassessing Spiro Agnew | June 2020, Vol 65, No 3
Although he was forced to resign as Nixon’s Vice President, Agnew’s “tough guy” persona set the precedent for subsequent anti-establishment figures including Donald Trump.
Librarians at War | July/August 2020, Vol 65, No 4
The origins of today’s vast intelligence apparatus can be traced in part to the forgotten efforts of librarians and archivists to gather information during World War II
Mayflower's Place in History | October 2020, Vol 65, No 6
The story of the Pilgrims’ journey 400 years ago, and the voyage of Mayflower II in 1957, are still sources of inspiration today.
Thurgood Marshall, American Revolutionary | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
The architect of American race relations in the twentieth century, he ended legal segregation in the United States and became the first African-American on the Supreme Court.
Yellow Fever Stalks the Founders | Spring 2020, Vol 65, No 2
During Pres. Washington’s first term, an epidemic killed one tenth of all the inhabitants of Philadelphia, then the capital of the young United States.
A Fateful Experiment at Jamestown | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
The first votes of the fledgling Virginia Assembly in 1619 marked the inception of the most important political development in American history — the rise of democracy.
Voyage of Mercy | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
In the blackest days of the Great Potato Famine in Ireland, Americans responded by organizing the first international humanitarian mission, sending food and provisions in the refitted warship USS Jamestown.
The Spanish Flu Strikes | Spring 2020, Vol 65, No 2
Toward the end of World War I, American doctors fought an invisible enemy on the home front — a pandemic that would kill more people than any other outbreak of disease in human history.
John Marshall Saves the Republic | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
Our greatest Chief Justice defined the Constitution and ensured that the rule of law prevailed at a time of Presidential overreach and bitter political factionalism.
The Woman Who Said “No” To McCarthy | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
Republican Sen. Margaret Chase Smith was the first in Congress to stand up to the bullying of Joe McCarthy.
The Frémonts Open the West | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
With five major exploring expeditions west of the Mississippi, John C. Frémont redefined the country — with the help of his wife’s promotional skills.
Corruption and Treason in the Buchanan Cabinet | February/March 2021, Vol 66, No 2
Did the James Buchanan know his Secretary of War, a future Confederate general, sent 110,000 muskets to armories in the South in 1860?
Harding and Teapot Dome | February/March 2021, Vol 66, No 2
Prior to Watergate, Harding's bribery ring was regarded as the greatest and most sensational scandal in the history of American politics.
The Reasonable Right to Bear Arms | September/October 2019, Vol 64, No 4
The Supreme Court left the door open for reasonable regulations of guns if Congress has the will to act.
A History of Gun Rights in America | September/October 2019, Vol 64, No 4
After ten years of research into the history of gun rights, it’s clear that most Americans' understanding of the “right to bear arms” is not consistent with historical facts.
Freedom of Religion: America’s Greatest Invention | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
While much of the world still faces restrictions on religion, America's unique approach brought about both religious freedom and spiritual vibrancy.
George Washington Invents the Presidency | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
The young nation was lucky to have the only candidate on earth who could do the job.
Madison and the Invention of Congress | Winter 2020, Vol 64, No 1
Members of the first Federal Congress had to create a new government almost from scratch.