american history
12 articles
The Cuban Missile Crisis: Thirteen Days on the Nuclear Brink
Relive the thirteen days in October 1962 when the United States and Soviet Union came closer to nuclear war than at any other point in history, and how diplomacy prevailed.
The Great Molasses Flood of 1919: Boston's Strangest Disaster
On January 15, 1919, a 2.3-million-gallon molasses tank ruptured in Boston, killing 21 people. Explore the disaster's causes, aftermath, and lasting legacy.
Operation Paperclip: How the US Recruited Nazi Scientists After World War II
Operation Paperclip secretly brought over 1,600 Nazi scientists to the United States after WWII. Explore how it happened, who was recruited, and the ethical legacy it left.
The California Gold Rush: 1848, Sutter's Mill, and the 49ers
How the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill on January 24, 1848, triggered the largest mass migration in American history, transformed California, and created a state.
The Dust Bowl: Drought, Bad Farming, and the Exodus from the Plains
How the Dust Bowl of the 1930s combined severe drought with destructive farming practices to devastate the Great Plains, displace 3.5 million people, and reshape federal agriculture policy.
The Ice Trade: Frederic Tudor's Global Business of Harvesting Winter Ponds
Before refrigeration, natural ice was harvested from frozen ponds and shipped worldwide. Frederic Tudor built a global ice empire that shaped food, medicine, and daily life.
The Lavender Scare: The Purge of LGBTQ Federal Employees Alongside McCarthyism
The Lavender Scare ran parallel to McCarthyism, purging thousands of gay and lesbian federal employees as security risks. Learn how it worked and its lasting legal consequences.
The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921: Destruction of Black Wall Street
On May 31–June 1, 1921, white mobs destroyed Tulsa's Greenwood District, killing up to 300 Black residents and burning 35 square blocks of America's wealthiest Black community.
The Zoot Suit Riots of 1943: Race, Wartime Tension, and Fashion as Protest
In June 1943, US sailors and soldiers attacked Mexican American youth in Los Angeles for ten days. The Zoot Suit Riots exposed wartime racism and the politics of clothing.
The Trail of Tears: Forced Removal and the Death of the Five Tribes
How the Indian Removal Act of 1830 led to the forced relocation of the Five Civilized Tribes from the southeastern U.S. to Oklahoma, and the estimated 10,000–15,000 deaths that followed.
The Transcontinental Railroad: How America Was Stitched Together by Rail
Discover how the transcontinental railroad was built between 1863 and 1869, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and transforming American commerce, migration, and geography.
The Transcontinental Railroad: Chinese Labor, Politics, and Promontory Summit
How the First Transcontinental Railroad was built between 1863 and 1869, the role of 10,000 Chinese laborers, the political maneuvering, and the golden spike ceremony.