American History

Floating Clouds, Hisako Hibi, oil on canvas, 1944 

Discover the Remarkable Paintings of Three Japanese Americans Whose Life Stories Are Told Through Their Work

A new exhibition spotlights a trio who pushed the boundaries of American art and illustrated the experiences of World War II incarceration

Officers display the weapons used in the November 15, 1959, killings of the Clutter family.

Inside the Brutal Murders That Inspired a Foundational Work in the True Crime Genre

Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" documented the killings of a family of four in rural Kansas on this day in 1959

The machine features a ceramic countertop and two parallel rollers—one that's covered with small nubs.

Historians Say They've Solved the Mystery of a Curious 100-Year-Old Contraption Discovered in Storage

Staffers at the Dorchester County Historical Society in Maryland were baffled by the unusual machine, so they asked the public for help in determining its purpose

Harriet Tubman served in several roles in the Union Army, becoming the first American woman to oversee military action in a time of war.

Harriet Tubman Just Became a One-Star General, More Than 150 Years After Serving With the Union Army

The celebrated Underground Railroad conductor received posthumous recognition for her service as a spy, scout, nurse and cook during the Civil War

A nuclear-powered car lined with lead and other materials to protect its passengers from radiation would weigh at least 50 tons—more than 25 times as heavy as the average vehicle.

Visions of Nuclear-Powered Cars Captivated Cold War America, but the Technology Never Really Worked

From the Ford Nucleon to the Studebaker-Packard Astral, these vehicles failed to progress past the prototype stage in the 1950s and 1960s

Reflecting on Romare Bearden's art, playwright August Wilson wrote, “What I saw was Black life presented on its own terms, on a grand and epic scale, with all its richness and fullness.”

The Surprising Artwork That Inspired Netflix's 'The Piano Lesson,' a New Movie Based on August Wilson's Award-Winning Play

A Romare Bearden print served as a starting point for the American playwright's 1987 drama, which follows a Black family's struggle to decide the fate of an ancestral heirloom

A white mob poses outside of the razed office of the Daily Record, a Black-owned newspaper in Wilmington, North Carolina, on November 10, 1898.

When White Supremacists Staged the Only Successful Coup in U.S. History

The 1898 Wilmington massacre left dozens of Black North Carolinians dead. Conspirators also forced the city's multiracial government to resign at gunpoint

Just like today's fitness influencers, the celebrities of pedestrianism used their platforms to monetize, popularize and diversify walking. Edward Payson Weston attempted to walk 500 miles in six days.

One of America's First Spectator Sports Was Professional Walking

Before fitness influencers made getting your steps in a trend, pedestrianism had the nation on their feet

Relatives of James Chaney, a Black man killed for his voting rights activism, at his funeral in 1964

These Black Americans Were Killed for Exercising Their Political Right to Vote

In the Jim Crow South, activists became martyrs at the hands of white racists, all for the just cause of using the vote to fight for equality and freedom

Each room on the tour now has a "reader rail" that provides historical information and context.

Jill Biden Unveils a Reimagined White House Tour, Which Invites Visitors to 'Touch, Hear and See' History

The public tours of the historic residence hadn't been overhauled in decades. For two years, the first lady's office has been working to make them more interactive and educational

“Cité Mémoire” is a digital multimedia installation illustrating the moments that have shaped Montreal’s last 400 years.

Cities Are Projecting Their History Onto Streets and Buildings After Dark

Pedestrians in Montreal, Grand Rapids and other locations can time-travel thanks to installations that map historical scenes directly onto the cityscapes

Crews are restoring the building to its 18th-century appearance.

The Nation's Oldest Schoolhouse for Black Children Will Open to the Public Next Year

Work is underway to restore the Bray School, which will be dedicated in a ceremony on Friday. The historic building in Colonial Williamsburg will open its doors in the spring of 2025

Statue of George Washington

George Washington’s Farewell to the Nation Marked the Birth of American Democracy

In 1796, the first president voluntarily left office, cementing the significance of a lofty ideal for his young country

Only two 1975 "no S" proof dimes of this kind are known to exist.

Three Sisters in Ohio Just Sold a Rare 1975 Dime With a Missing 'S' Mint Mark for $500,000

The owners inherited the valuable coin from their brother, who kept it locked in a bank vault for decades. He purchased it with his mother in 1978 to provide financial security for the family farm

If a reader stared at one of Spectropia’s illustrations under a strong light source for about 20 seconds and then gazed at a blank wall in a darkened room, a version of that image in inverted colors appeared.

This 19th-Century 'Toy Book' Used Science to Prove That Ghosts Were Simply an Illusion

"Spectropia" demystified the techniques used by mediums who claimed they could speak to the dead, revealing the "absurd follies of Spiritualism"

James J. Walker Park consists of soccer fields, pickleball courts, playground equipment and a community garden.

This New York City Park Was Built on Top of a Cemetery

In the late 19th century, city officials turned the final resting place for 10,000 souls into what's now Greenwich Village’s James J. Walker Park

President Joe Biden formally apologized on October 25 for the government's role in sending thousands of Native American children to federal boarding schools.

Biden Issues a 'Long Overdue' Formal Apology for Native American Boarding Schools

The president atoned for the federal government's role in forcing Native American children into boarding schools, where many were abused and more than 900 died

Overall, the findings of a new survey suggest Americans are more scared in general than they have been in recent history.

These Are Americans' Biggest Fears in 2024, as the Country Is 'Becoming More Afraid'

Government corruption, loved ones becoming ill or dying, cyberterrorism and nuclear weapons topped the list of Chapman University's annual survey

Robert Smalls made headlines when he commandeered a Confederate ship during the Civil War.

He Escaped Slavery and Became a Civil War Hero. Now, Robert Smalls Is Getting a Statue in South Carolina

A special committee has until January 15 to finalize the design, location and funding for a monument that will be erected on the lawn of the South Carolina State House

The theme of this year's creepy doll contest at the History Center of Olmsted County is "Circus After Dark."

The Creepy Doll Contest Is Back—and It's Time to Cast Your Vote for the Most Terrifying Toy

Step right up and see the spooky circus dolls—from creepy clowns to frightening fortune-tellers—in a Minnesota museum's vintage toy collection

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