Racists in Congress Fought Statehood For Hawaii, But Lost That Battle 60 Years Ago

It took more than five decades for advocates of statehood to vanquish white supremacists in Washington.

White Nationalism’s Deep American Roots

A long-overdue excavation of the book that Hitler called his “bible,” and the man who wrote it.

The Dawn of Big Government and the Administrative State

A new book correctly diagnoses how non-elected agencies are running the country, but falls short on how it got this way.
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The Only Real Solution to the Border Crisis

The United States must devise a program that addresses the root causes of migration.

How the Daughters and Granddaughters of Former Slaves Secured Voting Rights for All

A look at the question of race versus gender in the quest for universal suffrage.

The Long Road to Women’s Suffrage

The “Anthony Amendment” was introduced with no luck for 41 years. And even then, it wasn’t for everyone.

When the Frontier Becomes the Wall

What the border fight means for one of the nation’s most potent, and most violent, myths.
The poison squad, experimenters that tried poisons and studied their effects, drawn as men in suits striking dramatic poses.

Food Used to Be a Lot More Dangerous

Before the establishment of the modern FDA, anti-regulation attitudes ruled the world of food.

The Toxic Legacy of the Korean War

The Korean War upended the constitutional balance of war powers. It has been cited by presidents ever since.
1928 political cartoon of Republican hypocrisy for calling Democrats corrupt.

Interchange: Corruption Has a History

Seven scholars discuss the definition, nature, practice, and periodization of corruption in the United States.

Empire of the Census

America’s long history of manipulating its headcount for political gain.

Manly Firmness: It’s Not Just for the 18th Century (Unfortunately)

The history of presidential campaigns shows the extent to which the language of politics remains gendered.

How Violent American Vigilantes at the Border Led to Trump’s Wall

From the 80s onwards, the borderlands were rife with paramilitary cruelty and racism. But the president’s rhetoric has thrown fuel on the fire.
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The Ominous History Surrounding President Trump’s Fourth of July Rally

White nationalists have long used the holiday to advance their dreams of a white country.
Martin Luther King Jr. criticizes the Vietnam war at a speech at University of Minnesota in 1967.
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Centrism and Moderation? No Thanks.

In times of moral crisis, everyone picks a side — even those proclaiming neutrality.

The Southern Paradox: The Democratic Party Below the Mason-Dixon Line

How the region switched from being the stronghold of one party to the base of its adversary.

Inside Every Foreigner

A review of Robert Dallek's book, "Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Political Life."

Why Has It Taken Us So Long to See Trump’s Weakness?

There’s a bad synergy at work between the short-termism of the news cycle and the longue durée-ism of the academy.

A Centuries-Old Idea Could Revolutionize Climate Policy

The Green New Deal’s mastermind is a precocious New Yorker with big ambitions. Sound familiar?

What Presidential Announcements Reveal About the Candidates

The speeches present the country’s condition as a puzzle that’s missing one piece, which the candidate can supply.

A Brief History of Presidential Lethargy

How much do we expect our presidents to rest?

How the U.S. Weaponized the Border Wall

The borderlands have “been transformed into a vast graveyard of the missing.”

How Did the Constitution Become America’s Authoritative Text?

A new history of the early republic explores the origins of originalism.

How The CIA Overthrew Iran's Democracy In 4 Days

The first episode of NPR's new history podcast tells the story of a 1953 coup that set the stage for US-Middle East relations ever since.

It Will Take More Than Congress to Cure America’s War Addiction

All that talk about "reclaiming" congressional war powers? Historically, Congress has applauded presidential wars.

The Bitter Origins of the Fight Over Big Government

What the battle between Herbert Hoover and FDR can teach us.

AOC and the American Founding

The problem with progressive intellectuals looking to the nation's founders for progressive models.
Men observing teams of horses and mules.

Andrew Jackson and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

How the so-called champion of the common man set a precedent for using federal troops to quash labor unrest.
Ross Perot speaks at a podium.

Why Billionaires With Big Egos Now Dream of Being President

The trends that brought us Howard Schultz (and Donald Trump) started in the 1970s.

AOC Thinks Billionaires Are a Threat to Democracy. So Did Our Founders.

The idea that democracy and billionaires are incompatible might seem radical to conservatives. But to America’s founders, it seemed like common sense.