Excerpts

The U.S. is neither a land of nativists nor a haven for immigrants. Since the founding, the truth has lain somewhere in between.

Champions of states' rights love federal power when it suits their goals — like Sessions's anti-marijuana crusade.

Remembering the life of astronaut John Young and the time he took an unauthorized corn beef sandwich into space.

The Trump administration signals a game of chicken with Russia, which could mean the death of arms control.

Mike St. Thomas reviews ‘Paradise Lost: A Life of F. Scott Fitzgerald.'

President Lyndon B. Johnson, Liberty Island, New York, October 3, 1965.

The use of the word "immigrant" in contemporary debates often reflects a lack of understanding of U.S. immigration history.

In early 1965, President Johnson made the case to Congress for comprehensive immigration reform.

It's impossible to understand the country without knowing who's been kept out, who's been let in, and how they've been treated once they arrive.

Using maps to visualize the first five U.S. Congressional elections.

What motivated Viola Liuzzo to take up the cause of justice hundreds of miles from her home?

New York's statue debate hits Italian-Americans hard.

The long history of law enforcement's complicity in the affairs of right-wing insurgents.

On the 50th anniversary of that extraordinary year, historians consider 1968’s meaning and global context.

This past year has shown that the U.S. is far from immune to the forces shaping the rest of the world.

On my transition from editor of terrible history books to a writer of mediocre ones.

Governor McAuliffe has embarked on a campaign to grant clemency more often, and to restore the civil rights of convicted felons.

During the Cold War, US propagandists worked to provide a counterweight to Communist media, but truth eluded them all.

Despite his reputation as a liberal, Dewey's staunch commitment to democracy put him on a collision course with capitalism.

The legacy of the talented singer, songwriter, and producer who died at age twenty-six.

Undermining public education will exacerbate polarization and mistrust.

It's the transatlantic commentariat’s favorite political put-down. It’s also historically illiterate.

The difficult-to-wear skirt helped to break down class barriers.

Vendors hawked the swill as “Pure Country Milk.”

In his final days, King stood by striking sanitation workers. We returned to the city to see what has changed—and what hasn’t.

America loves pitting black intellectuals against each other, but today's activists need both Coates and West.

Protests, populism, and progressivism all clashed in a battle royal. But what really drives election results?

From lynching photos to Black Lives Matter – what does it mean to look at images of African Americans being murdered?

Taxation is at the heart of any serious economic growth policy.

A little-remembered president's most notorious act.

'The Population Bomb' made dire predictions—and triggered a wave of repression around the world.

Characterizing artifacts’ odors provides insight on history and conservation.

It's probably further back than you think.

Connections between public history and policy in the wake of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante.

How a work of science fiction anticipated the coming of Trump.

It's been reviled and revered, criminalized and exploited by the CIA. And now and other psychedelic drugs are being tested as legitimate medical treatments.

The Trump administration is working to undo one of the guiding principles of U.S. conservation.

Miss America pageant has a long history of controversy—including the 1968 protests.

The biggest show in Washington 150 years ago was the trial against the President of the United States.

The president's unilateral nuclear authority comes from decisions made at the start of the Atomic Age.

A dozen historians weigh in.

In 1752, the Brits and Americans lopped 11 days off the calendar in one fell swoop.

The civil rights icon also played a key role in pursuing justice for the victims of sexual assault.

Eight decades after the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist fire, corporate profits are still being valued more than workers' lives.

For every amusingly wrong prediction in “Toward the Year 2018,” there’s one unnervingly close to the mark.

Americans purchase approximately 1.6 billion holiday cards a year. Why is this tradition so popular?

Tracing the evolution of Christmas from a drunken carnival to the peaceful, family-oriented, consumeristic ritual we celebrate today.

How I learned to fiddle my way through America's deeply troubling history.

The battle between "Happy Holidays" and "Merry Christmas" goes way deeper than you think.

The Electoral College was created to help white Southerners maintain their disproportionate influence in national governance.