As the world grapples with new pandemics, what can we learn from the US’s mixed response to the Bubonic Plague, which arrived in San Francisco in 1900?
America Explained
Exploring America’s history and how it impacts today’s society – from the Founding Mothers to what marijuana tells us about States’ rights
Horse-Riding Librarians of the Appalachian Mountains
The Pack Horse Library Initiative saw hundreds of female librarians cross the Appalachian Mountains to deliver books to those in need
Castle Bravo: The Largest Nuclear Explosion in US History
In 1954, the US Government conducted a series of secret nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands. The idyllic coral island Bikini Atoll became the epicentre of the largest nuclear test disaster in US history. The affects of radiation exposure and environmental destruction are still being felt by the Marshallese people today.
The Story of American Barbecue
Today, barbecue is a big part of American culture. But did you know that this staple of the great American menu is actually older than the United States itself?
The Secret Balloons that Bombed America
In 1944, Imperial Japan attacked the West Coast of America with hundreds of balloon bombs flown 6,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean. They took the lives of five Oregon school children and their teacher – and remain a threat to this day.
The Invisible Plight of Poor Southern Whites
For many poor White families in the Antebellum South, slavery did not pay – so why did the ruling elite erase their narrative from the history books?
Oneida Tribe: The First Allies of the Revolution
The United States’ first true allies, the Oneida Nation helped the Patriots to win the American Revolutionary War – but at what cost?
Women of the Civil War
Women weren’t just spectators of the American Civil War – they played a vital role in the home, the workplace, the battlefield and beyond.
Civil War Innovation and Technology
It was the most destructive conflict in US history – but the American Civil War also saw the emergence of new technologies and innovations born from a will to win.
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Lincoln Douglas Debates of 1858 were some of the most controversial in US history. Having deepened the divide between North and South – they helped bring the nation to war.