The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, aka NASA, has been at the forefront of science, technology, and space exploration since 1958. Its work remains an inspiration to millions of people around the world.
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
Building the Erie Canal: Explained
The earliest major industrial project in the United States’ history, the Erie Canal connected East to West by water and enabled a new era of commerce, trade, and movement.
What is the Department of Transportation?
The Department of Transportation ensures the equitable and safe transport of goods and people along our roads, railways, skies, waterways and airspace. So, why did it take so long to come into existence?
What is Propaganda?
Propaganda is information designed to influence people’s opinions and actions, but how do governments use it as a covert action to elicit a response?
What is the Department of the Interior?
Many government departments have a focused mission, but the Department of the Interior is known as the “Department of Everything Else.” So what are its responsibilities and how does it keep our country in check?
What is the National Archives and Records Administration?
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency dedicated to the preservation of historic government records. With storage facilities across the United States, NARA’s contents give us an insight into our country’s history.
What Are Congressional Investigations?
Congressional Investigations have uncovered some serious wrongdoing over the past 200 years. But where does Congress get the power to conduct investigations and how has it used that power throughout U.S. history?
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier: Free Speech in School
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the right to free speech. But when student journalists in Missouri wrote a series of articles on teen sex and divorce in 1983, their school appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for the right to censor the content – and won.
Presidential Election of 1948: The Underdog
The suspenseful 1948 presidential election exposed the consequences of flawed polls, as Truman’s astonishing victory upended expectations and forever changed how pollsters make predictions.
The Pentagon Papers: Explained
The Pentagon Papers revealed how the U.S. government had lied to the public about its involvement in the Vietnam War. Leaked by the New York Times, this opened the door for future whistleblowers to expose the truth.