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

James Lafayette: Revolutionary Spy

Enslaved at birth, James Lafayette became one of the most important Patriot spies of the American Revolution, helping to gather vital information on the British Army. His work helped the United States secure independence.

Forced Removal to Mexico: Repatriation Drives

During the Great Depression, the U.S. government detained and deported almost 2 million Mexican American citizens and people of Mexican descent, in an initiative known as the Repatriation Drives.

Propaganda Today

In the digital age, it’s never been easier for governments to influence our opinions and actions using propaganda. So what does propaganda actually look like in the 21st century – and how effective is it?

Civil War Female Spies

In a world traditionally dominated by men, female spies took advantage of gender stereotypes to go unnoticed and gather information during the U.S. Civil War.

Plessy v. Ferguson: Separate but Equal

Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that established the legal doctrine of “separate but equal”. It was a ruling that enabled many states to enact racial segregation laws for decades to come.

Hoovervilles: Shantytowns of the Great Depression

As the Great Depression worsened in the 1930s, thousands of Americans lost their jobs and eventually their homes. Shantytowns dubbed “Hoovervilles” named after unsympathetic President Herbert Hoover, spread across the U.S.

What is Gray Propaganda?

A weapon of covert action wielded by governments around the world, gray propaganda straddles the fine line between fact and fiction, letting its secret sources instigate chaos without liability.

Mapp v. Ohio: Illegal Search and Seizure

Mapp v. Ohio was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that safeguarded the Fourth Amendment right to privacy after a Cleveland woman was wrongly convicted following an illegal search of her home.

What is The Department of the Treasury?

The Department of the Treasury, inspired by its first secretary, Alexander Hamilton, is responsible for managing the production of money and maintaining the crucial systems underpinning the financial infrastructure of the United States.