history |

War of 1812: The Burning of Washington

During the War of 1812, British forces stormed into Washington, D.C. and set fire to the White House and other federal buildings. Rather than dent U.S. morale, the sacking of Washington served to galvanize the population against the...

Presidential Election of 1948: The Underdog

America Explained, The American Vote

The suspenseful 1948 presidential election exposed the consequences of flawed polls, as Truman’s astonishing victory upended expectations and forever changed how pollsters make...

The Pentagon Papers: Explained

America 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...

Election of 1912: Third Party

America Explained, The American Vote

In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt’s bold creation of a new political party, the Bull Moose Party, challenged rivals Taft and Wilson, forever altering the political landscape of the United...

First Pets of the White House