America Explained
The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allen Poe
Famous American author Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting death may have been a result of cooping, a violent form of voter fraud practiced in the 19th century.
Animals aren’t just cute – during times of war, they’ve proven to be immensely useful. Some have even been awarded with prestigious medals for helping to save lives.
Lewis and Clark: the Making of an Expedition
Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery opened the American West up to expansion and settlement – but it all rested on the expert planning and preparation.
Museum of Artifacts That Made America
The Cannon: How The Cannon Revolutionised The Way Battles Were Fought
Long range, high calibre weapons – the cannon helped propel the Union to victory. But how did the technological advances that took place during the Civil War change the game?
Civil War Medical Kits
They empowered US Army medics to save countless lives – but how did the humble medical kit evolve with the American Civil War?
The Invention of the Camera
The invention of the camera changed how many Americans saw the Civil War – and exposed millions to the horrors of conflict for the very first time.
Hidden Figures
Ellen Ochoa: The First Female Hispanic Astronaut
In 1993, Ellen Ochoa wrote her name in the stars – as the first Hispanic woman to enter orbit. She continues to inspire generations of aspiring astronauts today.
Josefa Segovia: The Only Mexican-American Woman Hanged in California
Was Josefa Segovia – the first and only woman hanged in the state of California – killed for her actions or her race? And what can we learn from her tragic story?
Stephen H Long: The Man Who Mapped the West
Stephen H. Long mapped much of the unexplored American West – but he made one big mistake that set Western migration back decades.
Women and the American Story
Charity and Sylvia: A Federal Era Love Story
Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant overcame many challenges to become pioneers of LGBTQ+ visibility in the United States.
Sally Hemings: Surviving Slavery and Sexual Exploitation
Sally Hemings was an enslaved woman who had several children with Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. Her story of agency and eventual emancipation remains an inspiration.
Toypurina: The Indigenous Female Freedom Fighter
The story of a Tongva woman named Toypurina who led a rebellion against a Spanish mission in Alta California.
Art That Changed America
The Federal Art Project and The New Deal
Thanks to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ambitious New Deal plan, American artists were able to keep working during the Great Depression. The work they produced remains a key part of the American landscape.
Indigenous North American Tattoos
To Indigenous North Americans, tattoos aren’t just decorative, they’re also sacred, rich in artistry and meaning, and of huge social, cultural and religious significance.
How Art Saved Yellowstone National Park
The first dedicated National Park anywhere in the world, Yellowstone attracts millions of visitors every year. It was saved for posterity by the work of two pioneering artists.
Wild Wild West
Birth of the Lone Star State
Today, Texas is famous around the world as being the most American state of them all – but it once belonged to Mexico. For almost a decade, it was an independent republic.
Blazing a Trail for Women’s Votes
We often think of the American West as a lawless, uncivilized place. But in the 19th century, it was ahead of its time – as the only part of America where women could vote.
Wanted: The Infamous Reno Gang
Over a two-year period in the 1860s, infamous train robbers the Reno Gang stole the equivalent of $9 million dollars, until an act of vigilantism stopped them in their tracks.
Power to the People
The Birmingham Childrens’ Crusade
In 1963, school children from Birmingham, Alabama skipped class to demonstrate for racial equality. Met with police violence, they helped to bring about significant change.
The Fire that Sparked a Workplace Revolution
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Tragedy took the lives of 146 workers – and exposed a shocking lack of workplace health and safety laws in New York State.
The Civil War Battle for Bread
When the women of Richmond, Virginia couldn’t afford to buy bread during the American Civil War, they incited the largest civil disturbance the Confederacy had ever seen.
Slavery in the Presidents’ Neighborhood
Elizabeth Keckly: From Slavery to the White House
She was enslaved at birth – but became the first lady’s favorite dressmaker and the author of a sensational memoir that shocked the nation. So who was Elizabeth Keckly?
The Enslaved Household of Thomas Jefferson
This is the story of Ursula, Edith and Frances – three teenagers who Thomas Jefferson brought to the White House to train as his enslaved personal chefs.
Things You Didn’t Know
Epidemics in America: Learning from the Past
They’re diseases that affect people living in a single country or region – but what impact have historic epidemics had on US society?
Mount Rushmore: Carving History and Controversy
It’s one of the most recognisable landmarks in the United States – but what’s the untold story behind Mount Rushmore National Monument?
Bizarre Treatments: When Medicine Did More Harm than Good
Learn about the bizarre and often dangerous medical treatments used in America up until the 20th century.
Academy of American Democracy
Voting in Ancient Athens
The United States is a representative democracy where people vote for politicians to govern on their behalf – but voting in the direct democracy of ancient Athens was a very different process.
Race in Ancient Greece
We often think of ancient Greek society as White, but it was a lot more diverse than we give it credit for.
Elections in the United States
How do elections actually work in the United States?
Speeches That Changed America
George W Bush: Speech After September 11
President George W. Bush delivers a much anticipated speech to a Joint Session of Congress, outlining America’s reaction to the unprecedented atrocity.
Patrick Henry – Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
Patrick Henry delivers a speech on the rights of the colonies before the Second Virginia Assembly. His words ‘give me liberty or give me death’ would become the war cry of the revolution.
Shirley Chisholm – Equal Rights for Women Speech
Shirley Chisholm, the first African American Woman elected to Congress, addresses the US House of Representatives to argue in support of a controversial women’s rights bill; the Equal Rights Amendment.