In an important U.S. immigration law milestone, Wong Kim Ark sued the U.S. government to recognize birthright citizenship for children of immigrants. Read the remarkable story here.
Author Archives: melissa
COVID-19 Has Resurrected Single-Use Plastics—Are They Back to Stay?
Measures to safeguard public health during the coronavirus pandemic might jeopardize hard-won environmental protections against waste from single-use plastics. Read this article to find out more.
Laughing at the Expense of Labor and Capital
For nearly fifty years, the American humor magazine Puck sent up politicians, industrialists, capitalists, and even laborers in sophisticated, thought-provoking cartoons. View this gallery of cartoons lampooning the extravagance of the gilded age.
9 Things You May Not Know About the Declaration of Independence
Read nine interesting, yet not-so-well-known stories about the people, places, and events surrounding one of America’s most important founding documents.
The History of Naturalization Requirements in the U.S.
The process of becoming a U.S. citizen has undergone many changes over 200 years. This detailed timeline tells the story.
The Global Cost of Electronic Waste
E-waste, used and frequently discarded computers, tablets, smartphones and other electronics, is the fastest-growing municipal waste stream in the United States. Read this opinion piece about the causes and possible solutions to this mounting environmental threat.
Gilded Age Wives Set Philanthropy’s Gold Standard
The philanthropy of the wives of some of the richest men in American history supported universities, museums, and other institutions. They redefined the traditional role of wealthy women, setting a standard for today’s philanthropic community. Learn more in this short feature.
What Happened To British Loyalists After The Revolutionary War?
At the time of the American Revolution, not every colonist wanted to sever ties with the British Crown. In this short interview, a historian describes the perils of being a Loyalist during and following the Revolutionary War.
Meet Angela, The First Named African Woman in Jamestown
An Angolan woman called Angela was among the first Africans to arrive in the North American territory that would become the United States. Learn more about Angela, the Central African kingdom of Ndongo where she was born, and how she and other captives lived in Jamestown.
This Clothing Line is Saving Textile Waste and Paying Fair Wages
At Zero Waste Daniel, New York-based designer Daniel Silverstein creates fashion that is both environment-conscious and socially responsible. Watch this short video to find out more.
Experts Affirm That Coronavirus Is ‘Highly Unlikely’ To Be Food Risk
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have been working to discover the risks and ways to protect our health, including the foods we eat. Read some of their findings in this article.
What Alexander Hamilton’s Deep Connections To Slavery Reveal About The Need For Reparations Today
| This opinion from a university scholar reveals that more carefullyexamining Alexander Hamilton’s life, views, and career might challenge how people think about reparations for slavery. |
Are We Consuming Too Much Information?
Feeling overwhelmed by all the information on the internet? That “foggy” sensation in your brain after hours of pointing, clicking, tapping, and swiping has a name. It’s called information overload. Read this article to learn more about it.
How Andrew Carnegie Turned His Fortune Into A Library Legacy
Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie was also a dedicated philanthropist who used his wealth to establish hundreds of public libraries. Listen to the story here.
How Immigrants Created America’s Mixtape
In this feature article, Howard Reich describes how the diverse musical traditions of immigrant Jews, Congolese Africans, Mexican mariachi artists and others have been combined to create unique American musical forms.
Watchdog Photo Gallery
Muckraking journalists are keen-eyed observers unafraid to expose the truth—even at great risk to themselves. View images of the investigative work of journalists and writers who took on powerful entities, exposing corruption and protecting the interests of citizens.
How Kids Helped During the Revolutionary War
How did the families of everyday colonists respond when the Revolutionary War started? Read a brief list of some of the ways that the children of the Minutemen and Continental Army soldiers answered the call during the Thirteen Colonies’ struggle for independence.
5 Powerful and Influential Native American Women
Native American women achieved important but often overlooked accomplishments in the early development of North America. Their success inspired later trailblazing efforts. Read the extraordinary stories of five Native American women whose impact went beyond forging the groundwork of an emerging new nation.
Fort Mose: America’s Black Colonial Fortress of Freedom
Fugitive African slaves seeking freedom in early America found refuge at St. Augustine. Granted freedom by the Spanish, these skilled laborers eventually established the first legal free black town in the present-day United States.
Pullman Porters
The Pullman porters provided exemplary service at the height of luxury train travel in America. Their efforts to unionize and promote workers’ rights went beyond the picket lines to impact the Great Migration and the growth of the African American middle class.