The fate of the lost colony of Roanoke has become the stuff of legend. However, many lesser-known colonies also struggled and failed. Explore the interactive map to learn more.
Category Archives: Coming to America
How Alaska Natives created an Xbox game to preserve, spread their culture
A local council of Alaska Native groups took a story passed down by generations of the Inupiaq tribe and turned it into a video game. The game has already won several awards and has introduced the culture to a wider audience.
Bringing Traditional Themes Into Contemporary Writing
Frank Stasio, host of radio program The State of Things, talks to poet Joy Harjo about her latest collection, Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings.
I say Hispanic. You say Latino. How did the whole thing start?
Sociologist G. Cristina Mora discusses her book about how the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” emerged and how different commuities identify with them.
John Smith Biography
This biography details the life of early American colonist John Smith.
Ellis Island
This article inlcudes an overview of the importance of Ellis Island in the history of immigration in the United States. It then provides a more detailed timeline of happenings on the island.
‘One Nation with News for All’: Newseum looks at Ethnic media in America
Read about the contributions of foreign-language and ethnic media in the United States.
Edward Curtis: Photographing the North American Indian
Nineteenth-century photographer Edward Curtis was known for his images of Native Americans. Watch this video that details the Smithsonian Institute’s recent acquisition of more than 700 of Curtis’s images.
Reconsidering The Pilgrims, Piety And America’s Founding Principles
The 2015 PBS documentary The PIlgrims takes a look at some of our preconceived ideas about the United States’ earliest settlers. NPR takes a look.
L.A. County formally replaces Columbus Day
Acknowledging the role European settlement in the Americas had on native people, the city of Los Angeles renamed the holiday to commemorate Christopher Columbus as “Indigenous Peoples Day.”
Immigration In Esports: Do Gamers Count As Athletes?
This article examines how immigration policy and gaming meet.
Why American Cities Are Fighting to Attract Immigrants
Read about the efforts city officials across the country are making to welcome immigrants and why.
Illegal Immigration Solutions – Pros and Cons: Historical Timeline
This timeline is organized into six time periods, each of which has excerpts and images from primary and secondary sources. Scan the entire timeline or choose to focus on one or two time periods for a more in-depth look at the history of immigration in the U.S.
After 41 years, Louisville’s youth theater stages all 38 plays by Shakespeare
The Commonwealth Theatre Center recently finished producing all of Shakespeare’s plays over the course of four decades. Read about the benefits of working on a Shakespeare production as a child or teenager.
The True Story of Pocahontas
Historian Camilla Townsend dispels some of the myths about Pocahontas.
Celebrate Our Mother Tongues
Educator and former U.S. Foreign Service officer Chris Livaccari discusses how Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” inspired him to examine his own family’s use of language.
King Philip’s War
For 14 months from 1675 to 1676, Pokunoket chief Metacom, known as King Philip, led an unsuccessful effort to drive the English settlers from native land.
How America became Italian
Using the example of Italian-Americans, history professor and author Vincent J. Cannato argues that the exchange of cultures and ideas between native-born Americans and immigrants positively influences society.
Remains of Pilgrims’ Plymouth settlement unearthed
Archeologists from the University of Massachusetts Boston recently unearthed artifacts that help pinpoint the location of the historic Plymouth settlement.
The Peopling Of America
People have been immigrating to America for tens of thousands of years. Use this interactive timeline to see how immigration patterns have changed over time.