U.S. History

Robert M. Poole has written for National Geographic, Preservation, The New York Times, The Washington Post and Smithsonian.

Robert M. Poole on “The Battle of Arlington”

Controversy over Meriwether Lewis' death has descendants and scholars campaigning to exhume his body at his grave site in Tennessee.

Meriwether Lewis' Mysterious Death

Two hundred years later, debate continues over whether the famous explorer committed suicide or was murdered

John Brown and many of his followers holed up in the fire engine house awaiting reinforcements by a swarm of "bees"—slaves from the surrounding area. But only a handful showed up.

John Brown's Day of Reckoning

The abolitionist's bloody raid on a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry 150 years ago set the stage for the Civil War

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Fevers

Temperatures at the Boiling Point

From childhood on, abolitionist John Brown (in a c.1847 daguerreotype taken by Augustus Washington) had sworn "eternal war with slavery."

John Brown's Famous Photograph

An 1840s image captures an extremist's fervor

The Big Burn by Timothy Egan tells the story of a wildfire that ripped through forests in Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Timothy Egan on “The Big Burn”

The forest fire of 1910 ripped through the town of Wallace, Idaho leaving it in complete shambles.

The Legacy of America’s Largest Forest Fire

A 1910 wildfire that raged across three Western states helped advance the nation’s conservation efforts

From 1942 through 1945, more than 400,000 Axis prisoners were shipped to the United States and detained in camps in rural areas across the country.

German POWs on the American Homefront

Thousands of World War II prisoners ended up in mills, farm fields and even dining rooms across the United States

The United States expanded from the original 13 colonies in a series of deals that began in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris.

Top 10 Nation-Building Real Estate Deals

Luck and hard bargaining contributed to the growth of the United States. But with expansion came consequences

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Strongmen

Larger than life, for ill and good

Library of Congress curator Mark Dimunation embarked on years-long mission to track down copies of books once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

On the Hunt for Jefferson's Lost Books

A Library of Congress curator is on a worldwide mission to find exact copies of the books that belonged to Thomas Jefferson

The Appalachian Trail crosses 14 states, six national parks and eight national forests.

Tales From the Appalachian Trail

The stories of ten hikers who have traveled the 2,000-mile-path through the eastern United States tell the history of the trail

After camping out for days, tourists look up into the sky as Apollo 11 rocketed into space.

Moonwalk Launch Party

The launch 40 years ago of Apollo 11, which put a man on the moon, brought Americans together during a time of nationwide unrest

The Soviet leader makes his entrance at 20th Century Fox on September 19, 1959. He would call Can-Can exploitive and pornographic.

Nikita Khrushchev Goes to Hollywood

Lunch with the Soviet leader was Tinseltown's hottest ticket, with famous celebrities including Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin

Now serving grief: Irwin (right) gives Holcomb (left) a lesson on why no plebe should ever forget the menu.

Up in Arms Over a Co-Ed Plebe Summer

The first women to attend the Naval Academy became seniors in 1979. Photographer Lucian Perkins was there as the old order changed

Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev In Vienna

From the Editor: My Favorite Commie

Nikita Khrushchev Comes to America

Eleanor Roosevelt used Val-Kill, located in New York, as a retreat, office and “laboratory” for social change. This is the only national historic site dedicated to a first lady.

Revisiting the First Ladies’ Homes

The oft-overlooked lives of America's first ladies are on display in house museums across the country

Volunteers prepare to place the Onrust into the Hudson River.

Setting Sail on the Hudson River 400 Years Later

Using 17th century techniques, volunteers built a replica of Henry Hudson's vessel in honor of the anniversary of his exploration

Ramsey's trip across the United States took 59 days to complete and covered 3,800 miles.

Alice Ramsey's Historic Cross-Country Drive

In 1909, 22-year-old Alice Ramsey made history as the first woman to drive across the United States

Weegee danced and screamed to get the beach crowd's attention. The masked man called himself the Spider.

Weegee's Day at the Beach

For the noir photographer Weegee, bathers at Coney Island had another kind of gritty reality

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