American History

Few things capture the spirit of adventure quite like the vast network of highways stretching across the United States. But have you ever wondered which road takes the crown as the longest?

By Mack Hayden

From time to time, the United States federal government experiences a shutdown, reminding the country's citizens just how difficult it is to align federal funding with political power and public policy.

By Marie Look

Off the top of your head, you may know JFK as the youngest president in U.S. history, and you'd be correct that he was the youngest to be elected. But what about the youngest person to ascend — that is, the youngest VP to become president after the death of an incumbent?

By Mitch Ryan

President Joe Biden became the oldest president in U.S. history when he took the oath of office in 2020 at 78 years old. The former senator of Delaware also served as vice president for two consecutive terms of the Obama administration between 2009 and 2017.

By Mitch Ryan

State capitals provide a centralized location for the state's administrative, legislative and sometimes judicial branches. This facilitates efficient governance by bringing together key decision-makers, lawmakers and administrative staff in one place, streamlining communication, coordination and policy implementation.

By Karina Ryan

The United States Census Bureau tracks the population of all incorporated places in the United States. Incorporated places include cities, towns, villages, boroughs and municipalities. The government census can identify trends in the growth rate of populations and help communities plan for the future, which is especially important in the biggest cities in U.S. states.

By Karina Ryan

Embarking on a journey through the United States' historical landscape to learn about the oldest city in America uncovers a rich mosaic of stories that trace back to a time before even the British arrived and settled on the land.

By Desiree Bowie

The last time you poured yourself a bowl of Kellogg's Corn Flakes, you may not have been aware of the complicated history behind this iconic breakfast cereal.

By Marie Look

The "Don't Tread on Me" flag, showing a rattlesnake on a yellow background, has its roots in America's Revolutionary War but has become a right-wing symbol in the 21st century. What does it really mean?

By Dave Roos

There is no more iconic sign in the world than the huge HoIlywood sign that stands in Griffith Park, beckoning the hopeful with dreams of stardom.

By Kate Morgan

The American West was chock full of wild and crazy characters, and not just those portrayed on the big screen. Meet some of the most memorable ones.

By Sarah Gleim

Washington, D.C. is the seat of America's federal government. But what state is Washington, D.C. in?

By Sharise Cunningham

The U.S. comprises states, territories and commonwealths. So how many states are in the U.S.A.?

By Sharise Cunningham

Without the Great Compromise, the U.S. might not have become a nation. The political divisions between big and small states could have been too much to overcome. The final formation of Congress was a stroke of genius.

By Dave Roos

Every year the U.S. president pardons a turkey and Americans eat it up. Not the bird, but the ceremony. How did this priceless tradition even start?

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

In the 20th century, there were dozens of Skid Rows across America, but today only one has been at the same location for over a century: Skid Row, Los Angeles. Why has it lasted for so long?

By Dave Roos

When singer, rapper and classically trained flutist Lizzo played a glass flute once owned by President James Madison, we stopped to wonder what else might be hiding in the Library of Congress.

By Jesslyn Shields

Members of the Osage Tribe were some of the richest people on Earth around 1920. Then they started dying, mysteriously. Who was killing them and what did oil have to do with it?

By Dave Roos

The Dakota is most famous as the apartment where former Beatle John Lennon lived and died, but it also played a key role in the evolution of New York City during the Gilded Age.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The newly reopened America's Black Holocaust Museum traces more than 400 years of Black American history, from the era before enslavement to the present.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

The Barbizon Hotel was a glamorous, women-only residential hotel in New York that catered to up-and-coming stars. And though most women wanted to live there, only a few made the grade.

By Melanie Radzicki McManus

Many states (or territories) that are now part of the U.S.A. were once independent, even if not recognized as such by other countries. We'll look at some of them.

By Alia Hoyt

Some call it an artists colony, others a squatters' paradise. Either way, it attracts lots of visitors, billing itself as the last free place in America. So, what's it really like?

By Dave Roos

The 2004 incident in Granby, Colorado, left half the town destroyed. Now 17 years later, Marvin Heemeyer, the man who piloted the tank that crushed the library and town hall, has become a hero to antigovernment extremists.

By John Donovan

The phrase "systemic racism" has become very widespread in the U.S. in the past year or so, but what does it really mean?

By Dave Roos