Magazine Archives:American History

Richly illustrated, relentlessly researched, and vividly written, American History magazine delivers unexpected insights into familiar and unfamiliar topics and characters crucial to our national story. The magazine’s compelling portrayals of events and individuals will surprise and delight readers who seek dynamic historical writing that illuminates the intersections between past and present.

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Painting of a Indian burial mound excavated in 1850 near the Mississippi River, varied in height and dimension. They were typically erected in layers over several hundred years.

Thomas Jefferson, Grave Digger

by Rick Britton10/3/202311/9/2023

Photo of James Michael Curley bending the ear of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936.

Tweet! Jailbird Politicians, An American Staple

by Richard Brookhiser9/20/20239/20/2023

Photo of a general view of The Boott Cotton Mill Museum in the former textile manufacturing town of Lowell on the Merrimack River as part of the Lowell National Historical Park and the National Park Service on November 5, 2014 in Lowell, Massachuetts.

Young Women Were America’s First Industrial Workforce

by Carl Zebrowski9/19/20238/1/2023

Farmers pose with an oink-cellent collection

by Dana Shoaf9/15/20239/15/2023

Photo of the brick Baptist Church on South Carolina’s St. Helena Island.

Reconstruction Failed. Why?

by Carl Zebrowski9/12/202311/10/2023

Photo of Mayor James Michael Curley, dressed in his raccoon coat, hands out flowers during South Boston's traditional Evacuation Day parade on March 17, 1947. Mayor Curley's wife, Gertrude, in a smart green hat with a pink ribbon is sitting to his left and Edward J. "Knocko" McCormack in his Yankee Division uniform is in front. The parade originally commemorated the day the British left Boston on March 17, 1776 and now it also honors St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Although As Crooked As They Come, This Boston Politician Was Beloved

by Peter Carlson8/29/20238/1/2023

Photo of Lincoln Beachey piloting his Beachey Airship, mid to late 1900s.

Men Typically Have a Shorter Life Span Than Women—These Dirigible Daredevils Prove Why

by Bruce W. Dearstyne8/23/20236/14/2024

Photo of Samuel Morse's patent drawing of his telegraph design.

A Personal Tragedy Inspires the First Instant Messaging

by Melissa A. Winn8/22/20238/1/2023

Feeling the Heat

by Dana B. Shoaf8/16/20238/16/2023

Photo of the outside of the Comfort Kitchen, Dorchester, Mass.

‘Hungry’ For Preservation? Comfort Kitchen Serves Up Soul Food and Saved Architecture

by Melissa A. Winn8/15/20238/1/2023