Can Living in History Bring Us Together?

The Work of a Historical Interpreter is More than Just Reenactment

It’s 7 a.m., and Crystal is getting ready for her day as a historical interpreter.

To begin the transformation, she puts on the period-appropriate dress she laid out the night before: 19th-century underclothes, overclothes, and an apron. Next come the stockings, which she pulls up and over the knee, boots, and jewelry.

She then heads over to the historical site she works at, thinking about the day ahead. When she arrives, she sits before a mirror and continues transforming, putting on a bald cap first, then pinning on her wig. Finally, she …

by Megan Mateer | July 1, 2024

Before Taylor and Travis, There Was Helen and John

She Was an Actress. He Was a Shortstop. We Can Learn From the Press Parade Around This 19th-Century Power Couple

by Scott D. Peterson | January 11, 2024

Everyone who’s the least bit plugged into the NFL or popular culture, or has spent at least five minutes out of a coma the past few months, knows why the …

When the U.S. Welcomed the ‘Pedro Pan’ Migrants of Cuba

Cold War America Resettled Unaccompanied Minors as an Anti-Communist Imperative. Today, the Nation Forgets This History

by John A. Gronbeck-Tedesco | January 8, 2024

When Fidel Castro took over Cuba in 1959, 13-year-old José Azel joined the ranks of the underground opposition engaging in acts of sabotage. When Castro closed the country’s schools, José’s …

Facing Our Collective Wounds With Generous Hope

Historian William Sturkey Reflects on Confronting Our Dark Past, and Moving Forward

by William Sturkey | December 21, 2023

I’ve felt the power of reconciliation wash over me. I felt it at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery and at the War Remnants Museum in Saigon. …

What the GOP Gets Wrong About the Puritans

Reagan and Pence Invoked Them as Inspiration, But a True Reckoning With Their History Provides a Different Vision of the Nation’s Future

by Peter C. Mancall | September 27, 2023

During the first Republican presidential primary debate, on August 23, former Vice President Mike Pence spoke of founders of the nation conquering the American “wilderness.” It was one …

Following in My Cherokee Great-Grandfather’s Footsteps

I Work With Tribes Across the Country to Honor Our Ancestors—And Ensure Our Survival

by Sheila Bird | September 18, 2023

I started working in repatriation efforts before I even knew what the term meant.

But repatriation—bringing our ancestors home—is in my blood. I grew up in a Cherokee community in Chewey, …

American history