Common black rat in nest.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Thieving Rats Save History

Historians owe a debt of gratitude to these furry pilferers.
An all-women team of aquanauts: Ann Hartline, Sylvia Earle, Renate True, Alina Szmant, and Peggy Lucas Bond.

The Forgotten Women Aquanauts of the 1970s

These scientists spent weeks underwater doing research—and convincing NASA women could also go into space.
Painting of Liberian leaders and Americans deliberating

How One Historian Located Liberia’s Elusive Founding Document

The piece of paper went missing for nearly 200 years, leaving some scholars to question whether it even existed.

A New Database Will Connect Billions of Historic Records to Tell the Full Story of American Slavery

The online resource will offer vital details about the toll wrought on the enslaved.

Capturing Black Bottom, a Detroit Neighborhood Lost to Urban Renewal

A new exhibit at the Detroit Public Library, displays old images of the historic African American neighborhood in its final days.

Why Is History Always About Humans?

As historians turn their attention to animals, they are shedding new light on what it means to be human.
Elizabeth Eckford is harassed by classmates and parents as she tries to enter Little Rock High School.

The Defiant Ones

As young girls, they fought the fierce battle to integrate America’s schools half a century ago.