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America Flirted with Legalized Prostitution During the Civil War

As the Union Army faced down a public health crisis in Nashville, it had no choice but to accept the city’s sex workers.

Is Obstruction an Impeachable Offense? History Says Yes

by Adam Liptak

Constitutional scholars say offenses involving the lawless use of official power threatening the constitutional order are what the framers thought could justify removal from office.

A quest to reconstruct Baltimore’s American Indian ‘reservation’

by Ashley Minner

The East Baltimore Church of God, which was founded by Lumbee Indians, was once located in the heart of ‘the reservation,’ in the 1700 block of E. Baltimore Street. 

Descendants of Chinese railroad workers share their hope for the recognition of their ancestors' labor

The Chinese railroad workers who helped connect the country.

The Jewish Trumpeter Who Entertained Nazis to Survive the Holocaust

For a while during his captivity, jazz kept Eric Vogel, a Jewish Czech trumpeter, useful to the Nazis—and therefore alive.

For Sri Lanka, a Long History of Violence

Here is some context to help you understand the latest events in the small island nation.

‘The President himself may be guilty’: Why pardons were hotly debated by the Founding Fathers

The Mueller report raised the issue the Constitution’s framers feared in 1787: Abuse of presidential power.

Agent Orange: US to clean up toxic Vietnam War air base

Agent Orange was a defoliant sprayed by US forces to destroy jungles and uncover the enemy's hiding places.

Vermont passes bill abolishing Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day

The state is one signature away from abolishing Columbus Day altogether and permanently recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

From Reconstruction To WWII, How The U.S. Census Has Been Used For Both Good And Bad

"We're seeing something that has a very dangerous kind of echo to other less progressive approaches to using the census."

Ancestry.com's racist ad tumbles into a cultural minefield

The ad appeared online earlier this month, but as BuzzFeed first reported, it didn’t draw much attention until critics on social media began sharing it in outrage this week. 

How the Black Colleges Beyoncé Honors in Homecoming Have Played a Vital Role in American History

The feeling of unity expressed by Beyoncé’s loving tribute goes even deeper than viewers may know: throughout that history, HBCUs have contributed to every sphere of American life.

Medal of Honor review sought for minority World War I heroes

Lawmakers want the Pentagon to take another look at scores of soldiers who may have been denied the nation's highest military honor due to their race or religion.

Redactions: The Declassified File

The release of the redacted Mueller report today focuses new public attention on the systemic problem of over-classification. Here are some classic examples of U.S. government over-zealousness in applying a figurative Magic Marker to information that was already public or should be public.

Why Pete Buttigieg may be reviving progressive ideals of the Social Gospel Movement

by David Mislin

A century ago views such as Buttigieg’s flourished in the Midwest.

Russia isn’t the first country to protest Western control over global telecommunications

by Sarah Nelson

As the international community becomes increasingly concerned about misinformation and data breaches, the Russian government has announced plans to test its own, sweeping solution to the problem: disconnecting Russia from the global internet.

Abraham Lincoln, Joe Biden and the politics of touch

by Mark M. Smith

No one was better at tactile politics than Abraham Lincoln.

The story behind the towering Notre Dame spire and the 30-year-old architect commissioned to rebuild it

Less than a week before fire tore through Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, a repair crew brought down religious statues for the first time in more than a century. 

Notre Dame was in ruins. Victor Hugo’s novel about a hunchback saved it.

France has rebuilt its iconic cathedral before.

Natural History Museum Will Not Host Gala for Brazil’s President

The museum drew heavy criticism for agreeing to host a ceremony at which Mr Bolsonaro, who has advocated relaxing environmental policies, was scheduled to receive a person of the year award.