Illustration: an 1870 print celebrating the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment in February 1870, and the post Civil War political empowerment of African Americans. Credit: Thomas Kelly; Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

On This Day, 15th Amendment Ratified: Voting Rights for ‘Men of Color’

By Tony Pettinato on February 3, 2020

On 3 February 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing voting rights to “men of color” citizens... (Read More)

Photo: Charles N. Hair, Deputy State Constable. Credit: Worcester Historical Museum.

First to Serve: The Story of the Nation’s 1st State Police

By Melissa Berry on November 7, 2019

Melissa Davenport Berry describes how Ron Guilmette researched old newspaper articles to tell the story of the nation’s first state police department... (Read More)

Illustration: council at Medicine Lodge Creek. This drawing by J. Howland, originally printed in Harper’s Weekly, depicts the council between representatives of the U.S. government and the Kiowa and Comanche tribes at Medicine Lodge Creek, Kansas, in October 1867.

On This Day: Medicine Lodge Treaty Forced Southern Plains Indians to Oklahoma

By Tony Pettinato on October 21, 2019

An article about the Medicine Lodge treaty, signed on 21 October 1867, that forced the Southern Plains Indians onto small reservations in Oklahoma... (Read More)

Photo: statue of General George Armstrong Custer at his birthplace in New Rumley, Ohio. Credit: Brian M. Powell; Wikimedia Commons.

On This Day: Custer’s Funeral Held at West Point

By Tony Pettinato on October 10, 2019

An article about the burial of Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer with full military honors at West Point Cemetery on 10 October 1877... (Read More)

Photo: Patty Hearst arrest photo, 19 September 1975. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

On This Day: Patty Hearst Arrested after Year on FBI ‘Most Wanted List’

By Tony Pettinato on September 18, 2019

An article about the arrest of newspaper heiress, socialite, and accused bank robber Patty Hearst on 18 September 1975... (Read More)

Photo: "Land rush, Okla. [Oklahoma]." Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

On This Day: Oklahoma Land Rush – A Wild, Crazy Scramble

By Tony Pettinato on September 16, 2019

An article about the Oklahoma Land Rush on 16 September 1893 when 6.5 million acres of public land were thrown open for settlement... (Read More)

An article about the Vietnam War's Gulf of Tonkin Incident, Augusta Chronicle newspaper article 3 August 1964

On This Day: Vietnam War’s Gulf of Tonkin Incident

By Tony Pettinato on August 2, 2019

An article about the Gulf of Tonkin Incident on 2 August 1964 that led to direct U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War... (Read More)

Photo: Neil Armstrong works at the Lunar Module in the only photo taken of him on the moon from the surface. Credit: NASA; Wikimedia Commons.

Where Were You in 1969?

By Gena Philibert-Ortega on July 19, 2019

In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega looks back 50 years to some of the pivotal events of 1969... (Read More)

Photo: a statue of Alexander Hamilton, by William Ordway Patridge, standing outside of Columbia University's Hamilton Hall, New York City. Credit: Billy Hathorn; Wikimedia Commons.

On This Day: The Nation Mourned the Death of Alexander Hamilton

By Tony Pettinato on July 12, 2019

An article about the death of Alexander Hamilton on 12 July 1804 after being shot in a duel with his nemesis, Vice President Aaron Burr, the day before... (Read More)

Tag: American History