New DNA analysis adds evidence Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings
A lock of hair, 15 years of sleuthing and a 200-year-old question. In History by a Hair, Smithsonian Institution scholar…
An Alaska storm scattered artifacts. Archaeologists are racing to save what’s left
Last year, remnants of a typhoon damaged homes, infrastructure and an archaeological dig site. Now, archaeologists are trying to get…
A Kansas girl ran off to join the circus and changed the tattoo world
One of the country's first known female tattoo artists was born on a Kansas farm. Maud Stevens Wagner ran off…
How Americans deceive ourselves about slavery
Clint Smith's How the Word Is Passed explores how slavery is — and isn't — taught. And Above Ground includes…
Over 81,000 U.S. soldiers are missing from past wars. One may soon be identified
In June, the Department of Defense disinterred the remains of an unidentified WWII soldier who had been buried in Sitka,…
But first, coffee: The drink that energized the American Revolution
Colonial Americans were drinking coffee long before they dumped tea into Boston Harbor or fought a war for independence. The…
How America has celebrated milestone birthdays, from world fairs to the World Cup
Two founding fathers died on America's 50th birthday, which was marked with toasts and parades. Over time, anniversary celebrations became…
Food defined social hierarchy in 1776. Here’s what was on the table
Around the time the United States was founded, Americans' diets included Parmesan ice cream and terrapin. But what you ate…
Archaeologists find huge Viking textile production site in Denmark
Archaeologists have discovered a huge Viking Age textile production site in Denmark that dates back more than 1,000 years and…
A Revolutionary War soldier’s DNA links him to living relatives
Continental Army soldier John Pumphrey enlisted as a teenager in 1777 and fought at significant battles before his death in…