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7 Shocking Plane Crashes in US History

From a collision with a national landmark, to a tragic airshow accident, these flight disasters are among the most indelible in American history.

How Thomas Jefferson Made Monticello a Laboratory of Innovation

As a boy growing up on his family’s sprawling tobacco plantation, Thomas Jefferson was drawn to a particular hilltop where he played with his best friend and immersed himself in books and picturesque vistas. After inheriting several thousand acres of the property in Virginia’s Albemarle County, the future president transformed his childhood sanctuary into a […]

8 Presidential Inauguration Traditions

Every four years, Inauguration Day and the weeks preceding it unfold with rituals that reinforce the peaceful transfer of power in the United States. While much of the pageantry—from the president‑elect’s White House visit to the inaugural address—follows long‑standing tradition, little of it is required by law or the U.S. Constitution, beyond the 35‑word oath […]

Why Thomas Jefferson Faced Opposition to the Louisiana Purchase

In brokering the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States and set the fledgling country on a course to become a continental power—all for just three cents an acre. “Let the land rejoice,” General Horatio Gates praised Jefferson, “for you have bought Louisiana for a song.” More than two […]