<p>Crystal Ponti is a freelance writer from New England with a deep passion for exploring the intersection of history and folklore. Her work has also appeared in <i>The New York Times</i>, <i>A&amp;E Real Crime</i>, <i>Washington Post</i>, <i>USA Today</i>, and <i>BBC</i>, among others. Find her <a title="Original URL:
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Crystal Ponti

Crystal Ponti is a freelance writer from New England with a deep passion for exploring the intersection of history and folklore. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, A&E Real Crime, Washington Post, USA Today, and BBC, among others. Find her @HistoriumU, where she also co-hosts the monthly #FolkloreThursday event.

Crystal Ponti Archives | HISTORY

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HISTORY

Crystal Ponti is a freelance writer from New England with a deep passion for exploring the intersection of history and folklore. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, A&amp;E Real Crime, Washington Post, USA Today, and BBC, among others. Find her @HistoriumU, where she also co-hosts the monthly #FolkloreThursday event.

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<p>Colonial America was a vast land settled by Spanish, Dutch, French and English immigrants who established colonies such as St. Augustine, Florida; Jamestown, Virginia; and Roanoke in present-day North Carolina.</p>


Colonial America

<p>The Roman Empire, led by rulers such as Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Caligula and Nero, was a vast and powerful domain that gave rise to the culture, laws, technologies and institutions that continue to define Western civilization.</p>


Ancient Rome

<p>Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain. Over the centuries, Halloween transitioned from a pagan ritual to a day of parties, costumes, jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating for kids and adults.</p>


Halloween

<p>Food is an integral part of human history, serving as both sustenance and a symbol of culture, trade and power. From the earliest days of hunter-gatherers to modern-day globalization, what people eat has influenced the course of history.</p>


Food

<p>Folklore is made up of age-old traditions, music, stories and superstitions that help define human culture. Discover the truth behind mysteries, legends and paranormal curiosities such as UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle, zombies, werewolves, witches, vampires and more.</p>


Mysteries & Folklore

<p>Each year on February 14, people exchange cards, candy or flowers with their special “valentine.” St. Valentine’s Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century, but has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia.</p>


Valentine’s Day

<p>The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.</p>


U.S. Government and Politics

<p>The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most divisive conflict, pitting the Union Army against the Confederate States of America. The war resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000 people, with millions more injured and the South left in ruins.</p>


Civil War

<p>Inventions from the telephone to the Model T and the computer have defined human history, and inventors like Leonardo da Vinci, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney and Alexander Graham Bell have transformed our society.</p>


Inventions & Science

<p>Though the 19th century saw the rise of populism, the labor movement and Jacksonian democracy, it also ushered in the Gilded Age, when men like Cornelius Vanderbilt and J. P. Morgan wielded vast control over politics and business.</p>


19th Century

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">African Americans have played a central role in shaping U.S. history. From slavery and its abolition to the Great Migration, the civil rights movement and military, scientific, cultural and political achievements, explore key moments, milestones and figures in Black History.</div>
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Black History

<p>Explore the wars, battles, leaders, civilizations, regimes, prominent figures and major events from the continent that encompasses 2 percent of the Earth’s surface. From Stonehenge to the Great Awakening to the French Revolution to the rise and fall of Communism in Russia, see how Europe’s often tumultuous history unfolded.</p>


Crystal Ponti ‑ Stories

9 of the Worst Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in America

Gettysburg: Ghost Stories From the Civil War Battlefield

All the Ways We’ve Wiped: The History of Toilet Paper and What Came Before

Victorian‑Era ‘Vinegar’ Valentines Could Be Mean and Hostile

Who Were the Six Wives of Henry VIII?

Some of the Earliest Christmas Cards Were Morbid and Creepy

When New Englanders Blamed Vampires for Tuberculosis Deaths

America’s History of Slavery Began Long Before Jamestown

10 Things You May Not Know About the Jamestown Colony

How a Trio of Hellish Earthquakes Prompted America’s First Disaster Relief Act