Participants in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Franklin Delano Roosevelt driving with his beloved Scottie dog Fala

Air Force One, The President Of The United States

Wooden sign w. CAMP DAVID painted in white letters.

A staff removes the Iranian flag from the stage after a group picture with foreign ministers and representatives of Unites States, Iran, China, Russia, Britain, Germany, France and the European Union during the Iran nuclear talks at Austria International Centre in Vienna, Austria on July 14, 2015. Major powers clinched a historic deal aimed at ensuring Iran does not obtain the nuclear bomb, opening up Tehran's stricken economy and potentially ending decades of bad blood with the West. AFP PHOTO / POOL / CARLOS BARRIA / AFP / POOL / CARLOS BARRIA

Elizabeth Nix

Elizabeth Nix Archives | HISTORY

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HISTORY

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian—the U.S. president—would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

The 21st century saw the dawn of the war on terrorism, as the 9/11 attacks and the Boston Marathon bombing dramatically changed society. Economic issues moved to the forefront during the Great Recession. The COVID-19 pandemic upended lives and economies around the world. Awareness of social inequality grew as the killings of Black Americans, including Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, spurred widespread protests.

21st Century

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.

U.S. Government and Politics

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.

Civil War

The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

American Revolution

The Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted for decades and resulted in anti-communist suspicions and international incidents that led two superpowers to the brink of nuclear disaster.

Cold War

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.

European History

The Great Depression was the worst economic downturn in the history of the industrialized world, lasting from 1929 to 1939. Explore topics on the era, from the stock market crash of 1929, to the Dust Bowl, to FDR’s response to the economic calamity—the New Deal.

Elizabeth Nix ‑ Stories

The Worst Picnic in History Was Interrupted by a War

Meet Jack Jouett, the Paul Revere of the South

9 Famous Presidential Retreats

Are there countries the U.S. doesn’t have diplomatic relations with?

Tuskegee Experiment: The Infamous Syphilis Study

How Robert Hanssen Spied for the Soviets

Who was the “king who never was”?

9 Things You Should Know About the Vice Presidency

Who Was the First Fresident to Fly on Air Force One?

How Did Camp David Gets Its Name?

9 Presidential Pets

Has a U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ever Been Impeached?