A dance with men in dresses paired with men in suits on November 20, 1901, known as the “The Dance of the 41." (Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The Daring Disguise that Helped One Enslaved Couple Escape to Freedom, Ellen and William Craft

Author and former cop Ron Stallworth at the New York premiere of "BlacKkKlansman," a film based off his time going undercover in the Klu Klux Klan in the late 70s.

From left, vogue dancers Cesar Valentino (white shirt), Derrick Xtravaganza Huggins, and Fidel perform at the Copacabana nightclub, New York, New York, May 25, 1989. (Photo by Rita Barros/Getty Images)

Thaddeus Morgan

Thaddeus Morgan Archives | HISTORY

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HISTORY

Pride

<p>Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have played vital roles in shaping the nation—from building the Transcontinental Railroad to advocating for labor law changes to fighting in multiple wars. They made these contributions while also facing persistent discrimination and violence throughout U.S. history.</p>


Asian American and Pacific Islander History

<p>The 1970s was an era when the women's rights, gay rights and environmental movements gained momentum. The Vietnam War came to a close, the Watergate scandal led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, the United States ended direct involvement in the Vietnam War and President Jimmy Carter grappled with an energy crisis, inflation and the Iran Hostage Crisis.</p>


1970s

<p>Latin America encompasses Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, including all of South America as well as Mexico, Central America, and islands of the Caribbean. Latin American history saw colonization by the Spaniards and Portuguese, from the 15th through the 18th century, as well as independence movements in the early 19th century.</p>


Latin American History

<p>The gay rights movement is the advocacy for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Key moments in LGBTQ+ history include the trial of Oscar Wilde, the Stonewall Riots, the assassination of Harvey Milk and marriage equality.</p>


Gay Rights

<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 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.</p>


American Revolution

<p>Art history tells the complex story of human civilization through art, literature and design. It ranges from prehistoric art of the Neolithic period through Renaissance masterpieces, Impressionism, Modernism, the Bauhaus and contemporary art.</p>


Art, Literature and Film History

<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>During the 1980s, conservative politics and Reaganomics held sway as the Berlin Wall crumbled, new computer technologies emerged, AIDS ravaged the United States, especially the gay male community, and blockbuster movies and MTV reshaped pop culture.</p>


Thaddeus Morgan ‑ Stories

How 19th‑Century Drag Balls Evolved into House Balls, Birthplace of Voguing

11 Anthems of Black Pride and Protest Through American History

The Daring Disguise that Helped One Enslaved Couple Escape to Freedom

When Hollywood Studios Married Off Gay Stars to Keep Their Sexuality a Secret

8 Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier

How an Enslaved Man‑Turned‑Spy Helped Secure Victory at the Battle of Yorktown

How a Terrifying Wave of Unexplained Deaths Led to ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’

How an Ex‑KKK Member Made His Way Onto the U.S. Supreme Court

How Hollywood Cast White Actors in Caricatured Asian Roles

The ‘American Pickers’ Find the Aerosmith Van that Started It All

The Real Story of How a Black Cop Infiltrated the KKK

41 Has a Secret Meaning in Mexico, Thanks to a Queer Underground Ball