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Early 20th Century U.S. ‑ Stories

In the early 20th century, America was flexing its economic and political muscle on the international stage. The era was defined by the temperance movement, Progressive-era activism, the sinking of the Titanic and World War I.

An air rescue helicopter of the U.S. Air Force arrives at the Thule Air Base in Greenland, 1955.

America’s Long History of Trying to Acquire Greenland

In 1868, Secretary of State William Seward promoted Greenland as a land with so many natural resources it would empower the United States to ‘command the commerce of the world.’

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Grand opening of the LA aqueduct.

The California Water Wars: How LA Got Its Water Supply

When the L.A. Aqueduct was completed in 1913, it was celebrated as an engineering marvel, but it drained distant watersheds to ensure its own precarious survival.

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Applying a plaster cast to a patient's lower leg and foot, February 1948.

How Health Insurance Got Its Start in America

A 1929 prepaid hospital plan created in Dallas gave rise to early health insurance companies—and helped spur the growth of a major industry.

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NYC subway in Brooklyn, NY.

5 Hidden Features of the NYC Subway

From remnants of a once‑glorious station to mysterious depictions of beavers, the NYC subway holds many secrets.

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Ford Motor Company production line, 1920s

The Origins of the Five‑Day Work Week in America

A 40‑hour, five‑day work week is now standard for full‑time jobs in America, but that wasn’t true until the 1930s.

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The Wright siblings

The Wright Brothers’ Sister Played a Key Role in Their Success

Katharine Wright helped publicize her brothers’ first‑in‑flight achievement and made sure they made it into the record books.

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painting of the Titanic just as it's going under, with lifeboats in the foreground

Titanic Rescue Effort: 5 Ways the World Tried to Help

The sinking of the RMS Titanic on the night of April 14‑15, 1912 is among the most infamous disasters in history. Yet, both factual and fictional accounts of the event often skip from the mayhem and death at the ship following its collision with the iceberg, to the lives of the survivors, once safely back […]

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How Upton Sinclair’s ‘The Jungle’ Led to US Food Safety Reforms

The 1906 bestseller was one of the most influential books in American history—but not in the way its author intended.

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Hawaiian men paddling an outrigger canoe at sunset on the water

How Native Hawaiians Have Fought for Sovereignty

Ever since the US overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy in an illegal coup, Native islanders responded with protest, activism and expressions of cultural pride.

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When Chinese Americans Were Scapegoated for Bubonic Plague

When Chinese Americans Were Scapegoated for Bubonic Plague

As Honolulu and San Francisco faced outbreaks, the cities’ responses caused devastation to Asian communities.

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Teddy Roosevelt and the Battle of San Juan Hill, Spanish American War

The Buffalo Soldiers at San Juan Hill: What Really Happened?

Some later accounts of the battle, including Teddy Roosevelt’s, downplayed the Black troopers’ crucial role in the US victory.

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How Famous Amos Built—And Lost—His Cookie Empire

Famous Amos: The Rise and Fall of a Cookie Empire

Wally Amos parlayed his aunt’s chocolate chip cookie recipe into a gourmet snack food juggernaut.

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