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U.S. Presidents ‑ Stories

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.

Cars lined up at a gas station in Maryland in February 1974.

How the 1970s US Energy Crisis Drove Innovation

The U.S. energy crisis of the 1970s forced American leaders and researchers to come up with solutions in policymaking, technology and architecture.

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President Gerald Ford wearing a WIN (Whip Inflation Now) button on his lapel during Republican campaigns in North & South Carolina.

How Gerald Ford Tried to Fight Inflation

Ford’s ‘Whip Inflation Now (WIN)’ effort tried to tamp down inflation with a collective, can‑do approach. It didn’t work out.

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First-grade students at Public School 60 in Baltimore say the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag in June 1955.

Why Eisenhower Added ‘Under God’ to the Pledge of Allegiance During the Cold War

The pledge, as recited by U.S. schoolchildren, wasn’t standardized until World War II, and didn’t contain “under God” until 1954.

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President James Buchanan, Secession

How President Buchanan Deepened Divisions Over Slavery Before the Civil War

For this, historians consistently rank him as one of the worst US presidents.

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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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Teddy Roosevelt Championed Conservation Efforts—That Also Displaced Native Americans

Teddy Roosevelt Championed Conservation Efforts—That Also Displaced Native Americans

He helped establish national parks, forests and game preserves. But much of that land had been stewarded by Indigenous people for generations.

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Cartoon: Teddy Roosevelt steaming down to Panama with his 'big stick'

How Theodore Roosevelt Changed the Way America Operated in the World

Roosevelt wanted the U.S. to wield ‘a big stick’ in global affairs, the way European empires did.

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Inside Theodore Roosevelt's Gilded Age Upbringing

Inside Theodore Roosevelt’s Gilded Age Upbringing

Young ‘Teedie’ suffered from severe asthma and idolized his father, who helped him develop resilience, drive and intellectual rigor.

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How Teddy Roosevelt Ascended in New York Politics

How Teddy Roosevelt Ascended in New York Politics

As Roosevelt scaled the rough‑and‑tumble political ranks of his home state, he wasn’t afraid of making enemies.

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How Was the US Involved in WWII Before Pearl Harbor?

How Was the US Involved in WWII Before Pearl Harbor?

Before formally entering World War II, FDR came up with a few key strategies to provide critical aid to allies in Europe in the fight against Hitler’s Nazi Party.

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All the Ways Teddy Roosevelt Supported Women’s Rights

How Teddy Roosevelt Supported Women’s Rights

Theodore Roosevelt’s views stood out as progressive for the time—even as they were tempered by traditionalism.

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What is Federalism and Why Did the Founding Fathers Create It?

5 Founding Fathers Whose Finances Shaped the American Revolution

How five of the nation’s Founders made their livings, how they invested in the revolutionary cause—and what they gained and lost.

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