GOVERNMENT

Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania today—but it hasn’t always been.

Can You Name the Original Capitals of These 18 States?

A number of states entered the union with different capital cities. How many of them do you know?

It wasn’t one of Adams’s finest moments.

When John Adams Predicted the Wrong Independence Day

When John Adams penned a letter to future first lady Abigail Adams on July 3, 1776, he guessed how future generations of Americans would celebrate Independence Day with remarkable accuracy—but he got the date wrong.

An 1898 map of the District of Columbia.

Why Is the Nation's Capital Called the “District of Columbia”?

Inside the complicated compromise that created the District of Columbia and the City of Washington—which are kind of the same thing.

Standing in solidarity helps create real change around the world.

How To Stay Safe During a Protest

Preparedness matters before attending a demonstration. Here’s everything you need to know about how to stay safe during a protest, from what to bring to what your rights are, and more.

47 Amazing Facts About All 45 American Presidents

Read on to discover which American president wanted to be a concert violinist, which carried a dictionary around in his pocket, who burned his official White House portrait, and why Joe Biden's dog made history.

A mural titled ‘The Security of the People’ by Seymour Fogel, illustrating the values and programs put forth by the New Deal.

10 New Deal Programs We Now Take For Granted

Nearly 100 years after the Great Depression, Americans are still benefiting from New Deal programs—and their protections and entitlements have become such a part of the social fabric that we often take them for granted. Here are just a few.

The holiday is always a three-day weekend for a reason.

Why Is Memorial Day Always on a Monday?

Discover the real reason why Memorial Day always happens on a Monday, plus how the holiday actually does differ from Veterans Day, and more.

Why Are There Two Dakotas and Two Carolinas?

If the colony of Carolina and the Dakota Territory hadn’t decided to split themselves up, we’d have only 48 states right now. But why did these particular places become geographic variants of each other?

A U.S. Marine charges forward through Japanese machine gun fire during the Battle of Okinawa.

11 Things You Might Not Know About the Marine Corps

From their birthplace in a tavern to the origins of that famous ‘Leatherneck’ nickname, learn more about the history of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Scandalous History of Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington is some of the most hallowed ground in the United States. But despite its great importance, the cemetery has had more than its share of scandals.

The African American Civil War Memorial.

11 Lesser-Known War Memorials

These tributes to fallen soldiers may not be as instantly recognizable as the Vietnam Memorial and others, but their stories are no less fascinating—including one that doubles as a mausoleum right in Manhattan.

Current baby name trends are here to stay.

The Top 10 Baby Names of 2024, According to the Social Security Administration

Check out the top baby names of 2024 and their meanings.

Getting these projects done required a lot of Washingtons.

10 Projects Funded by the U.S. Government

From initiatives to preserve American culture to things that change how we get around and communicate.

Consider arriving at the airport earlier if you don‘t have a REAL ID.

Missed the REAL ID Deadline? Here’s What You Need to Know to Fly Without One

Starting Wednesday, May 7, standard IDs will make going through airport security a bigger hassle. The TSA recommends getting to the airport earlier than usual to ensure you board your flight on time.

Clerical workers processing forms for production requirement plan, Priorities Division, War Production Board.

11 Defunct Federal Agencies

Federal agencies come and go with each new presidential administration. Here are a few notable examples.

The Alien Act was enacted by John Adams’s Federalist administration in preparation for a war that didn’t actually happen.

11 Fundamental Facts About the Alien and Sedition Acts

Three of the four acts expired shortly after they were signed into law in the late 1700s. One remains active—and it’s been at the center of constitutional debates ever since.

Add more heft to your TBR pile with these gripping fiction and nonfiction books.

14 of the Best Books on the Vietnam War

The best Vietnam War books from Tim O’Brien, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and others offer new insights and perspectives into the conflict that you probably never got from history class.

Harvey Washington Wiley (back row, second from left) and the young volunteers of the Poison Squad.

The Men Who Volunteered to Be Poisoned by the Government

In 1902, 12 men agreed to take low doses of poison in order to test their efficacy as food preservatives. No one died. Basically.

Westsylvania is just one state that never made the cut.

12 Proposed U.S. States That Didn't Make the Cut

The road to our 50 states is littered with wannabe territories that couldn't wait to be admitted to the union, but never quite got there. Here are 12 states that could have been.

One of many protests against the Vietnam War in the late 1960s.

10 Significant Vietnam War Protests

The deeply unpopular war led to the biggest and most consequential protest movement in U.S. history. Here are the key events and reactions.

Senators can be expelled, but it doesn’t happen often.

Can You Expel a Sitting Senator?

Once you’ve been voted into the Senate, it’s difficult to get you out.

Why Is a Tariff Called a “Tariff”?

This word has taken a long linguistic journey to get to where it is today.

What Happens if I Don’t File My Taxes on Time?

If you fail to file or pay your taxes in time for the April 15 deadline, you could end up dealing with a lot of hassle—and get stuck paying a lot of fees.

The Windows 95 theme has earned recognition.

The Windows 95 Chime Just Earned a Spot in the National Recording Registry

The 6-second start-up anthem joins “My Heart Will Go On” and the ‘Hamilton’ soundtrack as “one of the defining sounds of history.”