AMERICAN HERITAGE

Featured Articles

The world’s most prominent actress risked her career by standing up to one of Hollywood’s mega-studios, proving that behind the beauty was also a very savvy businesswoman.

How the Cherry Blossoms Came to Washington

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Rarely has the full story been told about how a famed botanist, a pioneering female journalist, and First Lady Helen Taft battled reluctant bureaucrats to bring Japanese cherry trees to Washington.

Reconsidering Jimmy Carter

by Kai Bird

Often thought to have been a weak president, Carter was strong-willed in doing what he thought was right, regardless of expediency or the political fallout.

Bank Failures: As American as Apple Pie

by John Steele Gordon

Why have thousands of U.S. banks failed over the years? The answers are in our history and politics.

Classic Essays from Our Archives

The Ordeal of Woodrow Wilson, by Herbert Hoover

The future President, who was an aide to Wilson, describes how the Allies bickered at the peace talks after World War I.

Remembering Gen. Patton, by John Eisenhower

Ike's son, who served under Patton, shares his memories of "Ol' Blood and Guts"

American Heritage: History around the web

Growing Up Colored, by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

The noted writer and educator recalls his boyhood in the West Virginia town of Piedmont.

A Yankee Among the War Lords, by Barbara Tuchman

The first of a three-part series on the Gen. "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell in China, by the Pulitzer Prize winning historian

The Man of the Century, by Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

Of all the Allied leaders, argues FDR's biographer, only Roosevelt saw clearly the shape of the new world order.

My Time in the Horse-Drawn Artillery, by Dean Acheson

The former Secretary of State recalls his time as a "driver" in the Army before World War I.

Today in History

US declares war on Spain

Congress issues a declaration of war against Spain following the explosion of the USS Maine in Havana harbor. One day earlier, Spain had declared war in response to an American blockade of Cuba, compelling President William McKinley to declare war.
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Elbe Day

American and Soviet forces meet on opposite sides of the Elbe River in eastern Germany, effectively announcing the Allied occupation of Germany. While Nazi units continued to fight, Elbe Day represents the first link of Alled forces from the Western and Eastern Fronts.
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Edward R. Murrow born

American journalist and reporter Edward R. Murrow is born in Guilford County, North Carolina. Murrow helped relay the news from Europe during World War II, where he reported from Austria in 1938, and later covered the Battle of Britain from London. Murrow later distinguished himself during the Cold War, as he frequently criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy and the Red Scare.
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