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

Johnson acquitted in impeachment trial

The Senate cannot reach a 2/3 majority vote, acquitting President Andrew Johnson of eleven articles of impeachment. His impeachment stemmed from the dismissal of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, which violated the recently-instituted Tenure of Office Act. The measure fell one vote short of conviction and after two subsequent unsuccessul votes, Johnson remained in office.
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Sedition Act of 1918 passes

President Woodrow Wilson signs the Sedition Act of 1918 into law, making it illegal to use profane or malicious language towards the United States government. The act, passed in the context of World War I, amended the Espionage Act of 1917, which punished Americans citizens who worked with unfriendly foreign governments or interfered with military recruitment and the sale of war bonds.
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First Oscars

The first Academy Awards are given out at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood, honoring outstanding achievements in film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had already announced the winners three months prior, and the First Academy Awards was the only ceremony not on the radio or television.