Breaking Down the Marine Corps War Memorial

The image of United States Marines raising the American flag over the battlefield of Iwo Jima during the height of the Second World War is easily among the most iconic in American memory. In fact, this harrowing silhouette is the at the core of the Marine Corps War Memorial — a monument dedicated to all U.S. Marines that sits just outside the District of Columbia.

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Luck of a Kennedy: The Assassination of RFK

A mere five years after President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, his younger brother Robert F. Kennedy would meet the same fate. Not only did RFK’s death occur during a year of unprecedented violence, but it drastically altered the trajectory of American politics.

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Flag Festival at Philadelphia's Betsy Ross House - Don't Miss Out

All this week, our friends at Philadelphia’s historic Betsy Ross House are bringing back their popular Flag Festival (Sunday, June 13 through Saturday, June 19). If you’re planning on being in Philadelphia this week (or perhaps you’re there already) give them a visit!

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Remembering D-Day: The Eagles of Mercy

On the early hours of June 6, 1944, two American combat medics stumbled upon a medieval church in the small French village of Angoville-au-Plain. As the Allied Invasion of Western Europe raged around them, these two men of the 101st Airborne Division, Robert E. Wright and Kenneth J. Moore, converted the church into an aid station and saved numerous lives.

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Philadelphia Summers and the U.S. Constitution

The summer of 1787 in Philadelphia was one to be remembered. In fact, it was in May that year that over 50 delegates from across the freshly independent United States descended on the city — ready to forge a path forward for the new nation. By the time summer was over, the U.S. Constitution was born.

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The Birth of a Groundbreaking Invention...Stop

This week marks the 177th anniversary of the first ever telegraph message being sent. This message, sent between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, opened the door for the inventions of instantaneous communication we enjoy today. In order to celebrate, we dive into the history of Samuel Morse’s invention and how revolutionary it truly was.

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Amelia Earhart: More than “Lady Lindy”

On this day in 1932, Amelia Earhart flew into the halls of history as she took off from North America and became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. While Earhart is know for this accomplishment as well as the mysterious circumstances in which she vanished, her impact on American aviation as a whole should not be forgotten.

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Thurgood Marshall and Brown v. Board of Education

Before becoming the first Black justice to sit on the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall stood in front of the highest court to argue against racial segregation in American schools. His involvement with this landmark legal case, Brown v. Board of Education, was critical to establishing a legal precedent against the practice of segregation.

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Lewis and Clark's Journey into the American Unknown

On this day in 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark’s Corps of Discovery departed from St. Louis into the unknowns of the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase territory. After a year of preparation and planning which had been prompted by President Thomas Jefferson himself, the most famous expedition in American history began.

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Dancer of the Century: Martha Graham

This week marks the birthday of Martha Graham, the most influential American dancer of the 20th century and mother of modern dance. Graham’s pioneering career had a monumental impact on American dance and performance that is still felt today and her legacy reminds us of how critical art is to the human experience.

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The Brewmaster's Castle

In today’s Journal entry, we spotlight another fascinating stop on our new Millionaires, Mansions & Moonshine tour. At the iconic Heurich House, we tell stories about a dynamic immigrant turned business tycoon, the art of brewing, massive fires, World War I and spontaneous fermentation. OH MY!

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How Americans Reacted to the Sinking of the RMS Luisitania

On this day just over a hundred years ago, the British passenger steam ship RMS Lusitania sank after being torpedoed by a German U-Boat killing 1,195 of those aboard — 128 of the whom were Americans. The incident forever changed the trajectory of American neutrality during WWI, a fact made evident by the intense coverage it received in the American press.

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A Conversation with Michael Idriss on the 1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever Epidemic

Today, we bring you a conversation between Historic America’s Sonali Prillman and Micheal Idriss, who is currently the African American Interpretive Fellow at Philadelphia’s Museum of the American Revolution. Micheal, with his wealth of knowledge on Philadelphia history, takes us back to the mass outbreak of a disease long before the days of COVID19: the Philadelphia Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793.

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From Charleston to Philadelphia: The Grimké Sisters and Their Legacy

Despite being born into a wealthy, slave owning family in Charleston, sisters Sarah and Angelina Grimké would go onto to become some of the first female abolitionists in American history. After converting to Quakerism and moving to Philadelphia, the Grimké sisters became prominent anti-slavery and women’s rights advocates against several odds.

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Introducing Historic America's First Charleston Audio Tour

We’re pleased to announce the publication of our first tour in Charleston, South Carolina! As a GPS activated guided audio tour, Charleston 101 focuses on “must see” attractions and offers a glimpse into the rich history and storied past of this remarkable city.

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