The American Civil War proved to be one of the bloodiest, most devastating wars in United States history, claiming more than 600,000 lives within four years. However, twice the number of soldiers who lost their lives in battle died as a result of disease. Poor sanitation and unsophisticated medical care contributed to the contraction of […]
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and the richest man in modern human history, pledged last week to give $2 billion to support homeless families and education programs in underserved communities. The announcement was met with mixed responses. Many voiced concerns about the role of the wealthy in policy making, the focus on short term solutions […]
In July of 1892, Homestead, Pennsylvania was the site of a violent labor strike between the Carnegie Steel Company and many of its employees, represented by the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers. With the contract between the union and Carnegie Steel set to expire on July 1, Andrew Carnegie, away in Scotland at […]
On September 25, 1904, the “Chicago Tribune” printed an article entitled “How to Catch a Millionaire Husband.” It featured women who had made “brilliant” matches to some of the wealthiest and most prominent men of the time. With its strong use of graphics and gossipy style of writing, the article foreshadows the modern-day “listicle.” With […]
In 1915, Luisa Capetillo strolled the streets of Havana as the first Puerto Rican woman ever to wear pants in public. She was shortly stopped and arrested for “causing a scandal.” News outlets of the time reported that Luisa Capetillo petitioned ardently in her own defense. They quoted her as saying “Your Honor, I always […]
On this week’s episode of BackStory we are looking at “fake news.” The term has been used alternatively to describe the mainstream media; false stories which proliferated on Facebook over the 2016 election cycle; and even stories which extend beyond the political sphere into issues like vaccinations and celebrity gossip. But while the phrase itself […]
Fort Des Moines represents an essential space in the historical intersection of the United States military and the Civil Rights Movement. The fort served as the first Officer Candidate School for African American men during World War I, and then became the first school for Commissioned female officers in World War II. Countless human stories […]
Today, prisoners across the country are set to begin a 19-day strike with the intent to end what they’re calling “modern-day slavery.” The inmates plan to stop working and end commissary spending. Those involved in what’s being called Prison Strike 2018 released their list of demands via the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee’s website. The second […]
At the UNC Chapel Hill campus last night, a crowd of protesters tore down a Confederate statue known as “Silent Sam.” The statue has been a source of controversy on the UNC campus for decades, and tensions have been rising in recent years. Calls for its removal increased following the 2017 white supremacist rally in […]
In 1982 I attended an anti-nuclear march in Manhattan. For me, it was part political statement, part personal milestone. My father, Ellis P. Steinberg, and uncle, Bernard Abraham were both scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project, and I’d struggled to reconcile my personal anti-nuclear convictions with a sense of loyalty to my father, especially. […]