The Founding Pets: How animals shaped America's history

Jul. 4, 2012
Most Americans know the major stories that have shaped our history. But few realize that many of these moments involved underappreciated animals.

American history, seen through a shot glass

Sep. 18, 2011
When you order a couple of beers at your neighborhood bar, you're not just having a drink, you're taking part in a grand old tradition stretching back to the birth of our nation and beyond.When the first British colonists began to wash up on our shores, the very first thing they built was usually a

Lazy in America: A brief social history

Jul. 1, 2011
Pop open a can of beer, pull up a deck chair and let's talk about laziness in America.Did you hear about that Philadelphia teacher who was suspended earlier this year for calling her students "lazy whiners"?

Passing the torch: 50 years after President Kennedy's inauguration

Jan. 20, 2011
Thursday is the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. And as far away in time and place as that event sounds, some argue that Chicago can take a little credit – that Kennedy might not have been president without former Mayor Richard J.