American History Archives

50 Short Stories About US Presidents

With tales of alleged affairs, drunken decisions, and pet alligators, some of these anecdotes are...

Are John Tyler’s Grandchildren Still Alive?

John Tyler might not be remembered much at all today were it not for a...

Was a Violently Racist Carnival Game Once Popular in America?

In the not-so-distant past, white carnival goers threw eggs or balls at African Americans in...

Were ‘Highway Closed in Event of Enemy Attack’ Signs Posted During the Cold War?

Early 1950s efforts to prepare Americans for nuclear war included the erection of signs giving...

Did George Washington Have Wooden Teeth?

We cannot tell a lie: George Washington's false teeth weren't made out of wood, though...

Were There Irish Slaves in America, Too?

Questionable sources maintain that the plight of so-called "Irish slaves" in early America was worse...

Native American Student Punished for Refusing to Say Pledge of Allegiance

Leilani Thomas said her teacher docked her grades because she refuses to participate in the...

Cocktails Came Out of Prohibition?

A long-running claim that cocktails were an entirely American invention appears to be something of...

The Wilson Desk

President Richard M. Nixon used the wrong 'Wilson desk' in the White House.

Real People on PEZ Dispensers

Is Betsy Ross the only real person ever featured on a PEZ dispenser?

Must the President and Vice-President Be from Different States?

Many people believe the U.S. constitution requires that presidential and vice-presidential candidates be from different...

U.S. Grant’s Exploding Cigar Practical Joke

The famous general supposedly once handed out an exploding cigar that paid off decades later.