Yoni Appelbaum is a social and cultural historian of the United States. He is a doctoral candidate at Brandeis University, and a lecturer in history at Babson College. He previously contributed to TheAtlantic.com under the name Cynic.
T. Mills Kelly encourages his students to deceive thousands of people on the Web. This has angered many, but the experiment helps reveal the shifting nature of the truth on the Internet.… More »
Liberty Mutual was born to protect ordinary workers. Today, by funneling money from regular families into the hands of executives, it has inverted its very reason to exist.… More »
Cycloramas were the blockbuster entertainment technology of the 1880s, but went out of style faster than the 8-track. This is the story of their peculiar brand of realism.… More »
How a re-creation of its most famous battle helped erase the meaning of the Civil War."No person should die without seeing this cyclorama," declared a Boston man in 1885. "It's a duty they owe to their country." Paul Philippoteaux's lifelike depiction of the Battle of Gettysburg was much more than a painting. It re-created the battlefield with such painstaking fidelity, and created an illusion so enveloping, that many visitors felt as if they were actually there.…… More »
A single turn of phrase that encapsulates the best -- and worst -- of America has cropped up on the campaign trail, thanks to Mitt Romney.… More »
As our sense of American identity has evolved, the labels on our syrup, long a symbol of American authenticity, have not always kept up… More »
Remembering 1896, when a William Jennings Bryan speech about monetary policy sparked a financial panic… More »
As progressives struggle in the polls, they might look back to their namesakes for inspiration… More »
The great bonfires of Gallows Hill - and what they tell us about America… More »
Why are so many Germans participating in Civil War reenactments—and siding with the South?… More »
Why do millions of people support a discredited writer adamant to prove America is inextricably linked to Christianity?… More »
Wines like Manischewitz aren't very good—but we love them anyway. The story of a uniquely American tradition.… More »
The flexibility most likely to produce success is often least likely to consolidate political support… More »
This isn't the first time Western powers attacked Libya for humanitarian reasons. History lessons from 1816.… More »
The Mississippi governor doesn't remember the Civil Rights struggle as being "that bad." Here's how he is oh so wrong.… More »
A book for fourth graders claims, "Thousands of Southern blacks fought in the Confederate ranks."… More »
Faced with an ethics trial, Rep. Charlie Rangel must recognize that it's time move on… More »
Schools should look beyond Shakespeare and short stories—students can learn from well written non-fiction works, too… More »
A dark secret of professional athletics was revealed earlier this week. How will the world respond?… More »
Why successful people from unfavorable backgrounds give their children privileged upbringings… More »
Reflections from 20 Years of 'The Real World'
DEA Agents Now in a Whole New Colombian Prostitution Scandal
The Reasons Obama Is Doubling Down on Bain Capital Attacks Against Romney
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