How We All Got in Debt
Consumer debt shapes American lives so thoroughly that it seems eternal and immortal, but it’s actually relatively new to the financial world.
Building an Economy on Paper Money
A shortage of coined currency led Pennsylvania to begin using paper money in the 1720s. The British didn't like it, but the colonists did.
Radhakamal Mukerjee and Indian Intellectual Independence
Sociologist Radhakamal Mukerjee helped shape a new view of sociology from an Indian perspective, contributing to the independence movement.
How the Marshall Plan Sold Europe to Americans
Department-store bazaars let consumers see how glamorous and sophisticated imported goods could be. Ooh, la la!
How Show Business Went Union
Since the nineteenth century, the IATSE union has organized behind-the-scenes workers, first in theater, then in the movies.
You’ll Never Believe Who Invented Curbside Recycling
Far from ushering in a zero-waste world, the switch from returnables to recycling provided cover for the creation of ever more packaging trash.
Boosters Used the Sweet Pea to Define California
In the late 19th century, Californians were eager to part with their reputation for wildness, so they adopted an "English" flower as their symbol.
Banks’ Own Private Currencies in 19th-Century America
Before the Civil War local banks issued their own money. It was totally legit, too.
Semiconductor Shortages End an Era of Globalization
Our security studies columnist on leanness, supply chains, and resilience in a post-pandemic world.
How the Black Labor Movement Envisioned Liberty
To Reconstruction-era Black republicans, the key to preserving the country’s character was stopping the rise of a wage economy.