Jesse Greenspan Archives ‑ History.com

How Ethiopia Beat Back Colonizers in the Battle of Adwa

In the late 19th century, the European powers ran roughshod over Africa, brutally colonizing one country after another. Italy, for its part, targeted Ethiopia. But when its troops attacked on March 1, 1896, near the town of Adwa, they were overpowered by a large and well‑armed Ethiopian force. In winning this pivotal victory, Ethiopia not […]

Ukraine Has Seen Centuries of Conflict

Vikings, Mongols, Lithuania, Poland 1037: Kievan Rus – Construction of Saint‑Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, which, in refurbished form, still stands today, marks a high point of the Kievan Rus principality. Purportedly founded by Vikings in the 9th century, Kievan Rus grew to encompass present‑day Ukraine, Belarus and part of Russia. As historian Anna Reid writes, […]

How the Declaration of Independence Was Printed—and Protected

The 1776 “engrossed” copy of the Declaration of Independence—sometimes referred to as the “official” or “signed parchment” version—stands on display in the rotunda of the National Archives Museum, providing inspiration to those who, like Abraham Lincoln, view it as “a rebuke and a stumbling‑block…to tyranny and oppression.” Sealed in a gold‑plated titanium frame, with bulletproof […]

What Is a War Crime?

For nearly as long as there has been war, attempts have been made to govern its conduct. However, it took until the 20th century for the legal concept of a “war crime” to come into being. Thanks to an array of multilateral treaties, most notably the Geneva Conventions, military and political leaders can now be […]

46 Surprising Facts About 46 Presidents

From a 19th‑century president who killed a man in a duel, to a 20th‑century leader who once worked as a lifeguard, learn surprising facts about each U.S. president.

California’s Little‑Known Role in the American Civil War

Though far from the main fighting, California made an outsized contribution to the Union victory, mostly in the form of gold and troops.

How Eisenhower Secretly Pushed Back Against McCarthyism

Though silent in public, President Dwight D. Eisenhower worked behind the scenes to discredit Senator Joseph McCarthy and his red‑baiting tactics.

These Despots Had Different National Identities at Birth

Autocrats tend to stir up nationalistic fervor as a way to cement their authority. Yet a surprising number in history, including some of the most ruthless, weren’t actually from the main territory of the countries they ended up ruling. Below are four autocrats—Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Catherine the Great—who reinvented their national […]

14 Quotes Honoring US Veterans

Since its founding in 1776, the United States has fought in about a dozen major wars—and intervened militarily on hundreds of others—with every generation of Americans witnessing combat in one form or another. As such, tens of millions of Americans have suited up for the armed forces, including some 16 million during World War II […]

6 Strategies Harriet Tubman and Others Used to Escape Along the Underground Railroad

Despite the horrors of slavery, it was no easy decision to flee. Escaping often involved leaving behind family and heading into the complete unknown, where harsh weather and lack of food might await. Then there was the constant threat of capture. So‑called slave catchers and their dogs roamed both sides of the Mason‑Dixon line, nabbing […]

How Jimmy Carter Brokered a Hard‑Won Peace Deal Between Israel and Egypt

The 1978 Camp David Accords secured a lasting peace between two longtime enemies in the Middle East.

The July Plot: When German Elites Tried to Kill Hitler

Roughly 200 German resisters participated in “Operation Valkyrie,” the failed July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and overthrow the Nazi regime. To this day, historians debate what motivated these “men of July 20.” At least initially, Hitler’s authoritarianism, anti‑Semitism and predilection for mass murder didn’t necessarily put them off. Yet as World War […]