Early US Archives ‑ History.com

When the Founding Fathers Settled States’ vs. Federal Rights—And Saved the Nation

When the 13 United States of America declared independence from the United Kingdom in 1776, the founders were attempting to break free from the tyranny of Britain’s top‑down centralized government. But the first constitution the founders created, the Articles of Confederation, vested almost all power in individual state legislatures and practically nothing in the national […]

When Whiskey Was the Backbone of the US Economy

Whiskey—a liquor whose origins in medieval Scotland or Ireland remain murky—once was an uncommon, exotic liquor in the 13 colonies, where rum, gin and brandy were the strong drinks of choice. But during and immediately after the Revolutionary War, that all changed. Whiskey became a popular—and profitable—drink, and more than that, a crucial commodity in […]

New Study Debunks Tales of Mass Suicide at Custer’s Last Stand

It’s among the most famous and controversial battles ever fought on American soil. At Custer’s Last Stand, in June 1876, the U.S. Army was outnumbered and overwhelmed by Native American warriors, along the banks of the Little Bighorn River. By the end of the battle, some 268 federal troops were dead. But how many were […]

When Native Americans Were Slaughtered in the Name of ‘Civilization’

On a cool May day in 1758, a 10‑year girl with red hair and freckles was caring for her neighbor’s children in rural western Pennsylvania. In a few moments, Mary Campbell’s life changed forever when Delaware Indians kidnapped her and absorbed her into their community for the next six years. She was among the first […]

What Really Happened at the Battle of the Little Bighorn?

Under skies darkened by smoke, gunfire and flying arrows, 210 men of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry Unit led by Lt. Colonel George Custer confronted thousands of Lakota Sioux and Northern Cheyenne warriors on June 25, 1876, near the Little Big Horn River in present‑day Montana. The engagement was one in a series of battles […]

How American Presidents Ended Up With the ‘Kingly’ Power to Pardon

When the United States wrote its first constitution, the Articles of the Confederation, the goal was to spread power around to avoid replicating the British monarchy. But in 1787, the Constitutional Convention decided to take things in a different direction and give more power to the federal government and the president. One of the sections […]

How Shays’ Rebellion Changed America

Get the story behind the uprising that propelled the Constitutional Convention to form a stronger national government.

10 Surprising Facts About General Custer

George Armstrong Custer (1839‑1876) became famous for his starring role in the disastrous Battle of the Little Bighorn—falsely ennobled as “Custer’s Last Stand”—but the military commander lived a colorful early life and rose to fame as a Union general in the American Civil War. WATCH: Custer: The Final Mystery on HISTORY Vault 1. Four other […]