America in the summer of 1919 ran red with blood from racial violence, and yet today, 100 years later, not many people know it even happened. It was branded “Red Summer” because of the bloodshed and amounted to some of the worst white-on-black violence in U.S. history.
American History
Jun 26, 2019 |
Award-winning historian and former journalist Rick Atkinson spent 15 years researching and writing his highly acclaimed World War II Liberation Trilogy books. With “The British Are Coming,” he turns his gaze to the Revolution.
Jun 25, 2019 |
Although the idea behind reparations is “as old as slavery,” it’s gaining more traction than ever before, said Alvin Tillery, a political science professor at Northwestern University.
Jun 20, 2019 |
The Stonewall riots in New York City started the modern gay rights movement (at least, they did in the popular imagination). A new exhibition at Wrightwood 659 challenges how we think of Stonewall’s place in history.
Jun 19, 2019 |
A holiday that is spreading across the U.S. and beyond, Juneteenth is considered the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Here’s a look at the holiday and its history.
Jun 13, 2019 |
Next week, a holiday commemorates the abolition of slavery in Confederate states. We discuss Juneteenth and African American history in general.
May 29, 2019 |
David Maraniss has written acclaimed biographies of Roberto Clemente, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. In a new book, he turns his biographer’s eye to his father’s experiences during the Red Scare.
May 13, 2019 |
At a time of Jim Crow laws, how did a black man compete to become the fastest athlete of his time? A new book by Michael Kranish tells the story a trailblazing cyclist and his connection to Chicago.
May 6, 2019 |
Chicago’s connections to the meat processing industry are well known, but the beef industry didn’t just spur the city’s development. In a new book, historian Joshua Specht says the beef industry helped shape modern America itself.
Apr 29, 2019 |
In their new book, a pair of MIT economists say that if the government doesn’t start investing more in research and development, America’s future growth will be in jeopardy. Co-author Simon Johnson makes the case.
Apr 16, 2019 |
The U.S. empire stretches farther than you may think. The new book “How to Hide an Empire” details America’s acquisition of foreign land.
Jan 2, 2019 |
How did we get the free speech protections we enjoy today, and where might they head in the future? A new book uncovers that – and more.
Dec 27, 2018 |
Who were the central players behind America’s U-2 spy program? A new book by Monte Reel tells all.
Dec 27, 2018 |
Local author William Hazelgrove debunks what he calls “the Wright Brothers myth” in his new book about the history-making duo.
Nov 13, 2018 |
In his new book, Ivo Daalder argues that President Donald Trump has chosen to abandon America’s leadership role in the world just as China is becoming more assertive on the global stage.
