History
How Do We Teach History in America Today?
On a Tuesday in late June, we gathered six distinguished local educators (meet the panel) in our offices in the Curtis building, just off Independence […]
What a German Taught Me About His Country and the Holocaust
Back when I was in college, a good friend started dating a German guy. He was from a small town in Bavaria and owned lederhosen […]
Education 2022: See No Evil. Hear No Evil. Teach No Evil?
When I reached out to Philadelphia journalism legend Linn Washington Jr. to ask if he would moderate a discussion about how — in the continuing […]
The Fight Over How to Teach America’s Past Is Itself a Test
Benjamin Franklin didn’t coin the phrase that nothing can be certain but death and taxes. Other writers said it first. But out of anyone, he, […]
For Years, People Said There Were No Lenape Left in Pennsylvania. This Group Begs to Differ.
It’s a muggy mid-September Sunday, and kayakers and vacationing families are taking in the calm waters of Mauch Chunk Lake, a small reservoir in the […]
Witchcraft, Boiled Bones, and All the Other Creepy Things We Learned About PA History in This New Book
Just in time for Halloween, Haverford’s Brookline Books has published Dark History of Penn’s Woods, a new book with the catchy subtitle Murder, Madness, and […]
5 of Philly’s Most Meaningful Monuments, According to Monument Lab’s Paul Farber
We asked Monument Lab’s Paul Farber to pick five especially meaningful monumental places in Philly. The President’s House Opened in 2010, it shows where George […]
Some Jawn Youse Might Not Know About Jawn
So every once in a while, Philly’s peculiar linguistics bubble up into the cultural conversation. It could be when Bryce Harper wears his “Clearwooder” t-shirt. […]
Go Take a Stroll Through These Six Historic Cemeteries Around Philadelphia
Back when my kids were small and we lived in South Philly, my dad used to come in from the ’burbs once a week and […]
How Philadelphia Became Pretzel Town, USA
We Philadelphians love us some pretzels. How much? We eat 12 times as many as anybody else in America, and we make 80 percent of […]
Eight Beloved Snack Foods With Surprising Philly Connections
Philly isn’t just about the history of America. This city has also been a hotbed of commercial baking innovation, with locals contributing to the creation […]
10 Unforgettable Moments in Philly Ice-Cream History
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream when the weather gets summery and sultry. I mean, who doesn’t love ice cream? Chocolate, […]
Eight Foods You Don’t Know About Unless You’re From Philly
In our buy-local day and age, it’s hardly surprising that regional specialties have become all the fashion. From Native American Three Sisters recipes to New […]
An Oral History of the Sound of Philadelphia
In 1971, a lyrically gifted singer-songwriter from South Philly and a classically trained pianist from Camden launched Philadelphia International Records (PIR), a Black-owned hitmaking label […]
An Architecture Critic Ranks the Five Most Interesting Buildings in Philadelphia
One virtue of an old city like Philadelphia: It contains centuries’ worth of impressive buildings. Independence Hall. City Hall. The Art Museum … whether because […]