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The name John Hay may not be a familiar one, but his impact on American history is profound. He moved from being a confidant of Abraham Lincoln to Secretary of State under William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt to negotiator of the treaties that granted the United States exclusive rights to build the Panama Canal. Historian Ralph Nurnberger examines the remarkable life and legacy of a key architect of American power whose diplomatic vision propelled the nation onto the world stage.

Scholars contend that the Haitian Revolution remains the only successful large-scale revolt in which enslaved people won their freedom, overthrew the existing colonial government, and established an independent state. Historian Alexander Mikaberidze traces the rebellion from its beginnings during the French Revolution to its culmination in 1804, which reshaped ideas about race, freedom, and sovereignty across the Atlantic world.

Abraham Lincoln is typically ranked as the nation’s foremost president. He possessed extraordinary leadership skills that he used to win the Civil War and preserve the nation. While most leaders may display a unique style, there is even more to learn from Lincoln. Marking the 217th anniversary of his birth, Lincoln scholar and author Louis P. Masur proposes that studying this remarkable president can offer insights into becoming better leaders.

Curator Patricia LaBounty of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum explores how U.S. presidents used trains to connect with communities from the 1830s to the 1940s. Beginning with Lincoln, railroads were vital for travel, campaigning, and even funeral processions. Presidential policies promoted nationwide rail access, with train cars carrying everything from coal to cantaloupe—and sometimes commanders-in-chief.

Few books are so often quoted as Democracy in America, French writer Alexis de Tocqueville’s seminal assessment of both the American experiment and the implications of burgeoning conditions of social equality for the future of democracy. Georgetown University professor Joseph Hartman examines Tocqueville’s impressions of 19th-century America and considers what he means for us today.

On Aug. 6 and 9 of 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, during World War II. These acts continue to stand as defining moments in history. Historian Hiroshi Kitamura examines the factors leading President Harry S. Truman to take this action during what turned out to be the final month of the war.

When her husband ascended the throne of France as Henri II in 1547, Catherine de' Medici became Queen Consort—yet she spent years in the shadow of his powerful mistress. Historian Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger explores Catherine’s rise to become one of the most influential figures in Europe, a formidable political force whose leadership was marked by both diplomacy and controversy, leaving an indelible mark on the continent’s history.

The Declaration of Independence paints King George III as a notorious villain and justifies the Revolution as necessary to sever ties with him. In reality, says historian Patrick Allitt, he was a sober, conscientious man, serious about his limited role in Britain’s constitutional monarchy—and eager to prevent the colonial rebellion and to defeat it when it began. Allitt revisits the story of why he failed.

Travel journalist Bill Clevlen draws on his book Presidential Road Trips to guide history-lovers through presidential sites across the country. Explore homes, retreats, and landmarks like Madison’s library, Eisenhower’s living room, Johnson’s desk, Kennedy’s Air Force One, Nixon’s helicopter, and Lincoln’s Springfield home. Fill the tank for the ultimate presidential road trip including mansions, museums, grave sites, memorials, historic landmarks—and plenty more.

Magna Carta began as a failed 1215 peace treaty between King John and his barons. Over time, it became a symbol of citizens’ rights for America’s Founding Fathers. Thomas J. McSweeney, law professor at William and Mary, traces its evolution and debates: principle vs. self-interest, its rise as fundamental law, and its stance on property versus common rights. He concludes by questioning its effectiveness as a model for guaranteeing rights in a republic.