Worcester v. Georgia: The Case That Cemented Native American Sovereignty But Failed to Save the Cherokee

In 1830, afraid that white missionaries were aiding the Cherokee in their effort to resist giving up their lands, the Georgia state government made it illegal for white people to live within Cherokee Nation  territory without a license from the government.  Samuel Austin Worcester – raised in Vermont and trained Read more

By Sarah Handley-Cousins, ago

The Constitutional Convention of 1787

This year, 2026, marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the moment when American patriots pledged their lives and their sacred honor to declare the American colonies independent of the British crown. By the time the Continental Congress signed that document, American blood had already been shed and Read more

Display of banjos from around the Appalachian region at the Museum of Appalachia in Norris, Tennessee, USA. This display is in the "Appalachian Hall of Fame" building near the museum entrance.

You’re Bound to Die: The Long History of the American Murder Ballad

If you look through recordings of country, western, and folk music ranging from the 1920s and 1930s through to present, you’ll notice a theme: songs about crime, murder, and executions are ever-present. From Grayson & Whittier’s recording of the centuries-old ballad “Rose Connelly” in 1927, to Lloyd Wilson’s “Stagger Lee”recorded Read more

a black and white photograph of two white men lounging on a couch. one man's legs are suspended in the air on a tipped back wheelchair.

The Section 504 Sit-In: The Protest that Demanded Civil Rights for Disabled Americans

Researched and Written by Sarah Handley-Cousins Recorded and Produced by Sarah Handley-Cousins and Elizabeth Garner Masarik Produced, Edited and Published by Marissa C. Rhodes In 1973, Richard Nixon signed the Rehabilitation Act, a bill intended to increasing hiring, extend rehabilitation services and increase assistance programs for Americans with disabilities. In Read more