U.S. Chairman of the Joint chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell works February 1991 in Washington, D.C. Powell is overseeing military operations both stateside and in Operation Desert Storm during the war against Iraq that broke out in January 1991.

How Billionaire Ross Perot Brought Populism Back to Presidential Politics

How Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition Championed Diversity

In the 2000 Election, Vote Counting Disputes Led to 36 Days of Uncertainty

Black Women Who Have Run For President, Carol Moseley Braun

Seated portrait of cartoonist Thomas Nast. Photo by Matthew Brady.

How Gilded Age Excesses Led to the Progressive Era; A rally of the Populist movement in Willowdale Township, Dickinson County, Kansas

How Ronald Reagan's 1976 Convention Battle Fueled His 1980 Landslide

Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, 1896

The U.S. political system, including American elections, a wide array of political leaders and various political parties, are a colorful part of American history.

US Politics

The U.S. political system, including American elections, a wide array of political leaders and various political parties, are a colorful part of American history.

US Politics Archives | History.com

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HISTORY

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History

America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian - the U.S. president - would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

US Government

<a href="http://www.christopherklein.com/">Christopher Klein</a> is the author of four books, including When the Irish Invaded Canada: The Incredible True Story of the Civil War Veterans Who Fought for Ireland’s Freedom and Strong Boy: The Life and Times of John L. Sullivan. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, and National Geographic Traveler. Follow Chris on Twitter <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.twitter.com_historyauthor&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=0ZpTu-He2V3GUI-VETMmkwm8-GyOWSyeMJXqt7G42KA&amp;m=K4QAG6bPcooItZtsSRYJId99sCdkkYnSQnbG55Y82ZU&amp;s=reHlmdZq8nMnpunXM6VDAaQCLeVwu9L3gbscryyWKD8&amp;e=">@historyauthor</a>.&nbsp;

Christopher Klein

Sarah Pruitt is a writer and editor based in seacoast New Hampshire. She has been a frequent contributor to History.com since 2005, and is the author of Breaking History: Vanished! (Lyons Press, 2017), which chronicles some of history's most famous disappearances.

Sarah Pruitt

<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__msbeckylittle.tumblr.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=DnM91hJ18gcNL3QDGSFbaxqDKqUNYha-dXU1EFEqguU&amp;m=G-7sCRahZ4NeqUBMRIzpVYF_SWJZdHf6oZ3GZnosXWc&amp;s=zmyoc9Pijw9wmJOCBZEXDORhhj0TxUZKXRRMCwVGaTI&amp;e=">Becky Little</a> is a journalist based in Washington, D.C. Follow her on Twitter at <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__twitter.com_MsBeckyLittle&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=bHpC9irXhivtSwyVyKc43lLt4-cAwmmH7TeQLPqTb5E&amp;r=DnM91hJ18gcNL3QDGSFbaxqDKqUNYha-dXU1EFEqguU&amp;m=G-7sCRahZ4NeqUBMRIzpVYF_SWJZdHf6oZ3GZnosXWc&amp;s=vkbwVD5s79Na0AuPtG5PY8OTUvwTHP3BjHLGApztU4w&amp;e=">@MsBeckyLittle</a>.

Becky Little

Dave Roos is a freelance writer based in the United States and Mexico. A longtime contributor to HowStuffWorks, Dave has also been published in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek.&nbsp;

Dave Roos

Lesley Kennedy is a features writer and editor living in Denver with her husband and two daughters. Her work has appeared in national and regional newspapers, magazines and websites.

Lesley Kennedy

Nadra Kareem Nittle

Suzanne McGee

The 1970s are remembered as an era when the women's rights, gay rights and environmental movements competed with the Watergate scandal, the energy crisis and the ongoing Vietnam War for the world's attention.&nbsp;

1970s

Immigration, the movement of people living in one country into another country, is a fundamental aspect of human history, though it was as controversial hundreds of years ago as it is today.

Immigration

From raising families to leading armies, women such as Catherine the Great, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Elizabeth I, Susan B. Anthony, Marie Curie and countless others have played a vital role in human civilization.

Women’s History

Cowboy. Soldier. Statesman. Conservationist. Adventurer. Reformer. Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest president in American history—and arguably one of the most fascinating. Deeply ambitious and endlessly resilient—he once delivered an 84-minute speech bleeding from a gunshot wound to the chest—Roosevelt helped propel the nation into the 20th century with his progressive domestic reforms and his expansive, “big stick” foreign policy.

Roosevelt

The Vietnam War pitted communist North Vietnam and the Viet Cong against South Vietnam and the United States. The war ended when U.S. forces withdrew in 1973 and Vietnam unified under Communist control two years later.

Vietnam War

The 1960s were one of the most tumultuous and divisive decades in world history, marked by the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, political assassinations and the emerging "generation gap."

1960s

In the early 20th century, America was flexing its economic and political muscle on the international stage. The era was defined by the temperance movement, Progressive-era activism, the sinking of the Titanic and World War I.

Early 20th Century US

From religious and patriotic observances to celebrations of ethnic pride, explore the history of Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day, New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Memorial Day and more.

Holidays

Progressive Era

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. From Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad to the Montgomery Bus Boycott to Selma to Montgomery March to the Black Lives Matter movement, Black leaders, artists and writers have helped shaped the character and identity of a nation.

Black History

February is dedicated as Black History Month, honoring the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history, including the civil rights movement and their artistic, cultural and political achievements.

Women’s History Month is an annual celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society. Women’s history in the United States has been full of trailblazers and pioneers: Women who fought for their rights, worked hard to be treated equally and made great strides in fields like science, politics, sports, literature and art.

Women's History

Though the 19th century saw the rise of populism, the labor movement and Jacksonian democracy, it also ushered in the Gilded Age, when men like Cornelius Vanderbilt and J. P. Morgan wielded control over politics and business.

US Politics ‑ Stories

The Political Cartoonist Who Helped Lead to ‘Boss’ Tweed’s Downfall

How Colin Powell’s Service in Vietnam Shaped His Leadership

How Gilded Age Corruption Led to the Progressive Era

Black Women Who Have Run for President

How Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition Championed Diversity

Shirley Chisholm: Facts About Her Trailblazing Career

How Ronald Reagan’s 1976 Convention Battle Fueled His 1980 Landslide

How Billionaire Ross Perot Brought Populism Back to Presidential Politics

How the 2000 Election Came Down to a Supreme Court Decision

How Political Conventions Began—And Changed

The Contentious 1896 Election That Started the Rural‑Urban Voter Divide

How the Immigration Act of 1965 Changed the Face of America