The earliest major industrial project in the United States’ history, the Erie Canal connected East to West by water and enabled a new era of commerce, trade, and movement.

Where did the concept of a hobby come from? And how did humans turn the things they do purely for fun into side hustles and competitions that actually pay the bills?

Will we ever shake hands again?! With the current state of the world, no one can really say. But that got us wondering... why do we shake hands in the first place? Today, Danielle traces the history of the handshake from Babylonia and...

In the internet age what's the point of libraries? Do we even still need these brick and mortar buildings when a lot of knowledge can be found online? Today, Danielle examines the history of libraries around the world and what role they...

The US imprisons more people than any other country in the world. Today, Danielle explores why so many Americans are incarcerated and why we've turned to private prisons to hold that population.

Are museum collections ethical? How did these institutions end up with their vast array of artifacts and remains from every corner of the globe? Well, chances are there was some definite shadiness involved. Today, Danielle examines this...

What's the difference between race and ethnicity? Can a person have more than one ethnic identity? Today Danielle explores the history and evolution of different ethnicities that make up America.

From loincloths to long johns and codpieces to jock straps, Danielle takes a "brief" look at the history of male undergarments!

"Socialism" is one of THE most divisive words in America and it has been for a long time. With Democratic Socialism gaining more and more popularity, Danielle takes a look back at the long history of Socialism in America. From the...

Intellectual historian Darrin McMahon (Dartmouth) details how investigating the etymology of "genius" naturally led him to a deeper understanding of what he had previously thought was primarily an 18th-century phenomenon.

Historian and classicist Andrew Wallace-Hadrill (Cambridge) describes how, contrary to what we might naively assume, wealthy ancient Romans lived much closer to their poorer compatriots than their modern counterparts do.

David Cannadine, a history professor at Princeton University, reflects on his upbringing in Birmingham in the 1950s and 1960s, where he was surrounded by remnants of a 19th-century Victorian world. Influenced by the close connection...

The video explores the complex relationship between genius and madness throughout history, delving into the cultural, scientific, and historical factors that have shaped our understanding of exceptional ability. It discusses how the...

Historian Darrin McMahon, Dartmouth College, details how the desire to scientifically assess genius motivated the American psychologist Lewis Terman to redirect Alfred Binet’s test to identify special-needs children and apply it as a...

The String Quartet is a Classical Period innovation, developed largely in the hands of Haydn. This music appreciation lesson presents an overview of how the String Quartet evolved and also explores the Baroque background that led to...

Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that established the legal doctrine of “separate but equal”. It was a ruling that enabled many states to enact racial segregation laws for decades to come.

Promises might just seem like words, but in the legal system and government, they’re crucial. Oath of Office is part of a tradition that dates back hundreds of years.

The Battle of Little Bighorn, or Custer’s Last Stand, is infamous for having left no survivors. So what are we to make of Frank Finkel’s story, that only he lived to tell the tale?

Find out about the tumultuous time in Ireland which led to its independence from Britain.

Manny Man Does Comparing the Presidents of the USA! Let’s see how the presidents measure up beside each other, literally and metaphorically! Enjoy! Please share!

10 More facts about the First World War, released just in time for the 100th anniversary of its end!

Why was the Qing Dynasty so weak? History of China 1644-1839 Documentary 1/10

Why did the Qing Dynasty Fall? History of China 1895-1918 Documentary 3/10

What happened to the many African Kingdoms? History of Africa 1500-1800 Documentary 1/6