Iwo Jima Flag Raising: Memory, Meaning, and History

On February 23, 1945, during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II, a group of United States Marines raised an American flag atop Mount Suribachi, the island’s highest point. A photograph taken at that moment would become one of the most recognizable images of the twentieth century. For many Americans, it came to…

John Glenn Orbits Earth, Transforming U.S. Space History

When astronaut John Glenn lifted off from Cape Canaveral on February 20, 1962, the United States crossed a threshold that reshaped both national confidence and global perceptions of American scientific capability. Glenn’s three‑orbit mission aboard Friendship 7 marked the first time an American had circled the planet, a milestone that helped define the early space…

Peter Salem: A Soldier of the American Revolution

From Enslavement to Military Service Peter Salem was born into slavery in Framingham, Massachusetts, in 1750, where he grew up working on a farm before the outbreak of revolutionary conflict. In early 1775, his enslaver, Major Lawson Buckminster, emancipated him so he could enlist in the local militia and serve in the Patriot cause that…

Ona Judge: A Life of Courage in the Founding Era

Born Into Enslavement at Mount Vernon Ona Judge, sometimes recorded as Oney Judge, was born into slavery around 1773 at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Virginia. Her mother, Betty, was an enslaved seamstress in the Washington household, and her father, Andrew Judge, was a white indentured tailor. Under colonial law, a child followed the…

William Henry Harrison and the Shortest Presidency

William Henry Harrison is best remembered for his brief presidency. His time in office lasted just 31 days — shorter than any other U.S. president. But the circumstances surrounding his election, inauguration, and death had consequences that reached far beyond that single month. His story touches on early frontier governance, the rise of modern campaigning,…

Paul Cuffe: Commerce, Conscience, and Civic Duty

Paul Cuffe believed citizenship carried obligations as well as rights. Born free in 1759 on Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts, he grew up at the crossroads of cultures and histories that shaped his understanding of responsibility and independence. His father, Kofi Slocum, had been enslaved after being taken from West Africa and later purchased his freedom; his…

Benjamin Banneker: Science, Citizenship, and the Republic

Benjamin Banneker was born free in 1731 on a small farm near the Patapsco River in Maryland, far from the centers of political power shaping the young nation. He never held office, never voted, and never addressed a legislature in person. Yet Banneker became one of the most widely known Black intellectual figures of the…

Elizabeth Freeman: Claiming Freedom Through Law

Elizabeth Freeman—often remembered by the name Mum Bett—did not wait for freedom to be handed to her. She claimed it through the law. Born enslaved around 1744 in Claverack, New York, Freeman spent much of her early life under the control of the Ashley family in western Massachusetts. By the time of the American Revolution,…

Prince Whipple: Enslaved Soldier in the Fight for Liberty

From Africa to Enslavement in New England Prince Whipple was born in Africa around 1750 and enslaved as a child before being brought to New England. Little is known about his early life before enslavement, a reflection of how frequently the identities of enslaved people were erased from the historical record. By the time of…

Prince Hall: Civic Leadership in the American Founding

Prince Hall was born around 1735, likely in Boston, Massachusetts, into a society that limited opportunities for African Americans even in free communities. Despite these barriers, Hall became a central figure in early Black civic life, combining religious leadership, educational advocacy, and the creation of enduring institutions to support African Americans in the young republic.¹…