“Don’t write so that you can be understood, write so that you can’t be misunderstood.”
— William Howard Taft
Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Who Attacked Slavery With a Sword, Fake Blood, and Absolutely No Subtlety
Benjamin Lay believed owning people was incompatible with loving your neighbor, a position that proved surprisingly controversial among his fellow Quakers. Armed with a sword, a hollowed-out book, and berry juice, the abolitionist delivered a protest that left respectable slaveholders with uncomfortable questions and some unfortunate stains.
The Great Horse Flu of 1872: When America’s Transportation System Called in Sick
In 1872, America’s transportation system came to a screeching halt—not because of a fuel shortage or mechanical failure, but because the horses caught the flu. Streetcars stopped, deliveries stalled, and even firefighters struggled to reach emergencies. Discover how the Great Horse Flu epidemic brought an industrial nation to its knees and exposed the surprising weakness…
Grumbletonian: The Centuries-Old Word for Someone Who Complains About Everything
Long before cable news and social media, the English had a wonderfully descriptive word for people who complained endlessly about politics: grumbletonian. Meet the original political malcontents.
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