American History Tellers

In 1881, Army Lieutenant Adolphus Greely embarked with a team of men on a dangerous and ambitious journey over 1,000 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Their official mission was to collect scientific data on the Arctic climate, but Greely also harbored plans to break the record f ...  Show more

In the late summer of 1882, it became clear to Lieutenant Adolphus Greely and his men that the ship scheduled to bring them additional supplies was not going to arrive before the seas froze and became impenetrable. As winter approached, the men hunkered down in their shelter, but ...  Show more

In the 19th century, economic turmoil, political unrest, and religious persecution drove record numbers of Europeans to American shores — making New York City the busiest port of entry. But new immigrants faced a dizzying array of conmen and thieves eager to prey on their confusi ...  Show more

In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt vowed to crack down on the corruption and mistreatment that plagued Ellis Island. He appointed William Williams as the new Commissioner of Immigration and tasked him with cleaning up the Immigration Service. But Williams’ strict interpretatio ...  Show more