A look into the group instrumental to electing Abraham Lincoln president in 1860. The Wide Awakes were a Republican para-military organization distinguished from other political clubs of the 19th ...

You’ve heard it before: we are living in divided times. Disagreement is part of being a citizen of a democracy, but in today's indisputably hot political climate, young people have stepped up into ...

I just finished an excellent book titled “Wide Awake’’ by Jon Grinspan about a young man’s movement that helped put Abraham Lincoln in office. James Buchanan was president, so I assume Lancaster was a ...

We’re busy at work on our new season, which will hit your feeds later this month. In the meantime, we’re bringing you an episode of the Smithsonian Institution’s podcast Sidedoor to tide you over.