Discover Inspiring Stories

"It is the handsomest building I ever saw," said Theodore Roosevelt in his speech inaugurating Pennsylvania's State Capitol Building. Conceived by architect Joseph Huston in 1901, the seat of the Commonwealth's government conjures up images of romantic palazzos in Florence. Visitors to the Capitol find numerous works of art worthy of nobility, earning it the moniker "Palace of Art."

A historic look at how Pennsylvania's natural resources helped transform the state into an industrial powerhouse. With economic booms and revolutions in natural resource extraction, came an environmental price. Pennsylvanians set about restoring the state's environmental riches and in the process helped shape the national conservation and environmental movements of the twentieth century.

The Williamsburg Bray School, founded in 1760, is the oldest surviving building built to educate Black children in America. Its lessons reveal deep contradictions—teaching skills and faith while reinforcing enslavement. Today, the school stands as a site of resilience, memory, and critical reflection on America’s complex history. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

Archaeologists uncovered the foundations and burial ground of First Baptist Church, founded in 1776 by free and enslaved Blacks in Williamsburg. Once hidden beneath asphalt, the site now reveals a powerful story of faith, resilience, and historic justice, restoring this community to its rightful place in the American narrative. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

During the Revolutionary War, Elizabeth Bennett Young risked everything to save her county’s records from destruction at the hands of the British. Her bravery preserved vital Isle of Wight history, which continues to tell the story of her and her neighbors 250 years later. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

Michael Twitty, a James Beard Award–winning writer, explores the deep roots of American history, through food. During his time in Colonial Williamsburg, the culinary historian used dishes like sweet potato pumpkin and black-eyed peas, to reveal how food carried culture, resilience and identity, shaping Southern and American traditions and connecting past to present. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

America’s forgotten founder, George Wythe, signed the Declaration of Independence and mentored Thomas Jefferson. He was America’s first law professor—a brilliant scholar whose influence shaped a nation. His tragic end reads like a modern-day true crime story. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

The Civic Season Pavilion inside the Smithsonian National Museum of American History features a 28-foot mural inviting visitors to add their wish for America’s future, as we approach the U.S. 250th birthday. The letters will be collected into a time capsule and stored in the Smithsonian archives to be opened in 2075. Education resources available at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/daily-news-lessons/2025/07/the-smithsonian-is-creating-a-time-capsule-of-hopes-and-wishes

"Still Here: Native American Resilience in New England" features Indigenous perspectives and takes a fresh look at the history of the region, including the hidden history of Indigenous slavery, "paper genocide" and efforts to keep traditions alive.

Joe Minter is the world-renowned Alabama sculptor of the African Village in America. The project is a half-acre art gallery constructed using found objects, reclaimed metal and store-bought materials. Thousands travel to Birmingham to see this 400-year historical record of Black people in America.

In 1906, Maryland was third in the nation to establish a state system of forests and parks. Fred W. Besley, appointed by Governor Edwin Warfield, became Maryland's first State Forester. During his 36 years, Besley created a model for scientific forest management and the Big Tree formula. Today, Marylanders are learning his lessons of forest conservation and listening to the music of the trees.

The majestic trumpeter swan, North America’s largest waterfowl, was once hunted to the brink of extinction. Thanks to the remarkable...

Reporting from the front lines, This American Land brings you compelling stories on critical issues impacting America's natural...

The Humble Oyster examines the fragility of Northwest Florida’s threatened coastal ecology and efforts to bring back the health of local...

Under Mr. Besley’s leadership, the State Board of Forestry in Maryland was the third in the nation to establish a system of forests,...

On Dec. 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers of Dayton, Ohio made history with the first powered flight - and the world hasn’t been the same since! Today, the National Aviation Heritage Area is a premier destination with sites that showcase the past, present, and future of flight. Recently, a mural series was created to highlight the importance of a modest group of buildings on Dayton’s West Side.