American history photos

For over a century photography has captured, documented and shaped the course of history, with some leaving a lasting legacy.

A World War II symbol returns to the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

African-American boys holding American flags in Montgomery, Alabama - 25 March 1965. (Image: Stephen F. Somerstein/Getty)

Historians have offered vastly different interpretations of the origins of the Cold War over the past 5 decades. Few historical events have been subject to such an array of revisionist and neo-revisionist accounts. In this lesson, students enter the fray through exploring a variety of documents highlighting various issues and perspectives that led to the Cold War and address the question: Who was primarily responsible for the Cold War, the United States or the Soviet Union? [All files…

The Empire State Building, the 102-story skyscraper on Fifth Ave. between West 33rd and 34th Streets in Midtown Manhattan stands 1,454 feet tall. It was the world’s tallest building for 39 years from its completion in 1931 until the World Trade Center’s North Tower was completed in 1970. It has been named…

World War 2 pictures capture everything from presidents and prime ministers to ordinary soldiers. As cameras became smaller and more portable, World War 2 ...

AP photojournalist Horst Faas took this iconic photo on June 18, 1965, during the Vietnam War with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Battalion on defense duty at Phouc Vinh airstrip in…