American history

The British Museum in London

Virtual museum and monument tours: how to explore the wonders of history from your home

Capone (in the plain white hat) leaves court after being found guilty in 1931. As well as receiving a prison sentence, he was also made to pay his taxes. (Image by Alamy)

Who was Al Capone and how was he convicted of tax evasion?

Hungarian Jews arrive at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1944

Editor’s pick 9 top articles from the BBC World Histories archive to read right now

Pearl Harbor attack

Second World War

America and WW2: when, how and why did the US get involved, and why they didn’t enter sooner?

John Wilkes Booth leans forward to shoot President Abraham Lincoln as he watches a play at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C, in 1865.

Q&A What play was Abraham Lincoln watching when he was shot?

Digitally restored vintage photo of the RMS Titantic departing Southampton on 10 April 1912. (Photo by John Parrot/Stocktrek Images via Getty Images)

Your history guide to RMS Titanic, plus 9 fascinating facts about the disaster

Astronauts being lifted from the Apollo 13 spacecraft after splashdown in the South Pacific,1970. (Photo by Alamy)

Apollo 13

Photo of sand dunes

Why the American Wild West was a “hotbed of scientific discovery”

US Army 7th Division's tanks equipped with flame throwers climbing a ridge on Okinawa. (Photo by W. Eugene Smith/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images)

Second World War

Okinawa: the battle and the bomb

The US assault on Okinawa

Second World War

The WW2 battle of Okinawa: the bloodiest assault of the Pacific War

Two American soldiers wait for the second wave of combat helicopters of the 1st Air Cavalry Division during Operation Pershing during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War defined America in the second half of the 20th century. (Photo by Patrick Christain/Getty Images)

Your guide to the Vietnam War – plus 7 surprising facts you might not know

Walt Disney uses a baton to point to sketches of Disneyland

The history of Disneyland: How Walt Disney created the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’

Pocahontas and John Smith in Disney's ‘Pocahontas’ (1995). (Photo by AF archive/Alamy Stock Photo)

Disney history: how has the corporation shaped our perception of the past?

James Shapiro discusses Shakespeare and America. (Images by Dreamstime)

Shakespeare and America

Thomas Ellis charted the frantic efforts to bring the crew of Apollo 13 home. (Image by Getty Images)

The race to save Apollo 13