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Special Issue: The Civil War

Civil War Special Issue
From Twain to Hawthorne to Stowe, The Atlantic looks to its archives to mark the war's 150th anniversary.
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Obama, Explained AP

Obama, Explained

A longtime analyst of the presidency takes the measure of our 44th president, with a view to history.

Who's Against Contraception? Shutterstock

Who's Against Contraception?

It's not just bishops. Many of the Catholics who want a broader definition of "religious employer" also helped pass health reform.

Kanye West Should Throw a Fit at the Grammys This Year Reuters

Kanye West Should Throw a Fit at the Grammys This Year

The Recording Academy failed to nominate his latest for Album of the Year.

Santorum Is Right: Gas Prices Caused the Great Recession Reuters

Santorum Is Right: Gas Prices Caused the Great Recession

There were other factors, but one theory suggests that it did begin with fuel.

Christopher Hitchens on the Charming G. K. Chesterton Getty Images

Christopher Hitchens on the Charming G. K. Chesterton

In his last essay for The Atlantic, Hitchens writes on Chesterton's "magic faculty of being unforgettable."

A Moving Speech from a Washington Legislator

A Republican speaks about why she broke ranks and voted to allow same-sex unions.

How to Say 'Chillax' in Chinese

The story of OMG! Meiyu, Jessica Beinecke's web video series on American slang, which is wildly popular in China.

The New Opium Child Brides

As the heroin trade suffers in Afghanistan, poppy farmers are marrying off their daughters to pay their debts.

Battle for Control of the Internet

Our online freedoms are on the verge of being eroded in ways more subtle and insidious than Orwell—or Apple's marketing department—ever imagined.

What Obama's Playlist Says About His Re-Election Campaign

His song choices seem carefully calibrated to appeal to a wide range of voters.

The Great Fluoride Debate

Officials in Florida decided in January to remove the cavity-fighting chemical from its water supply. Was it a mistake?

The Fall of U.S. Prison Towns

For two decades, depressed hamlets in need of an industry built jails. Now, there aren't enough inmates to fill them.

Some People Still Buy CDs

There's a wide gulf in music purchasing behavior, such as between fans of Leonard Cohen and Lana Del Rey.

The Misunderstood Power of Michael Jackson's Music

Like many black artists, his work still doesn't get its full due.

Why Clint Eastwood's Super Bowl Ad Was Pitch Perfect

Political undertones aside, the commercial's message holds true.

Why People Live With a Curable Disease

Type 2 diabetes can be beaten. But where's the money in that?

McCarthy, Beck, and the New Hate

For more than 60 years, a feedback loop of conspiracy theories has flared during tough times.

How Radical Environmentalists Are Made

Many eco-warriors have very personal, conflicting reasons for their zealousness.

Gloria Steinem on Rape in War

Talking with the influential activist on how to stop atrocities against women in conflict zones.

Will a New Musical Instrument Ever Catch on Again?

It's been 36 years since the invention of the last device to transform music.

Special Report
Submit Your Photos of America at Work AP Submit Your Photos of America at Work
Send us your images of friends, family, and neighbors on the job. We'll publish the best. Read more ›

The Biggest Story in Photos

The Civil War, Part 2: The People

Feb 9, 2012

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The Atlantic Monthly

James Fallows on Obama's first term, Raymond Bonner on the death penalty, Christopher Hitchens on G.K. Chesterton, and more

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