America’s Promise
Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic” continues to inspire a nation to realize its ideals.
July 2026
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How America Gave Up on Its Own History
Unable to agree on how to interpret the American story, the country’s schools, universities, and political institutions have stopped trying to tell it at all.
Illustration by Paul Spella. Sources: Heritage Images / Getty; Connect Images / Getty; Jim Davis / The Boston Globe / Getty. As American as the Forward Pass
To understand the history of the nation, look to the history of its sports.
Illustration by The Atlantic* The Boeing 747 Begins Its Final Descent
The jet was perhaps the pinnacle of American engineering excellence. Its retirement signals an end to an era of American culture—and ambition.
Illustration by Joan Wong How Britain Became as Poor as Mississippi
A case study in self-sabotage
Illustration by Paul Spella / The Atlantic* The Americans Shelling Out Five Figures for a Coat of Arms
A nation founded on the rejection of aristocratic traditions still yearns for them.
U.S. Air Force / Interim Archives / Getty Being Black in Pete Hegseth’s Military
The secretary of defense is sending the message that Black service members are not welcome.
Photo-illustration by Colin Hunter The Whimsy and Heartbreak of America’s Garage Sales
For $100, I bought bric-a-brac that explains a nation.
Metropolitan Museum of Art What Are Frederic Church’s Stunning Landscapes Trying to Tell Us?
America’s first art star remains a mystery.
Dispatches
Illustration by Ben Hickey Use It or Lose It
Freedom of speech, and of the press, can be guaranteed only if Americans exercise their rights.
Illustration by Stephen Doyle The ‘Battle Hymn’ Can’t Be Ignored
The rousing urgency of the song seems to possess a power that, according to its own lyrics, “transfigures you and me.”
© The Estate of Diane Arbus Disneyland With No People
My encounter with a giant of American photography
Culture & Critics
Illustration by Jonelle Afurong. Source: Angel Studios. Finally, an Action Movie About Washington’s French and Indian War Years
Young Washington gives us pre-Revolutionary George, bristling with awkwardness and ambition.
Photo-illustration by Kim Hoeckele* How to Save Marriage
To find a future for the institution, we need to accurately account for its wildly varying past.
Illustration by Laurie Avon Nathaniel Hawthorne’s American Horror Story
The author wrote a tale that challenged the nation’s founding myths. Then it disappeared.
Museo Lazaro Galdiano Where Dogs Go On With Their Doggy Life
Why are there so many canines in fine art?
Departments
The Atlantic The Commons: The Humanities Were Never Neutral
Readers respond to our March 2026 issue.
Illustration by Miguel Porlan Humor: The First 18 Months
A Cabinet meeting with my son, who is exactly as old as the current administration
Poetry
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty. The Road Wound Upward
A poem
