Manhattan Project and Atomic Testing

The Manhattan Project developed the first nuclear weapons during World War II. After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the U.S. conducted hundreds of nuclear tests, often exposing soldiers, workers, and nearby communities—including Indigenous people in the Marshall Islands and Nevada Test Site—to dangerous radiation.

Japanese Firebombing Campaign

Before the atomic bombings, the U.S. conducted a firebombing campaign against Japan in 1945. Cities like Tokyo were destroyed by incendiary bombs, killing an estimated 100,000 civilians in a single night. The devastation rivaled or exceeded the impact of the atomic bombings but is less often remembered.

COINTELPRO and Martin Luther King Jr.

As part of COINTELPRO, the FBI targeted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with surveillance, harassment, and attempts to discredit him. Agents even sent him an anonymous letter urging him to commit suicide. These revelations highlighted government hostility toward civil rights leaders and abuses of intelligence power.

Massacre at Wounded Knee (1890)

On December 29, 1890, U.S. troops killed more than 250 Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee in South Dakota. Many victims were women and children. The massacre marked the end of the Indian Wars and symbolized the violent suppression of Native American sovereignty.

Operation Mockingbird

During the Cold War, the CIA ran Operation Mockingbird, a program to influence media outlets and journalists. It sought to shape public opinion by planting stories, suppressing dissent, and controlling narratives favorable to U.S. foreign policy. Revelations in the 1970s raised lasting concerns about press independence.

Philadelphia MOVE Bombing

On May 13, 1985, Philadelphia police dropped a bomb on a row house occupied by the Black liberation group MOVE. The explosion and resulting fire killed 11 people, including 5 children, and destroyed 61 homes. The event remains one of the most shocking examples of police militarization in U.S. history.

Japanese American Internment

During World War II, more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated in camps across the U.S. under Executive Order 9066. Two-thirds were U.S. citizens. Families lost property, businesses, and years of freedom. In 1988, the U.S. government issued a formal apology and reparations through the Civil Liberties Act.

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

From 1932 to 1972, the U.S. Public Health Service conducted an unethical study on African American men with syphilis in Tuskegee, Alabama. Participants were misled and denied treatment, even after penicillin became available. The scandal highlighted systemic racism in medicine and led to reforms in research ethics and informed consent.

Stonewall Uprising

In June 1969, LGBTQ+ patrons of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted a police raid, sparking several nights of protests. This moment is widely seen as the beginning of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. Pride marches commemorate the anniversary each June, highlighting the fight for equality and recognition.

Trail of Tears

Between 1830 and 1850, thousands of Native Americans, including the Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole, were forcibly removed from their homelands under the Indian Removal Act. The deadly journeys westward became known as the Trail of Tears. Thousands died due to disease, starvation, and harsh conditions.

COINTELPRO

From 1956 to 1971, the FBI ran COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) to surveil, infiltrate, and disrupt groups it deemed subversive, including civil rights organizations, Black Power groups, feminist movements, and anti-war activists. Revelations of these abuses led to congressional investigations and new limits on intelligence agencies.

Redlining and Housing Discrimination

In the mid-20th century, banks and the federal government engaged in "redlining," the practice of denying loans or insurance to residents of predominantly Black neighborhoods. This created lasting racial wealth gaps and segregation. Though outlawed in 1968, its effects persist in unequal access to housing and credit.

Introduction

This page is dedicated to remembering the lives, struggles, and stories that were left out, erased, or hidden from mainstream history. It serves as a living archive of marginalized groups whose histories were silenced, including Indigenous peoples, African Americans, LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, women, disabled people, and more.

Note: This archive is still in its early stages. It will continue to expand as research deepens and as more voices and stories are added. History is not fixed — it grows as we uncover truths that were once buried.

Indigenous Peoples

Native tribes across the Americas faced centuries of displacement, violence, and cultural erasure. Events such as the Trail of Tears forced thousands of Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, and Seminole people from their ancestral homelands, leading to widespread death and suffering. Many tribes were stripped of their languages, traditions, and rights, yet today they continue to fight for sovereignty and cultural survival.

LGBTQ+ Communities

LGBTQ+ history has often been erased, whether through criminalization, censorship, or social stigma. From the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, which became a turning point for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States, to the struggles faced during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, the resilience of these communities has shaped modern movements for equality.

Enslaved & African Americans

For over 250 years, millions of Africans were enslaved in the Americas, their labor exploited to build economies while their identities were stripped away. Even after emancipation, Black Americans faced Jim Crow laws, lynchings, and systemic racism that continue to this day. Movements like the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s sought justice and equality, yet the struggle is ongoing.

Women’s Rights

For centuries, women’s voices and contributions were dismissed or erased from history. From the suffrage movement that secured the right to vote in 1920, to the ongoing fight for workplace equality and reproductive rights, women have continuously pushed back against the systems that silenced them.

Immigrants

Immigrants have played a critical role in shaping nations, yet their struggles are often ignored or erased. From Chinese railroad workers who faced exclusionary laws, to Irish, Italian, and Mexican immigrants who endured discrimination, and more recent debates around refugee rights, immigrant histories reveal resilience in the face of hardship.

Disabled Communities

People with disabilities have long faced exclusion, institutionalization, and neglect. Until the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, accessibility was not a legal right in the U.S. Even today, disabled people often face barriers in education, work, and healthcare, but disability rights movements continue to push for inclusion and justice.

Workers’ Movements & Labor Rights

The struggles of working people have often been left out of mainstream history. From the violent suppression of strikes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as the Haymarket Affair (1886) in Chicago, to the long fight for fair wages, safer working conditions, and the eight-hour workday, labor rights movements have fundamentally shaped modern life. Despite these gains, workers continue to face challenges such as wage inequality, union-busting, and the rise of precarious “gig economy” labor.

Religious Minorities

Religious minorities have often faced persecution, discrimination, or erasure in recorded history. Jewish communities experienced centuries of anti-Semitism that culminated in the horrors of the Holocaust. Muslim Americans and Sikhs have faced heightened discrimination in the post-9/11 era. Smaller religious groups, including Indigenous spiritual traditions, were suppressed or outlawed entirely in some periods. The history of religious minorities shows the ongoing struggle for freedom of belief and cultural survival.

Kent State Shootings

On May 4, 1970, during a protest against the Vietnam War at Kent State University in Ohio, the National Guard opened fire on unarmed students. Four were killed and nine wounded. The shootings shocked the nation and intensified opposition to the war, becoming a symbol of the conflict between young activists and government authority.

Operation Paperclip

After World War II, the U.S. secretly brought more than 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians—including some with ties to Nazi war crimes—into the country to work on military and space projects. This program, known as Operation Paperclip, helped advance American rocketry and the space race but remains controversial.

Watergate Scandal

In 1972, operatives linked to President Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. The ensuing cover-up and investigation revealed widespread abuses of power. Facing impeachment, Nixon resigned in 1974—the only U.S. president to do so.

Iran-Contra Affair

In the mid-1980s, members of the Reagan administration secretly sold weapons to Iran (despite an embargo) and used the proceeds to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua, defying U.S. law. The scandal revealed covert operations and raised questions about executive power and accountability.

Attica Prison Uprising

In 1971, prisoners at Attica Correctional Facility in New York staged an uprising demanding better living conditions and political rights. After four days of negotiations, state troopers stormed the prison, killing 39 people, including both guards and inmates. The event exposed inhumane prison conditions and sparked national debate about criminal justice reform.

Operation Northwoods

In 1962, the U.S. Department of Defense proposed a secret plan called Operation Northwoods that suggested staging false-flag terrorist attacks to justify military intervention in Cuba. The plan was never implemented but illustrates Cold War strategies and the extent of covert planning considered by officials.

COINTELPRO Targeting of Black Panthers

The FBI’s COINTELPRO program specifically targeted the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and 70s. Agents infiltrated the organization, spread disinformation, and attempted to incite internal conflict, contributing to arrests, violence, and the party’s decline.

COINTELPRO and Feminist Activists

Feminist organizations in the 1960s and 70s were also monitored and disrupted under COINTELPRO. Leaders faced surveillance and harassment aimed at undermining their campaigns for gender equality, reproductive rights, and social reform.

Japanese Internment Redress

In 1988, the U.S. government formally apologized for Japanese American internment during World War II and issued reparations of $20,000 per surviving internee. This marked a significant moment in acknowledging and correcting historic injustices.

LGBTQ+ Discrimination in Military

Before 2011, LGBTQ+ individuals were barred from serving openly in the U.S. military under the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy. Thousands were discharged solely for their sexual orientation. Repeal allowed open service, but challenges and discrimination persist.

Red Summer of 1919

In 1919, a series of race riots erupted across the United States, known as the "Red Summer." White mobs attacked Black communities in more than three dozen cities. Hundreds of deaths, widespread destruction, and displacement highlighted systemic racism and post-WWI social tensions.

Stonewall Riots Anniversary

The Stonewall riots in 1969 marked a turning point for LGBTQ+ activism. Annual Pride events around the world commemorate the riots, honoring those who resisted police oppression and highlighting ongoing struggles for equality.

Philadelphia Race Riots (1964)

In 1964, Philadelphia experienced race-related violence sparked by segregation, housing discrimination, and economic inequality. Tensions between Black and white communities led to property damage, injuries, and arrests. These events highlighted systemic racial disparities in northern cities during the Civil Rights Era.

Harvey Milk Assassination

Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in California, was assassinated on November 27, 1978, alongside Mayor George Moscone. His death galvanized the LGBTQ+ rights movement and remains a symbol of both tragedy and political activism for equality.

Japanese Internment Documentation Suppression

Historical documents related to Japanese American internment were largely suppressed for decades, delaying public awareness of the extent of injustices suffered. Activists and scholars worked to uncover and preserve these records to ensure accurate historical memory.

Exclusion of LGBTQ+ History from Curricula

For decades, LGBTQ+ histories were largely omitted from school curricula, libraries, and public archives. This erasure contributed to social stigma and lack of representation, prompting educators and activists to develop inclusive historical resources.

Displacement of Indigenous Communities for Infrastructure

Throughout U.S. history, Indigenous lands were often seized for infrastructure projects, such as dams, highways, and federal buildings. Entire communities were displaced, leading to cultural loss, economic hardship, and long-term grievances.

Government Censorship of HIV/AIDS Research

In the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, some government agencies restricted research funding, delayed public health campaigns, and suppressed information. Activists pushed for transparency to prevent further deaths and advance medical knowledge.

Japanese Balloon Bombs in WWII

During World War II, Japan launched thousands of balloon bombs targeting the U.S. mainland. While few caused damage, one explosion in Oregon killed six civilians. Many of these incidents were censored or omitted from public records during the war to prevent panic.

Government Suppression of Labor Movements

Throughout U.S. history, labor organizers have faced government surveillance, arrests, and violent suppression. Events such as the 1914 Ludlow Massacre and Red Scare crackdowns demonstrate the lengths authorities went to limit unionization and workers’ rights.

COINTELPRO Targeting Anti-Vietnam War Activists

Anti-war activists protesting U.S. involvement in Vietnam were surveilled, infiltrated, and disrupted by the FBI under COINTELPRO. Meetings were infiltrated, organizers were blacklisted, and propaganda campaigns sought to discredit the movement.

Lavender Scare

During the 1950s, U.S. government agencies conducted purges of employees suspected of being homosexual, citing national security risks. Thousands lost their jobs, reinforcing discrimination and stigmatization against LGBTQ+ individuals in federal employment.

Redlining and Urban Segregation

Federal policies and bank practices systematically denied loans to Black and minority neighborhoods throughout the 20th century, a practice known as redlining. These actions entrenched segregation, limited wealth accumulation, and shaped urban development in ways that continue today.

Erasure of Native Languages in Education

Indigenous children in U.S. boarding schools were prohibited from speaking their native languages. This suppression caused generational language loss and cultural disconnection, the effects of which many communities are still working to reverse.