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Ben Miller

Ben Miller is a bachelor's/master's student at the University of Chicago, where he studies race in 20th century America. A Silver Spring native, his childhood appetite for books and museums inspired a deep love for the past, and a desire to put it to work toward a more equitable future. Outside of Boundary Stones, Ben has contributed to projects for the National Archives, the American Historical Association, and Norton & Company. His non-history hobbies include baseball, fine dining, and trivia, the latter of which helped him win two championship titles on It's Academic.

Posts by this Author

DC
When the Washington Post Covered Up a Presidential Scandal

When the Washington Post Covered Up a Presidential Scandal

12/22/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

In 1923, Washington Post publisher Ned McLean became embroiled in the Teapot Dome scandal — and turned his paper into a national laughingstock in the process.

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DC
Savior or Slumlord?

Savior or Slumlord?

09/22/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

In 1933, eleven words made Minnie Keyes a wealthy woman. They were scrawled on a blank telegram slip, tied to a pencil with an elastic band, and stuffed under a mattress. “Minnie Keyes: You have been good to me. All is yours.” These sentences were the final will and testament of Leonard A. Hamilton, who had lived as a boarder at Keyes’ home for 30 years. Once a court accepted the scrap as legitimate, Keyes inherited Hamilton’s $100,000 estate, about $2.1 million in today’s money. Most of its value lay in real estate: dozens of homes scattered across Washington. The properties Minnie Keyes came to own, however, were not the city’s best. And what should happen to them became the source of great debate.

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Maryland
"Will We Let the Ballot Be Taken From Us?": Black Marylanders Fight to Keep the Vote

"Will We Let the Ballot Be Taken From Us?": Black Marylanders Fight to Keep the Vote

09/09/2021 in Maryland by Ben Miller

In 1910 Maryland Democrats planned to bar all African Americans from voting, forever. But Black men and women were ready to fight for their place in the state.

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DC
The Battle for Bryant Street: How A Black D.C. Family Helped Overturn Racial Covenants Nationwide

The Battle for Bryant Street: How A Black D.C. Family Helped Overturn Racial Covenants Nationwide

08/24/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

Racial covenants made much of Bloomingdale off-limits to Black buyers. A welder, a polyglot immigrant, and a Civil Rights icon rallied to change that.

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DC
Frank Kameny Runs for Office

Frank Kameny Runs for Office

08/20/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

In 1971 Washington’s leading LGBT activist became the first openly gay man to run for Congress. In just a two month campaign, Frank Kameny put gay rights on D.C.'s political agenda- and made them stick.

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DC
Death Over the Potomac: A Mid-Air Plane Crash Leaves D.C. Looking for Answers

Death Over the Potomac: A Mid-Air Plane Crash Leaves D.C. Looking for Answers

08/17/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

In 1949, a shocking mid-air crash near National Airport killed more people than any previous air disaster in U.S. history. It did not take long for investigators to place the blame on one unlucky pilot. But was Capt. Erick Rios Bridoux really at fault?

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DC
Juvenile Justice on Trial

Juvenile Justice on Trial

07/29/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

In 1936, D.C. officials hired Carrie Weaver Smith to reform the National Training School for Girls. 18 months later, they fired her. But Smith was not going away without a fight.

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DC
Blanche Bruce's Washington

Blanche Bruce's Washington

07/21/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

The first Black man to win a full term in the Senate came to D.C. in 1875. When white supremacists retook his home state of Mississippi, Blanche Bruce built a new life in the nation's capital.

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DC
The Police Scandal That Nearly Toppled D.C.’s Government

The Police Scandal That Nearly Toppled D.C.’s Government

07/13/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

It started with a rumor. D.C. police were planning to spy on members of Congress. But within weeks, many Washingtonians weren't just asking if they could trust law enforcement. They seemed ready to scrap the city's government altogether.

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DC
The First Sting: Did a New Tactic by D.C. Police Ensnare Criminals or Entice Crime?

The First Sting: Did a New Tactic by D.C. Police Ensnare Criminals or Entice Crime?

07/08/2021 in DC by Ben Miller

In 1976 D.C. police dressed as cartoon Mafiosos and bought millions in stolen goods from local thieves. They called it "Operation Sting," and soon police across the country were launching "sting operations" of their own. But not everyone was so enamored with the tactic, especially the communities it was being used to target.

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