AMERICAN HERITAGE MAGAZINE: The Fall 2026 issue of American Heritage magazine features articles that address historic debates and legacies, including new evidence regarding whether Alexander Graham Bell stole the telephone patent from Elisha Gray, an ancestor’s account of Admiral Cockburn burning Washington while freeing 6,000 slaves, a guide to Southeast historic sites evaluating the complex democratic and brutal legacy of Andrew Jackson, an analysis of perceived ambiguities in the 22nd Amendment regarding presidential term limits, and the story of Maggie Walker, the first Black woman to open a bank to help underserved individuals.

Did Bell Steal the Telephone?

New evidence finally settles the 150-year-old debate as to whether Alexander Graham Bell or Elisha Gray first invented the telephone. Benjamin Lathrop Brown

The Truth About the Telephone Invention

Some writers ignore a mountain of evidence contrary to their theories about the telephone’s development. Edwin S. Grosvenor

How We Burned Washington

In 1814, my ancestor Admiral Cockburn destroyed the Nation’s Capital. He also freed some 6,000 slaves. Andrew Cockburn

Searching for Andrew Jackson

Museums and historic sites across the Southeast help us better understand Andrew Jackson, who helped define American democracy but also championed the brutal treatment of indigenous peoples. Beverly Gage

Third Term for a President?

Some observers see ambiguity in the 22nd Amendment. Joseph Connor

Maggie Walker, Banker to the People

Maggie Walker, the first Black woman to open a bank, helped thousands of individuals who could not borrow from traditional lenders. Norah O’Donnell, Kate Brower Andersen