The second half of the 19th century was a tumultuous one for Washington D.C., as the Civil War ripped apart the country and actually contributed to the city’s growth: With soldiers coming into the city to defend it and other government agencies needed to handle the war effort, the population grew from 75,000 in 1860 to over 130,000 in 1870. By 1890, there were nearly a quarter of a million residents—the Capitol Building’s expansion…

While nailing 19th century conventions and language are critical to replicating life in 1860s New York City, the new BBC America crime drama COPPER has another edge: Clothes painstakingly hand-tailored and sewn from only fabrics available at the time. Costume designer Delphine White led the design and production of “600 dresses, frock coats and union suits” for the show. But it’s not all meticulous reproduction and corsets—find out what Mick Jagger and Robert Mapplethorpe…

Known for groundbreaking television like Homicide: Life On The Streets and OZ, acclaimed writer-producer Tom Fontana has, with Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson, now developed a crime show about his own hometown, New York City. Of course, Fontana’s and Levinson’s approach in BBC America’s COPPER is to look at the Big Apple in the real bad old days—the 1860s, when it was a given that crooks ran wild and the government was corrupt—how things change….

Ever think our modern slang leaves a little something something to be desired? Between LOL-worthy emoticons and obvs totes irritating abbreviations, sometimes it doesn’t seem like our generation is really adding much to the English language (sorry about “to Google” future generations!). Then again, we don’t even have to come up with anything new—not when we can just re-appropriate all some now-forgotten 19th century gems!