The nation's capital and the state of Virginia were a hotbed of political and social turmoil that marked the 1960s and 1970s. The area saw anti-Vietnam War protests, civil rights marches and students clamoring for a cultural revolution. Underground publications in D.C. and Virginia sprang up to document the radical change and question the "straight media." Off Our Backs led the charge for women's equality. The Gay Blade fought for the rights of homosexuals. Even the FBI began infiltrating the underground press movement by planting informants and creating fake magazines to attract suspicious...

Thomas Jefferson developed the idea for the Virginia State Penitentiary and set the standard for the future of the American prison system. Designed by U.S. Capitol and White House architect Benjamin Latrobe, the "Pen" opened its doors in 1800. Vice President Aaron Burr was incarcerated there in 1807 as he awaited trial for treason. The prison endured severe overcrowding, three fires, an earthquake and numerous riots. More than 240 prisoners were executed there by electric chair. At one time, the ACLU called it the "most shameful prison in America." The institution was plagued by racial...