In JavaScript, we can access and manipulate the browser history using several methods provided by the `window.history` object. Here's a brief overview of some of the commonly used methods:

`pushState()`: This method is used to add a new entry to the end of the browser history. It takes three arguments: the URL string to be added to the history, an optional title for the new page, and an optional state object that contains additional data about the new page. Here's an example:

window.history.pushState('new page', 'New Page', '/path/to/new/page');

`replaceState()`: This method is similar to `pushState()`, but it replaces the current entry in the history with the new one. It takes four arguments: the URL string to be added to the history, an optional title for the new page, an optional state object that contains additional data about the new page, and a Boolean value indicating whether the history should be replaced or simply updated. Here's an example:

window.history.replaceState('new page', 'New Page', '/path/to/new/page');

`popstate()`: This method is called automatically whenever the browser's back button is clicked, or when a new entry is pushed onto the history stack using `pushState()`. It takes one argument: an event object that contains information about the state change. Here's an example:

window.onpopstate = function(event) {
  console.log('Back button clicked!');
};

`forward()`: This method is a deprecated alternative to `replaceState()`, and it should not be used in modern web development. It takes three arguments: the URL string to be added to the history, an optional title for the new page, and a Boolean value indicating whether the history should be replaced or simply updated. Here's an example:

window.forward('new page'); // This method should not be used in modern web development

`back()`: This method is a deprecated alternative to `replaceState()`, and it should not be used in modern web development. It takes no arguments and simply calls the `popstate()` method. Here's an example:

window.back(); // This method should not be used in modern web development

Overall, these methods can be used to programmatically control the browser history, allowing developers to add new pages, update existing ones, and respond to user interactions with the back and forward buttons.