U.S. History | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian.com

Memoirs of a World War II Buffalo Soldier

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:04:59 GMT

In a recently published memoir written over 60 years ago, veteran James Daugherty details his experiences as an African-American in combat

Flying With America’s Most Famous Female Aviators

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:04:14 GMT

Dozens of talented women preceded Amelia Earhart, and thousands have followed, and each has her own groundbreaking story to tell

Lincoln's Contested Legacy

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Great Emancipator or unreconstructed racist? Each generation evokes a different Lincoln. But who was our sixteenth president?

From the Editor - Misperceptions - Nov09

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Closing in on 40 years

Top 10 Nation-Building Real Estate Deals

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 04:56:02 GMT

Luck and hard bargaining contributed to the growth of the United States. But with expansion came consequences

German POWs on the American Homefront

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:05:51 GMT

Thousands of World War II prisoners ended up in mills, farm fields and even dining rooms across the United States

Timothy Egan on “The Big Burn”

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Thousands of World War II prisoners ended up in mills, farm fields and even dining rooms across the United States

The Legacy of America’s Largest Forest Fire

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 GMT

A 1910 wildfire that raged across three Western states helped advance the nation’s conservation efforts

Meriwether Lewis' Mysterious Death

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:06:03 GMT

Two hundred years later, debate continues over whether the famous explorer committed suicide or was murdered

John Brown - Object at Hand - Oct 09

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:17:59 GMT

An 1840s image captures an extremist's fervor

Day of Reckoning

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The abolitionist's bloody raid on a federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry 150 years ago set the stage for the Civil War

The Rescue of Henry Clay

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:00:00 GMT

A long-lost painting of the Senate's Great Compromiser finds a fitting new home in the halls of the U.S. Capitol

The Battle of Arlington - How Arlington National Cemetery Came to Be

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The fight over Robert E. Lee's beloved home—seized by the U.S. government during the Civil War—went on for decades

Robert M. Poole on “The Battle of Arlington”

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:56:11 GMT

The fight over Robert E. Lee's beloved home—seized by the U.S. government during the Civil War—went on for decades

Indelible Images - Saigon Requiem - Nov09

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The death of Hugh Van Es, whose photograph captured the Vietnam War's end, launched a "reunion" of those who covered the conflict

From Washington to Obama, Inauguration History

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:53:44 GMT

Every four years, D.C. celebrates the presidential inauguration with a parade, star-studded concerts, balls and parties

A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:51:27 GMT

One town's strange journey from paranoia to pardon

Sky King

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 02:13:05 GMT

Pan Am founder Juan Trippe turned Americans into frequent fliers

Star-Spangled Banner Back on Display

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

After a decade’s conservation, the flag that inspired the National Anthem returns to its place of honor on the National Mall

The Unmaking of the President

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:15:33 GMT

Lyndon Johnson believed that his withdrawal from the 1968 presidential campaign would free him to solidify his legacy

Indelible- Tabled Resolution

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Betty Ford had a what-the-hell moment—and an accomplice in photographer David Hume Kennerly

1964 Republican Convention: Revolution From the Right

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:39:11 GMT

At the ugliest of Republican conventions since 1912, entrenched moderates faced off against conservative insurgents

1912 Republican Convention

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:37:49 GMT

Return of the Rough Rider

1948 Democratic Convention

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:38:43 GMT

The South Secedes Again

1968 Democratic Convention

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:39:41 GMT

The Bosses Strike Back

Parties to History Main

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:51:14 GMT

Four Political Conventions That Changed America

Conventional Facts

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:44:12 GMT

Four Political Conventions That Changed America

The Freedom Riders

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Fighting racial segregation in the South, these activists were beaten and arrested. Where are they now, nearly fifty years later?

Civil War Geology

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:52:10 GMT

What underlies the Civil War’s 25 bloodiest battles? Two geologists investigate why certain terrain proved so hazardous

Setting Sail on the Hudson River 400 Years Later

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:44:58 GMT

Using 17th century techniques, volunteers built a replica of Henry Hudson's vessel in honor of the anniversary of his exploration

Indelible Images - Salami, Mr. Holcomb? - July09

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The first women to attend the Naval Academy became seniors in 1979. Photographer Lucian Perkins was there as the old order changed

We Have Liftoff

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

The launch 40 years ago of Apollo 11, which put a man on the moon, brought Americans together during a time of nationwide unrest

Nikita in Hollywood - Khrushchev

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Lunch with the Soviet leader was Tinseltown's hottest ticket, with famous celebrities including Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin

On the Hunt for Jefferson's Lost Books

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:30:58 GMT

A Library of Congress curator is on a worldwide mission to find exact copies of the books that belonged to Thomas Jefferson

Face the Nation - Lincoln - Sept 08

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Abraham Lincoln's debates with Stephen A. Douglas turned the backwoods rail-splitter into presidential timber

The Brink of War- Utah

Tue, 27 May 2008 06:00:00 GMT

One hundred fifty years ago, the U.S. Army marched into Utah prepared to battle Brigham Young and his Mormon militia

Presence of Mind - A Man of His Words - Oct 08

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Ted Sorensen finds that of all the U.S. presidents, Lincoln had the best speechwriter—himself

Abandoned Ship

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 02:16:38 GMT

What really happened aboard the Mary Celeste? More than a century after her crew went missing, a scenario is emerging

Hidden History Excerpt

Fri, 23 May 2008 08:17:59 GMT

An excerpt from Kenneth C. Davis's new book explains they arrived half a century before the Mayflower reached Plymouth Rock

Sarah Vowell on the Puritans' Legacy

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT

The author and 'This American Life' correspondent talks about her book on the colonies' early religious leaders

Carving Out the West at the Great Smoke Conference

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:41:49 GMT

In 1851, American Indian tribes gathered to seek protection of their western lands from frontiersman on the Oregon Trail

The Kentucky Derby’s Forgotten Jockeys

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:56:37 GMT

African American jockeys once dominated the track. But by 1921, they had disappeared from the Kentucky Derby

The White House's First Celebrity Dog - Laddie Boy

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 04:41:30 GMT

Bo, the Obama’s First Pooch, has a legacy to live up to in Laddie Boy, the family pet of President Harding

Alice Ramsey’s Historic Cross-Country Drive

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:32:40 GMT

In 1909, 22-year-old Alice Ramsey made history as the first woman to drive across the United States

Revisiting the First Ladies’ Homes

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:19:37 GMT

The oft-overlooked lives of America's first ladies are on display in house museums across the country

From the Editor - My Favorite Commie - July09

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Nikita Khrushchev Comes to America

From the Editor: Evolution and Equality - Feb09

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

What do Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, and the Freedom Riders have in common with each other?

Indians on the Inaugural March

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:45:10 GMT

At the invitation of Theodore Roosevelt, six Indian chiefs marched in his inaugural parade as representatives of their tribes

Eastern State Penitentiary: A Prison With a Past

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Philadelphia set the stage for prison reform not only in Pennsylvania, but also the world over

Criminal Minds - Leopold and Loeb

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:44:45 GMT

In defense of murderers Leopold and Loeb, attorney Clarence Darrow thwarted a nation's call for vengeance

The First “Teflon” Hero - Hidden History 2

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:07:52 GMT

What July 4th, 1754 reveals about George Washington’s survival skills

A Northern Family Confronts Its Slaveholding Past

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Filmmaker Katrina Browne discusses her family’s role in American slavery

Montpelier and the Legacy of James Madison

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:00:00 GMT

The recently restored Virginia estate of James Madison was home to a founding father and the ideals that shaped a nation

Pay Dirt in Montana

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:13:54 GMT

A librarian's sleuthing turns up a crime with at least 100 victims

1907 Panic

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:00:00 GMT

Robert F. Bruner discusses the panic of 1907 and the financial crisis of 2008

Capitol Fellow

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:00:00 GMT

In 1792, William Thornton designed America's defining monument, where a new visitor center opens in December

Capitol Visitor Center

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:44:12 GMT

After years of delays and millions of dollars spent, the brand-new Capitol Visitors Center opens in December

Fergus M. Bordewich Q&A

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:00:00 GMT

After years of delays and millions of dollars spent, the brand-new Capitol Visitors Center opens in December

Presence - Goodbye, Columbus

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 06:00:00 GMT

A new survey upends the conventional wisdom about who counts in American history

Presence of Mind - Woman, Interrupted - Dec08

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:00:00 GMT

Mary Pinchot Meyer's death remains a mystery. But it's her life that holds more interest now

Presence of Mind: Frost, Nixon and Me - Jan09

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:44:47 GMT

Author James Reston Jr. discovers firsthand what is gained and lost when history is turned into entertainment

Indelible Images - Moment of Reckoning - Oct 08

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 07:00:00 GMT

One of three civil rights workers murdered in Mississippi in 1964 was James Chaney. His younger brother would never be the same

Digs - Washington's Boyhood Home

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Archaeologists have finally pinpointed the Virginia house where our first president came of age

To Catch a Thief

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:14:31 GMT

How a Civil War buff's chance discovery led to a sting, a raid and a victory against traffickers in stolen historical documents

Washington & Lafayette

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:00:00 GMT

Almost inseparable in wartime, the two generals split over a vital question: Should revolutionary ideals be imposed on others?

Revolutionary Real Estate

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:02:24 GMT

Statesmen, soldiers and spies who made America and the way they lived

Command Performance

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 02:11:14 GMT

With U.S. forces in Korea beleaguered and demoralized in 1950, American prestige and the future of South Korea hung in the balance. Then Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway took charge

From the Editor: Pulled by Bears

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:04:21 GMT

In 1908, anything was possible

January Anniversaries 2008

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:03:50 GMT

Momentous or Merely Memorable

U.S. History

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:39:17 GMT

Momentous or Merely Memorable

Behind Inaugural Speeches, Meaningful Words

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:41:14 GMT

What words did Lincoln and Washington focus on most in their inaugural addresses? Explore presidential speeches in a whole new way

The Synagogue at Eastern State Penitentiary

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:00:00 GMT

What words did Lincoln and Washington focus on most in their inaugural addresses? Explore presidential speeches in a whole new way

Digging Up George Washington

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:37:52 GMT

Archaeologists continue to uncover more about the nation's first president

George Washington Slept Here

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:31:46 GMT

A great and good man, but bringing him to life in a debunking age is a hard row to hoe

Inaugural Firsts

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:00:00 GMT

When was the first inaugural parade? Who had the longest inaugural address? A look at presidential inaugurations through time

The Curious Case of the Arkansas Diamonds

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:34:56 GMT

In a state park full of amateur diamond miners, one prospector dug up a valuable stone worth thousands of dollars—or did he?

From the Editor - Fevers - Oct09

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Temperatures at the Boiling Point

A Green Addition to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Meeting House

Thu, 21 May 2009 09:29:36 GMT

Architects of the First Unitarian Society’s new eco-friendly addition find inspiration in the ideas of original architect Frank Lloyd Wright

Before Rosie the Riveter, Farmerettes Went to Work

Fri, 29 May 2009 08:50:53 GMT

During World War I, the Woman’s Land Army of America mobilized women into sustaining American farms and building national pride

Indelible Images - Who Was That Masked Man? - May09

Tue, 19 May 2009 06:00:00 GMT

For the noir photographer Weegee, bathers at Coney Island had another kind of gritty reality

Tales From the Appalachian Trail

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:58:50 GMT

The stories of ten hikers who have traveled the 2,000-mile-path through the eastern United States tell the history of the trail

From the Editor - Strongmen - Aug09

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Larger than life, for ill and good

From the Editor - Outliers - May09

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 06:00:00 GMT

Big Sur and George Koval, atomic spy

Robert Poole on "Banner Days"

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:00:00 GMT

Big Sur and George Koval, atomic spy