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Editors' Picks

The Unsuccessful Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln

On the eve of his first inauguration, President Lincoln snuck into Washington in the middle of the night, evading the would-be assassins who waited for him in Baltimore

When Republicans Were Blue and Democrats Were Red

The era of color-coded political parties is more recent than you might think

Document Deep Dive: The Menu From President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Ball

What delicacies and confectionaries were found on the 250-foot-long buffet table?

History Beats

The Rise and Fall of Nikola Tesla and his Tower

The inventor's vision of a global wireless-transmission tower proved to be his undoing
February 04, 2013 | By Gilbert King

Page 1 of 11

Everything Was Fake but Her Wealth

Ida Wood, who lived for decades as a recluse in a New York City hotel, would have taken her secrets to the grave—if here sister hadn't gotten there first
January 23, 2013 | By Karen Abbott

Lost and Found Again: Photos of African-Americans on the Plains

What would otherwise be a local-interest story became a snapshot of history integral to the American experience
February 2013 | By Joseph Stromberg

What Django Unchained Got Wrong: A Review From National Museum of African American History and Culture Director Lonnie Bunch

The museum director and former film studies professor examines Quentin Tarantino's take on slavery
January 14, 2013 | By Guest Blogger

That Time a Chicken Crashed Nixon’s Inaugural Ball and Other Crazy Inaugural Tales

Ten quirky moments from inaugural history, including presidential lassoing
January 18, 2013 | By Leah Binkovitz

PHOTOS: Who Were the Six Indian Chiefs in Teddy Roosevelt’s Inaugural Parade?

Another inauguration, another opportunity to learn more about the men whose presence shocked the country
January 16, 2013 | By Leah Binkovitz

The Unsuccessful Plot to Kill Abraham Lincoln

On the eve of his first inauguration, President Lincoln snuck into Washington in the middle of the night, evading the would-be assassins who waited for him in Baltimore
February 2013 | By Daniel Stashower

War and Peace of Mind for Ulysses S. Grant

With the help of his friend Mark Twain, Grant finished his memoirs—and saved his wife from an impoverished widowhood—just days before he died
January 16, 2013 | By Gilbert King

Garrison Keillor’s 1996 Predictions for the Future of Media

A woebegone tribute to the ending of an era
January 15, 2013 | By Matt Novak

The Jetsons and the Future of the Middle Class

Living paycheck to paycheck in the techno-utopian future
January 14, 2013 | By Matt Novak

Document Deep Dive: The Menu From President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Ball

What delicacies and confectionaries were found on the 250-foot-long buffet table?
January 15, 2013 | By Megan Gambino

From Washington to Obama, Inaugural History

Everything you've wanted to know about the upcoming Presidential Inauguration

Where Did Pabst Win that Blue Ribbon?

The origin of Pabst's iconic blue ribbon dates back to one of the most important gatherings in American history
November 20, 2012 | By Jimmy Stamp

Company H of the 48th New York Regiment, stiffly posed for this 1863 formal portrait at Fort Pulaski, in Savannah, GA.

That Time 150 Years Ago When Thousands of People Watched Baseball on Christmas Day

During the Civil War, two regiments faced off as spectators, possibly as many as 40,000, sat and watched
December 21, 2012 | By John Hanc

Document Deep Dive: Emancipation Proclamation

When freeing the slaves 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln traded in his famous lyricism for a dry, legal tone. Harold Holzer explains why
December 19, 2012 | By Megan Gambino

Tropi Can Can

The Vegas Hotspot That Broke All the Rules

America’s first interracial casino helped end segregation on the Strip and proved that the only color that mattered was green
January 2013 | By Kevin Cook

How the Emancipation Proclamation Came to Be Signed

The pen, inkwell and one copy of the document that freed the slaves are photographed together for the first time
December 2012 | By Louis P. Masur

The Kennedy Assassin Who Failed

Richard Paul Pavlick’s plan wasn’t very complicated, but it took an eagle-eyed postal worker to prevent a tragedy
December 06, 2012 | By Dan Lewis

Document Deep Dive: Rosa Parks’ Arrest Records

Read between the lines of the police report drawn up when the seamstress refused to give up her seat 57 years ago
November 28, 2012 | By Megan Gambino

Looking at the Battle of Gettysburg Through Robert E. Lee’s Eyes

Anne Kelly Knowles, the winner of Smithsonian American Ingenuity Awards, uses GIS technology to change our view of history
December 2012 | By Tony Horwitz

The Tucker on display at the National Museum of American History.

The Tucker Was the 1940s Car of the Future

Visionary inventor
Preston Tucker risked everything when he saw his 1948 automobile as a vehicle for change
December 2012 | By Abigail Tucker

Henry Wiencek Responds to His Critics

The author of a new book about Thomas Jefferson makes his case and defends his scholarship
November 14, 2012 | By Smithsonian.com

Walter Huston

PHOTOS: The History of Abraham Lincoln on Film

The 16th president has been a Hollywood star and box office attraction since the earliest days of Hollywood
November 2012 | By Jesse Rhodes

When Republicans Were Blue and Democrats Were Red

The era of color-coded political parties is more recent than you might think
November 01, 2012 | By Jodi Enda

East Hampton windmill

Before Salem, There Was the Not-So-Wicked Witch of the Hamptons

Why was Goody Garlick, accused of witchcraft in 1658, spared the fate that would befall the women of Massachusetts decades later
October 26, 2012 | By John Hanc

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next »

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