Editors' Picks
Where Was the Birthplace of the American Vacation?
First in rustic tents and later in elaborate resorts, city dwellers took to the Adirondacks to explore the joys of the wilderness
The True-Life Horror that Inspired Moby-Dick
The whaler Essex was indeed sunk by a whale—and that's only the beginning
The Shocking Savagery of America’s Early History
Bernard Bailyn, one of our greatest historians, shines his light on the nation’s Dark Ages
Page 8 of 12
The idea that the United States has always been a bastion of religious freedom is reassuring—and utterly at odds with the historical record
October 2010
| By Kenneth C. Davis
Brass bands and slow travel
October 2010
| By Carey Winfrey
Kennedy and Nixon squared off in the first televised presidential debate 50 years ago and politics have never been the same
September 14, 2010
| By W. Barksdale Maynard
Author David V. Herlihy discusses his book about Frank Lenz's tragic failed attempt to travel the world by bicycle
August 27, 2010
| By Megan Gambino
For almost as long as there have been automobiles, recreational vehicles have been traversing America
August 25, 2010
| By Jim Morrison
World War I troops were the first to be diagnosed with shell shock, an injury – by any name – still wreaking havoc
September 2010
| By Caroline Alexander
Cataclysms and their consequences
September 2010
| By Carey Winfrey
More than 200 years after his death, the most notorious traitor of the Revolutionary War has an unlikely supporter
July 09, 2010
| By John Hanc
Declassified records and journals to be released in coming decades will shed new light on pivotal 20th-century figures and events
August 2010
| By Mark Strauss
From the first issue 40 years ago, Smithsonian has blazed its own path through the media landscape
August 2010
| By Carey Winfrey
Passing as a white man traveling with his servant, two slaves fled their masters in a thrilling tale of deception and intrigue
June 17, 2010
| By Marian Smith Holmes
It's not just Kentucky Derby winners that are buried with great honor
April 28, 2010
| By Robin T. Reid
Frustrated by the segregated shoreline, black residents stormed the beaches and survived brutal attacks on "Bloody Sunday"
April 20, 2010
| By Matthew Pitt
Prohibition couldn't have happened without Wheeler, who foisted temperance on a thirsty nation 90 years ago
May 2010
| By Daniel Okrent
Frances Benjamin Johnston's self-portraits show a woman was never content playing just one role
May 2010
| By Victoria Olsen
Outside of Philadelphia, America's first botanical garden once supplied seeds to Founding Fathers and continues to inspire plant-lovers today
April 13, 2010
| By Robin T. Reid
The night of the assassination, Lincoln's bodyguard snuck off to drink in the same saloon as John Wilkes Booth
April 08, 2010
| By Paul Martin
In 1957, Mexico’s scrawny players overcame the odds to become the first foreign team to win the Little League World Series
April 06, 2010
| By Jim Morrison
Theaters and other architectural gems lined Hollywood's famous boulevards during its Golden Age and now hold restored star appeal
March 01, 2010
| By Laura Kiniry
Using government documents, author Angela Walton-Raji traced her ancestors to the slaves owned by American Indians
February 17, 2010
| By Katy June-Friesen
While practicing law in Springfield, Illinois, Abraham Lincoln defended a man in a highly unusual case and later recounted the mystery as a short story
February 10, 2010
| By Laura Helmuth
As invading British troops approached in August 1814, the first lady coolly took command of the White House
March 2010
| By Thomas Fleming
Travel pushes us. Home pulls
May 2012
| By Michael Caruso
What Really Happened on Those Thirteen Fateful Days in October
October 2002
| By Max Frankel
And an opportunity for re-examination
April 2011
| By Carey Winfrey
Advertisement
National Treasures
The stories behind famous objects from the Smithsonian's collection
The stories behind famous objects from the Smithsonian's collection
The Tucker Was the 1940s Car of the Future
The World’s Most Famous Filing Cabinet
The Tacky History of the Pink Flamingo
View All National Treasures»
Document Deep Dives
A close look at documents that changed history
A close look at documents that changed history
Document Deep Dive: What Was on the First SAT?
Harry Truman’s Adorable Love “List” to His Wife, Bess
Document Deep Dive: Rosa Parks’ Arrest Records
View All Document Deep Dives»
Follow Us
 |
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Travel with Smithsonian
Marketplace
|
Stars and Stripes ThrowOur exclusive Stars and Stripes Throw is a three-layer adaption of the 1861 “Stars and Stripes” quilt... $65 |
|
Window ShoppingGifts, Gadgets and Great Finds! |
Smithsonian Magazine for iPad
Get the full content of Smithsonian magazine, plus exclusive extras on our iPad edition.
