American History

The Gory New York City Riot that Shaped American Medicine

Back before medical school was a respected place to be, New Yorkers raised up in protest over the doctors’ preference for cadavers for study

Pittsburgh Is Struggling to Maintain Its 45,454 Public Steps

The city budget isn't enough to keep up with costly and logistically difficult repairs, so some stairways might come down

Lent by Department of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries. (L.4.122.2013_YOS.19_CDP-pub.tif)

These 1861 Photos Helped Convince Abraham Lincoln to Preserve Yosemite for the Public

Stanford University celebrates the National Park's 150th anniversary with some retro photos

Sacajawea guiding the expedition from Mandan through the Rocky Mountains. Painting by Alfred Russell.

Lewis and Clark Only Became Popular 50 Years Ago

For 150 years, the famous explorers were relatively unknown characters

As a child, Nicholas Alan Cope recalls hearing the national anthem at Orioles games in Baltimore, the song's hometown. As an adult, he rose to the challenge of photographing the icon itself.

These Artistic Interpretations of the Star-Spangled Banner Call Out the Inner Patriot

In paintings, photos, music, videos and poetry, contemporary artists intrepret the flag that bravely waved above Fort McHenry

Europe Has Its Own Bison Species That Came Back From the Brink of Extinction

Bison were just reintroduced into a stretch of Romania where they haven't been found for two centuries

Larry Kramer and his dog, Charley, in 2011.

Larry Kramer Waited 30 Years for His Play About the Early Years of AIDS to Be a Film

Kramer hopes "The Normal Heart" inspires a new generation of activists

Kayakers paddle along the roadway of the historic waterfront of Annapolis, following Hurricane Isabel. As much as four feet of water flooded the historic capital city.

Which of America's Most Precious Historical Sites Are Threatened By Climate Change?

A new report warns that rising sea levels could destroy many of the nation's important—and beloved—locations

In March 2012, shipwrights at the Mystic Seaport Museum replace planks in the hull of the Charles W. Morgan. The restoration of the ship required more than 50,000 board feet of live oak and other woods for framing, planking and other structural elements.

For the First Time in 93 Years, a 19th-Century Whaling Ship Sets Sail

Built in 1841, the Charles W. Morgan is plying the waters off New England this summer

Christopher Columbus' flagship, the Santa Maria, and his companion ships Pinta and the Nina approaching land. Undated Woodcut.

Wreckage of Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria Found off Haitian Coast (Maybe)

The Santa Maria ran aground off Haiti in 1492

Man posing with construction workers at the top of the Washington Monument. The first restoration of the Monument began in 1934 as a Depression-era public works project.

Historic Photos of Washington's Great Monuments, Memorials and Buildings Under Construction

Take a step back in time to see the building of some of D.C.'s most famous icons

Members of Coxey's Army, 1894

How a Ragtag Band of Reformers Organized the First Protest March on Washington, D.C.

The first March on Washington was a madcap affair, but in May of 1894, some 10,000 citizens descended on D.C., asking for a jobs bill

Women Fought in the Civil War Disguised As Men (And So Do Today's Re-enactors)

Some women dressed up as their husbands, or even fought alongside them

An overhead view of the 1964 World's Fair, showing the unisphere and surrounding pavilions.

The Story Behind the Failed Minstrel Show at the 1964 World's Fair

The integrated theatrical showcase had progressive ambitions but lasted only two performances

New to the collections: Actor Reeve Carney's red and blue spandex bodysuit, which he wore while starring in Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

'Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark' Suit Receives a Lifetime Encore at the American History Museum

After a two-year run on Broadway, the web-slinging stage show's iconic superhero costume is heading to the Smithsonian.

Sewer cover in Los Angeles

L.A. Needs Water, And for a Century, the "Mother Ditch" Supplied It

Built in 1781, the "Mother Ditch" supplied water to the early city

Elvis back stage after a show at the New Frontier Hotel

Elvis’ First Big Vegas Show Was a Total Flop

Playing to the middle-aged crowd at the New Frontier Hotel, Elvis' first Vegas show didn't go over so well

Wheelie

The Wheelie Was Invented in 1890

A stunt bicyclist named Daniel Canary claims to be the first person to master the trick

Skeletal remains being dug up at La Isabela, the first European settlement in the New World, founded by Christopher Columbus is 1493.

Scurvy Plagued Columbus' Crew, Even After the Sailors Left the Sea

Severe scurvy and malnutrition set the stage for the fall of La Isabela

Wooden letterpress type

New York Once Had an Entire District for Typography

Downtown New York used to have an entire neighborhood of type foundries, before they all disappeared

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