American History

Commemorate the War of 1812 With These Bicentennial Events

Gain new insight into the events of 1814 by attending these reenactments, concerts, walking tours and meals

In 1794, President Washington commissioned a wampum belt for the Canandaigua Treaty

Illuminating the Treaties That Have Governed U.S.-Indian Relationships

These documents were both a cause and a salve for the fraught relations between the United States and Indian Nations

An undated wash drawing depicts the burning of Washington, DC, in August of 1814.

Your Guide to the Three Weeks of 1814 That We Today Call the War of 1812

From the burning of Washington to the siege of Baltimore, what happened in those late summer days?

Tuberculosis Probably Hitched A Ride To America on Seals

A new study finds that TB is not only younger than we thought, but it also spread in weird ways

If there had been Academy Awards in the mid-1920s, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s The Big Parade produced by Irving Thalberg, directed by King Vidor, and starring John Gilbert and Renée Adorée, would have swept the prizes.

The Blockbuster World War I Film that Brought Home the Traumatic Impact of War

The blockbuster silent film <em>The Big Parade</em> is among the first to explore the psychological trauma of war

The creators of "Will & Grace" donated the pilot script and other items from the show to the National Museum of American History.

A Proud Day at American History Museum as LGBT Artifacts Enter the Collections

The creators of "Will & Grace" and others donated objects related to gay history

David Graham, rear, with John Tee-Van, front, with one of the young pandas.

How an American Missionary Helped Capture the First Panda Given to the U.S.

"Missionaries sometimes have to tackle strange and unusual jobs," David Graham wrote.

America’s Tumbleweeds Are Actually Russian Invaders

Some say the tumbleweed's takeover of the American West was the most aggressive weed invasion in our country's history

William James Aylward depicted a soldier looking down at the grave of his bunk mate in His Bunkie..

This Riveting Art From the Front Lines of World War I Has Gone Largely Unseen for Decades

During WWI, the War Department sent American artists to Europe. The Smithsonian recently digitized the captivating artwork

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Why Do Secretaries of State Make Such Terrible Presidential Candidates?

Before the Civil War, the cabinet position was considered a stepping stone to the Chief Executive; now, not so much

Why Is Anyone Opposed to Reintroducing American Bison to the Wild?

The government wants to release some of Yellowstone's bison to the wild

The Enola Gay crew (Van Kirk is standing, second from left).

The Last Crew Member Who Dropped the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima Died

Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk said he never regretted his involvement in the bombing

A Royal Naval Air Service Bristol Scout D during a reconnaissance mission over the Western Front, February 1916. One of the first British single-seat fighter aircraft, the Bristol D was developed primarily for scouting. It was fast and maneuverable. The aircraft above was based on the HMS Vindex, a Royal Navy seaplane carrier operating in the North Sea.

World War I Special Report

Remembering the Great War and how we're still living through its legacy today

Teamwork Builds Ships, ca. 1918, William Dodge Stevens

The Posters That Sold World War I to the American Public

A vehemently isolationist nation needed enticement to join the European war effort. These advertisements were part of the campaign to do just that

Giant pandas Hsing-Hsing (left) and Ling-Ling frolic at the National Zoological Park near Washington, DC. Photo circa 1974.

Don't Worry Mr. Nixon, the National Zoo's Pandas Figured Out How to Have Sex

President Nixon wanted to make sure Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing had enough time to "learn the ropes"

The Fort William Henry Museum and Restoration in New York

Archaeologists Are Excavating the Battleground that Inspired 'The Last of the Mohicans'

For these students, archaeology field school is taking place on a very famous battlefield

Who Has the Best Facial Hair in Baseball History?

As long as there have been home runs and strike outs, ballplayers, even some Yankees, have sported mustaches, beards and side burns

Along I-95, 5,000 Years of History

Archaeological excavations along I-95 are digging up the past

Shoreline near Cape Canaveral

Archaeologists Are Hunting for the Lost French Fleet That Nearly Conquered Spanish Florida

In 1565 a fleet of French ships was destroyed in a hurricane, effectively ending France's hopes of territory in Florida

Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong (L) and Buzz Aldrin prepare for an EVA training session, watched by Deke Slayton (R) in this undated handout photo courtesy of NASA.

What Does It Feel Like to Be Told You’ll Be the First Man on the Moon?

A new book describes the conversation when NASA boss Deke Slayton told Neil Armstrong he would lead Apollo 11

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