American History

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

14 Fun Facts About Fireworks

Number three: Fireworks are just chemical reactions

Visit These Iconic Forrest Gump Filming Locations

Unlike a box of chocolates, you can know what you're going to get with these places from Gump's epic life

Check out the Colonial Ties cocktail, or find a new favorite below.

Five All-American Cocktail Recipes from the Nation's Top Mixologists

Raise a glass this summer to America's vibrant cocktail history by whipping up some of these classic drinks

More than 1,200 newspapers serve ethnic communities across America. Current front pages from some of those publications are on display at the Newseum.

News For All: How the Immigrant Experience Shaped American Media

From Benjamin Franklin to Noticiero Univision, the Newseum discusses the profound influence of immigrants on modern news

Harry Rossoll, who drew a popular "Smokey Says" newspaper cartoon in the mid-1940s, modeled his sketches after the campaign hat he wore as a member of the United States Forest Service.

Before Pharrell, Smokey Bear Donned This Now-Trendy Hat As a Symbol of Fire Safety

This is the story of Smokey Bear's hat, and how it was lost—twice—before finally joining the collections at the Smithsonian

When Copy and Paste Reigned in the Age of Scrapbooking

Today’s obsession with posting material to Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter has a very American history

USS Constitution vs. HMS Guerriere by Thomas Birch, circa 1813

The British View the War of 1812 Quite Differently Than Americans Do

The star-spangled war confirmed independence for the United States. But for Great Britain, it was a betrayal

Springer Auditorium in Music Hall.

America's Most Endangered Historic Places

Here are the 11 endangered sites—including the prison where Solomon Northup was held—on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 2014 list

Plimoth Plantation, a recreation of what the Plymouth colony might have looked like

Archaeologists Are Trying To Figure Out Exactly Where Plymouth Was

A new excavation is looking into the location of the famous colony

Amelia Earhart and her plane

Another Amelia Earhart Is Trying to Fly Around the World

Amelia Earhart (no relation to Amelia Earhart) is trying to follow in her namesake's flight path

Ralph Lauren received the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal at the American History Museum, where Hillary Rodham Clinton honored his role in preserving the Star-Spangled Banner

Hillary Clinton Awards Ralph Lauren for Helping the 200-Year-Old Star-Spangled Banner See Another 200 Years

At a Naturalization ceremony held at the home of the famous flag, second generation American Ralph Lauren explained what the banner means to him

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

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