American History

California Governor Jerry Brown

California Bans ‘Cure The Gays’ Therapy

In California, it's no longer legal to try to cure homosexual youth

“I’d come back from an op and couldn’t wait for what happens next,” says Douglas Groat (shown in a reenactment with tools of the trade).

The CIA Burglar Who Went Rogue

Douglas Groat thought he understood the risks of his job—until he took on his own employer

At the gravesite of Mercy Lena Brown, right, sightseers leave offerings such as plastic vampire teeth and jewelry.

The Great New England Vampire Panic

Two hundred years after the Salem witch trials, farmers became convinced that their relatives were returning from the grave to feed on the living

Dr. Lewis Fielding’s File Cabinet.

The World’s Most Famous Filing Cabinet

After Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers, the notorious Plumbers broke into his psychiatrist's office, looking for a way to discredit him

"It's possible my natural level is in the Senate," John F. Kennedy said—but then he won the 1960 election. As president, he and his wife hosted Ben and Tony Bradlee (left and third from left) at the White House.

Kennedy After Dark: A Dinner Party About Politics and Power

In this exclusive transcript from the JFK library, hear what he had to say just days after announcing his candidacy for the presidency

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The Regular Referees Are Back So We Can Start Hating Them Again

The regular N.F.L. referees have reached a deal and will return to officiating American's favorite contact sport

Clotilde Arias in 1942 with the Argentine composer Terrig Tucci

At American History, Meet the Composer of the Spanish Language National Anthem

From the Amazon River Basin to Madison Avenue, the woman behind the Spanish translation of the Star-Spangled Banner united the Americas

A toothbrush floats in the International Space Station.

It’s Now Legal for Early American Astronauts to Sell Their Space Toothbrushes

A new law lays out the details of who owns souvenirs from the early space era

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Your State Border Might Not Be Where You Think

The boundaries of your state might not be as solid as you imagined

High School Students Hit a Forty Year Low on the SAT Reading Section

Over 50 percent of test takers scored below the level that would indicate college success, and scores from every racial group but one (Asian) declined

Are Science Museums Going Extinct?

Will science museums survive when the topics they cover are invisible or impossibly far away?

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Here’s What Space Shuttle Endeavour Looked at While You Looked at Space Shuttle Endeavour

Here's what Endeavour saw during its #Spottheshuttle tour

America’s Issues with Voter Turnout Stretch Back More Than 200 Years

Since before the Revolutionary War, America has struggled with low voter turnout

Lunch Atop a Skyscraper Photograph: The Story Behind the Famous Shot

For 80 years, the 11 ironworkers in the iconic photo have remained unknown, and now, thanks to new research, two of them have been identified

The Smithsonian’s examination of the Civil War at its 150th anniversary continues with a new exhibit of 3-D photography at the Castle.

Civil War Photography Gets 3-D Treatment in New Exhibit at the Castle

Battlefields come to life using the stereoview technology developed on the eve of the Civil War

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Who Really Has Six Percent Body Fat Anyway?

Paul Ryan shouldn't be ashamed of his body fat, it's probably lower than the average male, but it's definitely not six percent

No question is too small or too big for our nation’s curators.

Ask a Curator Day Brings the Experts to You

On September 19, experts from around the world, including the Smithsonian, will be waiting for your questions

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What’s the Deal With the NFL’s Replacement Referees?

Here's what you need to know about how and why the NFL has turned to replacement referees during contract negotiations

This weekend families can help create saw-dust carpets, a 400-year-old tradition in Guatemala, where everyone lends a hand to create colorful works of art.

¡It’s Dia de la Familia at American History!

Joann Stevens from the American History Museum looks to Saturday's grooving festivities, marking a month of programming for Hispanic Heritage Month

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Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ Nails the President’s Surprising, High Voice

For his new movie role as Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis obviously did his homework

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