American History
Weekend Events January 13-15: Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday, To the Mountaintop and Native Dance
This weekend, celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr, honor his work with a reading of his most powerful speeches, and enjoy a pow-wow dance and drum performance by St. Labre Indian School students.
January 13, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
The Civil War in Black and White
A collection of historic front pages shows how civilians experienced and read about the war
January 10, 2012 |
By Jeanne Maglaty
How Samuel Morse Got His Big Idea
On this day in 1838, Samuel Morse publicly demonstrated his telegraph for the first time. But how did he get the idea in the first place?
January 06, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Weekend Events Jan 6-8: “This is Not a Film,” Stamps, Masterworks of Three Centuries
This weekend, watch an Iranian film, attend a stamp collecting workshop or listen to eclectic Baroque chamber music
January 05, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Weekend Events Dec. 30-Jan 1: Treasures at the Museum, Flights of Fancy, and Last Day of ZooLights
This New Year's weekend, meet a children's book author and archivist, come to aviation story time, and catch ZooLights before it's over
December 30, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
From the Collections, Sound Recordings Heard for the First Time
The National Museum of American History recovers sound from recordings that have been silenced for over a century
December 14, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
The Midday Ride of Paul Revere
Longfellow made the patriot’s ride to Lexington legendary, but the story of Revere’s earlier trip to Portsmouth deserves to be retold as well
December 12, 2011 |
By Christopher Klein
Herman Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine
On this day in 1888, the groundbreaking tabulator machine was installed in a government office for the first time
December 09, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Unknown Contributions of Brits in the American Civil War
Historian Amanda Foreman discusses how British citizens took part in the war between the Union and the Confederacy
December 09, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Unflinching Portraits of Pearl Harbor Survivors
Seventy years after the day that lives on in infamy, the soldiers stationed at Pearl Harbor recall their experiences
December 05, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Preparing for a New River
Klallam tribal members make plans for holy ancestral sites to resurface after the unparalleled removal of nearby dams
December 2011 |
By Abigail Tucker
The Sentimental Ballad of the Civil War
Forget “Dixie,” it was one New Yorker’s “Home Sweet Home” that was the song most beloved by Union and Confederate soldiers
November 30, 2011 |
By John Hanc
The Monuments That Were Never Built
In a new exhibit at the National Building Museum, imagine Washington D.C. as it could have been
November 23, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
The Story Behind Plymouth Rock
Curator Larry Bird weighs in on the significance of Plymouth Rock—and the two pieces the National Museum of American History has in its collection
November 22, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Events Nov. 21-24: For All the World To See, Forensics Lab, Beyond Blackface and Thanksgiving
This week, get a guided tour of a fascinating exhibit, experiment in an interactive forensics lab, hear from a noted author and celebrate Thanksgiving
November 21, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
What Was on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving?
The history of the holiday meal tells us that turkey was always the centerpiece, but other courses have since disappeared
November 21, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Sandford Fleming Sets the World’s Clock
On this day in 1883, the railroads adopted a plan for standardized time zones. It all started when one man missed his train
November 18, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Essentials: Five Books on Thomas Jefferson
A Jefferson expert provides a list of indispensable reads about the founding father
November 08, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
The Civil War 150 Years: Solomon Conn’s Violin Diary
A soldier's violin becomes a record of his war-time travels
November 03, 2011 |
By Joseph Stromberg
The Tuskegee Airmen Plane's Last Flight
The final voyage of a World War II biplane evokes the exploits of the legendary fighting force
November 2011 |
By Owen Edwards
