American Presidents
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How Thomas Jefferson Created His Own Bible
Thanks to an extensive restoration process, the public can now see how Jefferson created his own version of the Scripture
January 2012 |
By Owen Edwards
Frozen in Place: December 1861
President Lincoln addresses the State of the Union and grows impatient with General McClellan
December 2011 |
By David Zax
Thomas Jefferson: A Great American Thinker
The author of the Declaration of Independence remains one of the most debated presidents in United States history
November 10, 2011 |
By Smithsonian.com
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
November 1861: Flare Ups in the Chain of Command
As Union generals came and left, personalities clashed and Southern farmers set fire to their fields
November 2011 |
By David Zax
Secretary Clough on Jefferson's Bible
The head of the Smithsonian Institution details the efforts American History Museum conservators took to repair the artifact
October 2011 |
By G. Wayne Clough
Founding Fathers, Great Gardeners
In her new book, Andrea Wulf argues that the founding fathers' love of gardening shaped their vision of America
August 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Ask an Expert: What Did Abraham Lincoln’s Voice Sound Like?
Civil War scholar Harold Holzer helps to decode what spectators heard when the 16th president spoke
June 07, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Documenting the Death of an Assassin
In 1865, a single photograph was taken during the autopsy of John Wilkes
Booth. Where is it now?
May 06, 2011 |
By Ashley Luthern
The Death of Colonel Ellsworth
The first Union officer killed in the Civil War was a friend of President Lincoln's
April 2011 |
By Owen Edwards
Ronald Reagan and Moammar Qadhafi
Twenty-five years ago, President Reagan minced no words when he talked about the Libyan dictator
March 02, 2011 |
By T.A. Frail
The Cherokees vs. Andrew Jackson
John Ross and Major Ridge tried diplomatic and legal strategies to maintain autonomy, but the new president had other plans
March 2011 |
By Brian Hicks
George Washington: The Reluctant President
It seemed as if everyone rejoiced at the election of our first chief executive except the man himself
February 2011 |
By Ron Chernow
The Legend of Lincoln's Fence Rail
Even Honest Abe needed a symbol to sum up his humble origins
February 2011 |
By Owen Edwards
Power and the Presidency, From Kennedy to Obama
For the past 50 years, the commander in chief has steadily expanded presidential power, particularly in foreign policy
January 2011 |
By Robert Dallek
When Elvis Met Nixon
Forty years ago, an Oval Office photograph captured the bizarre encounter between the king of rock and roll and the president
December 2010 |
By Peter Carlson
George Washington and His Maps
In his journey from surveyor to soldier to leader, our first president used cartography to get a feel for the young nation
November 16, 2010 |
By John Hanc
From Election to Sumter: How the Union Fell Apart
Historian Adam Goodheart discusses the tumultuous period between Lincoln’s election and the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter
November 15, 2010 |
By Brian Wolly
Remembering PT-109
A carved walking stick evokes ship commander John F. Kennedy's dramatic rescue at sea
November 2010 |
By Owen Edwards
Debating on Television: Then and Now
Kennedy and Nixon squared off in the first televised presidential debate 50 years ago and politics have never been the same
September 14, 2010 |
By W. Barksdale Maynard
