American Presidents
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A Journey to Obama’s Kenya
The dusty village where Barack Obama’s father was raised had high hopes after his son was elected president. What has happened since then?
May 2012 |
By Joshua Hammer
When the Country's Founding Father is Your Founding Father
The descendants of American presidents are the athletic trainers, lawyers, salesmen and executives of everyday life
February 17, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
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
The Legend of Lincoln's Fence Rail
Even Honest Abe needed a symbol to sum up his humble origins
February 2011 |
By Owen Edwards
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
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
From the Archives: A bizarre encounter between the president and the king of rock and roll
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
