Leaders
Historical and modern luminaries in business, politics, the military and exploration
How Lincoln Bested Douglas in Their Famous Debates
The 1858 debates reframed America's argument about slavery and transformed Lincoln into a presidential contender
September 2008 |
By Fergus M. Bordewich
Lincoln-Douglas Debate Negotiations
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas engaged in pre-debate negotiations in 1858.
September 01, 2008 |
By Smithsonian.com
Digging Up George Washington
Archaeologists continue to uncover more about the nation's first president
September 01, 2008 |
By Amanda Bensen
A Yankee in China
William Lindesay follows the trail of forgotten traveler, William Edgar Geil, the first man to traverse the Great Wall of China.
August 01, 2008 |
By Megan Gambino
Wonders and Whoppers
Following in Marco Polo's footsteps through Asia leads our intrepid author to some surprising conclusions
July 2008 |
By Mike Edwards
The First “Teflon” Hero
What July 4th, 1754 reveals about George Washington’s survival skills
June 2008 |
By Kenneth C. Davis
Betty Ford's Tabled Resolution
Betty Ford had a what-the-hell moment—and an accomplice in photographer David Hume Kennerly
June 2008 |
By William Booth
Interview with G. Wayne Clough
Smithsonian Institution's 12th Secretary discusses his new role, his distinguished career in education and his favorite artifact
May 01, 2008 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
Comrades and Arms
When Fidel Castro asked for a show of hands in support of his new policies, an American journalist captured the response
April 2008 |
By Guy Gugliotta
The Unmaking of the President
Lyndon Johnson believed that his withdrawal from the 1968 presidential campaign would free him to solidify his legacy
April 2008 |
By Clay Risen
Cixi: The Woman Behind the Throne
The concubine who became China’s last empress
March 01, 2008 |
By Amanda Bensen
The Lost Fort of Columbus
On his voyage to the Americas in 1492, the explorer built a small fort somewhere in the Caribbean
January 2008 |
By Frances Maclean
Revolutionary Real Estate
Statesmen, soldiers and spies who made America and the way they lived
December 2007 |
By Hugh Howard
Sitting Bull's Legacy
The Lakota Sioux leader's relics return to his only living descendants
October 31, 2007 |
By Jess Blumberg
Portrait of the Kennedys
Never-before-published photographs reveal a personal side to the first family
October 26, 2007 |
By Nicole Wroten
The Kennedys: Portrait of a Family
An excerpt from the new book by Shannon Thomas Perich
October 26, 2007 |
By Shannon Thomas Perich
Organizing Principal
In the South Bronx, Ramón Gonzalez gives a troubled middle school a kidcentric makeover
October 2007 |
By Paula Span
I, Lender
Software engineer Matt Flannery pioneers Internet microloans to the world's poor
October 2007 |
By Amy Crawford
Washington & Lafayette
Almost inseparable in wartime, the two generals split over a vital question: Should revolutionary ideals be imposed on others?
September 2007 |
By James R. Gaines
