On the Hunt for Jefferson's Lost Books
A Library of Congress curator is on a worldwide mission to find exact copies of the books that belonged to Thomas Jefferson
August 11, 2009 |
By Ashley Luthern
Ben Franklin: Patriot, Foodie
American patriot Benjamin Franklin was a fan of food and helped France change their opinion on potatoes
July 02, 2009 |
By Smithsonian.com
Revisiting the First Ladies’ Homes
The oft-overlooked lives of America's first ladies are on display in house museums across the country
June 30, 2009 |
By Robin T. Reid
What’s the Deal about New Deal Art?
As the first of the New Deal acts that funded public art projects with federal money, the PWAP produced more than 15,000 works of art in just six months
May 19, 2009 |
By David A. Taylor
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Portrait Unveiled
At the National Portrait Gallery, artist David Lenz pays tribute to a champion for the intellectually disabled
May 11, 2009 |
By Barbara Sanford
Ka’iulani: Hawaii’s Island Rose
In a brief life filled with loss, Princess Ka’iulani established her legacy
May 08, 2009 |
By Janet Hulstrand
Genghis Khan’s Treasures
Beneath the ruins of Genghis Khan’s capital city in Central Asia, archaeologists discovered artifacts from cultures near and far
March 25, 2009 |
By Abigail Tucker
Lincoln's Pocket Watch Reveals Long-Hidden Message
The Smithsonian opens one of its prized artifacts and a story unfolds
March 11, 2009 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
Saving the Jews of Nazi France
As Jews in France tried to flee the Nazi occupation, Harry Bingham, an American diplomat, sped them to safety
March 2009 |
By Peter Eisner
Lincoln's Contested Legacy
Great Emancipator or unreconstructed racist? Each generation evokes a different Lincoln. But who was our sixteenth president?
February 2009 |
By Philip B. Kunhardt III
The Freedom Riders, Then and Now
Fighting racial segregation in the South, these activists were beaten and arrested. Where are they now, nearly fifty years later?
February 2009 |
By Marian Smith Holmes
How Lincoln and Darwin Shaped the Modern World
Born on the same day, Lincoln and Darwin would forever influence how people think about the modern world
February 2009 |
By Adam Gopnik
Darwin on Lincoln and Vice Versa
Two of the world’s greatest modern thinkers are much celebrated, but what did they know of one another?
January 22, 2009 |
By Laura Helmuth, Mark Strauss and Terence Monmaney
The White House’s First Celebrity Dog
Bo, the Obama’s First Pooch, has a legacy to live up to in Laddie Boy, the family pet of President Harding
January 22, 2009 |
By Diane Tedeschi
Shepard Fairey: The Artist Behind the Obama Portrait
A portrait created by a graphic designer ended up becoming the icon for the Obama campaign and an international phenomenon
January 14, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Indians on the Inaugural March
At the invitation of Theodore Roosevelt, six Indian chiefs marched in his inaugural parade as representatives of their tribes
January 14, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
After an Inauguration, the Stars Come out to Play
Ever since George Washington danced after his inauguration, the ceremony has brought big names in the arts to the capital city
January 13, 2009 |
By Katy June-Friesen
One Woman's Journey to Save Child Slaves
Former child prostitute Somaly Mam has made it her mission to rescue victims of sex slavery throughout the world
January 12, 2009 |
By Anika Gupta
Behind Inaugural Speeches, Meaningful Words
What words do presidents focus on most in their inaugural addresses? Explore speeches, from Washington to Obama
January 05, 2009 |
By Mark Strauss and Brian Wolly
Frost, Nixon and Me
Author James Reston Jr. discovers firsthand what is gained and lost when history is turned into entertainment
January 2009 |
By James Reston Jr.


