Modern Historic Eras
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Rethinking Jamestown
America's first permanent colonists have long been considered lazy and incompetent. But new evidence suggests that it was a prolonged drought—not indolence—that almost did them in
January 2005 |
By Jeffery L. Sheler
Dangerous Liaisons
Severe cold and fraternizing with the Mandan keep Meriwether Lewis' doctoring in demand
January 2005 |
By Smithsonian magazine
The Vikings: A Memorable Visit to America
Exploring the New World a thousand years ago, a Viking woman gave birth to what is likely the first European-American baby. The discovery of the house the family built upon their return to Iceland has scholars rethinking the Norse sagas
December 2004 |
By Eugene Linden
Off the Charts
Going where few cartographers have gone before, the expedition members hope to find a river that will carry them all the way to the Pacific Ocean
April 2004 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Osage Oranges Take a Bough
The first shipment of botanical specimens sent to President Jefferson contained the seeds of thousands of miles of fences
March 2004 |
By Smithsonian magazine
A Sumpcious Dinner
William Clark—a better explorer than speller—tells his older brother of the impending transfer of the Louisiana Territory to the United States
February 2004 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Looking For a Few Good Men
While the budding Corps of Discovery plans the expedition near St. Louis, William Clark grades the recruits
January 2004 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Meriwether Lewis Gets His Marching Orders
Jefferson spells out the mission
December 2003 |
By Smithsonian magazine
Why Lewis and Clark Matter
Amid all the hoopla, it's easy to lose sight of the expedition's true significance
August 2003 |
By James P. Ronda
How the Louisiana Purchase Changed the World
When Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, he altered the shape of a nation and the course of history
April 2003 |
By Joseph Harriss
Iron Will
While William Clark is best known for the expedition he made with Meriwether Lewis, his later life was as historic and more consequential
August 2002 |
By Landon Y. Jones
Washington Slept Here
A look at the first president's "best bed" leads to a recollection of the real man and his exemplary life
December 1999 |
By Timothy Foote
Turning Water to Gold
Confronted with a hill full of gold, miners removed the hill and the gold and left a mess behind
August 1999 |
By Edwin Kiester, Jr
A Metal Far From Base
A tiny flake started the rush to California, but where gold is concerned, that isn't the half of it
July 1998 |
By Jan Adkins
