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National Museum of American History

Three cards where visitors left handwritten messages invoking girl power. One card reads: “you think we're not good enough but we're just to [sic] good for you, girl power.”

What Does 'Girl Power' Really Mean?

We asked our visitors to talk back about what it means to be a girl

Engraved cooking pan

Fall in Love With These October Events

Chilly weather got you down? Step inside and experience food history, fast cars, beer tasting, chamber music, and more this October!

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Meet the Titans of Jazz

We're here to help you put jazz history's names and faces together—and just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month

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Ella at the Gala

The Ella Fitzgerald Papers reveal a surprising connection between Fitzgerald and the Kennedy Inauguration

Museum visitors participate in a flag folding while singing (or humming) the anthem (NMAH)

Why is the National Anthem So Hard to Sing?

If people whose livelihood is singing can't do it, what are the untrained to do?

The first stanza of the national anthem is projected prominently on the wall above the Star-Spangled Banner in the museum. (NMAH)

Why is There a Question Mark at the End of the National Anthem?

When we sing the anthem, we don't end it questioningly, but with a firm, declarative (sometimes over-warbled) note

Norman Granz and Ella Fitzgerald at a microphone, 1950. (Ella Fitzerald Papers, NMAH Archives Center)

How Norman Granz Revolutionized Jazz for Social Justice

Granz fought Jim Crow America, identifying the potential of jazz music to combat racial inequality.

This 1989 custom-made guitar was designed by Prince and constructed by a small company, Knut-Koupee Enterprises, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (NMAH)

Five of the Most Intriguing Electric Guitars at the National Museum of American History

Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month this April with a look at five of the most exciting electric guitars at the National Museum of American History.

Photograph for a Coca-Cola ad featuring Selena, 1994. Photo by Al Rendon. (NMAH)

How Do We Remember Selena?

Three women on the National Museum of American History staff share their personal connections with Selena and discuss why her legacy matters not just to them but to many Americans.

Rendon working on a photoshoot with Selena, 1994. Photo courtesy of Rick Tolar. (NMAH)

How an Advertising Photographer Created Some of the Most Iconic Images of Selena

Who wouldn't want to share a Coke with Selena?

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