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“I try not to claim that Washington definitely countenanced” the burning of New York City, says historian Benjamin L. Carp. “However, I do think the evidence is suggestive.”

Untold Stories of American History

Did George Washington Order Rebels to Burn New York City in 1776?

A new book points out that the general was happy when the city burned and expressed regret that more of it was not destroyed during the fire

The sale is by far the largest, and certainly most significant, auction of Hawthorne papers in history.

You Could Own Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Handwritten Notes on ‘The Scarlet Letter’

Enjoy an exclusive preview of an auction of the novelist’s papers, which feature rarely seen edits and atrocious penmanship

A generation told not to trust anyone over 30 nevertheless adored Vonnegut.

Kurt Vonnegut’s Advice to College Graduates Is Still Relevant

To his adoring young fans in the 1960s and ‘70s, the anti-establishment novelist was the father they wished they had

In 1935, Josephine Herbst was, in the words of biographer Elinor Langer, “a leading lady” of the country’s radical left.

Women Who Shaped History

How Josephine Herbst, ‘Leading Lady’ of the Left, Chronicled the Rise of Fascism

During the interwar years, the American journalist reported on political unrest in Cuba, Germany and Spain

In this page from Confessionario En lengua Castellana y Timuquana Con algunos consejos para animar al penitente (Confessions in the Castilian and Timucua Language, with some tips to encourage the penitent.), Spanish is at left and the translation of Timucua is at right.

With Their Knowledge Combined, Two Scholars Are Deciphering a Long-Lost Native Language

A historian and a linguist, working together, revealed new truths about the relationship between Spanish colonizers and the Timucua people

Georgina Schuyler’s campaign to include Emma Lazarus’ poem on the statue was a retort to nativism.

Women Who Shaped History

The Woman Who Saved the Statue of Liberty

Georgina Schuyler campaigned for Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” to be inscribed on a plaque in the monument’s pedestal

Elizabeth II's 1953 coronation portrait

History of Now

A Not-So-Brief History of British Coronations

Ahead of Charles III’s ceremony, here’s what you need to know about the origins and evolution of the centuries-old tradition

L to R: Abby Ryder Fortson, Amari Price, Elle Graham and Katherine Kupferer in the film adaptation of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Women Who Shaped History

How Judy Blume Redefined Girlhood

The first movie adaptation of “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret” arrives in theaters today

Interest in gold prospecting is growing across the country as the value of gold rises.

Five Places Where You Can Still Find Gold in the United States

Lucky for you, these gold rush hot spots have not yet run their mining course

A lithograph of the 1870 Great Mississippi Steamboat Race

When Deadly Steamboat Races Enthralled America

In July 1852, the “Henry Clay” caught fire during a contest on the Hudson River, killing an estimated 80 people

Tillie Black Bear accepts congratulations from President Bill Clinton after receiving the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award in December 2000.

Women Who Shaped History

Tillie Black Bear Was the Grandmother of the Anti-Domestic Violence Movement

The Lakota advocate helped thousands of domestic abuse survivors, Native and non-Native alike

Helen Gibson once remarked, “I certainly do get angry when I hear someone say, ‘I bet she didn’t do that herself.’”

Women Who Shaped History

Hollywood’s First Professional Stuntwoman Jumped From Planes and Swung Onto Trains

Dubbed “the most daring actress in pictures,” Helen Gibson rose to fame in the 1910s

Now available is the Biography of a Phantom: A Robert Johnson Blues Odyssey by Robert "Mack" McCormick (above center with Spider Kilpatrick, c. 1960), and this summer, the much-anticipated book is complemented by an exhibit at the National Museum of American History, a box CD set from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings and a concert celebration at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall.

Legendary Bluesman Robert Johnson Had Demons. So Did His Biographer

The long-awaited “Biography of a Phantom” unravels some of the mystery and intrigue

Of the roughly 750 First Folios printed, at least 235 known copies survive today.

Without the First Folio, Half of Shakespeare’s Plays Would Have Been Lost to History

The 400-year-old text presented the Bard’s plays as serious literature, muddling the boundaries between popular culture and high art

Peter J. Ortiz receives the first of the two Navy Crosses he was awarded for extraordinary heroism during World War II.

The American Spy Who Surrendered to the Nazis to Save Civilians

In 1944, Pierre Julien Ortiz parachuted into occupied France, where the Gestapo offered a reward of half a million francs for his capture

Americans will have a few extra days to file their taxes this year.

Why Is Tax Day in April?

These are the reasons behind the timing of many Americans’ least favorite holiday

The heist seemed like a mystery that would never be solved—until a deathbed confession by a career criminal led to the recovery of almost all of the missing timepieces.

The Time Thief Who Stole 106 Rare Clocks in a Daring Heist

Authorities eventually recovered 96 of the lost timepieces, including a $30 million watch commissioned for Marie Antoinette

Darcelle XV, Portland, Oregon, 2019

LGBTQ+ Pride

The 92-Year-Old Queen Who Shaped the History and Future of Drag

Darcelle XV, the world’s oldest performing drag queen, died in March, but her spirit will live on

A hand-colored 1892 print of the Battle of Fort Pillow

At Fort Pillow, Confederates Massacred Black Soldiers After They Surrendered

Targeted even when unarmed, around 70 percent of the Black Union troops who fought in the 1864 battle died as a result of the clash

Tens of thousands of people in the United States may be connected to this album, which museum officials say offers an "unprecedented opportunity for people of mixed heritage, especially, to access never-before-seen ancestral portraits."

Find Out If Your Ancestor Is Among These 19th-Century Silhouettes in This Newly Digitized Collection

The itinerant artist William Bache’s portraits are contaminated by arsenic, but now the National Portrait Gallery offers easy access

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