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History

Because donkeys definitely belong on Valentine's Day cards.

Nothing Says ‘I Hate You’ Like a ‘Vinegar Valentine’

For at least a century, Valentine’s Day was used as an excuse to send mean, insulting cards

When Charles Sumner spoke out against slavery in 1856, he incurred the violent wrath of congressman Preston Brooks.

History of Now

In the Congressional Fight Over Slavery, Decorum Went Out the Door

Amid today’s dissent over proper Senate behavior, take a look back at when an assault in the Senate divided the nation

A bicyclist rides by the destroyed old mosque and tomb of Nabi Jerjis, also known as Saint George, in central Mosul in July 2014.

Commentary

Why We Need to Fight to Save Mosul’s Cultural Heritage

As the battle to save Iraq from ISIS continues, Smithsonian experts are helping local people preserve their history

The “Scandalous” Quarter Protest That Wasn’t

Were Americans really so outraged by a semi-topless Lady Liberty that the U.S. Mint had to censor this coin?

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield

The Soprano Who Upended Americans’ Racist Stereotypes About Who Could Sing Opera

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was in many ways the nation’s first black pop star

At the height of their popularity in the 1950s, children's coonskin caps like this one from the Smithsonian collections, sold at the rate of 5,000 per day.

The Invention of Vintage Clothing

It all began with the Davy Crockett coonskin hat craze and a bunch of Bohemians yearning to swathe themselves in decades-old fur

From left: Roger White, curator; John Gray, director, Rose Miller, Leonard W. Miller, Jane Rogers, curator and Leonard T. Miller

How One Black Family Drove an Auto Racing Association to the Winner’s Circle

A new collection at the National Museum of American History reveals the untold story

The gravestone of a former slave

Found in the Remains of a Former Gilded Age Mansion, an Ancient Roman Artifact Reveals Its Secrets

Bridging three periods of income inequality, the gravestone of a former slave finds a new home

How the Passport Became an Improbable Symbol of American Identity

The idea of having documents to cross borders is ancient, but when it became popularized in the U.S., it caused quite the stir

History of Now

Muslims Were Banned From the Americas as Early as the 16th Century

Long before today’s anxiety about terror attacks, Spain and England feared that enslaved Africans would be more susceptible to revolt if they were Muslim

Immigrants outside a building on Ellis Island, circa 1900.

History of Now

Literacy Tests and Asian Exclusion Were the Hallmarks of the 1917 Immigration Act

One hundred years ago, the U.S. Congress decided that there needed to be severe limits on who was coming into the country

Detail from the stela of Mentuwoser, c. 1955 B.C., shows the steward preparing for a feast.

Atlas of Eating

For Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, Life Was a Banquet, But the Afterlife Was the Greatest Feast of All

Life after death for the Ancient Egyptian elite included lots, and lots, of food

New England Patriots mascot Pat Patriot high-fives a minuteman after an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Oct. 16, 2014.

Super Bowl

Ten Fun Facts About the Original Patriots

The football team has only been around since 1960, but its mascot’s history stretches back to the country’s foundation

Emmett Till with his mother Mamie Till-Mobley, ca. 1950

What the Director of the African American History Museum Says About the New Emmett Till Revelations

Decades after his death, the wife of his murderer confesses she lied under oath

Italian-Americans were placed under suspicion when the United States entered World War II.

During World War II, the U.S. Saw Italian-Americans as a Threat to Homeland Security

The executive order that forced Japanese-Americans from their homes also put immigrants from Italy under the watchful eye of the government

The lunch counter interactive at the National Museum of African American History and Culture explores key moments in the struggle for Civil Rights.

Commentary

What Death Threats Against My Parents Taught Me About Taking a Stand

Family stories are an ideal way to explore themes like “where have I come from?” and “where am I going?”

President Dwight Eisenhower at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Feb. 2, 1956.

The History of the National Prayer Breakfast

The tradition began with President Eisenhower and has often been a place for the chief executive to talk about his faith

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