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History

[ 1942 Harley-Davidson ] 
National Museum of American History

Wild Thing

For 100 years, Harleys have fueled our road-warrior fantasies

In the summer of 1776, Franklin (left, seated with Adams in a c. 1921 painting) advised Jefferson on the drafting of the nation's founding document.

Benjamin Franklin Joins the Revolution

Returning to Philadelphia from England in 1775, the “wisest American” kept his political leanings to himself. But not for long

At the 2002 U.S. Chess Championship, the first in which men and women competed together, Shahade (left, losing to Alexander Stripunsky) took the women's title.

Chess Queen

At 22, Jennifer Shahade is the strongest American-born woman chess player ever

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Heroes of the Underground Railroad

A groundbreaking chronicle sheds new light on one of the most dramatic chapters in American history

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Matters of Time

Everything old is news again

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Ruling the Roost

Before the advent of factory farms and supermarkets, the self-made kings of New York City’s butter and egg trade lived extra large

In 1874, an earlier traveler, photographer William Henry Jackson, captured an image of an Anasazi cliff dwelling.

Riddles of the Anasazi

What awful event forced the Anasazi to flee their homeland, never to return?

Lee's father, Maj. Gen. "Light-Horse Harry" Lee fought in the Revolutionary War.

The Civil War

Making Sense of Robert E. Lee

“It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.”— Robert E. Lee, at Fredericksburg

The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt

Egypt’s Crowning Glory

New Kingdom customs rise triumphantly from the dead in “The Quest for Immortality,” a dazzling display of treasures from the tombs of the pharaohs

Keeping our valuable collections (Chinese ivory) from risk.

Curiosities and Wonders

Where do you put all those treasures?

NaNa dune, named after the Beach Lady

Beach Lady

MaVynee Betsch wants to memorialize a haven for African-Americans in the time of Jim Crow

Capitol Discovery

Senate staffers come across a historic treasure in a dusty storage room

Helen Thomas' press passes

On the Legacy of Helen Thomas

The White House correspondent’s career as a journalist spanned ten presidencies and was marked by an unwavering dedication to the truth

The original Ishtar Gate (left, a 1980s replica) was moved to Berlin in 1903. It was built in 572 B.C.; both Nebuchadnezzar II and the prophet Daniel would have walked through it.

Saving Iraq’s Treasures

As archaeologists worldwide help recover looted artifacts, they worry for the safety of the great sites of early civilization

The "Rainbow Portrait" of Queen Elizabeth I, painted in the early 17th century.

Reign On!

Four centuries after her death, Good Queen Bess still draws crowds. A regal rash of exhibitions and books examines her life anew

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Iraq’s Unruly Century

Ever since Britain carved the nation out of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, the land long known as Mesopotamia has been wracked by instability

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Torn Asunder

Enslaved Africans endured the largest forced migration in history

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YES DISASTROUS TIMES

Our unusually far-flung correspondents report

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Winter of Discontent

Even as he endured the hardships of Valley Forge, George Washington faced another challenge: critics who questioned his fitness to lead

Vancouver firemen turning out for a fire alarm

April Anniversaries

Momentous or merely memorable

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