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History / U.S. History

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The Forgotten General

Historians’ perspectives on George H. Thomas

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March Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

The Amazon loses 8,800 acres a day to "This army does not retreat," Gen. George H. Thomas famously asserted. Later in 1863, he rallied Union troops in the Battle of Chickamauga, in Georgia. His equanimity shows in a Civil War portrait, as it did in the heat of combat.

The Civil War

Catching Up With “Old Slow Trot”

Stubborn and deliberate, General George Henry Thomas was one of the Union’s most brilliant strategists. So why was he cheated by history?

Francine Prose

Against the Grain

Rebels by any name

The restored family home of First Lady Ida McKinley (wife of President William McKinley) became part of the National First Ladies' Library in 1998.

Remembering the Ladies

A new series of commemorative coins honors presidential spouses whose achievements have long been overlooked

Unveiled at a recent ceremony in Washington honoring Virginia Hall, this portrait will be added to the CIA's Fine Arts Collection. Painted by artist Jeff Bass, it shows her transmitting messages from occupied France using her suitcase radio. The painting was underwritten by a donation from attorney Robert Guggenhime.

WANTED: The Limping Lady

The intriguing and unexpected true story of America’s most heroic—and most dangerous—female spy

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February Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

In his picture of Y. A. Tittle, Morris Berman captured the vanquished warrior's bloody struggle. But the now-classic photograph wasn't even published at first.

Fallen Giant

“A whole lifetime was over,” legendary quarterback Y.A. Tittle recalls

Chief Justice Warren Burger swears in Gerald R. Ford as the 38th president in 1974.

The Pardon

President Gerald R. Ford’s priority was to unite a divided nation. The decision that defined his term proved how difficult that would be

Artifacts unearthed on Ossabaw Island offer insights into the lives of slaves.

Sea Island Strata

At a former Georgia plantation, archaeologists delve into both the workaday and spiritual lives of slaves

These sequined shoes were worn by 16-year-old Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. One of several pairs used during filming, these size-five, felt-soled shoes are well-worn, suggesting they were Garland's primary pair for dancing scenes.

Treasures Trove

America’s most singular sensations are at the National Air and Space Museum

The Smithsonian Castle

Eminent Domain

The Institution’s Regents include the Vice President, the Chief Justice and other national leaders

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December Anniversaries

Momentous or Merely Memorable

Edward Savage painted this portrait of Mount Vernon in 1792.

Exploring Mount Vernon

George Washington’s historic Virginia plantation

Mount Vernon Ladies' Association

Discovering George Washington

Little-known facts about the nation’s first president

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The Spirit of George Washington

After two centuries, Mount Vernon’s whiskey distillery returns

John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail in 1960

Sharp Pencils Shape Elections

How three pioneering reporters reshaped the way the press covers elections-and politics itself

New Faces of 1946

An unpopular president. A war-weary people. In the midterm elections of 60 years ago, voters took aim at incumbents

The Pilgrims celebrated a harvest festival with their Native American neighbors in 1621—what we often call the first Thanksgiving.

Pilgrims’ Progress

We retrace the travels of the ragtag group that founded Plymouth Colony and gave us Thanksgiving

The U.S. ranks third in the world in population, behind China and India. But as the total number of people on the planet increases, demographers are focusing on problems that stem from a shrinking population in surprisingly large swaths of the developed world.

300 Million and Counting

The United States reaches a demographic milestone, thanks largely to immigration

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