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History / U.S. History

Protesters hold signs during a demonstration in a call for justice for George Floyd, who was killed while in custody of the Minneapolis police.

Secretary Lonnie Bunch: It Is Time for America to Confront Its Tortured Racial Past

This moment, says the Smithsonian secretary, should be the ‘impetus for our nation to address racism and social inequities in earnest’

An Alabama State Trooper swings his baton at the head of the then-25-year-old Congressman John Lewis on March 7, 1965.

The Long, Painful History of Police Brutality in the U.S.

A 1963 protest placard in the Smithsonian collections could almost be mistaken for any of the Black Lives Matter marches of today

The Valley of the Gods offers one of the most solitary and serene experiences in the American West.

Why the Valley of the Gods Inspires Such Reverence

The haunting beauty of an ancient desertscape

Vial and packaging for the 1957 H2N2 vaccine, at the National Museum of American History. Producing the inoculation required hundreds of thousands of fertilized chicken eggs per day.

Covid-19

How the U.S. Fought the 1957 Flu Pandemic

The story of the medical researcher whose quick action protected millions of Americans from a new contagion

Commercial crew astronauts Bob Behnken (left) and Doug Hurley (right) stand in front of a SpaceX Dragon mock-up at the Johnson Space Center.

Smithsonian Voices

The Storied History Behind Saturday’s Planned SpaceX Launch

Smithsonian curator Jennifer Levasseur examines NASA’s relationship with spacecraft contractors

Victory and Defeat, Panel 13 from "Struggle: From the History of the American People," 1954-56, by Jacob Lawrence.

Jacob Lawrence’s ‘Struggle’ Series Prepares to Be Seen by a New Generation

For the first time in decades, view a major reimagining of the battles that made the nation

Renee Tajima-Peña, series producer of the PBS show "Asian Americans," spoke with Smithsonian curator Theodore Gonzalves.

How a New Show Tears Down the Myths of Asian American History

Series producer Renee Tajima-Peña says the program is about “how we got where we are and where are we going next”

Two men wearing U. S. Army uniforms, including Major George S. Roberts (on left), June 22, 1944

These Photos Capture the Lives of African American Soldiers Who Served During World War II

Pittsburgh photographer Teenie Harris focused on the patriotism of men who fought for the country abroad while being discriminated against at home

Mayor Davie was tossed into jail for refusing to wear a mask.

Covid-19

In 1919, the Mayor of Oakland Was Arrested for Failing to Wear a Mask

John L. Davie was a larger-than-life politician, but during the influenza pandemic, even he wasn’t above the law

Smithsonian curator Emil Her Many Horses, an artist trained both in traditional beadwork and in doll-making, created a commemorative tableau featuring miniature figures of Vietnam-era veterans and the tribal women who welcomed them home with ceremonies.

This Artwork Recognizes the Sacrifices Made by Native American Soldiers in Vietnam

Taking ‘Best in Show’ at the Northern Plains Tribal Art Show, the 2002 beadwork tableau is held in the collections of the American Indian Museum

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Word Puzzles

Word Search: Find the President

Given the years they served, find the last names of the U.S. presidents in the grid below

Warren Harding and First Lady Florence Harding watching a horse show the year he became president.

Commentary

Warren Harding Tried to Return America to ‘Normalcy’ After WWI and the 1918 Pandemic. It Failed.

The lessons from his presidency show that a quick retreat to the past can be just a mirage

President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 on Liberty Island in New York Harbor.

The 1924 Law That Slammed the Door on Immigrants and the Politicians Who Pushed it Back Open

Decades of xenophobic policy were overturned, setting the United States on the path to the diversity seen today

Michael Jordan, says Smithsonian sports curator Damion Thomas, "had a singular ability that distinguished him from all the other incredibly talented basketball players that always come to mind."

A Smithsonian Curator Reevaluates the Incredible Legacy of Michael Jordan

Historian Damion Thomas speaks about what made the NBA All-Star ‘brilliant’

U.S. Army Air Force technical sergeant Ben Kuroki, completed a total of 58 combat missions and was awarded three Distinguished Flying Crosses and the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters.

Smithsonian Voices

Here’s Why You Should Know About the American Hero Ben Kuroki

The story of the Japanese American World War II veteran, says Smithsonian curator Peter Jakab, is “incredibly relevant” today

A broadsheet campaigned to save the house once owned by John Hancock.

How Historic Preservation Shaped the Early United States

A new book details how the young nation regarded its recent and more ancient pasts

The legendary fight lives in the 1944 painting Dempsey-Willard Fight (above in detail) by James Montgomery Flagg, capturing the sense of a mass of humanity watching a hard-fought contest.

Revisit the Brutal Fight When Jack Dempsey Hammered the Super-Sized Champ to Claim Title

The crowded scene on a sweltering July day in Toledo is the subject of the Portrait Gallery’s latest podcast episode

"Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" was a funky, lighthearted alternative to the action cartoons that, for years, had dominated Saturday morning lineups.

How Scooby-Doo’s Origins Are Related to the RFK Assassination

The senator’s death changed Saturday morning cartoons and paved the way for the gang of “meddling kids” to become a TV hit

This week's selections include Enemy of All Mankind, Who Ate the First Oyster? and Daughter of the Boycott.

Books of the Month

A Notorious 17th-Century Pirate, the Many Lives of the Louvre and Other New Books to Read

The seventh installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

The Tenement Museum depicts the life of early immigrants in tenement housing at the turn of century in New York City.

Education During Coronavirus

Nine Educational Livestreams Coming From Historical Sites in the United States

Learn about life in the days when diphtheria and smallpox, not COVID-19, were the diseases to fear, and more

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