Thomas Jefferson | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/thomas-jefferson/RSS feed for Thomas JeffersonenThu, 03 Sep 2026 11:45:00 +0000To Defeat the Royal Navy During the American Revolution, a Rebel Inventor Designed a Secret Weapon: a Bomb-Carrying Submarinehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/to-defeat-the-royal-navy-during-the-american-revolution-a-rebel-inventor-designed-a-secret-weapon-a-bomb-carrying-submarine-180989400/David Bushnell developed the "Turtle" submersible as a student at Yale University. The vessel's attack on a British flagship failed, but the trailblazing boat's legacy endures 250 years laterThu, 03 Sep 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/to-defeat-the-royal-navy-during-the-american-revolution-a-rebel-inventor-designed-a-secret-weapon-a-bomb-carrying-submarine-180989400/This American Commando Parachuted Behind Enemy Lines in Both the European and Pacific Theaters of World War IIhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-american-commando-parachuted-behind-enemy-lines-in-both-the-european-and-pacific-theaters-of-world-war-ii-180989396/A direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson, Francis Lowell Coolidge was an agent with the Office of Strategic Services, a predecessor to the CIA. Read his goodbye letter to his wife, published here for the first timeThu, 27 Aug 2026 12:33:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-american-commando-parachuted-behind-enemy-lines-in-both-the-european-and-pacific-theaters-of-world-war-ii-180989396/The Hessians Were Supposed to Quickly End the American Revolution. Instead, They Endured Years of Battles and Suffered Thousands of Casualtieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-hessians-were-supposed-to-quickly-end-the-american-revolution-instead-they-endured-years-of-battles-and-suffered-thousands-of-casualties-180989252/Some 30,000 German soldiers fought for the British during the war. Contrary to popular belief, they weren't mercenaries, and not all were actually HessiansThu, 13 Aug 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-hessians-were-supposed-to-quickly-end-the-american-revolution-instead-they-endured-years-of-battles-and-suffered-thousands-of-casualties-180989252/Thomas Jefferson’s Original Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence Can Now Be Seen at the Library of Congresshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thomas-jeffersons-original-rough-draft-of-the-declaration-of-independence-can-be-seen-at-library-of-congress-180989113/The new exhibition, which shows how the document was edited, also features an early copy of the Gettysburg AddressTue, 14 Jul 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thomas-jeffersons-original-rough-draft-of-the-declaration-of-independence-can-be-seen-at-library-of-congress-180989113/