American History

According to author John M. Barry, Roger Williams, center, had a great facility with language—a great curiosity for language—and began trading with Indians and trying to learn their language.

John M. Barry on Roger Williams and the Indians

The founder of Rhode Island often helped out the early colonists in their dealings with Native Americans

Come see the ZooLights holiday festival on January 1st

Weekend Events Dec. 30-Jan 1: Treasures at the Museum, Flights of Fancy, and Last Day of ZooLights

This New Year's weekend, meet a children's book author and archivist, come to aviation story time, and catch ZooLights before it's over

Curator Carlene Stephens, on left, and collections manager Shari Stout look at a glass disc containing a sound recording from the 1880s.

From the Collections, Sound Recordings Heard for the First Time

The National Museum of American History recovers sound from recordings that have been silenced for over a century

More than four months before his famous "midnight ride," Paul Revere made a midday gallop to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and some consider that the true starting point of the war for independence.

The Midday Ride of Paul Revere

Longfellow made the patriot’s ride to Lexington legendary, but the story of Revere’s earlier trip to Portsmouth deserves to be retold as well

Herman Hollerith's tabulating machine proved to be pivotal in the history of information technology.

Herman Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine

On this day in 1888, the groundbreaking tabulator machine was installed in a government office for the first time

Secretary of State William Seward, far right, with British Minister Lord Lyons, sitting third from right, and other international diplomats at Trenton Falls in New York.

The Unknown Contributions of Brits in the American Civil War

Historian Amanda Foreman discusses how British citizens took part in the war between the Union and the Confederacy

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Unflinching Portraits of Pearl Harbor Survivors

Seventy years after the day that lives on in infamy, the soldiers stationed at Pearl Harbor recall their experiences

Clarence Darrow, addressing the jury as a defendant, was never convicted of bribery, but his two trials shattered his reputation.

Clarence Darrow: Jury Tamperer?

Newly unearthed documents shed light on claims that the famous criminal attorney bribed a juror

There are several accounts of Confederate and Union troops camped near one another harmonizing "Home, Sweet Home!" across the battle lines.

The Sentimental Ballad of the Civil War

Forget “Dixie,” it was one New Yorker’s “Home Sweet Home” that was the song most beloved by Union and Confederate soldiers

The Monuments That Were Never Built

In a new exhibit at the National Building Museum, imagine Washington D.C. as it could have been

Get a hands-on introduction to forensics as part of the "Written in Bone" exhibition

Events Nov. 21-24: For All the World To See, Forensics Lab, Beyond Blackface and Thanksgiving

This week, get a guided tour of a fascinating exhibit, experiment in an interactive forensics lab, hear from a noted author and celebrate Thanksgiving

Traditional Thanksgiving dinner includes turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes but the First Thanksgiving likely included wildfowl, corn, porridge and venison.

What Was on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving?

The history of the holiday meal tells us that turkey was always the centerpiece, but other courses have since disappeared

Fleming's double-sided watch showed the "Cosmic Time"

Sandford Fleming Sets the World’s Clock

On this day in 1883, the railroads adopted a plan for standardized time zones. It all started when one man missed his train

The "rectal acorn"

Seven Obscure Facts You Didn’t Know About the Civil War

Amid the vast literature of the Civil War, it's easy to lose sight of some of the stranger facts, coincidences and quirks of character

Five must-read books on Thomas Jefferson from author Marc Leepson.

The Essentials: Five Books on Thomas Jefferson

A Jefferson expert provides a list of indispensable reads about the founding father

Conn's Civil War violin.

The Civil War 150 Years: Solomon Conn’s Violin Diary

A soldier's violin becomes a record of his war-time travels

In Nebraska, storms are a violence from which no amount of caution or privilege can protect you. Their warnings crawl across television screens in every season.

Lincoln, Nebraska: Home on the Prairie

The college city's big sky and endless farmland gave this New Yorker some fresh perspective

What if we could make masks to look like these models in the Natural History Museum's Hall of Human Origins?

The List: Smithsonian-Inspired Halloween Costumes

For all you last-minute costume shoppers, here's this year's list of Smithsonian DIY ideas

Lord's autograph quilt

The Civil War 150 Years: Lord’s Famous Autograph Quilt

A Civil War teenager covers her quilt with the signatures of Union leaders

Carl Yastrzemski's custom batting helmet

The List: Legends Play Ball at the Smithsonian

With the World Series set to start, see some of the all-time baseball greats in the Institution's collections

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