American History

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How the Myth of the American Frontier Got Its Start

Frederick Jackson Turner’s thesis informed decades of scholarship and culture. Then he realized he was wrong

The Smithsonian Castle Building, in a colorized photograph taken by Alexander Gardner, was severely damaged in a January 1865 fire.

A Look Back at the First Time the Smithsonian Castle Closed for Renovations

In February, the building will shutter for five years for much-needed improvements

Toni Morrison, the renowned author of powerful novels about the Black experience, taught at Princeton between 1989 and 2006.

Toni Morrison's Rarely Seen Papers Will Go on View at Princeton

The university is planning a months-long series of exhibitions, programs and performances

The 1923 Rosewood massacre resulted in the deaths of six Black people and two white vigilantes.

How History Forgot Rosewood, a Black Town Razed by a White Mob

A century ago, a false accusation sparked the destruction of the Florida community

A photo of Henrietta Lacks in the living room of her grandson, Ron Lacks

Henrietta Lacks' Virginia Hometown Will Build Statue in Her Honor, Replacing Robert E. Lee Monument

Lacks' unique cancer cells were taken without consent and used for medical breakthroughs

Historian John Rice Irwin, linguist Carl Croneberg and historian Gwendolyn Midlo Hall

Three Pioneering Scholars Who Died This Year

They believed that the stories of marginalized communities were worth chronicling

Works entering the public domain this year include The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, Metropolis and The Jazz Singer.

These Works Are Now in the Public Domain

The latest additions are a rich trove of books, films, songs and other works from 1927

The Wicked Witch of the West, played by Margaret Hamilton, holding the hourglass

'Wizard of Oz' Hourglass Fetches $495,000 at Auction

The Wicked Witch of the West uses the prop to taunt Dorothy in the famous 1939 film

The new trains will feature better lighting, improved signage, panoramic windows, outlets and USB ports and other upgrades.

Take a Sneak Peek at Amtrak’s Newest Trains

The Airo trains will have larger windows, newly designed cafe cars and updated seating

J. Robert Oppenheimer led the Manhattan Project, a mission to develop nuclear weapons during World War II.

U.S. Reverses 1954 Removal of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s Security Clearance

The “father of the atomic bomb” was accused of being a communist

President John F. Kennedy delivers remarks at Rice University regarding the nation's efforts in space exploration on September 12, 1962

National Archives Releases Thousands of Kennedy Assassination Files

Over 97 percent of documents related to the event are now publicly available

When Harry Met Sally, written by Nora Ephron, is one of 25 films to be added to the National Film Registry this year.

From 'Iron Man' to 'When Harry Met Sally,' These Are the 25 New Additions to the National Film Registry

Every year, the Library of Congress selects 25 films of “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance”

Workers removing the statue of Ambrose P. Hill from its pedestal in Richmond, Virginia, on December 12

Richmond Removes Its Last City-Owned Confederate Monument

The statue of Ambrose P. Hill had stood at a busy intersection since 1892

In July 1827, residents of Boonsboro, Maryland, built the majority of the Washington Monument in just one day.

The Little-Known Story of the First Washington Monument

A stone tower in western Maryland, the structure predates the obelisk on the National Mall by more than two decades

Exterior of Julius' Bar in New York City's West Village

One of New York City's Oldest Gay Bars Is Now a Historic Landmark

The bar was the site of a "sip-in" in 1966, several years before the Stonewall riots

People attending a service at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York on December 6, 2022

A Greek Orthodox Church, Destroyed During 9/11, Reopens at Ground Zero

The stunning new structure will also serve as place for visitors to reflect on the attacks

Sotheby's will auction the first-edition copy of the U.S. Constitution on December 13.

A Group of Crypto Investors Is Trying to Buy the Constitution—Again

For the second year in a row, a DAO is vying to bid on a rare first-edition copy

View of the Grand Canyon showing the Bright Angel Trail, which leads to Havasupai Gardens, formerly known as Indian Garden

Officials Rename Popular Grand Canyon Site to Honor Havasupai Tribe

The National Park Service forcibly removed members of the tribe from the area in the 1920s

This year's titles include I Was Better Last Night, Accidental Ecosystem and Winslow Homer: American Passage.

Smithsonian Scholars Pick Their Favorite Books of 2022

This wide-ranging list offers context for our rapidly changing world

Benjamin J. Burton was a trailblazing entrepreneur once thought to be the wealthiest Black businessman in Rhode Island. His killing on October 6, 1885, polarized the Newport community.

A Gilded Age Tale of Murder and Money

The 1885 death of Black entrepreneur Benjamin J. Burton divided the close-knit community of Newport, Rhode Island

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