American History

VIDEO: The Story Behind the Emancipation Proclamation

You’ve seen Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” now hear director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture Lonnie Bunch talk about the forces behind the January 1, 1863 order and the eventual abolition of slavery

January 14, 2013

Ongoing Drought Could Send the Chicago River Flowing in Reverse

Low water levels in Lake Michigan could cause the Chicago River to start flowing the other way

January 10, 2013

Events January 11-13: Civil Disobedience, Farm-Fresh Foods and Arabic Calligraphy Lessons

This week, protest racial segregation in the 1960s, discover DC’s “slow food” movement and learn to write in Arabic

January 10, 2013

You Can Now Buy Space Shuttle Launch Facilities

Haven’t you always wanted to own a launch pad?

January 8, 2013

There Is a Sculpture on the Moon Commemorating Fallen Astronauts

The crew of Apollo 15 placed a small aluminum sculpture on the moon to memorialize those astronauts had died

January 7, 2013

Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About San Francisco’s Cable Cars

Ever since they became a part of the city’s transit system, they have been iconic mainstays of its cityscape

January 4, 2013

Events January 4-7: Talk Back to Historic Figures, Weave the Mayan Way and Unplug with Musicians

A professor from the 19th century will take your questions, a Mayan weaver will craft a keepsake and an Indie group will keep you in the groove

January 3, 2013

One Small Question About Armstrong’s Giant Leap for Mankind: When Did He Come Up With That Line?

Did Neil Armstrong come up with his now-famous quote long before he landed on the Moon?

January 3, 2013

Contributors

January 2013

Spotlight

January 2013

Love Chicken Nuggets? Thank Cornell Poultry Professor Robert C. Baker

In 1963, this professor of poultry science came up with the first chicken nuggets

December 31, 2012

You Know You Want To Snoop Around Marilyn Monroe’s Secret FBI File

Freshly un-redacted FBI files paint Monroe as a bit of a communist

December 31, 2012

Smithsonian’s Very Own Maestro David Baker is All That’s Jazz

David Baker, the leader of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, steps down, leaving a soaring legacy in his wake

December 21, 2012

What Will You Be Watching for on Watch Night?

With end-of-year watch and see anxieties lurking, it’s important to know that the Watch NIght was a wait for news of freedom

December 19, 2012

How the Emancipation Proclamation Came to Be Signed

The pen, inkwell and one copy of the document that freed the slaves are photographed together for the first time

January 2013

This Nostalgic Private Collection Has 1,713 Photos of Old-Fashioned Cans, Jars and Clippings

Flickr user Roadsidepictures offers hundreds of images of vintage product packaging spanning most of the 20th century

December 14, 2012

How Change Happens: The 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington

At the 150th and 50th anniversary of two historic moments, the African American History and Culture Museum and American History Museum team up

December 14, 2012

Events December 14-16: Ai Weiwei’s Ceramics, Mayan Calendar and Stradivari’s Instruments

Learn about the contemporary artist’s use of historic objects, why the world didn’t end and just what’s so special about Stradivari in concert

December 13, 2012

Before the Civil War, There Were 8,000 Different Kinds of Money in the U.S.

It wasn’t until after the war that the U.S. started to really use the dollar

December 12, 2012

How To Get an Ancient Lizard Named After You: Get Elected President

Simply get elected president, and you’ll have a fair chance of some newly discovered creature inheriting your moniker

December 11, 2012