American Presidents
Biden Designates Two New National Monuments
In total, the protected areas across Nevada and Texas encompass 514,000 acres of public lands
How Edith Wilson Kept Herself—and Her Husband—in the White House
A new book about the first lady reveals how she and the ailing President Woodrow Wilson silenced their critics
Untold Stories of American History
The African Diplomats Who Protested Segregation in the U.S.
Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy publicly apologized after restaurants refused to serve Black representatives of newly independent nations
Life-Size 1865 Portrait of Abraham Lincoln Stands Tall at the National Portrait Gallery
The W.F.K. Travers painting hid in plain sight at a New Jersey town hall for 80 years before it was restored and brought back to Washington
Untold Stories of American History
Inside JFK's Secret Doomsday Bunker
The president's Nantucket nuclear fallout shelter could become a National Historic Landmark—but efforts to preserve its history have stalled
Jill Biden's Inaugural Attire Is on View at the Smithsonian
The day and evening ensembles are now the centerpiece of the American History Museum's popular "First Ladies" exhibition
When Lyndon B. Johnson Chose the Middle Ground on Civil Rights—and Disappointed Everyone
Always a dealmaker, then-senator LBJ negotiated with segregationists to pass a bill that cautiously advanced racial equality
National Archives Releases Thousands of Kennedy Assassination Files
Over 97 percent of documents related to the event are now publicly available
Untold Stories of American History
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
How World War II Helped Forge the Modern FBI
Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, J. Edgar Hoover consolidated immense power—and created the beginnings of the surveillance state
From a White House Wedding to a Pet Snake, Alice Roosevelt's Escapades Captivated America
Theodore Roosevelt's eldest daughter won the public's adoration with her rebellious antics
Untold Stories of American History
The American Ambassador Who Tried to Prevent Pearl Harbor
A new book explores the diplomatic efforts of Joseph C. Grew, who was assigned to Tokyo between 1932 and 1942
The Origins of the Term 'Affirmative Action'
The phrase was first used in early 20th-century employment laws
Guantánamo Detainees Ask Biden to Let Them Keep Their Art
An open letter calls for the reversal of a ruling giving the government ownership of work made in the prison
Who Are the Artists Behind the New Obama Portraits?
Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung add their unique pieces to the White House's collection
Elizabeth II Was an Enduring Emblem of the Waning British Empire
The British queen died on Thursday at age 96
Before Lincoln Issued the Emancipation Proclamation, This Russian Czar Freed 20 Million Serfs
The parallels between the U.S. president and Alexander II, both of whom fought to end servitude in their nations, are striking
A Brief History of Televised Congressional Hearings
From a 1951 investigation into organized crime to the Watergate scandal, the ongoing January 6 hearings are part of a lengthy political tradition
A Century Ago, the Lincoln Memorial's Dedication Underscored the Nation's Racial Divide
Seating was segregated, and the ceremony's only Black speaker was forced to drastically revise his speech to avoid spreading "propaganda"
The 1983 Military Drill That Nearly Sparked Nuclear War With the Soviets
Fearful that the Able Archer 83 exercise was a cover for a NATO nuclear strike, the U.S.S.R. readied its own weapons for launch
