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American Presidents

President James Buchanan thought that a binding Supreme Court decision legitimizing slavery would bring the country together.

President James Buchanan Directly Influenced the Outcome of the Dred Scott Decision

He’s remembered as a president who tried to unify a fractured nation with little success, doing damage along the way

Trending Today

George W. Bush Displays Portraits of Military Veterans

The former president honors 66 members of the armed services in the show “Portraits of Courage,” which just opened at the George W. Bush Center

The cartoon by Thomas Nast shows the battles between President Johnson and Congress over Reconstruction.

Document Deep Dive

The Political Cartoon That Explains the Battle Over Reconstruction

Take a deep dive into this drawing by famed illustrator Thomas Nast

Obama’s Powerful Tribute to a Defining Civil Rights Moment

On the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, the first African American president paid tribute to an event in civil rights history

How Obama’s Historic 2008 DNC Speech Came Together

Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s scheduled speech to the Democratic National Convention fell on the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech

President Trump talks to Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton in front of the "Paradox of Liberty" exhibit.

Breaking Ground

President Trump Visits the African American History Museum

Museum director Lonnie Bunch and Smithsonian Secretary David Skorton led the president and his entourage on a tour of the new museum

Andrew Jackson's sarcophagus

Andrew Jackson Was a Populist Even on His Deathbed

This lavishly decorated crypt was considered too ornate for the American president

Joshua Speed found his BFF in Abraham Lincoln.

The True Friendship That Saved Abraham Lincoln’s Life

Before he was president, Lincoln’s lasting relationship with Joshua Speed brought him out of the doldrums of despair

The first-known photograph of the White House, by John Plumbe, Jr.

Five Cool Finds From Google Arts & Culture’s Presidents’ Day Collection

The platform is sharing more than 2,000 items steeped in political history

Abraham Lincoln photographed shortly after the presidential election in November 1860, by Alex Hesler of Chicago, at Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois.

When Lincoln Was More a Politician Than an “Honest Abe”

He resorted to a dirty trick to embarrass a rival

President Dwight Eisenhower at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Feb. 2, 1956.

The History of the National Prayer Breakfast

The tradition began with President Eisenhower and has often been a place for the chief executive to talk about his faith

The Portal exhibition at the U.S. Holocaust Museum, offering a chance to have a conversation with refugees.

History of Now

What Is it Like to Be a Refugee? Here’s Your Chance to Ask One

At the U.S. Holocaust Museum, an immersive video chatting experience allows you to talk in real-time with refugees living in camps

Anti-immigrant cartoon showing two men labeled "Irish Wiskey" and "Lager Bier," carrying a ballot box.

History of Now

How the 19th-Century Know Nothing Party Reshaped American Politics

From xenophobia to conspiracy theories, the Know Nothing party launched a nativist movement whose effects are still felt today

A portrait of Dan Rice circa 1840.

This Famous American Clown Was (Probably) a Model for Uncle Sam

Dan Rice was the John Oliver of the mid-nineteenth century

Woodrow Wilson

World War I: 100 Years Later

What Did President Wilson Mean When He Called for “Peace Without Victory” 100 Years Ago?

The iconic speech revealed the possibilities and the inherent problems with Wilsonian idealism

What Happens to President Obama’s Papers and Artifacts Once He Leaves Office?

From Cuban cigars to a 7,000-page torture report

An engraving from the Illustrated London News, recorded the "Ball in Honour of President Lincoln in the Great Hall of the Patent Office at Washington," which today is the home of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

When Was the First Inaugural Ball?

Nothing says there’s a new president in town more than the dance party they throw

Screenshot of interactive

Inauguration History

This Interactive Maps Out the Lives of Former Presidents

From Washington to Obama, how ex-commanders-in-chief bided their time after leaving office

The responsive-design website fits your phone, tablet and computer and can be used to make an itinerary for easy printout and planning.

Take a Smithsonian Tour of All Things Presidential

Here’s how to locate official presidential portraits, works of art, material culture and campaign memorabilia across the Smithsonian

Inauguration History

Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Presidential Food?

In honor of Inauguration Day, here’s a little quiz to see how much you know about presidential food history

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