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American Presidents

Jefferson, Washington and Hamilton came together during Washington’s tenure as president and worked, fought, compromised—and wrote—in the struggle to establish a nation.

The Laptops That Powered the American Revolution

Always on the go, the Founding Fathers waged their war of words from the mahogany mobile devices of their time

Actor Kevin Spacey arrived at the National Portrait Gallery in character as President Frank Underwood for a "presidential" portrait unveiling.

Francis J. Underwood’s Presidential Portrait Goes On View at the Smithsonian

A portrait of actor Kevin Spacey, in his Netflix role as the world’s most devious president, proves that fiction is as good as real life

Campaign collections include boxes of Macaroni and Cheese for both parties.

What Ten Artifacts from the Smithsonian Collections Can Tell Us About the Crazy History of American Politics

A massive collection of campaign materials dating from 1789 reveals that little has changed in how America shows its affection for their candidate

This man needs a makeover.

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The Lincoln Memorial Is Getting a Makeover

The four-year restoration will cost a pretty penny

George Washington seems to be crying as he stares at FDR.

American South

How 43 Giant, Crumbling Presidential Heads Ended Up in a Virginia Field

After an ambitious monument went bust, big dreams—and big heads—remain

The sun rises over Joshua Tree National Park. The newlydesignated Castle Mountains, Mojave Trails and Sand to Snow national monuments will connect Joshua Tree to other federally protected lands in a massive 1.8-million-acre preservation bid.

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Obama Just Added Three More National Monuments

This time, the California desert was the president’s preservation focus

Theodore Roosevelt with his four sons

The First Children Who Led Sad Lives

Several children of presidents met cruel fates in the first 150 years of our country’s history

Comb Through This Framed Collection of Presidential Hair

The Smithsonian keeps a most unusual artifact of hair clipped straight from the heads of presidents

Jesse J. Holland's book, "The Invisibles: The Untold Story of African American Slaves in the White House" offers new insight into lives of these men and women who lived in bondage in the White House.

The Slaves of the White House Finally Get to Have Their Stories Told

Long ignored by historians, the enslaved people of the White House are coming into focus through a new book by Jesse J. Holland

Ask Smithsonian 2017

When Did the Vice Presidency Stop Going to the 2nd Place Winner and More Questions From Our Readers

Also up for discussion—why are oceans seawater and not freshwater?

James Monroe (L) and Alexander Hamilton (R) nearly dueled each other, but an unlikely political ally stepped in

That Time When Alexander Hamilton Almost Dueled James Monroe

And it was an unlikely ally who put a stop to their petty dispute

Cool Finds

Air Force One is Getting a Makeover

The best presidential perk is about to get even better

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Denali, Ongtupqa, and Other Native American Names for Landmarks

Mount McKinley was recently renamed Denali, but it’s not the only one with a Native American name

George Washington's bedpan

The Strange Saga of George Washington’s Bedpan

Even the most mundane of objects associated with the Founding Father have a story

Coal power plant in New Mexico

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How Do U.S. Carbon Emissions Rank Internationally?

It’s complicated

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Here’s What the First Lady Has to Do if She Wants to Redecorate

A few throw pillows and a touch of new paint? No way.

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Obama Just Established Three New National Monuments Covering Over a Million Acres

Art, fossils and natural beauty

The first $10 Federal Reserve Note featured Andrew Jackson.

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Andrew Jackson Wasn’t Always on the $20 Bill

The controversial president’s face has only been on $20 bills since 1928

Secret Service agents grab Gerald Ford seconds after Sara Jane Moore attempts to shoot him in September 1975.

Cool Finds

These Two Female Assassins Independently Tried to Kill Gerald Ford

The only two women to attempt to kill a president did so within 17 days of one another

The South Portico of the White House, around 1950, during Truman's rennovation

Cool Finds

The White House is Mostly a Reconstruction of the Original

The mansion may have been built over 200 years ago, but its skeleton was redone in the early 1950s

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