A 19th-century lithograph of Patrick Henry's "give me liberty or give me death" speech

America's 250th Anniversary

Discover Patrick Henry’s Legacy, Beyond His Revolutionary ‘Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death’ Speech

Delivered 250 years ago, the famous oration marked the height of Henry’s influence. But the politician also served in key roles in Virginia’s state government after the American Revolution

The president of Poland, the senior United States senator from Illinois and much of the Chicago political machine gathered beneath this painting, Pulaski at Savannah, on the first Monday in March.

America's 250th Anniversary

Discover the Short Life and Long Legacy of Casimir Pulaski, a Polish Cavalry Officer Who Became an American Revolutionary Hero

On the first Monday in March, Pulaski Day festivities at Chicago’s Polish Museum of America honored the “Father of American Cavalry,” 280 years after his birth

On February 20, 1792, George Washington made sure the post office would remain part of the federal government, establishing the postmaster role first held by Benjamin Franklin as the head of a permanent cabinet department, the Post Office Department.

On This Day in History

Neither Snow Nor Rain Nor Heat Nor Gloom Stopped the United States Post Office Department From Launching on This Day in 1792

The American Revolution cemented the importance of a federally protected post office in the minds of the people and politicians

Written in 1777, the letter from George Washington is expected to sell for $150,000.

You Can Buy a Rare Letter by George Washington Written at a Crucial Turning Point in the Revolutionary War

In the optimistic missive, Washington extols the revolutionary spirit of the American people—even in defeat—and makes a rare reference to the experimental smallpox inoculation that helped prevent outbreaks

Washington at Princeton, Charles Willson Peale, 1779

This Historic Portrait of George Washington Is Being Restored to Its Former Glory

The 18th-century painting by Charles Willson Peale had previously been the subject of mismanaged restoration attempts. Now, experts in Versailles are bringing it back in line with the artist’s original intent

Statue of George Washington

George Washington’s Farewell to the Nation Marked the Birth of American Democracy

In 1796, the first president voluntarily left office, cementing the significance of a lofty ideal for his young country

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America's 250th Anniversary

At a Bold Meeting 250 Years Ago, the Continental Congress Set America in Motion

While far less famous than the coalition that met in 1775, this group of founders found agreement in their disagreements and laid the groundwork for a revolution

The Destruction of the Bastille, Étienne-Louis-Denis Cathala, 1789

Drawing of the Bastille Cherished by George Washington Goes to Auction

The artwork was a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette, who also included the fortress’ key

William E. Leuchtenburg's new book spotlights (from left to right) George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe and John Quincy Adams.

What the American Revolution Taught the United States’ First Presidents

A new book by historian William E. Leuchtenburg examines how the first six commanders in chief embodied the revolutionary spirit and set precedents that shaped their successors’ tenures

Moore loaned the scrap to the museum for two years.

Cool Finds

This History Buff Found a Scrap of George Washington’s Tent at Goodwill

The fragment, which was part of Washington’s dining marquee during the Revolutionary War, is now on display at a museum in Philadelphia

A circa 1846 portrait of Dolley Madison by John Plumbe Jr.

Women Who Shaped History

The Smithsonian Acquires the Earliest Known Photograph of an American First Lady

The National Portrait Gallery purchased an 1846 daguerreotype of Dolley Madison for $456,000

The bottles were discovered in five storage pits in a cellar at Mount Vernon.

Preserved Fruit From the 18th Century Found at George Washington’s Estate

During a renovation project, archaeologists uncovered intact bottles containing preserved cherries and berries that are more than 250 years old

Abraham Lincoln, William Judkins Thomson, half-plate ambrotype, 1858

See the Photographs That Introduced Americans to Their Presidents

The National Portrait Gallery traces early images of American leaders, from John Quincy Adams to Abraham Lincoln

The two intact bottles were found in Mount Vernon's cellar.

Cool Finds

Bottles of 250-Year-Old Cherries Discovered Beneath George Washington’s Home

Researchers at Mount Vernon say that the stash still “bore the characteristic scent of cherry blossoms”

A late-19th-century photograph of John Mason's mansion on Analostan Island, now called Theodore Roosevelt Island

Untold Stories of American History

This Peaceful Nature Sanctuary in Washington, D.C. Sits on the Ruins of a Plantation

Before Theodore Roosevelt Island was transformed into a tribute to the nation’s “conservation president,” a prominent Virginia family relied on enslaved laborers to build and tend to its summer home there

The fateful tent on display at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.

From These Modest Wartime Quarters, George Washington Kept the Revolution Alive

The general’s war tent, an iconic part of the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, carries as much symbolism now as it did then

The rare George Washington portrait could sell for as much as $2.5 million in January.

The Met Is Selling This Rare Portrait of George Washington

Artist Gilbert Stuart painted the work after the president sat for him in late 1795

The Bostonians’ “preferred outcome” was for the tea to be “peacefully sent back to London,” says historian Benjamin L. Carp. “It’s only when they find out … the governor is not going to let [that happen] that they say, ‘Well, we have no choice [but] to destroy [the tea].”

The Many Myths of the Boston Tea Party

Contrary to popular belief, the 1773 protest opposed a tax break, not a tax hike. And it didn’t immediately unify the colonies against the British

Green tea's enduring popularity is reflected in the "teacup without handle" emoji (left). The "hot beverage" emoji (right) takes its cue from another tea tradition: black tea.

What Emoji Tell Us About the History of Tea

From ancient China to 20th-century America, the aromatic beverage has undergone a dramatic evolution

George Washington used the light of this brass candle stand while laboring over his farewell address in 1796.

How George Washington Wrote His Farewell Address

A candle stand used by the first president illuminates his extraordinary last days in office

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