Two Centuries Ago, Batteaumen on Virginia’s James River Ended Long Work Days With a Taste of Freedom
The James River Batteau Company, an outdoor recreation-meets-historical tour business, has designed a dinner cruise that honors the resilience and culinary ingenuity of enslaved boatmen
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
Newly Discovered Letters Illuminate the Life of a Female Printer Who Published Revolutionary Texts and Pushed the Colonies Toward Independence
As Virginia’s first female newspaper publisher, Clementina Rind emphasized women’s viewpoints and collaborated with prominent politicians like Thomas Jefferson
Discover Why Thomas Jefferson Meticulously Monitored the Weather Wherever He Went
The third president knew that the whims of nature shaped Americans’ daily lives as farmers and enslavers
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
Why Descendants Are Returning to the Plantations Where Their Ancestors Were Enslaved
Some Black Americans are reclaiming antebellum estates as part of their family legacy, reflecting the power and possibility of these historic sites
The Forgotten Black Explorers Who Transformed Americans’ Understanding of the Wilderness
Esteban, York and James Beckwourth charted the American frontier between the 16th and 19th centuries
This Play Within a Play Confronts the Power Dynamic Between Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson
In “Sally & Tom,” Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks continues her investigation of American myths
The Real Story Behind Apple TV+’s ‘Franklin’
A new limited series starring Michael Douglas as Benjamin Franklin revisits the founding father’s years as the American ambassador to France
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
What Emoji Tell Us About the History of Tea
From ancient China to 20th-century America, the aromatic beverage has undergone a dramatic evolution
How George Washington Wrote His Farewell Address
A candle stand used by the first president illuminates his extraordinary last days in office
What Makes the Library of Congress a Monument to Democracy
The world’s largest book repository has expanded far beyond its original scope to include sound recordings and digitized collections
The Forgotten French Scientist Who Courted Thomas Jefferson—and Got Pulled Into Scandal
A decade before Lewis and Clark, André Michaux wanted to explore the American continent. Spying for France gave him that chance
Meet Benjamin Banneker, the Black Scientist Who Documented Brood X Cicadas in the Late 1700s
A prominent intellectual and naturalist, the Maryland native wrote extensively on natural phenomena and anti-slavery causes
Why Just ‘Adding Context’ to Controversial Monuments May Not Change Minds
Research shows that visitors often ignore information that conflicts with what they already believe about history
How John Adams Managed a Peaceful Transition of Presidential Power
In the election of 1800, for the first time in U.S. history, one party turned the executive office to another
A Brief History of Presidential Memoirs
Barack Obama’s new autobiography joins a long—but sometimes dull—tradition
Why Thomas Jefferson Created His Own Bible
In a new book, Smithsonian curator of religion Peter Manseau tells of how The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth first sparked hot controversy
Make Thomas Jefferson’s Recipe for Ice Cream
The co-author of the Declaration of Independence also drafted a radical recipe
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