In his journey from surveyor to soldier to leader, our first president used cartography to get a feel for the young nation
Historian Adam Goodheart discusses the tumultuous period between Lincoln’s election and the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter
In 1830, a brutal crime in Massachusetts riveted the nation—and inspired the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne
Accounts of the 1876 battle have focused on Custer's ill-fated cavalry. But a new book offers a take from the Indian's point of view
Botched battles and preconceptions overturned
While not as memorable or studied as presidential campaigns, the midterm elections also stand as pivotal moments in U.S. history
When stars like Derek Jeter ask to customize their baseball bat, Chuck Schupp makes sure they get what they want
The idea that the United States has always been a bastion of religious freedom is reassuring—and utterly at odds with the historical record
Brass bands and slow travel
Winding its way through Appalachia, the scenic road is the result of workers and politicians who blazed the trail in the 1930s
World War I troops were the first to be diagnosed with shell shock, an injury – by any name – still wreaking havoc
Cataclysms and their consequences
Author David V. Herlihy discusses his book about Frank Lenz's tragic failed attempt to travel the world by bicycle
For almost as long as there have been automobiles, recreational vehicles have been traversing America
From the first issue 40 years ago, Smithsonian has blazed its own path through the media landscape
More than 200 years after his death, the most notorious traitor of the Revolutionary War has an unlikely supporter
Passing as a white man traveling with his servant, two slaves fled their masters in a thrilling tale of deception and intrigue
Another side of Kurds and Romans
Prohibition couldn't have happened without Wheeler, who foisted temperance on a thirsty nation 90 years ago
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