U.S. History

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Walks of Life

Brass bands and slow travel

About 16 million people visited the Blue Ridge Parkway, making it the National Park Service's most popular attraction.

75 Years of the Blue Ridge Parkway

Winding its way through Appalachia, the scenic road is the result of workers and politicians who blazed the trail in the 1930s

Most of the 9.7 million soldiers who perished in WWI were killed by the conflict's unprecedented firepower. Many survivors experienced acute trauma.

World War I: 100 Years Later

The Shock of War

World War I troops were the first to be diagnosed with shell shock, an injury – by any name – still wreaking havoc

Having lost their homes, many Haitians now live in precarious camps.

Aftershocks

Cataclysms and their consequences

In his new book, The Lost Cyclist, bike historian David V. Herlihy tells the story of Frank Lenz, an accountant turned long-distance cyclist.

The Unsolved Case of the "Lost Cyclist"

Author David V. Herlihy discusses his book about Frank Lenz's tragic failed attempt to travel the world by bicycle

The recreational vehicle turn 100 years old this year. According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, about 8.2 million households now own RVs.

Commemorating 100 Years of the RV

For almost as long as there have been automobiles, recreational vehicles have been traversing America

Founding editor Edward K. Thompson guided the new magazine through its first decade.

From the Editor: Curveballs at the Un-Magazine

From the first issue 40 years ago, Smithsonian has blazed its own path through the media landscape

Benedict Arnold, shown on the left concealing his plans in John André's boot, has become synonymous with treason but before he betrayed America, he saved it.

The Curious London Legacy of Benedict Arnold

More than 200 years after his death, the most notorious traitor of the Revolutionary War has an unlikely supporter

One of the most ingenious escapes from slavery was that of a married couple from Georgia, Ellen and William Craft.

The Great Escape From Slavery of Ellen and William Craft

Passing as a white man traveling with his servant, two slaves fled their masters in a thrilling tale of deception and intrigue

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Homes Away

Another side of Kurds and Romans

This Detroit scene was repeated across the nation, January, 16, 1920, as shoppers stocked up on the last day before Prohibition took effect.

Wayne B. Wheeler: The Man Who Turned Off the Taps

Prohibition couldn't have happened without Wheeler, who foisted temperance on a thirsty nation 90 years ago

Frances Benjamin Johnston could be both ladylike and bohemian, which abetted her career as a photographer.

Victorian Womanhood, in All Its Guises

Frances Benjamin Johnston's self-portraits show a woman was never content playing just one role

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Model Moralist

Wayne Wheeler had a mission

In 1961, HAM the chimpanzee became the first upright hominid to go into space. After his death in 1983, he was interred at the New Mexico Museum of Space History.

Famous Animal Gravesites Around the World

It's not just Kentucky Derby winners that are buried with great honor

The black community in 1960 were relegated to mere swatches of sand and surf on the Biloxi beach. After a series of "wade-in" protests, violence ensued.

A Civil Rights Watershed in Biloxi, Mississippi

Frustrated by the segregated shoreline, black residents stormed the beaches and survived brutal attacks on "Bloody Sunday"

When George Washington visited the Bartram family's prestigious garden near Philadelphia in 1787, he found it to be "not laid off with much taste."

The Story of Bartram's Garden

Outside of Philadelphia, America's first botanical garden once supplied seeds to Founding Fathers and continues to inspire plant-lovers today

John Wilkes Booth leans forward to shoot President Abraham Lincoln as he watches a play at Ford's Theatre in 1865.

The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln's Missing Bodyguard

What happened to Officer John Parker, the man who chose the wrong night to leave his post at Ford's Theatre?

The little league baseball team from Monterrey, Mexico became the first team from outside the United States to win the Little League World Series.

The Little League World Series’ Only Perfect Game

In 1957, Mexico’s scrawny players overcame the odds to become the first foreign team to win the Little League World Series

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Reorientations

Cowboy Culture and the Universe

Capitol Records building in Hollywood.

Hollywood's Historic Buildings

Theaters and other architectural gems lined Hollywood's famous boulevards during its Golden Age and now hold restored star appeal

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