American Presidents

Andrew Jackson's official White House portrait by Ralph E.W. Earl.

What the Politics of Andrew Jackson’s Era Can Tell Us About Today

NPR correspondent Steve Inskeep speaks about his book <em>Jacksonland</em> and what it says about America’s democratic tradition

It's thought that JFK's heartfelt letter to his mistress, Mary Pinchot Meyer, was written just a month before his assassination.

A Steamy Letter From JFK Is up for Auction

The president had a real way with the ladies—and with an em dash

Meet the First and Only Foreign-Born First Lady: Louisa Catherine Adams

Almost 200 years ago, the wife of John Quincy Adams set a precedent

The Dueling Oaks in New Orleans' City Park

Discover America's Bloody History at Five Famous Dueling Grounds

Men defended their delicate honor at these bloody sites across the U.S.

This building at Highlands was just the guest house.

James Monroe’s House Was Way Bigger Than Historians Thought

It turns out that Highland was more "castle" than "cabin"

The slogan &ldquo;unbought and unbossed&rdquo; appeared on Chisholm&rsquo;s campaign posters, one of which resides in the collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

'Unbought and Unbossed': When a Black Woman Ran for the White House

The congresswoman tried to win the White House by consolidating the Black vote and the women's vote, but she ran into trouble

"Daisy Girl" changed the advertising tactics of American presidential candidates.

How the “Daisy” Ad Changed Everything About Political Advertising

Since the famous television spot ran in 1964, advertising agencies have sold presidential candidates as if they were cars or soap

The split in the Whig party over slavery spelled its doom.

What Can the Collapse of the Whig Party Tell Us About Today’s Politics?

Is the Republican party on the verge of catastrophe? Probably not, if history is any indicator

In a new book The Naturalist, the Smithsonian's Darrin Lunde draws on Teddy Roosevelt's diaries and expedition journals to tell the story of the 26th president as a prodigious hunter, tireless adventurer and ardent conservationist.

Teddy Roosevelt's Epic (But Strangely Altruistic) Hunt for a White Rhino

In a new book, a Smithsonian naturalist tells the gritty, controversial tale of how one of America’s presidents felled a threatened species

Jackson was the first candidate who successfully ran an anti-establishment presidential campaign

Andrew Jackson, America’s Original Anti-Establishment Candidate

The seventh president raged against many of the same machines that are now engulfing this year’s election

In 1957, the former first lady took to the wheels of steel.

That One Time Eleanor Roosevelt Was a DJ

In 1957, the first lady spun records for a cause

Nancy Reagan by Aaron Shikler, essence of oil on paper, 1984–85.

How Nancy Reagan Made Her Mark on the White House

A curator at the American History Museum reflects on the First Lady's impact on Washington

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.

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.

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.

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

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