https://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/history/RSS feed for HistoryenMon, 06 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-a-new-documentary-one-of-britains-most-famous-historians-reframes-the-american-revolution-as-a-messy-divorce-180988457/Lucy Worsley's PBS series highlights the emotional fallout of the conflict, with a focus on the British perspectiveMon, 06 Apr 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-a-new-documentary-one-of-britains-most-famous-historians-reframes-the-american-revolution-as-a-messy-divorce-180988457/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/native-nations-fought-in-the-american-revolution-to-protect-their-ancestral-lands-after-the-war-settlers-seized-their-territory-anyway-180988435/The conflict divided the six tribes of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, most of whom decided to join the British. The former allies clashed at the Battle of Oriskany in New York in 1777Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/native-nations-fought-in-the-american-revolution-to-protect-their-ancestral-lands-after-the-war-settlers-seized-their-territory-anyway-180988435/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spirited-revolutionary-led-fight-independence-corsica-inspired-america-colonial-rabblerouser-180988408/Pasquale Paoli was a “small fish fighting an entire empire.” Four thousand miles away, the founding fathers were watching and taking notesThu, 02 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spirited-revolutionary-led-fight-independence-corsica-inspired-america-colonial-rabblerouser-180988408/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/to-finance-lifestyle-young-french-couple-cambodia-steal-antiquities-they-did-almost-everything-wrong-180988403/Clara and André Malraux conspired to loot the pink temple of Banteay Srei, but their failure started a battle of reclamationWed, 01 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/to-finance-lifestyle-young-french-couple-cambodia-steal-antiquities-they-did-almost-everything-wrong-180988403/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abigail-adams-asked-her-husband-to-remember-the-ladies-as-he-drafted-americas-laws-heres-what-she-really-meant-180988452/She wrote the letter that would come to define her legacy on March 31, 1776. But 250 years later, Americans are misinterpreting her open-ended requestTue, 31 Mar 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abigail-adams-asked-her-husband-to-remember-the-ladies-as-he-drafted-americas-laws-heres-what-she-really-meant-180988452/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-america-found-itself-ready-rock-roll-route66-stretching-chicago-los-angeles-road-endless-possibilities-180988406/The country’s “mother road” started out as a way to get from Point A to Point B but quickly became the host of a culture and a symbol of freedomMon, 30 Mar 2026 13:24:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-america-found-itself-ready-rock-roll-route66-stretching-chicago-los-angeles-road-endless-possibilities-180988406/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/nine-black-college-students-were-arrested-in-1961-for-reading-at-a-segregated-public-library-their-contributions-to-the-civil-rights-movement-have-long-been-overlooked-180988422/Known as the Tougaloo Nine, the demonstrators staged a sit-in that helped the NAACP push for the desegregation of public spaces in Mississippi's capitalThu, 26 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/nine-black-college-students-were-arrested-in-1961-for-reading-at-a-segregated-public-library-their-contributions-to-the-civil-rights-movement-have-long-been-overlooked-180988422/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/real-story-behind-abigail-adams-remember-ladies-letter-180988421/Americans who turned the letter written by the future first lady into a suffragist rallying cry may have misunderstood her intentionsThu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:52 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/real-story-behind-abigail-adams-remember-ladies-letter-180988421/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/popular-lore-claims-that-william-howard-taft-got-stuck-in-a-bathtub-new-research-sheds-light-on-the-legends-forgotten-origins-180988386/A long-overlooked 1929 account contains the earliest known reference to the anecdote, suggesting that the 27th president found himself trapped in a tub during a Mississippi River voyageMon, 23 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/popular-lore-claims-that-william-howard-taft-got-stuck-in-a-bathtub-new-research-sheds-light-on-the-legends-forgotten-origins-180988386/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-quaker-woman-eavesdropped-on-british-soldiers-plotting-a-surprise-attack-and-surreptitiously-warned-george-washington-180988348/Lydia Darragh defied her commitment to pacifism by spying during the American RevolutionThu, 19 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-quaker-woman-eavesdropped-on-british-soldiers-plotting-a-surprise-attack-and-surreptitiously-warned-george-washington-180988348/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-count-of-monte-cristo-was-alexandre-dumas-father-a-trailblazing-black-general-180988347/Ahead of the March 22 premiere of a new TV adaptation, learn about the life of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, the French Army officer who inspired the beloved novelTue, 17 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-real-count-of-monte-cristo-was-alexandre-dumas-father-a-trailblazing-black-general-180988347/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-native-soldier-allied-with-the-british-killed-a-young-white-woman-in-1777-propaganda-transformed-her-into-a-martyr-of-the-american-revolution-180988313/The patriots weaponized Jane McCrea's death to demonize their enemies and paint Indigenous people as uniquely violentWed, 11 Mar 2026 13:57:34 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-native-soldier-allied-with-the-british-killed-a-young-white-woman-in-1777-propaganda-transformed-her-into-a-martyr-of-the-american-revolution-180988313/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tudor-courtiers-exchanged-portrait-miniatures-as-love-tokens-centuries-later-new-research-is-unlocking-the-secrets-of-these-intimate-artworks-180988300/Over the past few years, art historians have identified several previously unknown paintings by Elizabeth I's favorite artist, Nicholas HilliardMon, 09 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tudor-courtiers-exchanged-portrait-miniatures-as-love-tokens-centuries-later-new-research-is-unlocking-the-secrets-of-these-intimate-artworks-180988300/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/after-pearl-harbor-americans-living-in-japan-endured-imprisonment-torture-and-a-lengthy-battle-to-return-home-180988258/A new book chronicles the tense negotiations that secured the return of nearly 3,000 Allied civilians held by the Japanese during World War IIThu, 05 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/after-pearl-harbor-americans-living-in-japan-endured-imprisonment-torture-and-a-lengthy-battle-to-return-home-180988258/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-bride-of-frankenstein-the-monsters-wife-never-speaks-now-maggie-gyllenhaals-the-bride-gives-the-iconic-character-a-voice-180988257/Directed by James Whale, the 1935 movie and its prequel, a 1931 adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic novel, laid the groundwork for the modern horror genreTue, 03 Mar 2026 12:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/in-bride-of-frankenstein-the-monsters-wife-never-speaks-now-maggie-gyllenhaals-the-bride-gives-the-iconic-character-a-voice-180988257/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-to-fit-250-years-of-american-history-and-culture-into-one-map-180988259/Smithsonian magazine explores some of the many ways to celebrate the nation and looks back at how previous big birthdays were commemorated amid domestic turmoilThu, 26 Feb 2026 14:11:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-to-fit-250-years-of-american-history-and-culture-into-one-map-180988259/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/after-the-king-of-the-underground-railroad-escaped-from-slavery-he-led-1500-others-to-freedom-180988223/Jermain Wesley Loguen opened his home to fugitives fleeing the South. He publicized this work openly, risking arrest or even re-enslavementWed, 25 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/after-the-king-of-the-underground-railroad-escaped-from-slavery-he-led-1500-others-to-freedom-180988223/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-austrian-diplomat-resigned-when-the-nazis-annexed-his-country-to-make-ends-meet-his-wife-turned-to-dressmaking-and-captivated-the-american-public-180988213/Gretchen Prochnik was known around Washington, D.C. for her stylish looks. She capitalized on this interest to launch a successful business after Austria "ceased to exist" in 1938Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-austrian-diplomat-resigned-when-the-nazis-annexed-his-country-to-make-ends-meet-his-wife-turned-to-dressmaking-and-captivated-the-american-public-180988213/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/organized-labor-took-huge-step-forward-when-GM-workers-sat-down-unison-1937-180988089/Instead of picketing, striking autoworkers in Flint, Michigan, tried a bold tactic that gummed up the works and forced the company to recognize their unionFri, 20 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/organized-labor-took-huge-step-forward-when-GM-workers-sat-down-unison-1937-180988089/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-stay-at-ellis-island-hospital-could-determine-whether-an-immigrant-had-a-chance-to-start-a-new-life-in-america-180988202/Some 276,000 patients were admitted to the medical facility between 1892 and 1951. But the abandoned complex has long been overlooked, and preservationists are fighting to save itThu, 19 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-stay-at-ellis-island-hospital-could-determine-whether-an-immigrant-had-a-chance-to-start-a-new-life-in-america-180988202/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/elizabeth-cady-stanton-known-woman-behind-suffrage-movement-new-book-reveals-tenacity-180988092/Her role as a historic hero or villain depends on the movement in question, but looking at her as a mother and daughter adds depth to her legendThu, 19 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/elizabeth-cady-stanton-known-woman-behind-suffrage-movement-new-book-reveals-tenacity-180988092/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/allies-secret-weapons-against-nazis-woman-armed-microphone-script-lies-180988094/As “Vicky With Three Kisses,” she strategically sweet-talked and sang to German troops over the airwaves of Europe. But Agnes Bernauer didn’t mean anything she was sayingWed, 18 Feb 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/allies-secret-weapons-against-nazis-woman-armed-microphone-script-lies-180988094/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/yankee-doodle-was-one-of-americas-earliest-protest-songs-but-its-origins-are-shrouded-in-mystery-180988157/Historians have debunked many of the popular theories surrounding the tune's creation. Still, its legacy as a patriotic anthem enduresTue, 17 Feb 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/yankee-doodle-was-one-of-americas-earliest-protest-songs-but-its-origins-are-shrouded-in-mystery-180988157/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/observe-presidents-day-with-15-images-that-celebrate-the-founding-fathers-180988159/See Smithsonian magazine contest photos that honor U.S. presidents and their monumentsFri, 13 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/observe-presidents-day-with-15-images-that-celebrate-the-founding-fathers-180988159/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/feeling-more-hate-than-love-this-valentines-day-send-snarky-vinegar-valentines-to-your-enemies-180988172/These oft-anonymous messages took aim at pretentious poets, unhelpful salespeople, suffragists and secessionists alikeThu, 12 Feb 2026 12:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/feeling-more-hate-than-love-this-valentines-day-send-snarky-vinegar-valentines-to-your-enemies-180988172/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/one-was-a-teenage-diplomat-another-was-a-nuclear-engineer-heres-how-eight-presidents-made-their-mark-outside-of-the-white-house-180988146/From Abraham Lincoln's patent to James A. Garfield's geometry proof, learn how these 19th- and 20th-century commanders in chief shaped their legacies beyond politicsMon, 09 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/one-was-a-teenage-diplomat-another-was-a-nuclear-engineer-heres-how-eight-presidents-made-their-mark-outside-of-the-white-house-180988146/