These skates were worn by Phil Verchota (number 27), a member of the underdog 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that astounded the world by capturing the Gold Medal at Lake Placid, New York. While it was the win against the Finns that cinched the Gold, the defeat of the Soviet team in the semifinals

This website discusses the major events of the War of 1812, including the burning of Washington, and the battles of Fort McHenry and New Orleans. Students will learn from images and objects in the Museum's collections to shed light on the conflict that gave the country a new symbol, the Star

This website was originally designed to complement C-SPAN's 20th Anniversary Television Series, American Presidents: Life Portraits, which debuted in 1999.  The American Presidents website, created for the television series, contains a complete video archive of the series, additiona

This collection of learning resources was developed in conjunction with the exhibition The Price of Freedom: Americans at War Teacher's Manual. Included in this set of materials is "Who Am I? A History Mystery", an interactive game in which students select a mystery c

This online exhibition highlights artifacts from the Smithsonian's sports collection, and will introduce students to the pioneering men and women who dominated their sports; championed their country, race, or sex; and helped others to achieve. Both on and off the playing field, these undaunted in

In this post, readers explore an extraordinary figure in a new way.  A 1950 comic book about Jackie Robinson’s early career reveals little of the hardships he faced, but focuses on the talent and integrity of on the baseball’s greats. Written by Archivist Cathy Keen, th

In this post, students will learn the story of Mary Pickersgill, the woman who created the Star-Spangled Banner. Mary Pickersgill learned the art of flagmaking from her mother, Rebecca Young, who made a living during the Revolution sewing flags, blankets, and uniforms for George Washing