"The National Museum of American History has over 2 million items in its collections, spanning every topic you could think of. And from wooden crosses to baseball uniforms to costume butterfly wings, our collections show that Latinx people have been an important part of U.S. history since the nation

Costume worn by Lin-Manuel Miranda portraying Alexander Hamilton in the original Broadway production of Hamilton: An American Musical. The costume consists of a white shirt with ruffles, green coat, green waistcoat with small gold metal decoration on proper right side, green breeches, a pair of blac

These shoes, worn by dancer Stella Abrera in a January 2018 production of The Nutcracker, have been pancaked to match Abrera's skin color. When they are dancing without wearing tights, dancers pancake their shoes to match their skin color.Stella Abrera joined the American Ballet Theatre in 1996 and

“Lin-Manuel Miranda's award-winning Broadway hit Hamilton: An American Musical turned international attention to the story of founding leader Alexander Hamilton, but also sparked the public rediscovery of his wife Eliza Hamilton's philanthropy. Hamilton dramatizes the life and death of Alexander

In the fictional universe of George Lucas' Star Wars films, robots called droids (short for android) come in many shapes and serve many purposes. Two droids-R2-D2 and C-3PO-have won enormous popularity for their supporting roles in all six of the series. In the collections of the museum are costu

In the fictional universe of George Lucas' Star Wars films, robots called droids (short for android) come in many shapes and serve many purposes. Two droids--R2-D2 and C-3PO--have won enormous popularity for their supporting roles in all six of the series. In the collections of the museum are cos

For nearly a decade, the museum has used theater as a means of enlivening the visitor experience and engaging the public in dialogue on challenging topics in history. Thousands of visitors have joined a mock civil rights training session, debated the use of violence with John Brown, or met Louise

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, Ken Kimery, executive director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, discusses the importance of the Jazz Oral History Project. Ken explains the history of the program and its importance, as well as gives some tips about how to cond

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, Ken Kimery, Executive Producer of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, discusses the career of jazz musician Mary Lou Williams and the value of studying jazz in American history. The teacher guide includes discussion questions an

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, students will hear from Xavier Carnegie, the Museum’s Creative Director and one of the lead actors for the “Join the Student Sit-Ins” theater program about the research he conducts to develop and enhance his performance.