In this post, students will learn how the Civil War impacted the development of the watch-making industry in the United States by studying one particular watch in the collection. Written by Carlene Stephens, Curator for the Division of Work and Industry, this post is published on the Mu

In this post, readers will investigate a few examples of drawings made by Plains Indians who, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were held in captivity by the U.S. Army at places like Fort Marion in Florida.  Curator Rayna Green describes how these images depict

In this post, readers are asked to consider the question “when is a neck-tie more than just a neck-tie?” This piece spotlights the objects in the NMAH collection which recount the story of the landmark Lawrence v. Texas Supreme Court case, decided in 2003, which ultimately insured the LGBT co

In this post, students will learn about an inscription hidden inside President Abraham Lincoln's watch that was a secret until the Museum investigated further in 2009. The message was put there by watchmaker Jonathan Dillon, who was repairing Lincoln's watch when the first shots were fired on For

In this post, Chris Wilson, the Museum’s director of the Program in African American Culture, sits down with Professor John Stauffer of Harvard University to open a discussion on both historical and modern abolition efforts. An interview with Professor Stauffer, Professor of English and of

In this post, students will learn about Alice Paul, a suffragist who was jailed while working to get the vote for women. During her graduate studies in England, Paul became exposed to the confrontational tactics of the English "suffragettes," and when she returned to the United States she adapted

Explore the role of squash in early American history, beyond its common use as fall decor. As a natively grown vegetable cultivated by the Wampanoag Indians, squash holds a special place in American history. There are dozens of squash varieties, ranging in shape, size, and color. Squash have

In this blog post, students will learn some of the ways in which Americans learned about Mexico from some examples in the Archives Center's collections. In the years prior to World War II, most Americans had limited first-hand experience of Mexico. Mexico primarily was known as a place for Americ

In this post, students will learn about Almera Anderson Romney, a California teacher, and her efforts to correct the inequity of the substandard condition of most aspects of the school. As a teacher and principal, she introduced innovative educational strategies, recruited a top-notch a

In this post, students will learn about Audie Murphy by answering the question, "What was it about Audie Murphy that impelled him to become a hero?" Murphy was the most highly decorated World War II soldier, and upon his return to civilian life, he was an instant celebrity. He parlayed his n