Smithsonian Magazine: History
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During the American Revolution, the City of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Served as the United States' Capital for Just One Day
The nascent nation's leaders fled to the inland city as the British advanced on Philadelphia in September 1777. They held one meeting at the local courthouse before moving on to York
This Social Worker Was Supposed to Help Orphans Find Homes. Instead, She Abducted Children Who Already Had Families and Sold Them for Profit
Between 1924 and 1950, Georgia Tann placed more than 5,000 children—many of them seized from their parents without permission—with wealthy families across the U.S
The Founders of the 'New York Times' Pledged to Cover 'Every Subject of Public Importance.' 175 Years Later, the Paper Continues to Publish 'All the News That's Fit to Print'
Much has changed since the publication debuted on September 18, 1851. What hasn't changed, staff members say, is the paper's mission
Six Ways That People of the Past Used Magic to Protect Their Homes, From Witch Bottles to Mystical Symbols
Throughout history, humans around the world have employed protective talismans such as special stones, herbs and plants, and decorative demon tiles
The Real Story Behind 'The Uprising' and the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, When Thousands Marched on London to Demand a Fairer Society
Paul Greengrass' new film stars Andrew Garfield as a fictionalized, unnamed farmer who leads a rebellion against unfair taxes and the system of serfdom
How Did the Nation Get Its Name? Other Suggestions Included the United Colonies, Columbia and the United States of Alleghania
The nascent country adopted its name 250 years ago, on September 9, 1776. Americans have debated the moniker ever since. One congressman even proposed the "United States of the Earth"
To Defeat the Royal Navy During the American Revolution, a Rebel Inventor Designed a Secret Weapon: a Bomb-Carrying Submarine
David Bushnell developed the "Turtle" submersible as a student at Yale University. The vessel's attack on a British flagship failed, but the trailblazing boat's legacy endures 250 years later
Some of the Earliest Automobile Enthusiasts Signed Up to Help the Allies in WWI. They Also Ushered in the Mechanization of War
When the gentlemen drivers of Britain’s Royal Automobile Club Volunteer Force shipped their roadsters and racers to face the Germans, they became chauffeurs, couriers and inadvertent combatants
This American Commando Parachuted Behind Enemy Lines in Both the European and Pacific Theaters of World War II
A direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson, Francis Lowell Coolidge was an agent with the Office of Strategic Services, a predecessor to the CIA. Read his goodbye letter to his wife, published here for the first time
The Prehistoric Paintings on the Walls of Caves Have Always Been Moving. But With the Right Kind of Light, Some Actually Seem to Move
As archaeologists study the work of ancient artists, they notice that the images aren’t simply static; some are painted into the contours of the rock, and others are set in motion in torchlight
To Dismantle the Concept of Separate but Equal, Thurgood Marshall Methodically Devised a Winning Strategy: Divide and Conquer
While other activists aimed to take down Jim Crow in one fell swoop, the future Supreme Court justice compiled a series of wins that ultimately added up to an undeniable resolution
This 18th-Century British Queen Turned King Arthur Into a P.R. Strategy, Drawing on Myth to Promote Her Dynasty's Claim to the Throne
In 1735, Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach commissioned a cottage called Merlin's Cave, which linked the German House of Hanover to both Britain’s ancient heritage and its future success
When a Carpenter in California Found a Nugget of Gold, It Started a Rush Toward Nothing Less Than the Modern World
A new book by historian Nathaniel Philbrick makes the case that James Marshall’s 1848 discovery set in motion events from the Civil War to the rise of Silicon Valley
When an American Airplane Crashed Into a School in 1944, an English Village Lost Almost All of Its Youngest Children. Why Has WWII's Worst Civilian Aviation Accident Been Forgotten?
On August 23, 1944, a test flight over the village of Freckleton, located in northwest England, ended in disaster, claiming the lives of 61 people, including 38 students between the ages of 4 and 6
This Connecticut Teenager Spied on the British During the American Revolution, Succeeding Where Nathan Hale Failed
Newly uncovered documents reveal the story of David Maltbie, who relayed intelligence to the patriots in 1776, narrowly avoiding execution as a spy
The Hessians Were Supposed to Quickly End the American Revolution. Instead, They Endured Years of Battles and Suffered Thousands of Casualties
Some 30,000 German soldiers fought for the British during the war. Contrary to popular belief, they weren't mercenaries, and not all were actually Hessians
This Box of 300 Love Letters Showed Up Out of the Blue. Who Was the Whimsical World War II Soldier Who Wrote Them?
Nobody knows who dropped Speedy Weber's correspondence at a USO office in 2022. Researchers have finally tracked down two living relatives who remember him
Why Has History Forgotten World War II's Largest Prison Break, Which Claimed the Lives of More Than 200 Japanese POWs?
During the 1944 Cowra breakout, over 900 prisoners attempted to escape from an Allied camp in Australia. The uprising resulted in the deaths of 234 Japanese men and 5 Australians
Stanford University's Founding Matriarch Was a Travel-Loving Philanthropist Who Met a Tragic End. A New Exhibition Explores Her Life, Grief and Death by Poison
Jane Stanford's legacy is the focus of a new showcase at the California university. The display features artifacts that have never previously been exhibited
We All Know the Story of the Pompeii Victims Who Died When Mount Vesuvius Erupted 2,000 Years Ago. Archaeologists Are Still Learning About Those Who Made It Out Alive
A semi-fictionalized documentary series hosted by actor Tom Hiddleston follows three people in the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum who experienced the disaster in 79 C.E.
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