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Jazz Appreciation Month

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American History on Instagram

  • This Bata Cubana, or Cuban Rumba dress, was donated to the Smithsonian by Celia Cruz, the great Cuban salsa singer in 1997. An adaptation of the traditional Cuban rumba dress, it was made in the United States by Cuban-born designer José Arteaga. The Bata Cubana has its roots in the 19th century, with origins as diverse as the multicultural makeup of the people of Cuba. It brings together influences from Spanish, French, and African culture and dress, combining theater, fiesta, and the spectacle of carnival with slave and gypsy dress. The Bata Cubana is a garment worn for performance on stage or cabaret. This Bata Cubana is made of orange polyester satin, trimmed with white nylon eyelet along ruffle-edges and eyelet beading along seams with inserted orange ribbon. The Bata Cubana was Celia's preferred performance costume. Gift of Celia Cruz #JazzAppreciationMonth #JazzHistory #AmericanHistory #MusicHistory
  • This month, we’re celebrating #JazzApprecationMonth! Throughout the month, we’ll be exploring the cross-pollination of Afro-Caribbean music and jazz leading into the formation of Latin jazz. These drums were used by Ramón 'Mongo' Santamaría Rodríguez (1917–2003), a Cuban percussionist and bandleader who spent most of his career in the United States. Primarily a conga drummer, Santamaría was a leading figure in the pachanga and boogaloo dance crazes of the 1960s. From the 1970s, he recorded mainly salsa and Latin jazz, before retiring in the late 1990s. Santamaria made several recordings as a leader of his own group, as well as a sideman with Fania All-Stars, Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, and Ray Charles. The drums are a gift from Nancy Santamaria Support for jazz programming is made possible by the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation (@leroyneimanfoundation); The Argus Fund; the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation (@firstladyofsong), founding donor of the Smithsonian Jazz Endowment; David C. Frederick and Sophia Lynn; @goldmansachs; and the John Hammond Performance Series Endowment Fund. #Jazz #JazzHistory #MusicHistory #AmericanHistory #LatinJazz
  • During our Great Americans Medal presentation this evening, we unveiled a collection of objects donated to our museum that represent the Supreme Court career of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Famously known as the ‘Dissent’ collar, this became one of Justice Ginsburg's most iconic items. The donation also includes the late Justice’s ‘Majority Collar,’ a bobblehead, a photograph of a tattoo demonstrating her pop-culture status, and much more. The full list of objects can be found here: https://s.si.edu/3JUlhWJ The Great Americans Award Program is supported by former Smithsonian Regent David M. Rubenstein. The medal is made possible by Museum board member Jeff Garrett All photos by Jaclyn Nash
  • Today we join the nation in mourning the loss of U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Appointed by President Bill Clinton, Albright was the first woman to assume this prominent position in the president’s cabinet. Political upheaval in Czechoslovakia turned Madeleine’s family into political refugees. She arrived at Ellis Island at the age of 11 and, in college, she made what she called the “most important decision of her life,” and became a naturalized citizen. Citizenship ceremonies held a special place in her heart. In 2012 she welcomed new citizens at a ceremony in the National Museum of American History’s Flag Hall. After years of work as a scholar and advisor on national security, in 1993 Albright was named the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations. Four years later she became the first woman to be Secretary of State. Through all of her positions, Albright was an outspoken supporter of women nationally and internationally. In 2016 our museum presented Albright with the Great Americans Medal for her work in diplomacy on behalf of the United States. Watch the presentation here: https://s.si.edu/36GaLUm 📷: Copyright Diana Walker

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Our Mission

Empowering people to create a just and compassionate future by exploring, preserving, and sharing the complexity of our past.

Exhibitions

Exhibitions on a range of topics offer firsthand experiences with treasures of American history.

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We collect artifacts of all kinds—from gowns to locomotives—to preserve an enduring record of our past for the American people.

News and Events

Visit the Museum

The museum is once again open seven days a week! Visit us every day 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Follow the link to plan your visit.

The 2022 ACCelerate Creativity and Innovation Festival

Join a celebration of cutting-edge creative exploration and research happening at the intersection of science, engineering, arts, and design from Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools and the Smithsonian Institution. April 8-10.

Innovative Lives: Warren Shadd

Join this online program to meet Warren Shadd—jazz musician, D.C.-based inventor, and pioneering African American piano manufacturer. April 13, 4 p.m. Free; registration required.

Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Honored With Great Americans Medal

In a virtual tribute to the legacy of Justice Ginsburg, the museum will honor her posthumously with the Great Americans Medal and a preview of donated objects related to her Supreme Court career.

Smithsonian Collects COVID-19 Artifacts in Pandemic’s Second Year

National Museum of American History Opens “Discovery and Revelation”

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From Our Blog

Large stone shaped like a donut, with a hollow center. One side has cracked and broken away from the rest of the stone.

What can really BIG money teach us about our world?

Long feathers that shimmer in the light. A formidably heavy stone ring. An iron blade . . . These artifacts are now displayed together in the museum’s newest exhibition for children called Really BIG Money.
Poster showing a woman worker in a jumpsuit and bandana rolling up her right sleeve. Above her head is a speech bubble with the text, "We Can Do It!"

Rosie, Wendy, and Government Girls: The women behind the war

Today, we often associate the women workers during World War II with the popular symbol Rosie the Riveter, but as the museum's collections show, "Rosies" were just one of the many types of women workers during the war. 
Page from copybook showing illustration of a child seated in various positions as a desk, as well as diagrams showing how to hold a writing instrument in a right hand

Don’t write off cursive yet

Once a universal skill taught in the school classroom, handwriting fell out of favor with the introduction of technologies designed to make communication more efficient.
Sepia-toned photo of young African American man in U.S. Marine Corps uniform

Calvin and Clarence Curtis: Montford Point Marines

In 2012, World War II veteran Calvin Curtis was presented with a copy of the Montford Point Congressional Gold Medal for his part in the beginning of the desegregation of the United States Marine Corps, the last branch of service to accept Black recruits.
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