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In Slavery’s Shadow: George Floyd and American Legacies

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How picturing the Boston Massacre matters

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Smithsonian museums continue to be closed to support the effort to contain the spread of COVID-19. Read a message from our director, and check our website and social media for updates.
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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.

Collections

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

New Statements from Smithsonian Leaders

See a statement from Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch responding to recent incidents of violence against black people. Museum Director Anthea M. Hartig also released a statement, In Slavery’s Shadow: George Floyd and American Legacies.

Talking About Race

This new digital portal from the National Museum of African American History and Culture provides resources to help educators, communities, and families foster constructive dialogues about racism and its impact.

Viral Histories: Stories of Racism, Resilience, and Resistance in Asian American Communities

Missed our online program? View interviews and archived discussions with four community leaders.

Explore Learning Resources

Our website offers many ways to explore history, including online exhibitions, museum tours, educator resources, activities for kids, and our online collections.

Lemelson Center Spark!Lab Launches Virtual Invention Experience

Our popular hands-on invention activity center has made their most popular activities available online.

Smithsonian Marks 100 Years of Women’s Suffrage

See full events calendar
See more news items

From Our Blog

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When Watchmen were Klansmen

HBO’s Watchmen has drawn critical acclaim, particularly for its grounding in the historical reality of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, a violent racial pogrom against that city’s prosperous black enclave of Greenwood.

Why a social activist opposed woman suffrage

Emily Bissell fought for opportunities for women. She raised money for public health. So why did she oppose women getting the right to vote?

How picturing the Boston Massacre matters

Did you know Crispus Attucks' name wasn't Crispus Attucks? Discover the differences between what actually happened at the Boston Massacre, how we remember it, and why it matters.
Mary Walker

Mary Walker, the "Original New Woman"

Mary Edwards Walker defied convention in just about everything she did. Walker was uncompromising in her beliefs about herself and the world she lived in. In an 1897 interview, Walker declared herself “the original new woman."

Science and political protest: A Q&A with Dr. Florence Haseltine

On March 4, 1969, scientists voluntarily stopped their research to examine the involvement of science in the Vietnam War effort. Dr. Haseltine was one of them.
Read more stories from our blog

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