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American Democracy

A Great Leap of Faith

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The Flag that Inspired the
National Anthem

American Enterprise

How does American business affect you?

Draper Spark!Lab

Where museum visitors become inventors

Smithsonian’s History Explorer

Classroom resources for teachers

Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

An assortment of museum objects in a drawer

Collections

Screenshot of website for exhibition, "Thomas Jefferson's Bible"

Online Resources

At the Museum

Online Resources

Young visitors looking at museum objects

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A child experimenting with a historic laundry device

At the Museum

At Home

Games & Activities

This Day In History

October 21, 1917

Bebop jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie, owner of this iconic trumpet, is born.

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Our Mission

We help people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future.

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

Enjoy our latest theater program "Shout!" and be immersed in the sounds of the Carolina and Georgia Lowcountry. In other programs, join a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter, and meet a 1917 suffragist or 1895 wheelwoman. Follow the link for scheduled showtimes.

Films in the Warner Bros. Theater

Enjoy a variety of daily short films and special features. Check the Theater page for showtimes.

Smithsonian Presents Great Americans Medal to Honoree Paul Simon

The museum will present its Great Americans medal to composer, musician and philanthropist Paul Simon Sept. 18.

Merck Grant to Support Smithsonian Future Exhibition on History of American Medicine

“Elephants and Us: Considering Extinction” Opens at the Smithsonian

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From Our Blog

Old Mud, New Science

Our curators are discovering secrets in the muck scraped from the bottom of the Gunboat Philadelphia that will help us preserve a centuries-old warship for future generations.

Jimmy Carter: American homebrew hero?

As crazy as it may seem now, homebrewing used to be illegal and Jimmy Carter actually played a part in changing that, contributing to the craft beer revolution. But that’s just one unexpected facet in the story of how our current beer industry came to be.

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American Democracy

The Star-Spangled Banner

American Enterprise

Draper Spark!Lab