“¡Ataca Yomo!”: A close-up look at Yomo Toro’s cuatro
“¡Ataca Yomo! (Attack Yomo!),” shouts singer Héctor Lavoe as the bright notes of what sounds like a guitar solo start flying by our ears in...
What is it like to seek asylum in the United States?
Why do people leave their homelands to establish lives in other countries? What factors do people consider in leaving behind their...
One flag–and the two soldiers who carried it
Unassuming at first glance, a U.S. flag that recently joined our museum's collection brings together the remarkable stories of two U.S....

Blog Posts in "Native American History"

A quilted textile depicting many people surrounding airplanes and other modes of transportation.
Introducing: The Politics of Sanctuary
Who is a threat? Who deserves protection? And who is responsible for providing it?Over the past forty years, sanctuary has become a far-...
U.S. map. One large arrow beginning in Jamestown, Virginia cuts through the U.S. South, labeled “God’s Curse Slavery.” Another arrow, starting in Plymouth, Massachusetts, cuts through the U.S. North, labeled “God’s Blessing Liberty.”
Does Thanksgiving have room for both thankfulness and mourning?
Is there room in Americans’ Thanksgiving celebrations for both thankfulness and mourning?That challenging question arose as my colleagues...
Isabella Aiukli Cornell’s prom dress
Isabella Aiukli Cornell makes prom political
For many high school students in the United States, prom is considered one of the most highly anticipated events of the school year....
Medal with Christopher Columbus
The monument that created Columbus
In October 1792, the United States of America was still a new country, not even a decade old, fresh from a complete government overhaul...
Fort Snelling
"Where Two Waters Come Together": The Confluence of Black and Indigenous History at Bdote
Minnesota doesn’t typically come to mind when you think about slavery and the Civil War. It’s also not a place that’s figured into the...
The impact of the Transcontinental Railroad on Native Americans
The Transcontinental Railroad was completed 150 years ago, in 1869. In 1800s America, some saw the railroad as a symbol of modernity and...
Girl Scout uniform
A Scout By Any Other Name
In May 2018, the Boy Scouts of America changed the name of its program for older children to Scouts BSA and opened membership to girls for...
“Hyperlocal, ultraseasonal, uber-healthy, and utterly delicious”: Reviving indigenous food cultures
When Chef Sean Sherman began speaking about his experiences growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, he shattered all-too-...
Photograph of exhibition section under label, "Incorporating Western Lands"
Creating home, creating legacies: how the Del Valles built Camulos
This group portrait of Del Valle family members is on display in “Many Voices, One Nation.” This photo of the Del Valle family and...
Gold coin marked 1838 decorated with stars and the profile of Liberty's head. Liberty wears a head-band that reads "Liberty."
Striking it rich: American gold rushes of the early 19th century
This year marks the 170th anniversary of the California Gold rush! On January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill...
Large hardcover book, mostly dark brown with gold-colored details.
The lost sounds of religious history
What does religion sound like? Across the United States today, you can listen for it in the tolling of church bells, the Muslim call to...
Display in which figures hold up contemporary campaign signs for presidential candidates while standing among historic objects related to voting, such as 1940s voting booths
Using history to inspire Americans to participate in democracy
As I walk into the museum each morning, I notice which figures in our Hooray for Politics display are holding their signs for presidential...
Photo of pumpkin surrounded by green leaves
The story of four Thanksgiving ingredients
Thanksgiving meals have come a long way since the first shared feast back at Plymouth Colony in 1621. While our reasons for gathering today...
For portraits of man seated in chair, wearing jacket and bowtie
The Civil War's final surrender
On June 23, 1865, 150 years ago, the last Confederate general surrendered his arms at Doaksville, Oklahoma, near Fort Towson. Confederate...
Jefferson's Bible, open
Exploring religion in early American history
What was the significance of religion in the early history of the United States? In the summer of 2017, we will open a new exhibition...
Cartoon shows a large group of men and women from of various races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds gathered around a table for a meal. At the head of the table, Uncle Sam carves a turkey; the table's center is dominated by the model of a temple with the words "Universal Suffrage."
Inclusion and exclusion in two historic Thanksgiving cartoons
Thanksgiving is often imagined as a time of gathering and inclusion. We frequently picture our quintessentially American holiday as when we...
Raccoon hat
The saga of Davy Crockett's coonskin cap
Curator Dwight Blocker Bowers shares the story of Davy Crockett's coonskin cap. It had previously been on view in Starring North...
Small folder with red ribbon on black background
The fabric of the frontier: How textiles help us understand the American West
One of the most fascinating objects that came to my attention during my time as a Smithsonian postdoctoral research fellow is a rather...
Four people standing among plants in a garden, trees in the background
Food in the Garden kicks off with focus on heirlooms
Missed last week's Food in the Garden 2013 Summer Series event? New Media intern Hannah Ostroff recaps the discussion on growing local,...
An actor stands in front of seated people and a presentation screen
Teaching with drama: The Time Trial of Andrew Jackson
Jason Fox, an AP U.S. history and psychology teacher, explains why he came to class dressed as Andrew Jackson and let his students put him...
Drawing of buffalo hunting
A closer look at the Plains Indian Ledger Drawings for American Indian Heritage Month
Image of a buffalo chase drawn by Wohaw, Beef, Wolf Robe or Gu hau de (Kiowa), drawn between 1875 and 1878 at Fort Marion, FloridaA herd of...
Cranberries in a pot, set on dried leaves
5 questions with a colonial culinarian
It's not everyday that you get to meet an expert on colonial foodways—especially not one dressed in a historically accurate pilgrim outfit....
A large orange squash known as the "Cinderella pumpkin."
From the Victory Garden: American history told through squash
As a natively grown vegetable cultivated by the Wampanoag Indians, squash holds a special place in American history. Today, squash are most...
A Pilgrim or a poseur?
In reality, the English dissidents on board the Mayflower called themselves “saints,” not “pilgrims,” and landed on a beach in Provincetown...