Nineteenth-century Americans idolized Mary Washington. Twentieth-century historians dismissed her as a selfish shrew. The truth is more interesting.
The Declaration of Independence: A Picture Essay
The third installment of our series on the 250th anniversary of independence — thirteen great images
What Are We Doing Teaching History?
Teaching history is not a partisan exercise. It is the transmission of culture — the beneficial inheritance of our shared past that frees us to live together.
How Our Revolutionary War Began
The British army was sent to Massachusetts to maintain order. It started a war instead. This is how our Revolutionary War began.
Imagining the Battle of Lexington
Graphic images of the Battle of Lexington, evolving over more than a century, have shaped the way Americans understand the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
A Revolution in Tar and Feathers
The story of John Malcom, coated with tar and feathers, reflects the changing nature of protest on the eve of the American Revolution.
A Portrait of George III
George III longed to be regarded as a patriot king. Johan Zoffany’s 1771 portrait cast the king in his favorite role with a daring visual allusion.
George Washington and the Genealogist
George Washington knew very little about his family history until an English genealogist spurred his interest. Washington pretended not to care.
The Enduring Importance of the American Revolution
The American Revolution is our national epic and the source of freedom in American life.
Verrazzano’s America
Five hundred years ago Giovanni da Verrazzano recorded the first observations of the Atlantic coast of the future United States. We still have much to learn.
Above: The Veteran in a New Field, Winslow Homer, 1865, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot (1876-1967), 1967
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