In fall 1861, Union forces seized Port Royal, South Carolina, and the Sea Islands, leaving thousands of formerly enslaved people behind as white residents fled. Northern reformers soon launched an ambitious Reconstruction experiment in education, labor, and landownership. Historian Valinda Littlefield traces how Black families, new political players, and evolving federal policies reshaped suffrage, property rights, and opportunity, laying foundations for generational wealth and a transformed postwar South.

The American War of Independence freed the 13 British colonies in North America from Crown rule and set the stage for the United States’ bold experiment in self-government. Drawing on primary sources, historian Christopher Hamner continues exploring the pivotal turning points and strategic choices that shaped the course and the conclusion of the war in a fall series. This session focuses on the Battle of Cowpens and Battle of Yorktown.

In the United States, Italian physicists played an influential role in shaping modern physical science, especially during the period surrounding World War II. Their work helped establish American leadership in nuclear physics, particle physics, and astrophysics. Learn more about the interplay between American and Italian physicists in the 20th century from a panel of experts, moderated by Kristen Frederick-Frost, curator in the division of medicine and science at the National Museum of American History. Following the panel discussion, attendees enjoy a light reception.

During World War II, a group of determined young African American men took to the skies in defiance of the racial barriers that sought to ground them. Known as the Tuskegee Airmen, these pioneering pilots and crew members flew more than 1,578 sorties across Europe and North Africa. Aviation expert Jerry Burton explores their extraordinary achievements. The lecture begins with an introduction from Jeremy R. Kinney, associate director of research, collections, and curatorial affairs at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

In the early 18th century, American colonists along the seaboard built and sailed small vessels in coastal trade. Growing Caribbean plantations needed provisions, prompting widespread smuggling that violated British, French, and Spanish mercantilist laws. Skilled American mariners, adept in shallow-water navigation, became ideal illicit traders. Historian Carl Herzog of the USS Constitution Museum argues that decades of defying imperial policies fostered professional networks, business savvy, and covert practices that ultimately helped sail colonists toward revolution.

When French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi first traveled to the United States to propose the construction of a giant tribute to liberty, Americans either rejected the idea or were baffled by it. Nevertheless, completed in 1886, the Statue of Liberty stands today as one of the best-known symbols of the United States. It was ultimately a gift from the French people to the American people, as private citizens, not the two governments, financed it from torch to toe. Historian Edward Berenson illuminates the origins of Lady Liberty, the complex construction process, and her shifting meaning.

Historic preservation is often thought of as the stewardship of grand landmarks associated with great figures like Thomas Jefferson, as well as places of worship, courthouses, and monuments. But the modest houses, working landscapes, and overlooked spaces that hold our personal and collective memories also matter. Public historian Ken Turino traces the history of the preservation movement in America, including how the field has evolved to have a more inclusive vision of what deserves protection.

Silversmithing—the art of turning silver into beautiful jewelry and objects that are both useful and attractive—has evolved over the past 250 years of American history. Philadelphia Museum of Art curator David Barquist provides an overview of the production of silver goods in the United States.

The most human of instruments, the voice, is foundational to so many spiritual experiences—in its presence and in its absence. This free program explores the role of human voices in uplifting scripture, song, and calls to prayer in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, illuminating a shared dimension of Americans’ faith in harmony.

What can pie, candy bars, and chocolate chip cookies reveal about American history? Food historian Francine Segan explores how desserts reflect the nation’s past, from English-inspired pies to modern social media trends. She examines how invention and necessity shaped sweets such as jelly beans and candy corn, how Depression-era scarcity led home cooks to ingenious recipes like “water pie,” and also uncovers truths behind familiar names and dessert myths—from Betty Crocker (not a real person) to German chocolate cake (not German). Registrants receive a companion recipe handout.