All upcoming American History programs

Thomas Smallwood, born into slavery in 1801 near Washington, D.C., bought his freedom, began organizing mass escapes from slavery by the wagonload, and wrote about the escapes in newspaper dispatches. Smallwood never got the credit he deserved, says journalist Scott Shane. Shane recounts the exploits of Smallwood and his white colleague, Charles Torrey, setting them against the backdrop of the slave trade in the United States.

When Confederate troops fired on Fort Sumter, Walt Whitman declared it "the volcanic upheaval of the nation”­—the inception of a war that would dramatically alter the shape and character of American culture. Scholar Randall Fuller of the University of Kansas traces the changes in his poetry from idealism to a realism that depicts a more chastened view of America as a place where enormous suffering had occurred.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated in more countries around the world than any other holiday. Andrew Roth of the Jefferson Educational Society in Erie, Pennsylvania, unlocks the hidden stories behind its evolution from ancient and surprising origins to how it’s marked today. He also traces how greeting cards, wine, roses, and chocolate came to symbolize one of our most revered cultural traditions of saying, “I love you.”

Gumbo and beignets may be the flavors most people know, but the real story of New Orleans food is one of struggle, resilience, and power, reveals historian Ashley Rose Young, author of Nourishing Networks: The Public Culture of Food in New Orleans. She uncovers how, from 1800 to today, street vendors, cooks, and customers turned meals into weapons of influence—shaping taste, battling officials, and rewriting laws. Beneath the powdered sugar and peppery roux lies a history of conflict and creativity—of ordinary people whose daily struggles over food helped define the identity of one of America’s most captivating cities.

Abraham Lincoln is typically ranked as the nation’s foremost president. He possessed extraordinary leadership skills that he used to win the Civil War and preserve the nation. While most leaders may display a unique style, there is even more to learn from Lincoln. Marking the 217th anniversary of his birth, Lincoln scholar and author Louis P. Masur proposes that studying this remarkable president can offer insights into becoming better leaders.

Smithsonian Associates speaker Paul Glenshaw returns to the Art + History series to look at great works of art in their historical context. In this program, Glenshaw explores one of the most iconic patriotic images in American art—and one of the most reproduced—to reveal a surprising history that includes its creation in, of all places, Germany. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Curator Patricia LaBounty of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum explores how U.S. presidents used trains to connect with communities from the 1830s to the 1940s. Beginning with Lincoln, railroads were vital for travel, campaigning, and even funeral processions. Presidential policies promoted nationwide rail access, with train cars carrying everything from coal to cantaloupe—and sometimes commanders-in-chief.

Few books are so often quoted as Democracy in America, French writer Alexis de Tocqueville’s seminal assessment of both the American experiment and the implications of burgeoning conditions of social equality for the future of democracy. Georgetown University professor Joseph Hartman examines Tocqueville’s impressions of 19th-century America and considers what he means for us today.

On Aug. 6 and 9 of 1945, the United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, during World War II. These acts continue to stand as defining moments in history. Historian Hiroshi Kitamura examines the factors leading President Harry S. Truman to take this action during what turned out to be the final month of the war.

On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made history with the Brooklyn Dodgers as the first Black player in Major League Baseball’s modern era, breaking the game’s long-standing color barrier. Robinson’s influence reached far beyond the diamond, as he used his platform to challenge racial injustice. Sports historian Fred Frommer and former Senators stadium announcer Phil Hochberg delve into Robinson’s journey as both a pioneering athlete and voice in the civil rights movement.