Claim OwnershipHistory Explorer Podcast
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Behind the scenes at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History, staff members are conducting exciting, original research and collecting objects-both iconic and seemingly mundane-to tell compelling stories of American history. This podcast takes listeners along on their intellectual adventures. Along the way, we seek to expose the process of historical inquiry and present thought-provoking stories. Accompanying this series are standards-aligned teacher guides and Smithsonian images for classroom use.
46 Episodes
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Harry Clarke, a Museum Freedom School intern, discusses how we should remember Martin Luther King, Jr.
Freedom Summer veteran Courtland Cox discusses his work in the civil rights movement, the relationship between the work of Freedom Summer and the recent voter registration requirements, and emphasizes that the challenge of this generation of young people will be the fight for equal access to quality education.
Joy Lyman, a Museum Freedom School intern, hosts this special episode of History Explorer on civil rights activist Zoharah Simmons.
Whether you've seen him on the cover of a poster, as the central character in a comic, or leading a parade, Uncle Sam is a clear embodiment of the United States. Was Uncle Sam ever a real person? Where did the idea come from? Natalie Elder in our Armed Forces History Division answers these questions and more in this month's episode of History Explorer.
Benjamin Franklin is one of the founding fathers of the United States; he is also widely considered one of the founding fathers of electrical science. Steve Madewell of the Lemelson Center of Invention and Innovation discusses Franklin’s pursuits in electrical science and the impact that his work in science had on his career as a politician and statesman.
1Often incorporating aspects ritual and secrecy, fraternal orders are voluntary associations of men and women that date back to the early 18th century. Tim Winkle discusses fraternal orders and his research on a particular object in the Museum collection that led him to some interesting discoveries.
April is Jazz Appreciation Month! This year, the National Museum of American History is highlighting and celebrating the career of John Levy. In this episode of History Explorer, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Director Ken Kimery discusses John Levy's story and legacy.
What do British cattle and Mexican cowboys have to do with the history of Hawaiian folk music? A lot, as it turns out. Slack Key guitar master Reverend Dennis Kamakahi explains in this episode of History Explorer. The episode features songs Rev. Kamakahi played during a ceremony in which he donated one of his guitars to the museum.
Recently, the US Military officially opened combat positions to women. In this episode of History Explorer, curators Bart Hacker and Margaret Vining discuss the roles that women have played in the military throughout history, their research, and this new policy.
Sarah Coffee interviews Rayna Green about how curators working on the exhibit, Food: Transforming the American Table, 1950-2000, got out of the museum and did field research to capture the stories of ordinary Americans.
We're going to go behind the seams to explore the many layers of the Museum's latest acquisition-Elphaba's dress from the Broadway Musical Wicked, which gave a new spin on L. Frank Baum's well known book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. You'll hear about the dress's design, importance, and the larger conversations it can lead to from curator Dwight Blocker Bowers, actors Donna Vivino and Tiffany Haas, and the Tony Award winning designer Susan Hilferty.
In this episode of the History Explorer Podcast, Sarah Coffee talks with curator Rayna Green about what we can learn from seemingly simple line drawings about the lives and memories of Plains Indians who lived over 130 years ago.
Curators Harry Rubenstein and Larry Bird discuss their trips to the national nominating conventions, how they collect political memorabilia, what questions they ask, and what advice they have for starting your own collection.
During World War II, America began its largest experiment with guest Labor, The Mexican Farm Labor Program. Commonly called the bracero program, this little known chapter of American and Mexican history touched the lives of countless men, women, families, and communities. Learn about the bracero program and the Smithsonian's initiative to document it with curator Stephen Velasquez.
The first Olympic Games began in 776 BC, but the Olympic Games as we know them today started much later-the 19th century. Learn about the surprising beginnings of the modern Olympic Games and how much has changed since with curator Eric Jentsch.
Like it or not, weather is a major part of our lives, and being able to predict it is extremely useful. Learn about the history of predicting weather in the United States directly from Joseph Henry, one of the Museum Theater Departments historic characters, who played a crucial role in creating a weather prediction service in the United States.
Going on a road trip/? Along the way, listen to this special edition of the History Explorer podcast. It's a compilation of some newer and older podcasts around the theme of perhaps the most common car ride entertainmentmusic.
Ken Kimery, the executive director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and the Jazz Oral History Project, discusses the Jazz Oral History Project with museum educator Matt Hoffman. Ken explains the history of the program and its importance, as well as gives some tips about how to conduct your own oral history projects.
Curator Paul Johnston takes us behind the scenes and talks about several objects related to the Titanic and the efforts to rescue passengers from the 1912 sinking.
Curator Eric Jentsch discusses the history of the Harlem Globetrotters, an all-African American basketball team that barnstormed through segregated America to become the world's most recognizable sports team.
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