Remly Washington's National Museum of American History showcases such influences as the nation's first cars to first ladies. Our nation's history has many levels. The top layer of European settlement since the early 17th century covers a staggering range of cultural activity and development. The layers beneath add both breadth and depth to our understanding of what America is all about. It is the mission of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History to find, explore and interpret that wealth of history for visitors, which has been described as being much like digging through Grandma's attic to discover our family background.
Permanent exhibits cover various aspects of American development.
The tools, machines and vehicles in the Hall of Agriculture, for example, show the changes in rural America as technological advances hit the farm. Hand tools such as scythes and pitchforks stand next to horse-drawn plows and harrows, which are dwarfed by the gigantic 156 horsepower International Harvester tractor. In 150 years, farm giants revolutionized agricultural production, and machine power replaced the manpower gone to the cities to find a new way of life. Once a blighted thoroughfare through a neighborhood down on its luck, Harlem's 125th Street has become a popular destination for tourists looking for a taste of soul. Click Here For Whole Story Click here for a complete list of stories from this section.