Overview

Course No. 8576

Dive into a rich, visual history of the United States of America, as told using the Smithsonian’s one-of-a-kind collection of iconic and symbolic American artifacts. The Smithsonian is a repository of America’s history, achievements, aspirations, and identity. It holds the artifacts of great leaders and those of ordinary Americans. It houses scientific specimens and technological wonders. It is home to art, music, films, writings—a vast treasure trove of objects of extraordinary beauty and outstanding design.

With a collection of some 137 million items in more than two dozen museums and research centers, the Smithsonian brings our national epic to life as nothing else can. That worthy goal is also the purpose of The Great Courses, and it has inspired a unique partnership with the Smithsonian to bring the Smithsonian museums to you. In an unprecedented move, curators have taken objects out of their cases and brought them to our lecture room to give you special access to treasures that collectively represent the American experience.

Experiencing America: A Smithsonian Tour through American History showcases 20 authentic historic objects along with detailed replicas and photographs of almost 100 other artifacts and exhibits. Together, these evocative items tell the story of America, its people, and its diverse cultures in 24 lavishly illustrated half-hour lectures. Your guide is the distinguished scholar, administrator, and bestselling author, Dr. Richard Kurin, Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture at the Smithsonian. Dr. Kurin oversees most of the Smithsonian’s national museums, libraries, and archives, making him the curator of the country’s greatest treasures.

Video Lessons

01: Star-Spangled Banner-Inspiring the Anthem

Begin your tour of national treasures from the Smithsonian with the artifact that inspired our national anthem: the flag that flew over Fort McHenry when Francis Scott Key penned “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Hear about the battle for the fort and the later history of the flag, including how it was almost “loved to death.”

Duration: 34 min

02: Presidents and Generals-Images of Leadership

Learn how some of the country’s greatest leaders have seen themselves and been seen by the nation. Inspect Washington’s uniform, swords, and portraits. Also look at notable photographs of Lincoln, and trace the history of Eisenhower’s distinctive army jacket and his presidential “look.”

Duration: 30 min

03: Conscience and Conflict – Religious History

View Smithsonian artifacts that tell the story of the quest for religious freedom in America—from a rare religious portrait from the colonial Southwest to a chunk of Plymouth Rock, to Thomas Jefferson’s unique compilation of the Gospels, to the symbolic sunstone on the original Mormon Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Duration: 31 min

04: The Growth and Spread of Slavery

Starting with a set of slave shackles, chart the history of slavery in the Americas. Discover how the invention of the cotton gin helped expand slave labor. Then follow the story of African-American abolitionist Harriet Tubman, as told through some of her treasured personal belongings.

Duration: 33 min

05: Emancipation and the Civil War

Study relics and documents related to the emancipation of slaves during the Civil War era, culminating with General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Also hear poignant stories told by a selection of artifacts from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Duration: 30 min

06: Gold, Guns, and Grandeur-The West

Hear the tale told by a tiny gold flake, smaller than a fingernail, which launched the California Gold Rush in the late 1840s. Encounter another artifact that had a profound impact on the West: the Colt revolver. And view the West through the eyes of both settlers and natives in the art of Albert Bierstadt and the sketches from Sitting Bull’s drawing book.

Duration: 32 min

07: The First Americans-Then and Now

Inspect stone points produced at the end of the last ice age by the Clovis culture of early hunter-gatherers in the Americas. Then probe the mystery of the birdman carving found in an ancient Native American burial mound. See how tribal traditions continue to inspire Indian artists.

Duration: 33 min

08: Planes, Trains, Automobiles … and Wagons

Examine four key artifacts that tell the story of America on the move: the Conestoga wagon; the John Bull steam locomotive; the Ford Model T; and Charles Lindbergh’s airplane, the Spirit of St. Louis. Each represents a technology that profoundly altered the nation.

Duration: 32 min

09: Communications-From Telegraph To Television

Focus on inventions that radically transformed how people communicate, beginning with Samuel Morse’s telegraph. Then look at a historic telephone used by Alexander Graham Bell, and listen to one of his early recording disks. Finally, witness the birth of mass media through the inventions of radio and television.

Duration: 32 min

10: Immigrant Dreams and Immigrant Struggles

Investigate objects linked to the experiences of America’s immigrants: an original model of the Statue of Liberty, a painting highlighting the injustice of internment for Japanese Americans during World War II, and two artifacts connected to Caesar Chavez and his battle for the rights of Mexican-American farm workers.

Duration: 31 min

11: User Friendly-Democratizing Technology

The Singer sewing machine, the Kodak Brownie camera, and the Apple Macintosh computer each exemplify the transformative effects of functionality and good design. View early models of these pioneering inventions, and explore the social revolutions they set in motion.

Duration: 32 min

12: Extinction and Conservation

The Smithsonian’s many facilities include the National Zoo and its living collections. Focus on four animals’ stories that shed light on extinction and conservation of species in America: Sandy the buffalo, Tioga the bald eagle, Martha the passenger pigeon, and a pair of pandas—Hsing Hsing and Ling Ling.

Duration: 34 min

13: Kitty Hawk to Tranquility-Innovation and Flight

Review the rich tradition of innovation in America. Then zero in on two remarkable achievements: the Wright brothers’ airplane and the Apollo flights to the Moon. View an actual astronaut glove worn on Apollo 8, the first mission to orbit the Moon.

Duration: 32 min

14: Cold War-Red Badges, Bombs, and the Berlin Wall

Survey selected Smithsonian artifacts that capture the trajectory of the Cold War—from a 1930s patriotic union badge worn by labor leader John L. Lewis, to the Enola Gay bomber that ended World War II, to a 1950s fallout shelter and a piece of the shattered Berlin Wall.

Duration: 31 min

15: National Tragedy-Maine, Pearl Harbor, 9/11

Nothing speaks more powerfully than an object that has weathered tragedy. Look at simple, eloquent relics from the explosion of USS Maine in 1898, the sinking of USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor in 1941, and the destruction of the World Trade Center towers on September 11, 2001.

Duration: 32 min

16: For the Greater Good-Public Health

Guided by key artifacts at the Smithsonian, see how grassroots efforts, social activism, and the care and determination of the American people helped fund a cure for polio, led to birth control for women, and combatted the bias against those with AIDS.

Duration: 31 min

17: Women Making History

Explore the struggle for an inclusive role for women in American society. Chart the history of the women’s suffrage movement; witness Helen Keller’s miraculous story; follow Amelia Earhart’s heartbreaking career in the air; and get a glimpse into Julia Child’s life as a television pioneer and cultural icon.

Duration: 32 min

18: The Power of Portraits

Peer into powerful faces from the past, including those of Pocahontas, Frederick Douglass, and the female factory worker apocryphally known as Rosie the Riveter, who appears on an iconic poster from World War II. Also inspect another icon: the signature stovepipe hat worn by Abraham Lincoln.

Duration: 31 min

19: Two Centuries of American Style

Delve into examples of American style, starting with Benjamin Franklin’s cane and Andrew Carnegie’s innovative New York mansion (now itself a Smithsonian museum). Then view memorabilia from Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, and Louis Armstrong. Close with Jacqueline Kennedy’s simple but stunning inaugural gown.

Duration: 30 min

20: Hollywood-The American Myth Machine

The Smithsonian has been farsighted in acquiring artifacts from America’s modern myth machine: Hollywood. View some prime specimens—from the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz to the costumes for the robotic sidekicks in Star Wars.

Duration: 32 min

21: The Hope Diamond-America’s Crown Jewel

Follow the saga of the Hope Diamond, which has led a storied career since it was mined in India in the 1600s. Learn about its alleged curse and the unusual way it arrived at the Smithsonian in 1958, where it has remained a perennially popular exhibit.

Duration: 32 min

22: Sing Out for Justice-American Music

Americans have always blended politics and song. Trace the rise of three great voices in this tradition: Marian Anderson, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan. Among other touchstones of their era, see the mink coat that Anderson wore at a celebrated concert on the National Mall in 1939.

Duration: 33 min

23: Exploring the Land, Exploring the Universe

Cross the expanse of the continent with Lewis and Clark, then leap into space with the Mercury, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. Discover how Smithsonian scientists will continue exploring the limits of the cosmos with the Giant Magellan Telescope.

Duration: 32 min

24: “All Men Are Created Equal” -Civil Rights

Close the course by returning to the Declaration of Independence and its pledge that “all men are created equal.” Trace the struggle to realize this promise from the turmoil of Reconstruction to a lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., site of sit-ins during the Civil Rights era, and now on display at—the Smithsonian.

Duration: 44 min