A Digital Museum
The record of what came before, held in public trust.
Photographs, manuscripts, instruments, and voices — catalogued by curators, open to every visitor. Explore 8+ exhibits from six centuries and counting.
Currently on view
Featured Exhibit
Battle of New Orleans
Free men of color under Andrew Jackson
Two battalions of free men of color helped repel the British at Chalmette, earning public praise from Jackson for their steadiness under fire.
54th Massachusetts at Fort Wagner
Assault on the sand ramparts of Charleston Harbor
Henry O. Flipper Graduates West Point
First African American graduate of the U.S. Military Academy
Cornelius H. Charlton on Hill 543
Medal of Honor at Chipo-ri
Salem Poor at Bunker Hill
A Black soldier commended by fourteen officers
Galleries
Enter by theme.
Gallery 01
Science & Innovation
Instruments, discoveries, and the people who reshaped how we see the world.
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Manuscripts & Documents
Handwritten texts, letters, and printed records that carry the voice of their era.
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Everyday Life
Objects, garments, and photographs that reveal how people lived, worked, and dreamed.
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Wars
Major armed conflicts, their causes, campaigns, and consequences.
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Trail Blazers
Pioneers and innovators who broke new ground across disciplines.
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Heroes
Individuals whose courage and service shaped history.
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Military Units
Regiments, divisions, squadrons, and corps that served with distinction.
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Aircraft
Historic aircraft — fighters, bombers, transports, and experimental designs.
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Weapons
Small arms, artillery, and armament through the ages.
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Campaigns
Military campaigns, operations, and theatres of war.
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Medal of Honor Recipients
Recipients of the nation's highest military decoration.
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Museums
Partner and reference museums holding related collections.
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Historical Documents
Charters, treaties, letters, orders, and primary source records.
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Oral Histories
First-person recorded accounts and interviews from those who lived it.
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Interactive Maps
Cartographic exhibits with locations, movements, and geographic context.
Enter →Recent Acquisitions
New to the archive.
Battle of New Orleans
Free men of color under Andrew Jackson
54th Massachusetts at Fort Wagner
Assault on the sand ramparts of Charleston Harbor
Henry O. Flipper Graduates West Point
First African American graduate of the U.S. Military Academy
Cornelius H. Charlton on Hill 543
Medal of Honor at Chipo-ri
Salem Poor at Bunker Hill
A Black soldier commended by fourteen officers
Crispus Attucks and the Boston Massacre
First to fall for American independence