National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC

Over the Fourth of July weekend, we braved the downtown Washington, D.C., crowds and visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It's part of the Smithsonian Museums.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

We started in the lobby which features a film introducing the museum. Overhead is Swing Low, a bronze sculpture that evokes the fluid motion of a band of angels. Crafted by Richard Hunt, it is inspired by the famous Negro spiritual Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

Swing Low

We descended to the bottom of the museum to tour the historical part of the museum. The exhibits begin with the arrival of African slaves in the 1600s.

Collar and chain from slave trade

The largest mainland slave revolt in the English colonies was the Stono Rebellion in 1739. Twenty slaves rose up under Jemmy, a literate enslaved man, and they marched toward Spanish Florida for freedom. The South Carolina militia chased them down, killing most of the rebels, whose number had swollen close to a hundred as they traveled. 

Drum from 18th c. South Carolina

During the American War for Independence, much like the rest of the people in the colonies, there were Blacks who supported the cause for independence and who supported British control of the colonies.

Black Patriots (to the US cause)

Black Loyalist (to the UK cause)

The next exhibit looks at the tension between the Founding Fathers' fight for freedom alongside the acceptance of slavery. Plenty of black freedmen and women contributed to the early United States in spite of cultural biases against them. 

Paradox of Liberty

Richard Allen was born a slave in Philadelphia in 1760. He converted to Methodism, bought his freedom, and became a preacher to whites and black along the east coast. He founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church after frustration with an integrated church in Philadelphia that became less integrated over time.

Richard Allen and his money box

Phyllis Wheatley was a popular poet during the American War for Independence, publishing a book called Poems on Various Subjects Religious and Moral. 

Elizabeth Wheatley

Benjamin Banneker was a gentleman scientist living near Ellicott Mills, Maryland. He was hired as part of the survey team for the District of Columbia, laying out the border stones that can still be found today.

Benjamin Banneker

One of the big economic drivers that preserved slavery was the invention of the cotton gin in the 1790s. Before this machine, cotton seeds had to be removed by hand in a laborious process. The new speed of processing made growing cotton more valuable. Without an engine to harvest cotton, human labor was used to work the fields, perpetuating the need for low-cost labor that slavery filled.

The Cotton Gin

A haunting display is this stone platform that was used during slave auctions to "display the wares" to people bidding to own other people.

Auction stone

Harriett Tubman was given a lace shawl by Queen Victoria in 1897 in recognition of her valuable work helping slaves flee along the Underground Railroad before the American Civil War. She became a spy for the North during the war. After the war, she became an advocate for civil rights for blacks and for women.

Tubman Shawl

The next section describes the American Civil War, with a map showing the then-extant states and how they voted in the 1860 presidential election that put Abraham Lincoln in the nation's highest office.

Election results in 1860

Displays show photos and items from the Colored Troops who served for the Union during the Civil War.

Blacks fighting in the American Civil War

The historical displays continued on through Reconstruction all the way to the Civil Rights era in the 1960s. We were hungry for lunch and moved on to the cafeteria.

After lunch, we went to the upstairs displays which are focused on culture. One interactive exhibit has visitors choose a driving path for some Chicagoans visiting relatives down south. On the way, big cities would have more restaurant and hotels that catered to black clientele. The Green Book was a directory of friendly garages, restaurants, hotels, and other places across the nation. During the period of Jim Crow laws, where segregation was the law in some jurisdictions, the Green Book was a handy tool to have.

Driving exhibit

Info about Jim Crow and the Green Book

Interactive screens on items owned by but not displayed at the museum

One hall presents the various religions of African-Americans, running the typical gamut of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and other religions.

Religious items from African American communities

From a Catholic Church in New Orleans

Another hall chronicles military service by the different major American wars.

Uniforms through the years

WWII items

Mid- to late-1900s conflicts

Another section shows farming techniques brought to the Americas from Africa, like this exhibit on developing tidal rice fields.

Tidal rice field development

This statue of Mary McLeod Bethune is a copy of the one in the United States Capitol Building. Each state has two statues in the Capitol's rotunda. Bethune represents Florida. She was a civil rights activist in the 1930s and an educator. Her statue replaced a Floridian who was a Confederate general.

Mary McLeod Bethune

Many famous athletes came from the African American community. Pele was a famous Brazilian soccer player in the mid-1900s.

Pele!

Serena and Venus Williams are sisters who were tennis sensations in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Williams sisters

Michael Jordan is perhaps the most famous basketball player in the world. His statue seemingly floats off the ground as he takes his shot. 

Michael Jordan

Jackie Robbins was the first black player in Major League Baseball, playing as #42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers. His legacy of breaking down barriers has been an inspiration for almost a century.

Dodgers memorabilia

Base-stealing!

The museum had a lot more that we didn't get to see. What I did see was a lot less "woke" than I was anticipating. Lots of it does not look at the African-American experience through the lenses of oppression and victimhood. Of course, historically there has been oppression and victimization, but many men and women rose to their historic occasion and beyond it, making achievements every American should be proud of.

Book Review: The Federalist Papers by Hamilton, Jay, and Madison

The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay

After the success of the American War of Independence, the newly united colonies adopted the Articles of Confederation to create a federal government over the thirteen states. That government turned out to be disastrously dysfunctional. Recognizing the need for a stronger and more well-crafted federal government, the states sent representatives to Philadelphia to draft the Constitution of the United States. In the interests of persuading the State of New York to approve the Constitution, three men wrote a series of articles in favor from October 1787 to April 1788 under the pseudonym Publius. The papers were subsequently published as a book and stand as a thorough explanation of the benefits of the new American Constitution.

The series starts at a higher level, discussing the nature of a republic then working its way down into the various articles in the Constitution. The discussions of the legislative, executive, and judiciary are quite thorough, answering specific objections and potential problems that might arise. The authors reference classical republics like in ancient Rome and Greece (they love Plutarch's Lives!) as well as more contemporary examples from Europe, especially Great Britain. They also cite the various constitutions of the various states, comparing how they handle legislatures, executives, and judiciaries, focusing on what can be learned from those contemporary experiences and examples.

The Constitution is clearly designed to balance out the powers of the various branches of government so no one branch can be dominant. The executive can put a check on laws passed by the legislature, forcing them to have a large majority to override a presidential veto. The judiciary (which they thought was the weakest part of the government) can judge certain actions or laws as compatible with the Constitution and the subsequent laws of the land, but they have no ability to craft or enforce laws. Several powers are spread over branches, like the appointment of ambassadors. The executive nominates candidates who need approval from the Senate, keeping crass cronyism by the executive in check. The legislature needs to be careful using that power too, risking an appearance of political obstruction rather than proper governing. The checks and balances keep people from giving in to their worse instincts or exploiting their positions for personal gains. The sense of the fallenness of human nature is palpable. The needed correctives make a lot of sense, discouraging bad behavior and encouraging virtuous action.

Some things have changed since the Federalist Papers, like the election of the President. Rather than voting on electors who will subsequently vote on the President, the American system has adapted somewhat, with a state's majority candidate receiving the votes assigned to that state (the number of Representatives plus two for the Senators). The system was designed from the beginning to be adaptable. They anticipated the House of Representatives could grow to 100 or 200 members, even though now it is 435. Having a deliberately dynamic Constitution has enabled the country to last so long, even through mistakes like slavery and and flip-flopping on Prohibition. 

These papers, even though they are political commentary that's over 200 years old, are well worth reading for a better understanding of how the Founding Fathers thought a political system should work and how our country has lasted so long through so many challenges.

Highly recommended.

Cute Kid Pix August 2026

More photos that didn't make their own post...

We went downtown to Washington just before the Fourth of July weekend and saw a bit of the Great American State Fair festivities without actually going into any venues indoors or outdoors. We went to see the National Museum of African American History and Culture (part of the Smithsonian museums that we are working our way through). That will get its own post later, but we did see some cool stuff downtown.

Washington Monument

A mobile museum

A concert stage by the Metro entrance

Following a subway system on social media seems pathetic

We celebrated the Fourth at home with an American Flag pancake for breakfast and a cookout for dinner.

Pretty big flippin' problem

Obviously the back of the flag

Plate of meat with corn cakes and white wine

A few days later, I went geocaching at Montpelier Mansion, a house dating back to the War for Independence. George Washington visited several times!

By the back door

I went geocaching Frederick, Maryland, where Francis Scott Key is buried. It was fun for a cemetery!

Francis Scott Key Memorial

World War II Memorial

Nearby, on the campus of the Maryland School for the Deaf is the Hessian Barracks. The building dates back to the War for Independence. Captured Hessian mercenaries were imprisoned here. The building went through various other uses over the years. Right by the interpretive signs is "The Great Baby Waker," a cannon that burst in 1844 and killed its gunner. 

Hessian Barracks

Don't wake the baby!

Book Review: The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton

The Everlasting Man: A Guide to G. K. Chesterton's Masterpiece by G. K. Chesterton with introduction, notes, and commentary by Dale Ahlquist

Responding to H. G. Wells's The Outline of History, G. K. Chesterton writes a more sensible, more erudite review of human history. Wells goes for a secular understanding, based on the science of his time which was not always so precise and has definitely not aged well by our time (though it was still contemporary for Chesterton). Chesterton, being Catholic, centers history around Jesus Christ, so the first half of his book is about prehistoric man and the various pre-Christian cultures that arose in history. Chesterton recognizes that we know almost nothing about primitive humans and gives a much more rational and believable account of what they must have been like. He proceeds through various civilizations, leading to the Roman Empire where Christ was born. He describes the revolutionary impact of Christ on humanity, both individual humans and the culture in general. He then goes through a bit of the history after Christ, looking at the various other religions and offshoots of Christianity and how they point to the centrality of Christ.

The great insight Chesterton underlines is the uniqueness of both human beings and of Jesus Christ, the titular Everlasting Man. Pre-historic cave paintings are by humans of other animals. The animals never made cave paintings or established civilizations. Humans are a lot more special and odd than an evolutionary attitude admits. Christ also provides a huge change in religions. Many people put their faith in various gods, demons, or their own intellects. Only one person convincingly claimed to be God and the church He founded has outlasted a lot of the institutions that were deliberately crafted to replace Christianity. Jesus is unique in history because He is God made man.

The analysis is brilliant. The text is enjoyable, though Chesterton often cites contemporary examples that are a century away from us now. The footnotes provided by Ahlquist fill in some of the gaps, though often they just reference Chesterton making the same point in other writings, sometimes not as clarifying as they could be. Ahlquist taught this book for years, so he has a detailed understanding that helps. An appendix provides study questions for each chapter.

Highly recommended--The subtitle is not exaggerating when it calls this Chesterton's masterpiece.

President Lincoln's Cottage, D.C.

When President Abraham Lincoln first took office, outgoing President Buchanan made a recommendation to him. The federal government had recently purchased a home with a lot of land about two miles north of the District of Columbia's populated area. It was a nice retreat from the growing city and the very busy life of the president. Lincoln tucked that idea away in the back of his head. 

The house was built by the Riggs family, prominent bankers in the District. So even though it is referred to as a "cottage," the house was built to the highest standards and had enough bedrooms to accommodate the nine children in the Riggs family. In the 1850s, they sold it to the Federal Government, which planned to turn it into a soldiers' home for veterans of the Mexican American War. The first soldiers to arrive lived in the house but moved into a large dormitory constructed nearby on the grounds. The house was used by Buchanan as a summer White House and a place to get away from the heat (literal and metaphorical) of the city. The house is on a hill that overlooks downtown. From the back porch, people could see the Washington Monument and the Capitol Building being finished.

Lincoln brought his family to live there after their son Willy died, to get away from the attention. Mary Todd Lincoln was especially sensitive to the loss. They lived there for three summers (1862, 1863, 1864), hauling a lot of furniture and books from the White House so Lincoln could work and live comfortably there. He still commuted to the White House, about 35 minutes on horseback. Initially, he rode back and forth on his own until one day he came back to the cottage without his hat. When people asked about it, he said it wasn't important. Some soldiers went to investigate the path he took and found the hat with a bullet hole in it. They then insisted that Lincoln have an escort, which he would often try to dodge by leaving early. That commute was his only "alone time" to think and have a break from the pressures of being a war-time president and a grieving father. 

Now known as President Lincoln's Cottage, it was opened to the public in 2008. The buildings nearby still house military veterans (so the rest of the area is not open to visitors). An extensive cemetery, similar to Arlington National Cemetery, is nearby. When we visited on Juneteenth, we were able to park outside on the street. Getting in requires government photo ID since the veterans' part is off-limits. The visitor center and the cottage are not far from the entrance.

Fancy entrance

Visitors Center

Visitors can buy tickets to tour of the cottage at the center, if they haven't bought the tickets online previously. The building also has a gift shop and some exhibits about the Lincolns' life at the cottage. A nice mural is in the foyer.

Click to enlarge the mural

Looking at a 3D view from the time

The exhibit above has a 3D viewer that my children enjoyed. The write-up describes it as a type of View-Master. We had to explain to our children what a View-Master was. 

Portrait of the family after the death of Willy

The matriarch

The boys

A Lincoln statue

Informational signs explained Lincoln's relationship to the military, some of whom were camped at the cottage, partly for Lincoln's safety, partly for the veterans. He interacted with both groups, the young soldiers and the aged veterans.

With the troops

Map skills

When our tour time came, we gathered in a side room where the guide let us know the various rules about the cottage, including two chairs we could not sit in (too fragile). The house has plenty of other benches and furniture that we used. She also said we could not take pictures inside the cottage, so that's a bummer for the blog, more so for you, dear readers.

Some Lincoln quotes prepping us for the visit

The cottage was built in the Gothic Revival Style, with plenty of room for plenty of people. At one point, Secretary of War Stanton came and stayed with his family while the Lincolns were there. The home was a good spot for meetings where fewer prying eyes and spying ears could get information to print in the papers or to sell to the Confederates. 

The tour took us to various rooms, ending in the Lincolns' bedroom. That was where Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation. The furniture from the room is still in the White House (in the Lincoln bedroom, of course) though they recreated Lincoln's desk to display in the cottage bedroom. I was sorely tempted to take a photo but did not. I have bragged that I was in the Lincoln bedroom, however.

Front of the cottage

A door on a side wing

Connecting a wing

The back of the cottage

Back around by the front

Just across from the cottage is a life-size statue of Lincoln. He stood six-foot four-inches, still the tallest president of the United States. His hat was fourteen inches, adding another foot or so to his height. No wonder he's taller than the horse!

Lincoln statue

Nearby is a gazebo that was put in later but I thought it was nice, so I took a picture.

The tour guide said they get a lot of school visits but otherwise the cottage is not as popular as downtown sights. Hopefully they get more attention in the future! It is definitely worth visiting to get a more personal understanding of the Lincolns. And you could say you were in the Lincoln bedroom too!