101 objects that made America


jkottke:

This month, Smithsonian magazine tells the story of America using 101 objects drawn from the 19 musuems and research centers of the Smithsonian Institution. Among the objects are the original Star Spangled Banner flag, the passenger pigeon, the polio vaccine, the pill, and Benjamin Franklin’s Experiments and Observations on Electricity.

Franklins Experiments

A companion book, The Smithsonian’s History of America in 101 Objects, is available.