Inventing American Tradition

Inventing American TraditionEvery tradition, even the noblest and most cherished, has a history, none more so than in the United Statesa nation born with relative indifference, if not hostility, to the past. Most Americans would be surprised to learn just how recent (and controversial) the origins of their traditions are, as well as how those origins are often related to such divisive forces as the trauma of the Civil War or fears for American identity stemming from immigration

Written by Jean Guerrero

Feel the warmth of Spring with the Blossom Morph Coffee Mug

draws on his own transcripts of almost a thousand conversations

Dinner plate

and Washington

oils and watercolors

and acknowledgment

he embarks on an unsuccessful mission to find the murderer

Adapted from the Waldseemuller map in our Exploring the Early Americas exhibition

A comprehensive introduction and headnote for each excerpt provide background information and context

Designed for the letter-writers

Poet Laureate Tracy K