The Division of Military and Society collects and interprets material, visual, and documentary evidence from the 1600s through to the present day, to facilitate discussion about why and how armed conflict has occurred and to understand the human experience and consequences of it.
The Division’s collections range from military uniforms and clothing, equipment, and technology to flags, insignia, artwork, and the personal effects of people whose lives were impacted by war, including, for example, Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. The team considers not only conventional military operations but also armed conflict involving a wide range of individuals and groups. Actively engaging in original research to support its collecting and interpretive efforts, the Division explores the individual experience of military service and lives after active duty, the long and complicated histories of diverse communities’ involvement with the U.S. Armed Forces domestically and abroad, the ways armed conflict has shaped social movements and vice-versa, the power of myth and memory in both mobilizing and commemorating conflict, and the evolution of national symbols.