It was a rare tradition. And yet it felt so familiar that everyone instinctively knew what to do. The American presidency is wrapped in a multitude of rituals that are powerfully, gloriously dull.

Annie Polland argues that studying our humble roots teaches us what really makes American history exceptional.

This month’s submissions include a rare 19th-century American lithograph, an early Missouri coin silver mustard ladle, and a midcentury cabinet radio/record player, all descended through families.