MIchelle Obama donates Inaugural Ball Gown to Smithsonian

First Lady Michelle Obama continued a tradition of previous first ladies and donated her Inaugural Ball gown to the Smithsonian Museum on Tuesday.

In a speech at the ceremony, Mrs. Obama said the gown, the shoes and the jewelry donated "help us connect with a moment in history in a very real way." The first lady said the gown collection at the museum "helps us understand that history is made by real life people."

Obama reflected on Mary Todd Lincoln's inaugural gown and Jackie Kennedy's inaugural gown as examples and called the gown collection "a visual reminder that we each come from such different backgrounds, different generations and from different walks of life."

"Each gown places us in the moment and makes us wonder about the intimate details of that evening," she said. "Like how did she feel in the dress? Did her feet hurt in those shoes? How many times did her husband step on that train?"