Kahryl Bennett History 157 American Hist. Museum 07.02.

2010 The Museum of American History The Museum of American History is a part of the chain of Smithsonian Museums located in Washington, DC. This specific museum is a collection of historical artifacts, place settings, and background information for many different periods of the history of the United States. Based on the tour I took on US history from 1865 to now, I have seen that there are important facts missing from the museum. Many factors to the development of the America that we have now are absent. The Museum of American History does not properly portray some of the events that are defining moments in US History; it places significance on the history that magnifies the greatness of this nation, as well as the rich culture that defines the US, but seems to omit that which puts the US in a negative light. The first exhibit that I toured was the First Ladies of the Smithsonian. This part of the museum was based around the inaugural gowns that US First Ladies wore. They are accompanied with the worn accessories and many of the past First Ladies personal belongings. All of the portraits, jewels, and gowns gave an imperial depiction to the White House Ladies. There was little to nothing said about the change in views from the past to present, towards First Ladies or, if any, their role in government. There is little emphasis on the perception of female intellectuality and gender equality even the White House; these were important issues that played a key role in the shape of American culture. However, the fact that these topics are missing show that the creators deem them as insignificant to narrating the growth of this nation.

The second part of the tour was a presentation on the wars that America had fought in. I focused on the wars that we had covered: The end of the Civil War (Reconstruction), World War I, II, The Cold War and the Vietnam War. All of these displays show the machinery, weapons, and war strategies that America used in these wars. There are war artifacts, and the stories that show the shift in the war as it progressed. Many medals are displayed and heroic names are mentioned in the exhibit, showing the pride in American soldiers, and their perseverance for what they fought for. Although the role of women is mentioned, I feel as though it is not given enough credit, nor is the minority involvement given much discussion. We know that African Americans made up a big part of the war in the Civil War, as well as WWI and WWII. Japanese were also depicted as enemies when in truth many Japanese Americans fought for WWII as well. Minorities and women are pushed from the spotlight and White Americans are portrayed as the heroes. This is a current theme that is showed throughout the museum. The Communities in a Changing Nation is the exhibit that failed to provide coverage of where history has critical events. The African American feature did talk about the struggles of the Black race, but its significance was mostly invested in the issues surrounding the Reconstruction period and slavery era. The push for racial equality and the civil rights movements around the 60s is given insufficient exposure, thus downplaying the struggle, retaliation, and violence that is swept up into this time period. Although a few governmental policies are given, the preceding time of its enactment, along with the effort to bring it to existence are left out. In addition, the African American History and Culture Museum Gallery shows African American deeply involved in show business and musical talent. Blacks are portrayed as great entertainers, with little emphasis placed upon their focus on political involvement, and the push for equality in the United States. Again, the dance dresses,

instruments, pictures showing the African American performers, and the whole Apollo Theatre aspect is magnified, whereas war heroes, political pathfinders, and grassroots activists are hardly given a place in the exhibit of African American History and Culture. The industrialization of the United States is skillfully portrayed in the museum. We see the transition of inadequate machinery that kept production slow and costly, to the speed and efficiency of more modern technology that flooded the early 1900s. The many inventors and business owners contributed to the advancement of our capitalist economy. America, however, was raised to its status of a world power by the workers that toiled in these plants and factories amid sub-standard conditions. The dangers of these jobs are underplayed and skimmed over in order to highlight the progress that the US made in comparison to the rest of the world. Similarly, the presentation of the labor movement is limited on its facts on the way it influenced the government and its interaction with the working class of the US. We are given a limited view to the change of work, and how it affected more than just whites, but immigrants and blacks as well. We see the increased production of the US, and the prosperity that followed due to big business. The exhibit gives an overview of common workplaces for the poor, as well as their wages and the mistreatment given by large companies and managers. The museum mentions the measures that government took with these labor coalitions, showing the implied union between big corporations and the government. We see certain movements like the Pullman strike and marches against the unfavorable conditions and lack of benefits concerning peoples jobs. Nevertheless, we fail to receive a clear view to the magnitude of the change that labor unions made through their political views, strikes, and events to bring workers together in a united front.

The immigrant movement to the United States marked a transformation in the definition of American and the culture that came with it. The museum talked about the new immigrants but fails to focus on the many different ethnicities that laid roots in America. Instead, its primary focus is on one group. The immigration of Jews receives a lot of attention: thorough background on their movement, struggles, but eventual prosperity that they received in the US. The struggle of Eastern and Southern Europeans to fit in to White America is lost with the heavy view on prosperity that is portrayed, when in actuality, there was largely a never-ending cycle of poverty heaped upon the degradation of these ethnicities due to their inability to fully exemplify a true white in America. Because these groups made up the majority of the working class in 1900s, their coverage seems insufficient compared to the contribution that they made to this country. An important historical era in American is the 1950s to the1970s. In this time period we see the full force of anti-war sentiment, the clash of generations, the increasing wave of feminism, and the growing civil rights movement in the United States. The protests, grassroots organizations, and the political adjustments to the demands for a more equal, democratic nation reach their climax in this period. The rise of collegiate groups, pushing free speech across their campus, as well as protesting the Vietnam war, are striking points of history of America. However, in viewing the exhibit of this war, there is nothing alluding to this great controversy that stirred Americas young adults to voice disapproval of their nations political decisions. Just as the above issue is poorly covered, there is even little about womans fight for equality. Feminism, an old topic stemming from the early 1900s, is basically covered in the women working during World War II, where they were empowered to step up to the challenge of working in the place of the men at war. There is no mention of the legal battles, governmental policies, or strikes held to show the injustice that women faced on the job, at school, or even in

the home. I find this to be a great injustice because one fails to see the importance of these struggles to properly understand the tremendous ground that women have gained securing equal rights in every aspect of life. In going through the museum, I have drawn several conclusions about the focus on American history. The portrayal of American since 1865 marks the initial slow growth of the United States as a people and as a capitalist country. We are shown the increased pace of industrialization, and the way society grew from the modern changes that occurred. We see the splendor yet difficulty of the Presidency, and are given a deeper view into the many wars that has shaped our nation. The different themes show the culture that emerged as entertainment changed and opened to minorities. The American pride runs very deep in the Museum of American History, and it is indicative of how far our nation has come. On the other hand, history gives facts. A true depiction of history would not appeal to sentiment or loyalty, but focus on giving each side of a story. Despite the desire to show the prosperity, strength, and heroism of the US, opting to improperly portray a complete view of historical veracity shows the indifference to US History when remembered by a labor activist, or a leader of the Womans Liberation Movement. Without the complete story, one cannot fully understand the issue at hand, or the lengths that each party involved took to get their point across. So we then fail to see the controversy of the draft for the Vietnam War because the student movement is not mentioned. The story of the new immigrants is lost because we are not given the story of the struggle to become white while trying to maintain their cultural identity. We become desensitized to the plight of the Native American, because there is no exhibit showing their life, and loss of the right to hold on to what belonged to them.

Overall, the Museum of American History focuses on mainstream US History, leaving out many of the details that are an important key to explain the reason our nation has been molded into what it has become. Many of these details are grim, disappointing, and revealing. Enough is said about certain cultures, showing the diversity in America, but not enough to show the disparity that came with being a minority in the US. Great detail is given to the Wars that the US participates, but details that mask the actions that caused popular opinion of the US to take a downward spiral. Industrialization shows the ingenuity and technological advancement of the US in comparison to its world rivals; however, it fails to touch on the mistreatment of its own citizens. The museum lacks the attitudes of the general population to the actions of US as a nation. Without this vital piece of information, American history is incomplete. Were I to reconstruct the Museum of American History, I would change several things. I believe that history should appeal to more than popular events, or national pride. I believe that despite possible popularity, all facts should be given. My focus for the period of 1865- to the present would give serious attention primarily to issues at the home front, and then focus on matters abroad. Therefore, issues such as Reconstruction would have showed the two eras within this time period of restoration of the south, the political battles the ensued, and the African Americans who were caught in the crossfire. The Native Americans would have an exhibit, displaying their striking culture, and showing the unjust measures taken to remove them from the life they were used to. The industrialization of the early 1900s would show not only the powerful people behind the desk calling the shots and growing in wealth and innovation, but the workers and their family who were mistreated and little to no benefits on the job. I would show the weight that race carried, and the measures taken to ensure that certain races were subjugated to minimize their uprising in social classes. Different ethnicities would have their

position shown on racial injustice, and the fight for equality, and the price paid to bring freedom. The role of women and their prior inability to be seen as equal to their male counterparts would give people foundation for lingering issues that have traveled down our timeline since feminism started. The government would be amidst every single exhibit, because they played a part in many of the issues that have risen in this nation. The precedent-setting court cases, the Bills, and political parties all gave an element to decisions made with each of these issues listed. People would be able to see and form their personal opinion on how the issue was handled, and whether or not it actually benefited our nation and its people. In terms of foreign events and policy, those are all intertwined with American history. The events already at the museum would stay, but would have added information to complete the stories and give audiences a more complete picture to the problems that arose. The Wars, the occupation of smaller countries, and the domination in working towards becoming THE world power, would all be displayed. In the end, history will be shown not based on popular content and only appealing to national pride, but showing facts of history from an unbiased point of view.