Smithsonian Explores the Bold Experiment of American Democracy in New Traveling Exhibition

In 1776, many colonists made a great leap to a new idea: maybe they could do without monarchy and aristocracy. If they could unite with one another, “the common people” of the colonies might form a more equal society and government. “American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith,” a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, examines the continuing evolution of America’s experiment in a government “of, by, and for the people.” The exhibition will launch a national tour at the Durham Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, March 2.

Drawn from the permanent exhibition of the same name at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, “American Democracy” explores the challenges and triumphs that generations of Americans encountered as they sought to create a government based on the sovereignty of the people. It explores the history of citizen participation, debate and compromise from the nation’s formation to today.

Featuring artifacts from the Smithsonian and state historical organizations, “American Democracy” demonstrates that self-government relies on every citizen’s active participation in the quest to form a “more perfect union.” Exhibition sections explore the origins of American democracy, the changing identity of eligible voters, the machinery of democracy, the right to petition and protest beyond the ballot and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

The first section sets the scene with “The Great Leap,” which examines the system that the colonists inherited and the issues that founding generation debated to change that world.

The second section, “A Vote, A Voice,” looks at Americans grappling with the expansion and contraction of voting rights as they debated who should have a direct voice in the political process.

In its third section, “The Machinery of Democracy,” the exhibition investigates the informal institutions and activities not spelled out in the Constitution but which make America’s participatory system possible and motivate citizens to join political parties, support candidates and vote.

“Beyond the Ballot” explores the ways in which Americans have shaped their country through petitioning, protest and lobbying throughout the country’s history and across the political spectrum.

“Creating Citizens,” the concluding section, examines the basic questions of: How diverse should the citizenry be? Is there a need to share a common national story? And what are the rights and responsibilities of citizens? These questions have shaped the most contested debates in America’s more than 200-year-old political history.

SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 65 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit sites.si.edu.

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